Marseille, France

Although our port today was Marseille, we had a tour to see St. Remy de Provence. Marseilles is the capital of the region known as Provence Côte d’Azur. It is one of the oldest cities in Europe, founded in 600 BC by the Greeks. Around 100 BC the Romans came to this area.

Marseilles served as the gateway to the orient in the 500s. It has always been connected to sea travel and trade. The area has many harbors and is surrounded on 3 sides by limestone mountains. The area has 70 kilometers of coastline.

St. Remy is the patron saint of Provence. The area produces olive oil, perfumes and lavender. They also do colorful pottery in the region as well as colorful cotton clothing. There are about 300 sunny days, but 200 have strong mistral winds. These winds blow down from the Rhône valley and cleans the air. Because of this it has been a favorite destination for painters because of the good light. Van Gogh came to St. Remy in 1889 to paint. Other famous artists have also come to this area in Provence to paint.

The famous mathematician and astrologer, Michel de Nostredame, Latinized to Nostradamus, was born in St. Remy in 1503.

Provence is considered the garden of France. The town of St. Remy de Provence was very charming. The streets were cobbled, there were many shops selling lavender and olive oil products. There were many small boutiques and lots of cafes. We had a short tour and then got to walk around and do some shopping.