Festival Fun

On weekends, leaving Marseille to visit the surrounding areas has become a favourite pastime of mine and my friends. On a simple 20 minute ride, you can visit the seaside village of Cassis, or within half an hour, you might find the beaches of Bandol.

The Float of Fire (and confetti)

Last weekend, my friends and I decided to visit La Ciotat, a cheap train ticket away, for an afternoon of exploring. Whilst small, the town was supposed to be a mix between French traditions, docklands and some natural beauty, all of which were delivered as promised.

However, the highlight of the weekend was certainly stumbling upon the Carnaval that was held in the town this weekend. Since we have not read about the event beforehand, and simply picked our destination that morning, it was an unforgettable and authentic experience that you wouldn’t get from the tour books.

Venetian masks

Carnaval is a popular festival to mark the start of lent or the Easter period in many cities across Europe, although its presence in the south of France is not common.

The African history section

As such, the festival at La Ciotat is still a recent introduction to the social calendar, but a date that many enjoy. Each year has a different theme and 2015 saw “Raconte moi une histoire” – Tell me a story - as the designated subject.

Clubs, societies and groups throughout La Ciotat and other local towns designed different floats and costumes to inspire and impress the jubilant crowds who lined the docks in eager anticipation. From the Knights of the Round Table, watched over by a 15 foot Merlin, to Venetian kings and queens, and African dancers, the streets were soon alive with music and colour and my friends and I were quickly covered in confetti.

Both children on the street and performers in the parade threw balloons, confetti, string and all manner of decorations in a multi-coloured frenzy that later washed into the harbour.

The parade lasted for over 20 minutes and was eagerly cheered on by hundreds of spectators.

Being completely taken off guard, the festivities provided a jovial surprise and were a perfect souvenir of the little town. The beaches here are small, but golden, and the cranes around the docks still cast a metallic shadow, but the day was certainly one of the more memorable from recent trips.

Covered in confetti

Capital Crisis

Following its year as European Capital of Culture, has Mediterranean Marseille stalled again?

Marseille Vieux Port

Descending to the métro at Gare Saint-Charles, a large advertisement asks commuters “Do you still listen to clichés about Marseille?”

Questions of Marseille’s reputation have never been so pertinent. As 2013 Capital of Culture, the city hoped to shake its seedy status and rebrand as an international destination. Spurred by an ambitious regeneration project, Marseille benefitted from a 680mn euro investment from the CoC fund, and private investment totalling a staggering 3bn euro. 

When January 2013 arrived however, Marseille was not ready. The inauguration of new museums, including the first national French museum outside Paris, MuCEM, was delayed. Shining new shopping centres in the revamped port district were not opened until half way through the year. The T3 tramline remains a work in progress today.

Sophie Carrano, a teacher in Marseille, told me “In 2013, there were different local events every week. People from all the arrondissements were involved. Marseille was united for probably the first time. It is already a distant memory.”

Marseille has long since been a bubbling bouillabaisse, a city synonymous with gangs, crimes and drug circles. Despite all efforts in 2013, crime is seeping back in, with 20 gun related deaths last year, and widespread standoffs with police. Away from the centre’s multi-million euro investment, Marseille has some of the most impoverished areas in the country.

New maps highlight how poverty in Marseille remains an incongruous anomaly on the sun-drenched French Riviera, as the city with the most socio-economic deprivation in France. Unemployment, whilst reduced, remains above national averages.

Claire Bullen’s report for the European Cultural Foundation found Marseille to be on the precipice of further demise. “Socio-cultural organisations that were involved in the initial bid… are starting to become either circumspect or cynical” she suggested.

“Life for ordinary people seems to remain precarious and the tensions between the different urban agglomerations seem as rocky as ever. [Artists] no longer see a future for themselves.”

When MuCEM finally opened, designer Philippe Starck described the building “a clairvoyant, untamable wild animal”; a metaphor which might be used to describe Marseille itself. As efforts towards regeneration fail to tame the animal, or fail to discourage criminality, Marseille is threatened by a criminal undercurrent that seemingly cannot be dammed by any wave of investment.

(I originally wrote this article as part of a bursary application, but really liked the end result, so I am publishing it here too.)

Football Fever

When football fanatics dominate your class, throw them a ball.

As I mentioned towards the start of the year, football is a way of life in Marseille. All residents are passionately invested in the beautiful game and show loyal support to their home team, especially when it comes to sworn enemies PSG.

How to turn this adoration of football into a useful means of coaching the children in English?

With exams looming soon, the teachers of the school had further impressed the necessity of oral work, so as the children could talk on any subject for a couple of minutes.

Often simple ideas are the best when instructing a class of semi-invested teenagers. Therefore, I went to a local shop, bought a ball, and wrote words or questions across it.

Taking it into school and lifting it out of my bag was like lifting a trophy in front of the children. 

“We’re getting to play football, Mr Jackson?”

