Of course, being the beginning of December, it wasn't exactly swimming season. Still, it was very beautiful. The area includes Nice (pronounced like niece), which we visited from the train from Monaco the previous day. It also includes Cannes, famous for their film festival. I defninitely need to check this place out sometime again, perhaps if I ever get a chance to tour all of France (I would really like to go to Paris at some point).
Our ship moored in Tuolon
While going through the various excursions on out TV, we decided we'd check out Marseille, the second largest city in France. Some of the other places would be really nice to visit in more sunny weather. This is a view of the mountains from our bus. It reminds me of Provo.
This is Cheateau_d'If, famous in literature for being one of the settings for the Count of Monte Cristo (although in the Jim Caviezel movie, they use a fortress in Malta (YAY MALTA!) as Cheateau d'If). It's also incorrectly identified as where the Man in the Iron Mask was kept. It was once a fortress, then became a prison (sound familiar, Bay Area friends?). We didn't have time to visit it, but it's another site I'd like to visit some day. I always think of cruises as a way to quickly visit a lot of places and then determine where you'd like to spend a lot more time exploring some day.
Interesting random fact: Marseille is known for hip hop music in France. Interesting.
Notre-Dame de la Garde is a basillica with Mary and baby Jesus standing overhead, much like Moroni over our temples, and is on the highest point in Marseille. It can be seen miles away at sea. It's decorated inside with a lot of murals and paintings and articles from ships.
The view from the basillica. You can see all of Marseille from here.
We then went into the city. These Christmas shops were set up everywhere in Marseille and Barcelona. Most of them had little dolls that are evidently very big around there. They are used in kind of Christmas villages.
I can't recall what this building is named.
After our trip to Mareseille, we had plenty of time before our ship left, so Mom and I took a little tourist train around Tuolon. While we had been told Tuolon wasn't as beautiful as other areas of the Provence region, I have to say it was pretty enough for me! Just look at this coast line, right by a beautiful park with kids playing. I could live there.
Around the marina was a lot of shopping. We walked around and saw some of the shops around there and Mom bought me a hat at a discount store there. But I just love this picture of the marina.
Then we were off, our last night at sea. Not the last night of our cruise, but the last night actually at sea.
We had an officer/cruise passenger dance, where we could dance with one of the officers. I just planned on going to see it, but one of the activities staff asked me to join in, as they needed more people. Mom was supposed to come, but evidently was so tired she fell asleep.
They called us all up to get partners, and I let the other people choose first. And my little cruise-crush, Kevin, the activities director, was still available, so I went to him. I didn't want to just rush up to him. So, we were in the third group of dancers, and the cruise director, John, thought we did the best, but the audience chose another couple from our group. John later joked that he thought it was an age thing, as Kevin and my average age was FAR below everyone elses. Still, it was fun to do a waltz, cha cha, and .... I forgot the other dance, with Kevin. He was always friendly before, but after that always made sure to say, "Hello Kirsten" when he saw me. Ahh, sigh.
Then later that night I watched the comedian/magician's show. When walking around the audience to pick on somebody, he picked me. He blindfolded me, had me go to the stage, and tell him what I thought different items were. One was an orange, another a big card that he had already used, and finally.... my watch. He had lifted it off of me (made me realize just how sneaky pickpockets could be). Then he asked someone if they had a hundred dollar bill, and when someone raised their hand, he asked me to go get it (by this time I didn't have the blindfold on anymore). I went and got it and he said, wow, usually when that happened, nobody had one and he'd end up with a $20. He had me write my name on it really big, so I did. My name was on the whole bill. He then did his trick and it ended up that the bill was in the orange. I'm sure he put it in there as he was slicing the orange or something, but it was still cool. And my name was on there nice and large. He asked me to return the bill to the man (with a towel), and acted surprised when I didn't run off with it. I really thought they'd give him a new hundred dollar bill, but he left with that orange stainded, Kirsten branded bill. I'm sure they took it somewhere.
Then Mom and I went to the lounge to hear the Kristen Lee Trio perform another time. It was fun, and the last night that the whole activities staff was out there (I think they gave them the night off in Barcelona). All in all a fantastic day and night. A lot of fun!
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