Day at Sea

Day at Sea!
We are cruising from Mallorca, Spain to Marseille, France…..and it could not have been a more gorgeous day to be out on the water all day! Even the captain spoke this morning and said, “I wish every day could be like this day. The sea is SOOOOO calm!” We woke up at 11 a.m. , had lunch by the pool and then found a quiet deck on the back of the boat that Stu and I had it to ourselves. Two people came for about an hour today…..but otherwise, it was just us two! That’s what we love about a small cruise ship!!!

We saw dolphins and even a small whale by the side of our ship today! The dolphins were playful and did jump after jump! We found out that the depth of the sea today was 7500 feet! That creeped us out a bit. 
Tonight, we had drinks in the Observation lounge…..a beautiful 180 degree view of the Mediterranean Sea! Then, at 9 pm….we had a dinner reservation at the “Stars Bar.” It was a 5 course dinner and entertainment duo from 9 – 11 pm. Enjoyed it very much!
Tomorrow, we dock in Marseille, France. Stu went to a brief lecture today about Marseille ( I could not leave the sun deck) and here is what he learned. Marseille was founded in 600 B.C. by the Greeks. In the 1930’s…Marseille was known as a “man’s place.” It was a bit of a “raw” city and has a reputation for being a bit lawless. In 1942-44, the Nazi’s occupied Marseille. 35% of the population are from other places such as Spain or Portugal. The people of Marseille hate “central government”….with a passion! Films made in Marseille are: The French Connection and Passage to Marseille. Marseille is mainly famous for two things: 1. Soap 2. Tarrot cards are made here and were invented here! Marseille isn’t officially part of the French Riviera. Riviera means “ribbon”….as in ribbon of beaches. The beaches are long and narrow on the French Riviera. Here’s a strange fact: 80% of all Heroin produced comes through Marseille and then on to North America! Who’da thunk?!!!
We will explore Marseille for half a day tomorrow and then Stu and I have signed up for a tour of Aix-En Provence – which is about 40 miles away from Marseille and is said to be one of the most beautiful cities in France!

Aix-En Provence
There is a saying: The people of Marseilles do not go to Provence. And the people of Provence do not go to Marseille. Stu’s lecture host said, “ It’s like cheese and chalk.” HA! Aix-En Provence has been called the most sophisticated city in the world. It is a university town and has a population of 126,000 people. The artist, Paul Ce`zanne, was born here and lived here his whole life! He was fixated on outdoor scenes. Aix-En Provence is known for her arts festivals and her music festivals. She is also known for her famous “Bechard” sweets. This is a candy with almonds in it. It is the #1 gift to take to someone when you’ve been to A.E.P.!!! There are tons of fountains here…however, no Roman anything remains. Everything was sacked in the 6th century. As many of you know, the colors of Provence are red, yellow and blue.