Marseilles was originally settled by the Greeks around the third century, BC. It is less French than it is "Mediterranean".   The area around the small harbor is Vieux Port, where local fishermen sell their catch each day and where the rich and famous moor their yachts. The streets are a paradox; traffic runs wild while people relax at streetside cafes for hours at a time.

   The Abbey of St. Victor is a classic example of Gothic Architecture. Originally built in the fifth century by St. John Cassian, and rebuilt in the tenth century after it was destroyed by the Saracens, it houses catacombs, sarcophagi and the crypt of St. Victor for whom the Abbey was named.

  Further up the hill from the Abbey, is the cathedral of Notre-Dame de la Garde. It sits on a peak dominating the city with an enormous gilded statue of the Madonna.   From here, there is an excellent view of Marseilles and Vieux Port. Guarding the port are two forts on either side of the harbor; Fort St. Jean and Fort St. Nicholas.

   The cathedral of Notre-Dame is extremely impressive. The inside of the dome as well as on many walls are mosaics made from glass, stone and marble tile.   Paintings of shipwrecks also line the walls with the names of those lost to the sea.