Corner of Greece in Provence
Greece?! Yes, because Provence is 900 kilometers of beaches and bays, 27 thousand kilometers of mountain peaks, forests, vineyards, olive and pine groves. It’s 3000 sunshine per year.
There are three Provence – Sea, Rural and Mountain. The first, most famous, is the famous Cote d’Azur, Mediterranean France, French Riviera, extending from Yerez to Menton. All her coast is grazed by luxury hotels, restaurants, private beaches, boutiques and expensive villas. But Marine Provence is the three great ports: Marseille, Toulon and Nice. The heart of Provence – Hills, drowning in vineyards, among which are worldwide Cotes du Rhone, Cote de Provence and Bandol. This landscape inspired Cesanna, Van Gogh, Shagal. In addition to the vineyards, its components are olive groves. In the last quarter of the outgoing century, creating plantations of olive trees have become almost as popular as having their vineyards. In some areas, some land owners destroyed the vineyards, replacing them with olive groves. Now the former winemakers make their oil. Even many famous people, such as the actor Jean Reno, Singer, Charles Aznavour, TV presenters and advertisers have their own olive plantations and produce olive oil so popular in cooking, and everyone has its own individual taste.
Alps – Mountain Provence. Here you can ride skiing, and it’s only an hour from the beach! The air of a high provence and high Alps is clean and attracts not only skiers, but also lovers of rafting, jumping with parachute and mountaineering.
Residents of Provence, more often called "Midi" (south of france), speak French with a little "singing" an emphasis, outstanding the secret of their relaxed life, as well as testifies to the effects of Corsica and Italy. Parisians find him funny. Previously, those who heard Marseille accent, laughed at him, Provencalians were redished from their pronunciation. Today is not there. Marseille who made a job in Paris will not be repaid to talk to the capital’s manner.
If you are able to resist the temptation of a beach holiday, go to Provence. Here you can find a lot of interesting things: to visit the Museum of Wine, Ostrich Park, listen to the open-air concert, try simple and delightful provencal dishes and, of course, to taste local wine. Such a journey can be a kind of vinogradar tourism, returning from which you will bring your wine cellar with you.
Cotes-de-Provence – the most extensive area of winemaking in Provence. It extends from Marseille to Sant Rafael on the coast and to Dragignan in the depths of the country. Grenache varieties (large black grapes), Karinyang, Surira (red grapes), Cabernet Sauvignon and others are characteristic only for Provence varieties, such as Murvedre. Here produce basically pink wines. Bandol region, Senor of Red Wine Provence, is located 30 kilometers from Marseille. It is known for his strong noble red wines made from Vinogradr grapes. In the area of Cassis, make beautiful white wine from Marzann or Sauvignon varieties. In each of these regions, castles, villages, grape terraces, olive groves grow in a wanderer. September – Vintage and olive oil tasting time. At this time, folk gulyany are held in different cities of Provence, accompanied by dancing, tasting oil and wine.
It is better to understand Provence – it means to open the wealth of his tastes and smells in local markets, in the wine museums and podves, on the mills. Provence aromatic plants are used in cooking, perfumes and medicine. Having been here, you will learn that thyme or the chabret complement the taste of meat dishes and that fishes are prepared with dill and sage. Chefs in restaurants and simple hostesses also use rosemary, verbena, coriander, basil, etc. All summer slopes of the provence hills are covered with blue lavender flowers. The aroma of this healing plant, in the Middle Ages used as a disinfectant, today is present in many perfumes. Another fragrance of Provence – Nougat. This sweetness, a mixture of honey and almond, appeared in the Provencal town of Montelmar at the end of the XVI century and received recognition worldwide. Melted honey and sugar are mixed with a mixer, then whipped proteins add to the resulting mass. In conclusion put almonds. In this Montertamar Nough should contain at least 30% of almonds.
