Visiting Marseille
I waited for the opportunity to write this next chapter after our visit to France which gave me the chance to authentically capture life as I remembered it. It also brought back many memories for which I am incredibly grateful.
The trip was amazing. We were fortunate to spend a wonderful vacation this past August, first in Marseille and then Bordeaux. We were also overjoyed with the visit of our family from Givat Shmuel, Israel. We could not be together last year because of the horrific war. It has been a very long 2 years since we were together. Seeing all the grandkids reuniting and catching up was invaluable.
The summer of 2025 is filled with so many vivid and lasting memories. We were blessed with great family time, and cherished unforgettable moments spent together, especially reuniting with Albert, our nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.
Our visit in France was both emotional and nostalgic. It was wonderful to be with family and to take a glimpse into my childhood. It has been 58 years since I left Marseille and moved to the US, and 27 years since I last visited Marseille. We were fortunate to find an Airbnb beautifully and centrally located on the Vieux Port (Old Port). I was very familiar with the area, and it was exactly as I envisioned it; exceptional accommodations and location with a spectacular view.
As we were preparing to land in Marseille, seeing the landscape of the city again was very emotional for me, especially after so many years. I was not worried about finding my way. I knew that the general areas, streets, avenues, and landmarks would be easy to recognize. Aside from modernizations to the city, such as the metro, new tram line, museums and archeological discoveries, Marseille was its own charm with a multiethnic diverse population, busier than I remembered.
After negotiating with local cab drivers at the airport, I was mostly concerned about getting the family housed and comfortable in terms of logistics. Fortunately, it happened with minimal disruption. Once everyone settled in, they quickly found their way around. It did not take long to discover the right spot for morning café and French bread. We were essentially in the heart of the city, close to shops and restaurants, which made it very convenient.
Everything looked so familiar. I was surprised that Le Quai du Port where we were staying was closed to traffic and quite lively at all hours of the day and night, with people gathering, vendors, music etc. Each morning, there were the typical Marseille fishermen and fishermen’s wives that displayed their catch from their long night out at sea. It is a centuries old tradition, very authentic with many varieties of fish native to the mediterranean sea on display. The fish is still alive and can be purchased right off the dock. It sells so quickly that there are seldom any fish left.
The vendors are not shy to tell stories in their native Marseille accent, bragging about their catch and often share recipes. The main dish is known as la bouillabaisse. It is served in many restaurants; the best are the family-owned places or home cooked versions. Our Sister-in-law Eveline was notably the best for home cooked recipes and fabulous desserts, and the bouillabaisse was no exception. We miss her dearly and she will always remain in our hearts.
This trip, which included both Marseille and Bordeaux, was primarily focused on visiting families. I am so grateful for all the precious time we spent together. We were greeted with so much love and genuine warmth. We spent some much-needed time with Albert and the family. This visit was most important to me as it had been 19 years since I saw Albert when he last visited us in the US. Seeing each other after so many years awakened many fond memories, and reminiscent moments.
We spent some time with Albert, and it was so special to capture beautiful moments with the family which we will cherish forever.
We met with my best friend Albert, a real Mensh whom I spoke about, and his wife Brigitte. Our friendship dates back over 60 years. It is an amazing and long-lasting friendship forged by a strong bond with our families. It is no surprise that our friendship has lasted for such a long time. We reminisced about our time in school, our adolescent days as teenagers and our classmates.
We met up with my cousins on Grandma Rachel side, Allegrine, Rebecca, Yves, Patricia and their spouses. It was an incredible moment, and I am so grateful that I had this opportunity to reunite with them. I also missed my other dear cousin Benny (their brother) who passed away 3 years ago.
