So Now You Want to Visit Marseille

Hi again! Can’t get enough of this beautiful city, huh? I bet you even want to visit Marseille after reading these blogs. Well, today is your lucky day, because in this final blog I will plan you a weekend trip to Marseille! Consider this the first step in your external search for information about Marseille – you are gathering information from an external source (a friendly internet blog) before making a decision (Babin & Harris, 2016, p. 259). Bon Voyage!

Day 1 – The City

So you just woke up in the most beautiful city in the world. Let’s check it out!

First of all, you MUST visit Le Vieux Port, aka the “Old Port.” This is Marseille’s city center, featuring a plethora of restaurants, shops, and activities. If you get up early you can catch a glimpse of the fish market, starting daily at 8 am. Here you’ll see fishermen crowding the city square selling the fresh catches of the day. At the port, I recommend stopping in some tourist shops to pick up some Savon de Marseille – the region’s handmade soap – and some French cookies at La Cure Gourmande.

The iconic metal pavilion in the Port.

C'est moi! On the left side you'll see Notre Dame de la Garde, always watching over the Port.

La Cure Gourmande, and adorable French candy shop just off the Port.

Next, jump on a bus or in a cab and head up the hill to the famous Notre Dame de la Garde. This stunning cathedral offers unbelievable views of the city and breathtaking architecture, and it is the one thing every Marseille tourist must absolutely experience.

Notre Dame de la Garde! 

The interior

Check out that view!!!! 

While atop the cathedral, you may have noticed a large stadium. This is Stade Velodrome, the 67,000 seat stadium that is home to France’s top-tier football team, Olympique de Marseille (Stade Velodrome, n.d.). While you might not have time to catch a game here, a tour of the stadium will be a good way to learn about one of the major lifestyles (ways that people spend their time and money) in France – football (Babin & Harris, 2016, p. 121).

Stade Velodrome
Source: bouygues-construction.com

This stadium is almost as cool as the Big House. Maybe.
Source: dailymail.co.uk

After leaving the stadium, head to dinner in the Castellane region – a long street featuring many restaurants, marked by a statue that still remains in its original condition since being built in 1798 (Place Castellane, n.d.).

It always blew my mind that people could just walk past this beautiful, ancient monument every day as if it was no big deal...

Day 2 – The Sea

First up today is les Calanques, or “the coves”. These coves are what this region is really known for, so seeing them is a necessity. One of my favorite ways to experience the Calanques was through a boat tour. These tours are specifically designed for tourists, so when I decided to take one, it was a huge social risk, as I was trying to fit in as a local and knew that my native French friends would perceive the purchase a bit negatively (Babin & Harris, 2016, p. 253). However, the boat leaves from the Vieux Port and takes passengers into several of the coves, offering the absolute best views of the unique formations as well as of the crystal-clear water.

Boats on the Port

After the boat tour, I also recommend hiking one of the Calanques. The most popular is the Calanque en Vau, the primary cove in the National Park of Calanques. There is a lot of hiking involved here, but the views along the way are breathtaking, and the hike ends at a beach. Plus, there are opportunities to rest on the side of the cove in the sun or even rent a kayak.

Charming view from my hike at le Calanque en Vau

The beach makes the hike worth it! 

Finally, after a long day of exploring nature, you MUST visit the restaurant that changed my life – the one I have mentioned in all of my blogs so far. The Club House is located right in the Vieux Port and offers an all-you-can-eat buffet of local fish, desserts, cheeses, and wine for only 20 Euros. When deciding on a restaurant, consumers often value price and quality, and I assure you that this restaurant is outstanding on both (Babin & Harris, 2016, p. 260). Here is the Yelp page for the restaurant.

There is of course so much more to do in Marseille – I lived there for two months and did not see it all. To truly decide what else to squeeze into your itinerary, I suggest following your experiential decision-making perspective and decide based on what feels right to you (Babin & Harris, 2016, p. 252). Here are some pictures of things that I did not mention yet just to get you started:

Vallon des Auffes - a tiny fishing town under a bridge in Marseille

Fort St. Jean - a 1660 fort built by King Louis XIV (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Saint-Jean_(Marseille))

Cassis is another small town that is connected to Marseille with beautiful cliffs, perfect for cliff diving! 

Merci beaucoup, readers – thank you for following along as a I re-live my experience in the most beautiful city in the world. I love Marseille with all my heart, and I truly hope that you have the chance to visit one day. Salut, ciao, au revoir, et bonne chance!

