Sundial

In Roussillon I found a sundial. The first sundials were created in 1500 BC by the ancient Egyptians. The Romans and Greek refined this in 200 BC. It is based on earths movement around the sun. The times are written on the base and the shade shades the correct time. At first I didn't know how it works but I look at the instructions and that made it clearer but now days you could just use your digital watch. Sundials are a bit large to carry round as you can see in the photo.

American Tank

A tank in the middle of the street! I wonder what that's about?! It still lays where it was shelled by the Germans in WWII in the liberation of the Notre Dame de la garde on the 25th of August 1944. It was part of the three armoured American vehicles that took part. It's a hero of freedom here in Marseille. They did not want to be separated from it.

Food in France

Here there is lots of food from France and beyond. Lots of croissants, waffles and baguettes. The croissants tender, the waffles delicious and the baguettes fresh and yum. The super markets are also allowed to sell liquor like rum and whiskey. At markets the are pizza trucks that have massive wood ovens in them. They cook your bit of pizza right in front of you. The dessert numbers in the super markets are over powering. They have four fridges full of desserts. It's crazy, chocolate ones, coffee ones, vanilla ones, caramel ones and even yogurt ones. But one thing that we can't fing is Heinz aioli, they have Heinz tomato sauce but no aioli.

New Zealand vs Marseille

I made a timeline comparing Marseille history and New Zealand history over the last 2000 years. As you can see by this timeline Marseille is all along it and New Zealand is bunched up at the newer end of the timeline.

Question

So many differences to your life back in NZ! Do you think you would like to live in a big city and catch a range of transport to go places? What would be the advantages/disadvantages I wonder?

 

I do not think I would like to live in a big city because 

a. there are heaps of slow moving traffic jams

b. if the lift breaks down in your high rise apartment and you live on the top floor you would have to walk up a lot of steps, we live on floor 5 of 8

c. too many people in things like shops so they get sold out of the good things/things on sale really quickly.

d. A lot of car and people noise

e. feels different

f. not much grass and no backyard at our place

g. we are having to walk a lot (a real lot) and carry our groceries home.  It is a lot easier to have a car. 

 

Some advantages

a. a lot more shops and different types shops

b. lots of things to do and see

c. really good trains, busses and trams

d. big football and rugby games

 

 

 

 

Boulangerie

Today I went to the boulangerie.  It is less than 100 metres from our apartment.  You have to order in French.  You say “je vondrais quart croissants sil vous plait” to get four croissants.  It costs 80 cents per croissant.  Overall it costs €3.20.  Perfect. The croissants are soft and better than they ones in New Zealand.  

Fort Saint-Jean

The Fort Saint Jean is a military complex that has a lot of history in Marseille. Although the foundations date back to the late 12th century, the fort was built on the site of Saint John of Jerusalem base in the 17th century, when Louis XIV decided to reinforce the city’s defenses. It functioned as a military building for more than three centuries. During the Second World War, it was used by the Germans as military storage and was seriously damaged by an accidental explosion in 1944. We were able to climb one of the towers and walk along the front of the fort. It's about a minutes walk from our apartment and we've already walk in and around it just because we like it so much. 

 

Hong Kong

On Monday we went to Hong Kong. We used seven different types of travel in one day. First we arrived in the plane to Hong Kong airport. Then we took a taxi from the airport to our hotel, the city garden hotel. Then we met up with Edwin, an old work friend of mums and went on the subway to central station. Then we took the Star ferry from Hong Kong island to Kowloon island. We walked around Kowloon for a bit then we got tired of riding shanks ponies/feet so we went on a double decker bus and a mini bus to a crazy temple. People were setting incense sticks on fire and waving them around. Then onto the subway and under the water between the islands back to fortress hill, by our hotel. 

What a crazy day it was.