Week5: From 🇫🇷 Marseille to 🇮🇹 Millan

🇫🇷 Marseille: The Unplanned Stop

Marseille wasn’t actually in the script. 📝 My original plan was to ferry straight to Genova, but life happens—I couldn’t snag a ticket. So, I took to the road instead. 🚌

I rolled into Marseille at 9 PM, which was a bit of a challenge. The city was winding down and most shops were already shuttered. I eventually found a Pakistani restaurant and ordered a chicken salad. Honestly? After days without proper greens, I was desperate. 🥗 It’s wild how little vegetable intake the locals seem to have!

The next morning, I woke up early to hike up to the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde. ⛪ It was a tough climb on an empty stomach since no restaurants open before 9 AM! But the reward was worth it: a breathtaking panorama of the entire city, shared with local runners getting their morning miles in. 🏃‍♂️💨

On my way back down, I found a Lidl to grab some much-needed snacks! 🥨

Transit Observations

The bus station is right next to the train station, but don’t look for a digital screen for car info—there isn’t one! 🚉 The view, however, is amazing. Most cross-city buses pull into platforms 1-3.

In China, Marseille doesn’t have a “heroic” reputation. Aside from The Count of Monte Cristo, most people associate it with high immigration and pickpockets. 🎭 However, maybe it was because I only saw it by night and early morning, but I found everyone to be incredibly friendly! My bus driver to Nice was a young woman who clearly loved her job; she gave us a guided intro to the city that had everyone smiling. 🚌✨

Marseille feels like those “global villages” people used to describe in the early 2000s. Also, fun fact: I realized just now that both Marseille and Nice are in Provence! 🌻

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🌊 Nice: A Quick Breath

I only had a 2-hour window in Nice, so I stayed around the airport area. ✈️ It was actually pretty fun! The tram around the airport is free, so I took it to Grand Arénas to forage for some food before heading back to catch my connection. 🚋

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🇮🇹 Genova: Tunnels and Discoveries

The bus ride from Nice to Genova reminded me so much of Guizhou Province in China. ⛰️ Since the border between France and Italy is so mountainous, it was just tunnel after tunnel after tunnel.

I had a one-hour stroll in Genova. I made my way to the train station and stumbled upon the statue of Christopher Columbus. 🚢 Turns out, he was born right here!

Finding the bus stop in Genova is an adventure in itself—it’s just a spot on the street with hardly any signage. 📍 You basically have to wait for a driver to pull up and shout “MILANO!” to know it’s your ride.

The Final Leg

I have to say, the FlixBus to Milan was the least comfortable ride of the trip. 😫 The seats were so cramped I could barely stretch my legs. I have no idea how the locals handle those long hauls! 🇮🇹