I explained that I was going to pass the ball around, and they had to answer the question, or talk about the topic under their right thumb when they caught it for a minute.

At first, they seemed horrified by this idea. “But what questions?”, “We haven’t had time to prepare!” “Is this part of a test?” were a few of the sudden interjections. 

However, having soothed many of their concerns, I was able to start the ball rolling, by demonstrating how I would respond to “What did you do last weekend?”

The children ended up warming quickly to the activity, even if they were unsure of vocabulary. The added distraction of the ball being passed from person to person as if a hot potato was amusing and took away from the pressure of speaking unaided for a minute.

I was both impressed at their efforts and contented by my energies to introduce the game, as at the start of the year, had I been met with such a wall of confusion and worry, I might have let the idea go altogether. However, the exercise demonstrated my own development in both leading the class, and understanding the learners themselves.

Play time can still be class time.

BCN

Outside the Sagrada Familia

Barcelona is a diverse and vibrant city, evidenced in its (sometimes contested) infusion of Catalonian roots and Spanish culture. A quick trip to visit friends in the most popular of Spanish cities has been another travel highlight, but be warned of expensive attractions quickly draining financial resources.

Inside the Sagrada Familia

From beaches to a selection of rich Spanish heritage, Barcelona packs a punch, proffering the best of a beach holiday and a city break all in a convenient location. Of course, the main tourist hotspots are the Gaudi designed buildings of Casa Batllo, Park Guell and the remarkable Sagrada Familia, still under construction.

Of these, I was most impressed by the Sagrada Familia and spent three hours admiring the feat of engineering that is still being constructed under the partially preserved plans of architect Gaudi. The exterior scenes are some of the most intricate and detailed works of craftsmanship and the contrasting interior may appear simple at first, but boasts elegance with its stain glass windows filtering light in different directions, and columns designed to create an urban jungle, resembling different trees. Make sure to book in advance however, as queues are difficult to contend with and last for hours.

Up Mount Tibidabo

I also was able to enjoy a hike up Mount Tibidabo, which provided views across the mountainous Catalonia region and down across the entire Barcelona Cosmopolitan area. Try and head up when the adjoining theme park is open for some fun thrills and spills on the mountainside.

For a less taxing walk, I would recommend the viewpoint from “The Bunkers”, an old Spanish civil war bunker on top of a hill built in the 30s, which I prefer to the packed Park Guell. Here you have a free view over all of Barcelona, with hardly any tourists to contend with, and remarkably few Spaniards as well. The true advantage of this 360 panorama compared to Tibidabo is you remain very much in the city. It is perfect for an afternoon visit or a sunset stroll to watch the lights come on. Take the metro to Alfons X station and just keep heading up the hill.

At Bunkers El Carmel

Otherwise, to minimise spending (I cannot emphasise how expensive Barcelona seemed to me), I suggest spending days strolling around Gracia, El Carmel or the Sants districts, which have different markets and cheaper shopping alternatives. 

Barcelona beaches and the W hotel

Climb Every Mountain in Lisbon

Lisbon city centre

Lisboa, the capital of Portugal, is an almost forgotten European capital that breathes effortless elegance and charm on every turn, and is surprisingly affordable and efficient.

The city of Lisbon itself is only home to half a million people, meaning that this remains one of the few European cities that hasn’t lost its old charms amidst the rise of tourism and commercialism.

Sao Jorge Castle

Trams and hills

Coffee and cake culture is the crucible of all Lisbon life, so make sure it plays a central role in your visit. Coffee is cheap at even the most famous of cafes, and freshly baked cakes will leave you salivating until dinner. Try Pastis de Belem, a creamy custard cake that bears some resemblance to an egg custard – which I ironically find disgusting. However, I could eat these treats every day.

Other culinary delights include the Francesinha. Forget your English breakfast – this is the ultimate hangover cure, loaded with cured ham, linguiça, fresh sausage like chipolata, steak or roast meat and covered with melted cheese and a hot thick tomato and beer sauce served with French fries. I might die, but I would die happy eating one of these.

Fortunately, the hilly city will make you work off all those calories. As an older San Francisco, the hills here command amazing views across the Tagus Estuary. Visit the São Jorge Castle around sunset for an impressive vista over the coloured houses, ruined chapels, and the river down the 25 April Bridge (again, you might mistake it at first glance for the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fran).

Alternatively, trek to the many Miradouros dotted around the city. These are excellent vantage points that offer panoramic views of Portugal from different angles (the hills change your perspective a lot). One of my preferred spots, the Miradouro Sao Pedro de Alcantara, offers a fantastic perspective over the city and the castle, whilst the Miradouro das Portas do Sol in one of the oldest districts of the city seems to have been stolen straight from a postcard, with its old monuments and white washed walls descending to the river.

