After a very busy A41 and an even busier M25, and fish'n'chips on the wall at The Colonels, Horley, near Reigate, and a night in the Gatwick Hotel, followed by frustration at the airport when we were refused entry to the lounge as my card had expired....
we had a good flight...
and boarded
CELEBRITY BEYOND
and what a vessel she was.
First port..MARSEILLES.
100% LOVED it
I don't really know what either of us were expecting but we were both VERY impressed.
Naturally I had to PLANKABOUT under the harbour mirrors whilst the fishermen gutted, bucketted and sold their catch.
The walking tour was very good.
Marseilles was founded by the Greeks about 600 B.C. and is the oldest city in France and the second most populated.
The Hotel de Cabre below has an interesting story.
It is the oldest building in Marseilles, built in 1535, and is one of the very few buildings to survive the revolutions and wars.
In 1954 after the Second World War, the area around it was rebuilt. The position of Hotel de Cabre was preventing the Grand Rue to be widened.
It was threatened with destruction!!!
So....
Mind bogglingly...using a system of rails and a hydraulic pump,the 670 ton building was lifted on to a chassis and the whole house was moved 15 meters and rotated 90degrees to align it with Grand Rue.
Amazing!
You can still see the original Rue Bonneterie on the facade of the Hotel de Cabre even though the quarter turn means it is now on the Grand Rue.
The new Cathedral has the tiniest tiniest tiles in its mosaic floor which took 7 years to make.
We couldn't NOT visit Notre Dame du le Pont so we found the right bus and climbed the steps to the top to get some FABULOUS views of the city and the football ground (Olympique marseilles)
Inside was glorious.
No spectacular stained glass windows but a lot of gold and a lot of beautiful hanging boats.
And what a day for it.
Back to the ship to find out we nearly outnumbered the staff!
There were only 7 more crew than guests! We more or less had a butler each.
Only 1260 on board.
Next week...double.
And our captain was a young and pzazz Kate McCue.
Tomorrow...NICE.
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