Provencal cities of Nice, San Tropez, Arles, extended many tourists, and meanwhile Marseille, at first glance seemingly a purely industrial city-port, no less interesting for the traveler. Marseille – the second diplomatic city of France after Paris (representatives of 63 countries are located), a huge port with ancient history, called name "Gate of the East". Marseille – the city of the sea and the mountains, or the Greek mass, the Greco-Roman massal, the modern name of which has changed a little in comparison with how he was called the ancient residents (Marsell) – a very lively city, like the Babylonian tower gathered around himself all races and nationalities.
His story is as bright, motley, like his population. Some historians believe that Marcel Phoenicians were first opened. However, most researchers agree that Marseille was founded in 600 BC.NS. Greek sailors from Fokese. Fokese religion, so called the ancient inhabitants of Marseille, was the alloy of Greek, Celtic, Egyptian and Roman cults. In the period of the Roman conquest of Gala (the territory of the ancient France), Greek Marseille, who was then named after Massar, remained unsubstantiated Caesar. Several times the troops of the Romans attacked the city from sushi and the sea (the underground tunnels broke through, built huge siege towers). After the Romans, the city was taken by engewares, then Burgundy, then the Ostallians and, finally, in 536 by Franks, whose leader Chlodvig is considered the founder of France. In the VI and VII centuries, Marseille becomes a large port of the Mediterranean, whose wealth was looted by Sarcins. After the section of the Empire of Karl the Great between his heirs, Provence and, together with him, Marseille entered the ownership of Lothar and became part of the German Empire.
Most historians date the joining Marseille to France 1481-M or 1482. In the preceding period, Provence and his city were the property of the counts of Toulouse, the king Aragon, the counts of Anzhui and Obovers, who were kings of Sicily and Naples. In 1481, before death, the Count Provence bequeathed his lands to the King of France Louis Xi. So finally Marcel became French. For centuries grew his power, the strategic and commercial significance of this port increased. Marseille’s golden age – the period of the beginning of the Empire to the fourth republic, then the colonial policy of the state contributed to the flowering of the city. All the wealth of Africa and Asia accumulated on the piernes of Marseille. However, with the end of the war in Algeria, in 1962, with a decline of the colonial epoch, with the proclamation of a new orientation of France to the north, the old Fokey city acquires secondary importance. Tourists stayed here no more than one night.
The city was often mentioned only in the Chronicle of Incidents. The old port, a little mafia, interested travelers much less than the resort cities of Provence. But today Marseille is reborn. The number of tourists visiting him increased tenfold compared with 1993. In 1999, he celebrated the 26th anniversary (who could not boast every city) with a number of cultural and sports events. In June 2001, the Mediterranean Metropolis "approached" To Paris (now, thanks to the new branch of the high-speed railway track, Marseille is just three hours drive from the capital).
By the beginning of the new millennium, the city is overgrown urban anarchy. Restoration and construction work included more than 20 million francs: concert halls, university and artistic centers were built, old docks were restored. But the city retained everything that attracts tourists – the unique spirit of the antiquity, created by the old buildings, quarters, complemented by museums and the abundance of seafood.
It is safe to say that on the part of the sea gastronomy Marseille – the capital of Provence. The most popular dish is Bouillabaisse, it is prepared from six or three different types of fish. You can enjoy other seafood dishes in restaurants located around the old port on small walking streets near the Rive Neuve waterfront. Here and fresh mussels, welded in the onion broth with the addition of Provencal Spices, and Brutalt (Local Bread Dough Baked in the shape of a boat), and fish dishes (from the sea rooster, crucian, catfish, tuna, sea ears, Sardin, Merlan , crabs) under the sauce or roasted with anise liqueur on the lattice and reflaked with olive oil, lemon, and borrida (ear with garlic sauce), and Ratatuus (vegetable stew), and a lamb ragu, and tomatoes in Provencal, and goat cheese, and truffles, and many vegetables, refilled by olive oil, and sweets, and much more.