From a nostalgic aspect, there was the familiarity of getting around in Marseille for which I quickly gained confidence. As I navigated around, speaking in my native French seemed quite natural. After working through the process and logistics to access the transit system, it was a quick learning curve to maneuver the network to get around the city. As such, it was a couple of metro stops from the Vieux Port (where we were staying) to the Place de Castellane, a historic landmark of statues and waterfall built in the late 1700s. It is a very large rotary from which several streets and avenues converge. From the Place de Castellane, it was a short and very familiar walk to get to Albert’s house. This was also the neighborhood of my old school. I recognized the street and my old bus stop, but sadly the building has been transformed into a business.
A stroll through my old neighborhood
Getting to where I used to live from the Airbnb was very easy. I was familiar with the passenger ferry boat that crosses Le Vieux Port. A much newer and modern vessel with badge access, but to my surprise, docked on the other side of the Vieux Port was the original wooden ferry from years ago. Crossing by ferry is a very convenient way to avoid walking all around the harbor (le Vieux Port) to get to the other side.
Early one morning, I took the first ride of the day from Quai du Port where we were staying across to the Quai de La Rive Neuve. It was then a short, pleasant walk to Le Pharo in the 7th arrondissement (7th quarter) of the city, my old neighborhood.
From the Vieux Port, facing out towards the ocean are 2 forts, Fort Saint Jean to the right, and Fort Saint Nicholas to the left. Both were built in 1660 to protect the city. On the side of the Fort Saint Nicholas is a high rise (Pharo Residence Tower) which is located at the beginning of Avenue Pasteur where I lived near the Palais du Pharo. (Palace of the Pharo)
I walked up alongside Fort Saint Nicholas on Boulevard Charles Livon which leads to the Pharo. When I arrived at Palais du Pharo, the entrance was gated. I was not sure if I would be able to get in. As I approached the attendant at the kiosk, I asked if it was ok to visit. The response was affirmative. I then entered and walked all around the ground. The views were magnificent. It is a very popular site for photoshoots. Some of my Bar Mitzvah pictures were taken overlooking the Vieux Port.
The palace of the Pharo sits on the edge of a rocky cliff and offers a panoramic view that spans from the entrance of the Vieux Port and the commercial port to the open seashore. From this site, there is a clear view of the sea and the islands. It is a very peaceful spot to absorb the gentle sounds of the waves below. During the summer, the front of the palace was transformed into an outdoor theater. Sneaking in during rehearsal to get a glimpse at the artists that were going to perform at night was always a treat. I was told that today the outdoor theater has been replaced by an underground theater for performing arts.
View of the Vieux Port from our Airbnb. Pharo Residence Tower in background
After my visit to the Palais du Pharo, I walked down Avenue Pasteur where we lived. The avenue did not seem overwhelmingly busy as I witnessed just a few cars and buses. There were a few shops and spots with tables, chairs, and umbrellas which are very typical. At the foot of the Pharo residence tower was an appliance store. Ironically, we knew a family from Morocco who had an appliance store in the exact location back in the 60s. We all knew each other through close friendships, and I remember grandpa and grandma buying appliances from this store. They even had a handyman who was also from Morocco. His name is Kader. He was part of the family and had moved to Marseille to help with the business. He was always very helpful with his expertise in doing minor fixes around our apartment.
Walking further, I arrived at my old address, 31 C Avenue Pasteur, which I recognized quickly. I could not get into the court area where the entrance of our building is located as the entire area is now gated as many of the buildings are in the area.
This is the address where we lived 31C Avenue Pasteur. Our high rise is on the other side of the gate
What follows are more highlights of the areas around where we lived, which are a series of photos taken while I was visiting my old neighborhood in the Pharo district. These are just a few photographs that were taken providing a little glance at the area.
Personally, I was moved to see the area after so many years. It was just as I remembered, and one of my stops was the building where the Danans lived, reminiscent of my past. Walking the main street on Avenue Pasteur, and side streets leading down to the beach brought back many memories. I am so grateful for the opportunity to capture a piece of my childhood which gives me so much joy to share in this writing.
To the left is a general view of the corniche, top right closer shot of the Pharo Residence tower with another view of the building where we lived. Notice the smaller high rise next to the tall tower. At the bottom right between the 2 buildings is the street leading from our apartment to the corniche.
