I’m heading there now and have an evening to kill. Anyone know any good spots? Or shops?
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Was there last Summer, I believe Bon Mere was a shop I bought some pieces.
I found loads of Max Berlin / Kongas / Malligator Records stuff and assumed it would all be brilliant.
It isn’t but it’s ok, it’s in my “bought on holiday in Marseille” pile 
It was well priced and the guy spoke English and threw in a discount.
Also saw this shop - but it looks pretty closed!
Dinner we went to a nice place that is part of the Big Mama group, called Splendido (they have Gloria in London) but that’s ‘cos none of us like fish - I’m sure there are some great places that serve fish or traditional cuisine.
This place, like all the Big Mama restaurants has lots of quirkyness and OTT circus interior - so was good for my teens.
My Mrs went there for a press/fashion work trip recently too, I’ll ask her what they did.
I’m sure they will have gone to some nice spots.
Edit: she recommenda Maison Empereur where they went. Interior, homeware, brushes, soaps, etc. sounds a bit like Labour&Wait but bigger and better.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/mN7o2a7ygHT3nZKX9?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy
And vegan option: Cecile Food Club for amazing breads and is near the rocks a nice place to sit and watch the sea.
Also, next to the old port - La Caravelle.
Cosy, bit mad old wooden pub/bar.
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Try and be positive and focus on winning!
Sorry.
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Spending most of August in Cheval-Blanc, roughly halfway between Avignon and Marseille, if anyone happens to have any tips for places around there? Renting a car ofc.
Will be heading into Marseille a few times I’m sure, got a list of record stores to check out (Dizonord and Kako Records I’m particularly excited by), but I’m more after picturesque hikes/walks, communes, must visit beaches… you know the score.
Gordes is on the list already, and will also be heading over to Saint-Remy-de-Province, but haven’t researched much more tbh
looks like I’m heading over early May for a couple of days. Don’t know the city at all. Intrigued by a place called Le Molotov
*remember watching the film Passage to Marseille many years back which was effectively an inferior remake of Casablanca with many of the same crew.
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Coincidentally, I emailed some addresses to someone last night, paste-bombed below. I can’t say I’m an expert (and didn’t find any decent record shops apart from Dizonord) but here’s what I appreciated on my last visit (October '24).
The Museum with the surrealist playing cards:
The bar, overlooking the old port. A bit cheesy, but in a lovely 50s way:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C-f7DNwvpwl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
(On the first floor at Hotel Bellevue)
The store, Jogging, pricey but good for youthful window shopping (resto attached, also pricey but v. tasty):
https://maps.app.goo.gl/t6xqcXxq4p7PBSvX9
A few cliches but worth doing nonetheless:
Cours Julien, take the stairs for the graffiti and if it’s open, Limmat is good food. May or may not be open.
Behind Cours Julien, rue Pastoret etc, there are a ton of vintage clothes shops (and more graf).
In Panier district (good for mooching around), very popular pizza at Chez Etienne.
Also in Panier, a museum in an old convent, may or may not have some modern art:
Also next door to Panier, MUCEM museum. Worth it for the (exteriors of the) building as much as the exhibitions.
If you have time and there’s availibility, a tour around Corbusier’s Unité d’Habitation is great if you’re into your architecture. And if you carry on down the coast a bit, there’s Tuba, which is great at sunset in the summer. No idea if it’s open in Feb or if it’s worth the trip in winter.
Take a coat. It can get windy.
And take a look at Transatlantic on Netflix for some dramatised WW2 history.
EDIT: I didn’t check up thread but def +1 Maison Empereur.
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this is great. thanks!
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Isle de Frioul, short ferry ride away from the harbour, is really lovely too.
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https://maps.app.goo.gl/Q7zZT6JoUkW5jHXW9
café la muse
this is a great cafe. very easy to go for a little coffee and end up staying for lunch or dinner…
you don’t need to join a tour to go into unite d’habitation, you can go anytime, and I think it’s well worth it, you can go up on the roof which is beautiful, and there’s a cafe on one of the open floors too, cool for a little coffee or whatever, and then just walk around and check the rest of that floor, the little commercial bit.
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