Marseille

Having visited France many times, I have never stopped in Marseille, a very big, busy city. Having been here for a day, I don't hate it (the setting, on the water, is gorgeous) but I don't have a lot of desire to return. The drive in, once off the Autoroute, was monstrous. I am a good driver but the streets are as narrow as a parking space, mostly one way or blocked at the end forcing me to back up or do a three point turn just to get the stupid car onto the next narrow-gauge alleyway, only to face another such turn at the next corner. At one point the street vanished altogether, appearing as a sidewalk with iron barriers that one has to maneuver through. No one pays attention, pedestrians wander everywhere, roads mysteriously are blocked over and over again by police vans, and by the time I got the car into a car park I was shaking and my head was pounding. Fucking awful. 

Parts of the old city are charming but to tell you the truth I am ready to come home, something I rarely say while on vacation. As I mentioned previously, I have learned some things about myself on this trip (and about traveling alone vs with someone else) and I am ready to come home and begin planning my next journey, which will be different in many ways. There will be no car involved, less "accidental" companionship, a better thought out route, a lot less stuff packed into my suitcase.

There is a scene at the end of the movie "The Accidental Tourist" where William Hurt is trying to deal with his heavy suitcase while in serious back pain. In a moment of desperation, his character stops on the sidewalk, unzips the suitcase and takes out his passport and a photo of his son and abandons the suitcase on the Paris sidewalk.  I have thought about doing that so many times. Why am I lugging all this crap around? Stupid clothes.

Back to Lyon to drop off the car in the morning, a train to the Paris airport where I will spend the night at an overpriced airport hotel and catch the 10:00 a.m. Flight  home. There may be one more update tomorrow evening.  Thank you all for reading along.