Areas around the Avenue Pasteur, Pharo and Corniche....
Top left, The Pharo Palace, top right Le Petit Pavillion small, quaint, quiet beach which I would go to every day in the summer. Middle left Mando, our neighborhood bakery, right across the street from where we lived. Established in 1958 and was still there when I visited. Best bread, croissants, pain au raisins (raisin pastry) and pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant) Middle, Plage des Catalans, private beach, an iconic landmark and 5-minute walk from our apartment. Middle right, The Pharo residence tower, which is at the beginning of Avenue Pasteur. Bottom left name of Corniche JF Kennedy, starts at the Plage des Catalans to the beaches of the Prado. It is about 3 kilometers, 1.8 miles. This stretch of mediterranean seacoast was renamed John F. Fitzgerald Kennedy Corniche in memory of the late US President. Bottom, view of the Plage des Catalans from Le Petit Pavillion. Bottom right, shot from the Pharo with a view of the Vieux Port.
While visiting Marseille with family, we had the opportunity to live the authentic style of this part of France. We enjoyed the incredible taste of French bread which was always a daily must along with good pastries and strong coffee.
Some of the places we visited were Cassis and its beautiful port, shops and beaches, Aix-En-Provence, with its quaint shops, and very old buildings. We could not miss visiting the calanques around Marseille which we did by boat. It had breathtaking views. We visited the Ile du Frioul, (Island of the Frioul) nestled within a short boat ride from Marseille. It had spectacular rocky beaches, and the water was quite warm and calm.
We took Le Petit Train (The Little Train) from the Vieux Port to the Pharo along the corniche traversing along the beautiful JF Kennedy corniche. It eventually led us up to the top of Marseille at Basilique de Notre Dame de La Garde, providing an amazing panoramic aerial view of the city. Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica, known as La Bonne Mère, The Good Mother has a beautiful golden statue which sits on top of the old Notre Dame church as an icon. Marseille is known for its beautiful ancient church perched at the highest peak. La Bonne Mère has been standing as the protector of all seafarers and fisherman since the Middle Ages. Notre Dame is one of the busiest visiting sites for tourists.
While in Marseille the weather was perfect, sunny and hot every day, which made our stay perfect. There is so much more I could share. It is beyond the scope of this chapter. The souvenir of this incredible summer is captured by an abundance of photos from our collective efforts, some of which have already been posted on social media, as well as the memories of our visit which get told often. The history of Marseille is fascinating and warrants more time than what this chapter can afford. It deserves more attention, which I will leave for another time, and so too was our trip to Bordeaux where we visited many sites including the Grand Synagogue of Bordeaux among other beautiful and historic sites.
Life in Marseille
I started my last chapter highlighting when we settled in Marseille and the impact it had on my adolescence. It was an important chapter.
We built long lasting and warm friendships with the families we met. It was an unwavering and priceless bond which grew stronger over the years as we appreciated our similar stories and experiences. Coming from North Africa, our families’ roots had commonality. We were fortunate to be part of the influx of displaced refugees who found a home in a welcoming country, and Marseille was no exception.
Integrating into an unfamiliar environment was difficult. I previously described the struggles that come from immigrating to a new country or community. Fortunately, our French background made it easier to assimilate. We were French protected, stateless (Apatride in French) or without citizenship as Egypt never granted us citizenship due to political and religious reasons.
The main challenges we faced were economic hardships, maneuvering the French education system, and navigating government bureaucracy. It was not easy economically even though the country was very sensitive to social needs but the cost of living was high. Despite child credit allowances provided by the government, many families experienced financial shortfalls. Salaries were paid monthly, with social security contributions deducted, but the tax burden was felt. Prioritizing bills often led to falling behind on quarterly taxes, and it was not uncommon to run out of money before month's end. It seemed to affect many people with similar struggles. But we always knew how to help one another...