Start a walk on Marsel stands from the Old Town (Panier), consisting of small streets united in blocks. In Marseille more than a hundred districts, each of which is a Provencal village with her cathedral. Old port is a really old port of Marseille. This is the place of Mossellov’s meetings, there are many restaurants here, the boats go to the nearby Iles de Frioul and Chateau d’IF islands, famous for its legend about the Monte Cristo column, from where the beautiful panorama of the city opens. The castle of IF remained blank until the XVI century, while Francis I did not decide to make a fortress from it, designed to protect attacks from the sea. Then for a long time he served as a state prison, which contained Protestants and supporters of the Republic. Alexander Duma sharpened in the castle of his hero Edmon Dantes, a fictional character who had, however, his prototype – Francois Pico, accused of aiding in English intelligence and a fastener prisoner. And yet no one can explain the presence of a huge hole in one of the castle cameras IF. On the Islands Froul is a vintage sanitary complex – Lazare and Hospital, built in the XIX century, when the yellow fever came from America and the yellow fever got to Marseille. During the century, the wounded and patients of Africa came to Lazarey. In 1944, the bombardment destroyed the complex.
In the old port of Marseille there are two forts -. Jean and St. Nicholas. Fort St. Nikolai was built in 1660 at the place of the chapel of St. Nicholas by order of Louis XIV. Basilica Notre Dame de la Gard – Perhaps the main attraction of the city is located on the hill and is a symbol of Marseille. It is simply impossible not to notice whether it rises above the city. The construction of the cathedral began in 1853 at the place of the chapel, several centuries of the pilgrims who received the blessing of sailors in distant swimming. It is the Roman-Byzantine Basilica with a gilded statue of the Major Virgin 10 meters high and bronze bell weighing more than 8 thousand kilograms. It offers a magnificent view of the city and surroundings.
In Marseille, many interesting museums are a museum of elegant arts, containing collections of painting, sculptures and drawing of the XVI-XIX centuries; Museum of the history of Marseille, telling about the formation of the city; Museum of the Archeology of the Mediterranean; Museum of the Military Fleet and Economics; Museum of Fayans, who collected the collection of Ceramics Provence from the era of Neolithic to the present day, the Roman Dock Museum, in which the items of Greece, Rome and Middle Ages, found during the 1947 excavations (for example, huge jugs for oil storage, grains and wines).
Marseille beaches, of course, are not so chic as the beaches of Nice or San Tropez, there is a breath of a huge port, but you can relax well. Prado Beach is convenient because it is right next to the subway. Prado bordered by a green lawn that resembles an English promenade in Nice. De Love Beach – pebble and perfect for picnic. Beach Forten and De La Battree are near the small port, here is a small sand. On the beach, Corbier is also a small sand, it is located under steep rocks. All beaches There are volleyball sites, basketball and children’s corners.
The connection of residents of the city with water is manifested in the traditions of Marseille. One of them – water contests that exist almost 2 thousand years. They are arranged in mid-July and mid-August. Six rowers and fighters are located on the boats, which plunges on the tanten (long bar, continuing the nasal part of the boat), armed with a sword and shield. Fighters fight supported by the joyful cries of viewers. An integral part of Marseille – markets and fairs. Floral, fruit and vegetable, just food and, of course, fish, they create a flavor of a bright, noisy, welcoming Mediterranean port.
The name of the anthem of France is connected with Marseille. Created in 1792 during the French Revolution in Strasbourg, a young officer Ruhju de Lill, the anthem was executed on a banquet in Marseille in honor of the five hundred volunteers going to Paris and accompanied warriors throughout the path. He became popular and, thanks to Provencal accent of her performers, was named "Marselese".
In Marseil dry and warm, from April to October from the sea blowing a light breeze, in winter the temperature, as a rule, does not fall below several degrees below zero. But His Majesty Mistral (from Provencal MaOtre – Mr.), a cold northern dry squalloy wind, can spoil the journey from the end of November to April, but sometimes he is firmly and in July. Mistral blows a hundred days a year, about ten days a month.
