Marseilles

I guess growing up and taking junior high French, that I had a certain preconceived notion of what the Provence region would be and was disappointed when then port was industrial and not French looking.



Directly off of the ship were little shops selling regional items such as soaps, lavender, olive oil based products, paintings, and various wares. AA I have a thing for soap and we didn't have a chance to shop in the town post diving, I purchased many goods from the vendors.



There were many metered taxis just outside of the ship. Our driver estimated that it would cost 25 E for the trip, but due to increased fares on Sunday and traffic, it was 38 E. We arrived at Atoll dive club and found it a difficult to find someone who knew what we were there for and who spoke English. I wasn't aware what to expect or who to ask for. Once we found our guide and got on the boat everything went well. It was a little different than what we were used to as we had to gear up and weight our BCDs prior to getting to the boat. After arriving at the pier, we then assembled our regs on our tanks and had to lift our complete assembled gear onto the boat. I was nervous to get onto the boat carrying over 40 pounds of gear, with the boat moving slightly and knowing my ankle was still injured.



The dive site was near the Cassis area that DCL did a shore excursion to. The water was approx 57 and visibility was fair. We were able to see eels, a lobster like creature with purple eyes, and many fish.



I was also surprised that the climate was so different. There were less trees and vegetation than other areas. I struggle to accurately describe the area other than as arid in appearance, but not hot.



The cab ride back was quicker, but more expensive.



Diving with Fanni at Atoll diving was very enjoyable and we had a great time. If you are an avid diver and are not intimidated by being the only one not speaking French, then you will have a good time, with a great group of people.





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