The friends we made were always open and welcoming. Impromptu visits were very common, and everyone had a knack for pulling together quick snacks or mezze (quick appetizers) to serve with aperitifs or cold beer. I would be remiss if I did not mention the famous Pastis de Marseille, well known apéritif and authentic drink native to that region of France, la Provence.
Despite economic difficulties, our home was seldom lacking anything. There was plenty to eat because life in France places great emphasis on food which consists of full good meals. It did not matter whether it was breakfast, lunch, or dinner; we had plenty of variety in choices of foods with every meal. French bread was a must, and wine was always part of lunch and dinner. There were hardly any leftovers, first because we were 4 growing boys, and second, not having a refrigerator made it harder to store cooked food. We did errands at our local shops every day. We had a variety of specialty shops for cheeses, charcuterie, and condiments. There were many shops for fresh fruits and vegetables, a bulk wine shop called La Cave, and several bakeries. At La Cave, you could bring your own bottle to fill with bulk wine, mainly red and rosé which were considered good table wines.
The concept of a supermarket was just starting. It had the convenience of everything under 1 roof, but we still relied on the fresh alternative at the local shops. We were accustomed to middle eastern spices and specialty foods. In the city center of Marseille, there was a Syrian shop (Arax) that had quite a selection of middle eastern foods.
It was one of Grandpa’s favorite stops on his way home. He was never shy to carry several bundles of groceries he brought home by bus as he never drove nor had a driver’s license. When he came home, there were always treats such as apricot shoe leather, halva, olives, imported cheeses and many other items we enjoyed, and we had much more for the Jewish holidays.
We had daily priorities and one of the most important chores was getting to the bakery early. Our go-to-place was across the street, our neighborhood bakery, “Mando”. The bread at the Mando bakery was and is still exquisite. There were other bakeries within a 10-to-15-minute walk. Bread is made in batches. The first batch or (fournée in French) started early, 4 o’clock in the morning or earlier. People would be waiting to buy from the first batch; the second batch would follow and usually the last batch was late morning. We would buy 6 to 7 large loaves of bread every day. We were accustomed to bread longer than a baguette and slightly wider. Running out of bread after lunch was not uncommon. It was always a chore to scout around to find a bakery that had any bread left on their shelves in the early afternoon. After exhausting all possibilities, asking a neighbor was our final option, hoping to get even half a loaf for dinner. This was of course always reciprocated.
Near the seashore
Avenue Pasteur was an amazing and quiet neighborhood, and we had the extra bonus with proximity to the seashore. The corniche that lines the coast as described earlier offered incredible views of the ocean. Today, the JFK corniche is even more beautiful as it was widened with walking and bike access. Along the corniche are beautiful homes with magnificent views. From les Catalans (beach) to the Prado are natural beaches, some which are private where you must pay, while others are freely accessible. There were far more open areas along the corniche for swimming or to sunbathe than private beaches.
Beyond Marseille or just on the outskirts are some of the most beautiful spots for swimming or sunbathing. Cassis which was one of the places we visited, is one of the most common spots. There are also countless calanques that line the rocky landscape with its incredible clear water, hidden beaches, and boat moorings from the people who live in the area. The boat ride we took offered spectacular views. The weather was perfect.
Le Petit Pavillion beach was my favorite spot to go to every day. From the 1st of May to mid-September, the beach opened to the public. It started from the time school ended until late summer, early fall. We were provided a courtesy discount, and a space to put our belongings. These were private partitions booths. The attendant who knew us well had a special tool to unlock the door and let us in. It was a little embarrassing to ask him to unlock as we did several times a day. He never seemed to complain. Today, these wood booths are no longer there; they have been replaced by a full deck (see picture). When I took my nostalgic tour.
I found Le Petit Pavillion occupied the same footprint and exactly as I remembered, without the private booths, except the restaurant is now fully enclosed. The main deck overlooking the water reminded me of the crazy jumps I used to make from the deck. While I was standing there, it was reminiscent of the past. The ocean was calm, picture perfect and very inviting as I remembered when I used to swim in those waters.
