The Crossing-Marseille and the Pope's Palace

Our departure from Malaga came at 6PM with Marseille, France our destination some 668 nautical miles east. This is more or less another 36 hours at sea with arrival in Marseille scheduled for 9AM. During our entire crossing the clock was advancing an hour every other day or so. In total we lost 6 hours between Fort Lauderdale and Marseille. That is damaging to all of us doing the late night lounge shows. In addition to all the entertainment I outlined earlier in the trip the "World Famous Platters" joined the cruise in Funchal. If you know Sally you know music of the 60's ranks high on her priorities!

The Platters were fabulous. They preformed a standing room only show the first night out of Funchal and were very interactive throughout the cruise. We were dancing late one night to the tunes of the Private Reserve rock band in the small Horizon lounge and the Platters joined the band on the stage for a genuine jam fest. They could not be stopped until we old folks finally signaled for substitution and left the floor! Sadly I did not have the camera. They do love what they do.

Marseille is undistinguished so we opted to take a coach trip to Avignon in the Provence region. Avignon has a rich history marked by a century in the 1300's when seven popes (nine unofficially) elected to reside there rather than in Rome. During their century of residence they constructed two massive palaces joined at the hip which served as the Catholic church administrative center and residence for the Pope and the hierarchy.


Avignon during this time became a European center for the arts and literature and is still a vibrant culture today. Today the main plaza is home to fashionable shops and a host of street cafes. Ship passengers never pass up a meal so Sally and I enjoyed the local fare.

The first Pope came to Avignon due to the persuasion of the French king (his name escapes me) who feared the Knights of the Templar of Dan Brown fame. The Knights rivaled the Pope in power at that time so the Pope joined the conspiracy to eliminate all 13 Knights. All 13 Knights were murdered on the same night across Europe (might one call that a good knights work) without the aid of Western Union, telephones or the Internet. The night chosen gave rise to the angst surrounding Friday the 13th! The Pope remained in Avignon for a century because each feared harm if they returned to Rome.

The Palaces are known as the "old palace" and the "new palace" since Benedict XII built the first one followed a couple decades later when Clement VI built the second palace. Benedict came from humble origins so his structure is austere but Clement came from privilege so his half came with elegant painted frescoes and soaring architectural features. This is the entrance to the "new" Palace.Our guide for the Palace tour had a Johnny Depp look and was quite funny for a Frenchman.

On our return to Marseille we visited Les Baux a charming hilltop fortress/village from a similar time. Les Baux is perched on a rock outcropping some 800 feet above a fertile valley below. Lord Baux was a favorite of the King of the time and was given this territory to rule. Today it is authentically restored and the ancient alleys house many shops featuring local arts, crafts and foods.

The Pope's Palaces were another interesting insight into middle age history. Although life was brutal by today's standards it is clear the hierarchy enjoyed the pleasures that power and the wealth of the day could provide. The Catholic church was not all cloistered nuns and chanting monks. This photo shows the Pope's banquet hall where the Church hosted guests ranging from European monarchs to Church hierarchy.

It was another 9 hour day and we returned to the Mariner for our own elegant banquet in the Prime 7 steakhouse and to complete packing for our disembarkation the next day from Monaco.