Marseille, France’s largest city on the Mediterranean coast and its largest commercial port, is a European Capital of Culture alongside Košice in Slovakia for 2013. As such, there’s a lot going on and a lot to experience all over the city; which I wrote about on HouseTrip’s blog back in April.
My accommodation in Marseille was provided by HouseTrip as part of the #Housetripping project. All opinions are my own.
When I visited in the spring as part of the #Housetripping project I was entranced by the Old Port which is really the center of historical Marseille. Having grown up in New England around sailboats and a boating culture, something in me is always drawn to the water. Luckily, my wonderful HouseTrip apartment was only a few blocks from the port and every day I spent time roaming along the water and amongst the boats.
Every morning fisherman still depart the harbor around five o’clock in the morning, long before the sun comes up, and around eight or nine they return to to Quai des Belges to sell their catch. Setting up buckets of seawater next to shallow blue trays, they sell their fish, octopus and eel. Sometimes they are aided by mothers, wives or another family member. Customers line up, make their selection, and can then be seen walking off with still-squirming catch in plastic bags.
While the larger, more modern port is where the shipping container and cruise businesses are centered in Marseille, it is the Old Port that most clearly communicates the history of this important French city. I particularly love the somewhat narrow entrance, guarded by three beautiful structures: Fort Saint-Jean, Fort Ganteaume and the Palais du Pharo.
I visited two other properties while in Marseille. This HouseTrip apartment is in the Saint-Pierre area and has a private garden. While this HouseTrip apartment is close to wonderful restaurants and local shops and is in the middle of a very local neighborhood. When you’re planning your visit, use this HouseTrip guide to Marseille as a reference and please check out my friend Lindsey’s Weekend Escape Plan or her lovely photos from her own trip to enjoy Marseille as the 2013 Capital of Culture.
A bit disingenuous, isn’t it, to talk about how much you didn’t like Marseille on your personal social accounts and then promote it this way for money?
I see where you’re coming from, Tom. And it’s true that I didn’t love everything about Marseille however I didn’t hate it. And I did, as I talk about here, love the Old Port area. I also appreciated how close to the center of the historical area that my apartment was because that’s important to me whenever I travel — as I prefer old over new.
I’m sorry if you feel I’m disingenuous because I try very hard not to be. Unfortunately, I do also have to make money since blogging and writing is my job and not a hobby. And I signed a contract which required me to write about Marseille. So even if it wasn’t my favorite place I have ever been — I did have to focus on the positives and find something to write about. Thanks for your honesty, Tom. I appreciate that you read my blog and are holding me to a higher standard. It’s good to know someone cares that much.
That’s precisely my point, though. You can’t call yourself a travel writer or journalist or reporter when you shill like this. You are in advertising, plain and simple. You signed a contract to promote something before you even knew what it was, which is not ethical in journalism in any form. Taking money to promote something is PR, marketing, or advertising. I appreciate your response but I find it offensive that you play at being a writer or journalist now when what you’re really doing is just trying to brand yourself as something to maintain your lifestyle.
I don’t claim to be a journalist or a reporter, Tom. I am a writer, because I earn my sole income from writing. I am a travel writer because the majority of what I write about are my own personal travel experiences. If the way I write does not live up to your standards, I’m sorry. However, I have never said that I do not work in marketing and advertising in some form or another by what I do and if you don’t like that aspect of my work — you’re free to discontinue reading my blog or following me.
It doesn’t seem as if we’ll ever come to the kind of understanding that would satisfy you.
ca fait plaisir de voir Marseille sous cet angle
Merci. I am so glad you enjoyed it!