We were the final passengers to leave the Napoleon Bonaparte at about 8 o’clock although the crew were in no rush to hurry us off despite their need to prepare the ship for a quick turn-around for the outward 9.30 departure of a return trip to Ajaccio. We ambled down to the Gare Maritime (Terminal Two which serves the SNCM Corsican ferries) and then went on a walk around to have a closer look at the Scandola at Terminal One. ISPS once again was revealed to be the folly it truly is as we had to leave the port to get back in to the Scandola’s berth and, despite the fences, security guards and CCTV cameras, a simple question as to where to buy tickets was all it took for one of those guards to be offering directions and pointing beyond his security barrier in the direction of the ship; clearly the geniuses behind ISPS never considered the impracticality of banning people from getting close to the ships when of course pesky passengers need to do just that in order to sail on them. From the splendid vantage point of the Scandola’s stern ramp, decent views could be had of the SNCM ro-ro Monte Cinto and then from the ship’s car deck we happily hitched a lift on the complimentary minibus which was taking passengers the mile or so back to the main passenger terminal. From there it was a quick look into Terminal Three for North African sailings (very dingy compared to Terminal Two) and the imposing SNCM offices just around the corner, still bearing “Compagnie Generale Transatlantique” lettering on its handsome 1950s exterior.
The walk from Marseille port to Saint-Charles station is a leisurely one; on a Sunday morning there were not that many people around – principally it seemed that members of the city’s large population of North Africans were the early risers and there was a street market showing early signs of bustle near the approach to the station. A couple of cafes on the Rue de la Republique were open but their view is not ideal as the road is currently a building zone with the creation of a new tram system due for completion next year. After safely navigating through that obstacle course and heading up the Boulevard des Dames, the massive presence of Saint-Charles station presented itself in all its monumental glory. A brief stop followed for some breakfast and a sit for an hour or so in the sun on the monumental staircase leading down from the hill of Saint-Charles down to the Boulevard d’Athenes. From Marseille to Nice is a couple of hours on TGV and it gave the scope for the rest of the day to be spent there before a late evening flight back to the UK. Nice remains beautiful, very walkable and with a lovely old town. Like Marseille, there is a large amount of construction work ongoing in connection with the new tram system due to open next year. A stroll down from the station and along the sea front enabled a quick look into the port where the Mega Express was just leaving and the cruise ship Delphin (the one-time Belorussiya) was in port. Later in the evening, arrivals were due from one of the NGVs and one of the Corsica Expresses. The rest of my day however was spent on the sea front, watching the hordes of sun-worshipers on the fairly packed beach enjoy some excellent early Summer sunshine before heading back to the station in the early evening for the connecting bus to Nice airport and the end of a quite breathtaking weekend away. |