On Avenue Pasteur, there were a few cafes and shops, but my highlight was our old bakery “Mando” I mentioned earlier. I found it exactly in the same location, across from our apartment building. The name has not changed; the facade is of course modernized. It was established in 1958, shortly before we moved to the neighborhood. It has been there even since. After my stop at the bakery and savoring over their crusty bread and pastries, I could not resist buying a few baguettes and I walked down Avenue Pasteur where at the foot of the Pharo Residence tower building was my old bus stop, # 82 which I took when I lived there. This bus route was the inner route from the Pharo to the Vieux Port and was my route to school. I boarded the bus with my RTM card (Reseau Transit de Marseille, Public Transport of Marseille). Within a very short time, I was back at the corner of the Vieux Port, Quai de Rive Neuve and the old Quai des Belges, now called Quai de la Fraternité.
Pictured is Quai de La Fraternité. The opposite side of the Vieux Port is Quai de Rive Neuve. This name has not changed nor did Quai du Port where our Airbnb was located.
Marseille is a large port city, and it was not unusual for people to stop there on their way to other countries. I could see the joy in grandpa’s and grandma’s eyes with the prospect of connecting with friends, even if it was only for a brief stay. As many were dispersed throughout the world after leaving Egypt, a stop in Marseille was a golden opportunity to reunite.
It felt good to have company, especially when grandma Rosa and Aunt Laura visited. We always looked forward to their visit. We would await their arrival anxiously at Gare Saint Charles (the main train station in Marseille). Their visits were always so memorable, especially when they came for a long stay. One of those special times was preparing for my Bar Mitzvah and all that collectively with Grandma they cooked and baked.
During my early years, I spent a lot of time at the beach in the summer as I did not have an actual summer job until 16 years of age. The weather was great for beach outings where we spent an incredible time together. Our summers seemed endless as the warm season was quite long.
I was usually awake early and wanted to take advantage of the full day. Before going to the beach daily chores consisted of first doing grocery shopping, primarily fresh vegetables, and of course stopping by the bakery. With just a little tidying up, such as making beds, I headed over to Le Petit Pavillion, first in line when it opened. Jumping in the water did not take long as the temperature was always balmy. It was close to noon when grandma Rachel, grandma Rosa and Aunt Laura would arrive with lunch, a lot of food and many varieties of sandwiches. Soon, friends would join, and it was not unusual to occupy several tables sometimes until late in the day. The owners were always very accommodating. We were considered like family.
Priorities for swimming were always signified by specific colors of the flag similarly to what is known as the universal system. On most days, it was a green flag which meant it was safe for swimming. It was the first thing to notice. If the flag was orange, it meant swimming with caution. We were discouraged from swimming when it was under this condition. It was disappointing so too was the case when the condition was red flag. Under the red flag, which was fortunately rare, it was strictly forbidden to enter the water. On most days we were able to enjoy calm water. Le Petit Pavillion did not have a lifeguard on duty. Others along the Marseille seashore did except for the calanques and the island beaches such as Ile du Frioul.
As the sun rose early in the morning, the reflection on the water was beautiful, especially when the water was calm with hardly any wind. These were pictures of perfect moments. In French we call it “Un calme d’huile” or as calm as oil as there were literally no ripples in the water. This combined with the fresh ocean air made for a perfect start to the day.
I wanted to share a bit of nostalgia which brough back incredible memories of my childhood. Marseille was an important chapter. This trip was meaningful in so many ways as I was able to capture precious moments where I grew up and spend time with our family. I will continue this chapter further next and hope to include at some point Bordeaux as well, where we had an unforgettable time with my cousins and family following our stay in Marseille.
I will pause with these few pictures and thank you again for your interest.
Top left, Chateau d’If (site of Count of Monte Cristo), next is the beach on the Island of Frioul. Below is plage de Cassis beach, bottom left view of one of the calanques, next picture of rocks showing how clear the water is, and logo city of Marseille