References: 

Babin, B. J., & Harris, E. G. (2016). CB7. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Place Castellane. (n.d.). Retrieved March 29, 2017, from http://www.marseilletourisme.fr/les-monuments/place-castellane/

Stade Velodrome. (n.d.). Retrieved March 29, 2017, from http://www.stadiumguide.com/velodrome/

*All photos are my own unless otherwise cited! 

Let's Get Cultured!

Bienvenue! Welcome back! Last time, I wrote about my internship experience in Marseille, France. In this blog I will highlight Marseille’s unique culture by discussing their social norms, cultural centers and artifacts, and of course, the food. Allons-y!

Social Norms

Marseille - and France in general - has some cultural norms that are vastly different from those of the U.S. A cultural norm by definition is an unspoken rule that specifies the correct behavior in a certain situation, depending on the culture (Babin & Harris, 2016, p. 180).

For example, a cultural norm of France that almost everyone has heard of is kissing - when greeting a friend, it is expected that the pair gives each other a kiss on each cheek. Another cultural norm is eye contact. Eye contact holds very different meanings in different cultures, and in France, making eye contact with a stranger of the opposite sex is considered extremely flirtatious. I learned this too late and, after making accidental eye contact with a random man, was followed miles home on the bus and harassed for being a “tease.” That is a prime example of why it is important to learn the cultural norms of a country before you travel.

Bisous! Stephen Colbert demonstrates the French cultural greeting.
Source: http://www.primogif.com/tag/cheek%20kiss

Cultural Centers and Artifacts

Marseille is home to 24 museums and 42 cultural theaters, including the world-famous Musée des Civilisations de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée (MuCEM), which celebrates the history of Mediterranean cultures in Europe (Les musées de Marseille, n.d.). Visiting these cultural centers was not only a way for me to acculturate into the culture of Marseille (learn about a culture other than my own), but also for native French citizens to enculturate (learn about their native culture) with their history and norms (Babin & Harris, 2016, p. 190). Here are some of my favorite exhibits from MuCEM and other cultural establishments that are important in Marseille:

These giant, elaborate costumes are used when celebrating Carnival. Carnival costumes are supposed to represent the deepest elements of the self, requiring deep self-reflection.
Info Source: the MuCEM exhibit

Another type of Carnival costume is the Masquerade mask. Historically, people in this region wore scary masks to "scare away" winter and promote a good spring harvest. Now, the masks are used to represent the self. Each year, a person should add another element to their mask to represent how they have changed in the last year.
Info Source: the MuCEM exhibit

This exhibit on social protests highlights just how crucial protesting is to ensure proper treatment in France. Like in the States, protesting is a large part of the culture. 

France is a Christian nation at its core, and giant Cathedrals like this world-famous Notre Dame de la Garde, which stands atop a hill overlooking the city, are a constant reminder of that part of the culture. 

The interior of Notre Dame de la Garde.

Food

When people imagine French food, they typically think of crepes, baguettes, cheese, croissants, and other pastries. Marseille has these staples, but this coastal city takes pride in their unique seafood and Provencal offerings. My favorite meal in France was a buffet of locally-caught seafood. None of the options were labelled so I honestly did not know what I was eating, but all the fish had flavors unlike I had ever tasted. I of course also tried Marseille’s specialty soup, bouillabaisse, which is literally just a soup of as much seafood as they can stuff into the pot. Additionally, because the city is part of Providence, I ate plenty of olive dishes and Herbes de Provence. The olive oil in Marseille was the best I have ever had, and the Tapenade - a popular olive spread - was always fresh and homemade.

Tapenade!
Source: http://frenchcountryfood.com/recipes/entrees/tapenade.html

Finally, despite all the city’s specialties, the effects of glocalization on food were visible in Marseille. Glocalization refers to when a global company or idea is implemented to reflect local needs and values (Babin & Harris, 2016, p. 199). For example, the two McDonald’s restaurants in the city center were an obvious symbol of globalization, but the menus were different than the U.S., featuring many more salad, chicken, and fish options for the health-conscious French consumer as well as French pastries and macaroons in the McCafe. These options make McDonald’s a popular fast-food option in France, and I loved it even more than in the U.S.!

The most important thing I noticed about French culture is that, compared to the U.S. and even Paris, the Core Societal Values of Marseille were quite different. CSVs are the agreed-upon values and ways of living in a society, and have many dimensions (Babin & Harris, 2016, p. 183). Marseille, from my experience, has a low masculinity score, as they value community rather than control; a low uncertainty avoidance score because, in a city of growing businesses and wild water sports, almost nothing is routine and risk-less; and finally, a high indulgence score, as the entire culture is extraverted, relaxed, and everyone takes Thursday afternoons off of work to go to the beach and avoid stress (Babin & Harris, 2016, p. 183). I feel that the United States tend to be much more rigid, hurried, and risk-averse. This dramatic change of Core Societal Values was one of the reasons why I fell in love with Marseille, and I hope that someday you all have that chance, too!

