Marseille

Marseille, France

AUGUST 2022

I have traveled to many places across France, and nothing compares to the feeling I get when I’m in Marseille. The city provides a cosmopolitanism paired with a provençale spirit that is difficult to find anywhere. Many mistake Marseille for only being a dangerous place. But where others see only crime, I see a diverse city that carries on without hiding its bumps and bruises. It is gritty but beautiful.

We met Jimmy on at the Marina behind the MuCEM. Jimmy, a marine biologist in his mid-twenties charters his small sailboat as a side-hustle. Of course we are the first to arrive, the saying “if you’re on time you’re late” doesn’t apply to the Southern French (or the Pacific Northwest). Our captain for the evening is personable and we spend the next quarter-hour chatting about our travels through France, our interests and a bit of politics. Bouncing between French and English, I ask how he sees Marseille changing, and he speaks about the margin of wealth and the rise of right-wing politics in wealthy suburban Marseille. I see a new Marseille emerging, one that is making space for young people to breathe new life into the ancient (Marseille was founded by the Greeks) city.

For me, there is no place more magical in Marseille than the vieux panier. The Panier, or the breadbasket is a mess of tangled streets, hills, and steps through the old bread-maker’s quarter. Generations of migrants from Italy, Armenia, and Spain have made the Panier their home.