1/25/2020
(Above: The Basilica of Our Lady of the Guard.)
Active Summary: After waking this morning in/on top of my improvised couchbed, I performed the daily calisthenics, wrote for well over an hour, and then ventured outdoors with my brother. We commenced to journey to the Notre-Dame de la Garde (Our Lady of the Guard). It was a lengthy (about 40 minute) entirely uphill walk with views that only grew more and more impressive as we progressed.
Eventually, we reached the Basilica where we stayed for an hour or more, enjoying the views and the architecture both within and without (more in commentary). We were a little bit hungry afterward, so we found a place to eat – a restaurant where no one spoke English and where we were served some mostly delicious Lebanese cuisine.
Our walk back to the room consisted of a stop at a bakery where we procured a couple chocolate mice for dessert and a couple other delicious morsels for out late-evening repast. Now, I’m back in the room, compiling pictures from our morning’s adventure.
(8:56 PM Update:) My brother and I stayed inside and rested for much of the remaining day but ventured out at about 7:30 PM to search for food. We first decided on “La Fontaine” a Polish Restaurant – something inspired by Padre’s and Madre’s trip to Anetas Bistro today back in Florida. Alas, it was completely packed when we arrived, and they could not accept people without reservations. Fortunately, we had backup in form of a very highly rated pizza shop named “Le temps d’une pizza”. This shop was run by two cooks and at least three or four drivers who were out on constant delivery. When observing the cooks put a pizza in their ultra-heated oven, it made me remember a certain past goal of creating a brick pizza oven of my own back at the farm. The results of our visit can be seen below:
Pizza from “Le temps d’une pizza” along with a chopped salad and French Heineken. All delicious, and there are leftovers for tomorrow. 
A cake-like pastry with a light-custard/creme filling. Procured at that bakery we stopped at after our morning walk. 
Coconut cake acquired at the same bakery as the custard-cake. The texture of this confection was supreme. 
A closer look at that texture.
TIL: Today I made a slight blunder at the Lebanese restaurant where my brother and I ate. I ordered what I thought to be was a 7.5 euro glass of ‘pichet’ wine just to see if there was a difference in taste between it and the typical 3 euro sort. I soon learned that ‘pichet’ meant pitcher, and the pitcher that I ordered was 75 cl (75 centiliters)… in other words, almost a liter. It was good wine, but I only drank a couple glasses. I will forever remember the confused expression on the waiter’s face when my brother declined his wine glass out of the two that were brought. The fellow thought I was going to drink that whole pitcher by myself (I ended up leaving about 4/5 of it at the table… a thankfully inexpensive lesson in French vocabulary and measurements).
Commentary: The Basilique Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde (Basilica of our Lady of the Gaurd) was the most impressive monument that we have visited in our travels through Europe thus far. It was, as a matter of fact, even more impressive than the Arch of Triumph in Paris. The views from the parapets around the upper Neo-Byzantine chapel* were incredible, granting us view of the entire city of Marseille and providing us with a cool, breezy respite after a lengthy uphill** hike.
The inside of the Basilica could never match the splendor of the outdoor views, but the architects did their absolute best. The aforementioned above-ground chapel possessed a gilded vaulted ceiling that was colored by vivid-hued tympanums (painted/sculpted alcoves). Meanwhile, below the chapel was an underground crypt which was carved out of the very stone of which the Basilica’s foundation is comprised. Where the chapel was ornate, the crypt was plain and solemn – a quite place where I witnessed a number of individuals light candles and perform spiritual rites.
I do not know if it has to do with the time of year in which we are visiting, but there was no cost to visit the Basilica today, and we had full access to walk around inside the Chapel and Crypt. I thought it was impressive how well-kept the place was is while also remaining a popular destination for sight-seeing and worship.
Sunshine in Marseille. 
The obelisk at Castellane Square. 
A cathedral on the way to the Basilica. 
The murky insides of that cathedral. Though dark, it was very well kept (a couple individuals that appeared to be wearing the garb of monks were tidying up the place). 
A rich old street through Marseille. 
A descending street angled toward the harbor. 
A statue of Puget (a sculptor whose work we saw in Aix’s Musée Granet. 
A view of some islands just off the coast of Marseille. 
A view of Marseille’s bay. 
A castle located on a small island just off the coast of Marseille. 
A higher vantage of the surrounding ‘countryside’ taken from the parapet of the Basilica. 
Mountains and clouds above the city. 
That is a massive amount of civilization. 
The center of the image shows the harbor where my brother and I ventured last night. 
Mountain terraces just beyond the city. 
The obelisk at Castellane Square (zoomed in). 
The obelisk at Castellane Square (from afar). 
Wide-angle shot of the chapel at the basilica. One cannot help but appreciate the efforts that the architects made in showing their devotion to the Lady. 
Long-angle shot of the chapel at the basilica. One also cannot help but wonder if there is something ‘off’ about placing such devotion in anything outside of one’s self. 
The crypt chapel, carved out of stone. 
A small shrine within the crypt. 
An illustration of the massive statue located atop the basilica. 
The statue’s eyes somehow appeared alive, even from the ground. 
A miniature representation of the statue found atop the Basilica. 
An imposing view. 
This is what a 7.5 euro ‘pitchet’ of wine looks like. 
Lebanese cuisine. All of it was excellent and fresh, but most of the flavors were unrecognizable to me. 
The left portion of this dessert was a jasmine-and-pistachio custard while the right was reminiscent of cornbread. 
This tea was interesting. According to my brother, it tasted like someone had been chewing spearmint gum and spat into the kettle. I didn’t think it was that bad, but it certainly is not something I would order again. 
Chocolate mice from a nearby bakery… ordered as a dessert (and to get rid of that spearmint flavor). 
Inside the chocolate mouse.
Final Note: As of right now, I’m not sure what we will be doing tomorrow aside from packing our bags in readiness for our journey to Sicily.
*A style originating in 400 AD and then revived in the 1840s. Often, buildings designed after a Neo-Byzantine fashion are comprised of two colors: white and black (or something else dark hued). To attain the ‘white’ utilized in this Basilica, the builders procured Calissane limestone, and to attain the ‘black’ (green) they obtained green sandstone from Florence. Additional info: The Notre-Dame de la Garde in its current incarnation took 21 years to build, lasting from 1852 to 1873. It’s original incarnation atop the hill, however, was built in 1214.
**This cathedral was built on the foundations of an ancient fort which itself was built on the highest natural point in Marseille – a limestone outcropping over 149 meters (almost 500 feet) above sea level.
I both laughed and learned several new things from this post… definitely not trying the tea but conversely like the idea of wine by the pitcher if it’s good… caught al few other more poinient comments too… Polish restaurant to celebrate you guys returning from your European adventure sounds good to me.