The people in Marseille believe in a healthy work/life balance, so on Thursday afternoons, every business shuts down and everyone goes to the beach! This is a part of the culture that I wish the U.S. would adopt...

Au Revoir, mes amis - see you next time when I give you recommendations for touring this beautiful city yourself! 


References: 

Babin, B. J., & Harris, E. G. (2016). CB7. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Les musées de Marseille | Ville de Marseille. (n.d.). Retrieved March 08, 2017, from 
          http://culture.marseille.fr/les-musees-de-marseille

Primo GIF. (n.d.). Retrieved March 08, 2017, from        
          http://www.primogif.com/tag/cheek%20kiss

Tapenade. (2013). Retrieved March 08, 2017, from 
          http://frenchcountryfood.com/recipes/entrees/tapenade.html

*All other photos are my own!

Welcome - Bienvenue à Marseille!

I started learning French when I was four years old. I was enrolled in a private school that valued language learning from a young age. I did not learn much more than catchy songs or basic greetings before I transferred to public school, but the love of the language had already taken root in my head. I grew up obsessed with everything related to France – the food, the architecture, the history, and of course the language. After 14 years of this obsession, I was finally given the opportunity to travel to France when I was 18 thanks to the LSA internship abroad program at U of M. I spent two months in Marseille during the summer after my freshman year of college, and I still consider those the best two months of my life.

The famous Notre Dame de la Garde cathedral on the hill over the city center

Deciding to travel to France alone at age 18 was an easy decision, although looking back, I should have been more afraid. I think that, for me, the total value of this decision based on the value equation was very high – what I expected to get from the experience (the trip to France that I had always dreamed about) was greater than the cost of a plane ticket and greater than my fear of traveling alone (Babin & Harris, 2016, p. 28). So, I responded to the ad about an internship, interviewed the next day, and booked a plane ticket the day after that.

As much as it felt like it, I didn’t go to France just for fun. I worked as an Intern for Kedge Business School during their busy recruiting process. Every candidate for the business school was required to visit for an interview, and I helped coordinate the travel, lodging, entertainment, and interview schedules of the students.

The Kedge interns! Plus a stunning view, if I do say so myself! 

A typical day for me started with work – I would confirm the interview timeslots of the day’s candidates before beginning to welcome and register them. Once everyone was present, all of the interns would perform a welcome dance for the candidates. I really hate dancing, but I always participated because of the influence of my formal group – the group of interns with whom I worked shared the same work-related values and codes of conduct (Babin & Harris, 2016, p. 158). That group and their love for the school influenced me to do something I hate every single day, and by the end, it was actually kind of fun.

The interns doing our daily welcome dance - yup, that's me, third from the left. Yikes. 

On a typical afternoon, I would help the candidates finish up their interviews, confirm the schedule for the next day, and head out. My favorite part of the day was always going into the city for food with an informal group of peers that also worked at Kedge but who I mainly met for meals and other fun activities, so we did not have the same set of rules as my formal group (Babin & Harris, 2016, p. 158).

Did I mention that my favorite part of the day was any time I was eating? I did? Well, it’s worth mentioning again, because the food in Marseille is amazing. The city is located right on the Mediterranean Sea, so the restaurants are filled with fresh seafood while still maintaining the common Italian and Parisian influences that are famous in Europe. While I visited cool restaurants technically for utilitarian value, the experiences provided hedonic value because I gained so much pleasure from them (Babin & Harris, 2016, p. 29). While I definitely ate my fair share of unique food, I do have one regret about my dinner choices. I was a tourist in Marseille, and naturally I did not want to eat the same thing twice so to experience the culture of the city. However, my social group of Marseille natives were used to the food and wanted to go to the same restaurants. So, I often gave up my quest for new restaurants, eating at the same Italian restaurant as many as four times a week. That experience definitely taught me the power of group influence (Babin & Harris, 2016, p.157).

When in France, eat crêpes! 

Hopefully this blog taught you some of the ups and downs of my internship abroad. I strongly recommend doing an internship abroad if you have the opportunity. There are programs all over the world for different timespans and in many target languages, and you will be so happy you did it! Check out the LSA International Internship Program website or the Ross Global Study website for more info!

Catch me next week as I talk more about Marseille, the most beautiful city in the world! Au Revoir!  

Wherever you go, go blue! 

References: 

Babin, B. J., & Harris, E. G. (2016). CB7. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

*All photos are my own!

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