From Paris to Marseille - Day Four

On the fourth day of the trip, Nicole and I hitched a ride aboard a super fast train that got us from Paris to Marseille in just a few hours. It would have been slower by car and also, it was relatively inexpensive. We got 1st class tickets as the cost differential was only a few Euros per person and for the extra room, we figured it would be worth it. Boy was it.

Rachel recommended that we bring a bottle of wine, some cheese and bread aboard the train and enjoy the ride...well, that is exactly what I did and the ride was fantastic. It was very pretty watching the French countryside go by at 200MPH+.

See what I mean?

I think I caught Nicole taking a nap. By the time that we made it to see Rachel...

...I had eaten all my bread and cheese and drank most of my bottle of wine. Now, THAT is how I like to ride a train.

Rachel lives right in Marseille. This is the view from her apartment.

That is Notre Dame de La Guarde.

Marseille is a big city...the second/third biggest in France. Lyon and Marseille keep flip flopping depending on how many babies are born that year, they are so close in size. When we got to her apartment, we were shown around, met some of her roommates and then we had a bottle of wine and three different types of pate.

Then off we went to find some food. Rachel had a place all picked out for us...pizza. It was very good. All three of us split pizza, pasta and salad, then walked around Marseille for a minute and then back to the apartment, where I thought we were going to hit the hay...but her roommates were there and we stayed up talking and drinking. 

I had Pastis for the first time, an anise flavored aperitif which is mixed with water. Funny that I had it after dinner and not before. It was very good. Then we continued having wine and talking. It got quite late and Nicole went to bed while Rachel and I stayed up to the wee hours of the morning catching up. Off to bed late...and early to rise the next day. We had a full day planned.