The Tile Museum

Jeronimos Monastery

Monument to the Discoveries

Visit the historic quarter of Belem for some of the popular hotspots, including the Monument to the Discoveries, the Belem Tower and the Jeronimos Monastery. On the other side of the city, be sure to check out the National Tile Museum, which has a collection of over five centuries of intricate tile art from across Portugal and the world and I honestly found this to be an interesting exhibit, showcasing some of the most influential work in the country.

Admiring the view over Sintra and
the Atlantic

The architectural gem, the Palace
of Pena

Escape the city centre for a day, and take a train from Rossio station to the suburb of Sintra, a UNESCO world heritage site, famed for its gardens and palaces. Walking around this expansive collection of city walls, parks and estates gives an idea of the historical importance and regency of Portugal. Head up to the National Palace of Pena, a visual treat. From its tenacious mix of Romantic and Germanic architectural styles, to the traditional Portuguese tiles, to the contrasting bright red, blue and yellow facades, this site is as beautiful on the exterior as its lavish fittings on the inside. Impressive to the end, the view down to the Atlantic Ocean left me with a feeling of mighty importance, looking out on to the Ocean that marks so many discoveries and voyages of history.

If possible, I would encourage you to sample some of the traditional Fado music over Portuguese tapas and sangria to wrap up your tour of this fantastic city.

Fresh Tapas prepared at the table

Marrakesh Madness

My first trip to the African continent was a sensory blur of mountains, camels, food and markets wrapped together like some addictive drug – and I want back.

Low cost flights between Marseille and Marrakesh and cheap accommodation meant that visiting Morocco with teacher friends was a must this past school holiday. Return flights to the south of France are as low as 100 euro and with a wide selection of Riads in the Medina, you are able to choose a relaxing and warm Moroccan home, without the hassle of haggling.

Souks

My friends and I stayed in the Medina, just a two minute walk from the impressive Djemaa el-Fna square, and I would recommend finding a hotel here above any other area. The vibrancy of the old city centre, with its thriving souks and maze of criss-crossing alleyways is an unparalleled experience. Together, my group spent the best part of our first afternoon attempting to navigate this complex web of market stalls, with limited success, but much hilarity all the same. At one point, a shop keeper attacked me with a pashmina, because how could I be out in a T-shirt in February? (Answer, the daytime temperatures were a very pleasant 24 degrees and sunny.) A little while later, one of the many children around the Medina offered us a “guided tour” so as we could find our way back to the Square, and we could not shake him until we agreed. His tour took us nowhere near our starting point, but we found several artisan stalls and more impressively, the tanneries which show some of the skilled craftsmen at work.

Djemaa-el-Fna

Djemaa-el-Fna itself is an animated and effervescent central hub for all Marrakesh life, no matter what time of day or night. This truly would be the square that never sleeps. During the day, the place is populated with story tellers, musicians, snake charmers, and monkey tamers, and at night all manner of food stalls take over, offering the very best Moroccan cuisine at the cheapest of prices, as each and every stall owner hollers at you to try and pitch his food. Follow your nose, it will lead you right. I had some excellent tagines and grilled kebabs in these markets, for under 5 euro each.

Ben Youssef Madrasa

Aside from the bazaar bargains, there are number of architectural delights to be discovered around Marrakesh. One particularly impressive complex was the Ben Youssef Madrasa, an old university campus in the city centre. The university was embellished with engravings in Arabic, brightly coloured tiles, and fountains that served as much to provide an ambience of peace as to cool the courtyard. The Marrakesh Museum also offers an interesting collection of work from artists whose reputation has not yet become immersed in European culture, providing a refreshing perspective on Moroccan life.

The Majorelle Gardens

For a quieter affair, I would highly recommend a visit to the Majorelle Gardens, sometimes referred to as the Yves Saint Laurent Gardens after the iconic French designer, whose home can be found adjoining this wonderful quaint environment. Here, exotic plants from around the world are combined with vivid works of art that adorn the pavilions and museums. Most impressive is the “Love Gallery”, a collection of Saint Laurent’s posters and campaigns to promote universal peace. Amidst the fountains, the lakes, and the gentle guitar music, you easily find yourself removed from the madness of Marrakesh.

The lunch view in the High Atlas Mountains

To escape completely, there is no better experience than a trip to the Atlas Mountains, where scenic views, Berber villages and remote waterfalls are all part of the diverse picture that makes up this perfectly preserved piece of natural Africa. The mountains, the tallest peaks in Northern Africa, and the second after Kilimanjaro, command panoramic views out for miles and miles, and villagers here are completely removed from modern trends, but are amongst the most friendly and helpful we met. My friends and I were fortunate enough to stop for food in a Berber home about two thirds of the way up the mountains, being able to dine al-fresco with scintillating scenery that bore little resemblance to European landscapes.

An overwhelming whirlwind of a trip that left a headache on all the senses, Marrakesh seems to live in technicolour rendering entire swathes of Europe simply black and white by comparison. 

Whilst in the High Atlas Mountains