16-Nov-2024
Do you know Charles Trenet's La Mer? It's a kind of love song to the sea.
We're in Toulon primarily because that's where our ferry to Corsica goes from. But it's a very interesting and pleasant city in its own right, and it's full of sea!
Long famed as a naval port (on account of its wonderfully sheltered harbour), it still has a large military presence (readily detectable on the ground, as well as in the pixellation on Google maps). But there's no end of other sea-faring stuff bustling about on its blue, blue waters.
Walks today and yesterday were mostly sea-oriented:
1.
The Maritime Museum
The Genius of Navigation, on the waterfront
We'll be catching a ferry like this tomorrow
You can walk along to Tour Royale (constructed in 1513 on the orders of Louis XII), but you have to veer quite a bit inland to avoid naval territory
You get great views from this bit of coast
Nearby is a monument to submariners lost in service
Warm enough to swim... Not necessarily good when you're equipped for winter... I'm hoping it doesn't get too hot
We went as far as the beach that ends with Fort St Louis
This part of town is called Le Mourillon. Very pleasant, sea-side feel
2.
The local authorities are rigorous about hosing down the streets every morning. All good dust-busting stuff. Fortunately, the operation happens a little later on a Saturday morning, and didn't wake us up as it did yesterday. In any case we were out for an early-morning walk:
This wonderful creation is a replica of the prow of the frigate La Flore, which was based in Toulon in the 18th century. The figurehead is of Neptune
Fab moon this morning
Today's route took us to the grand "Upper Town", built in the mid-19th century
Local lad Raimu (Jules Auguste Muraire, 1883-1946) outside the Opera. Star of music hall, theatre, and cinema, he was reckoned by Orson Welles to be the world's greatest actor
The Card Game, in Place Raimu. It depicts Cesar and Panisse, characters from Marcel Pagnol's Marseille Trilogy. Raimu was known for playing Cesar
As is the case pretty much everywhere, the early morning was a good time to be out and about. It was still fresh and cool, and the vendors at the huge food market, which stretches all the way along an extensive street, were setting up stall upon stall of delicious produce.
3.
The second little expedition today took us on the "boat bus" to Sablettes:
It costs EUR 2 per person. Your ticket gives you an hour, so if you really want to, you can go over and come straight back, all for that price. Best, however, is to get off at Sablettes, and walk the little Corniche to Tamaris, where you can pick up another boat to go home. It's EUR 8 well spent.
Cool views from the boat...
...and from the land
All sorts of craft...
There are loads of covetable villas along this stretch of coast
Including the adorably named Villa du Croissant
Fort Balaguier
Volunteers work towards the preservation of Le Laborieux, a tug built in 1944, which served the shipyards of La Seyne-sur-Mer for 50 years
A great couple of days, then. We've enjoyed pacing out this historic port city, and I think we both regret not having more time here, especially as our accommodation is so pleasant. I hope there'll be a return visit on our next Mediterranean foray.