30 more days....

Toulon

Toulon is our final port of call.  Originally we were supposed to go to Marseille, but there is a dock workers strike.  Apparently Marsaille is one strike happy place.  Maybe that's where the North Penn school board is from.  Toulon is a city in southern France and a large military harbour on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base.  The military port of Toulon is the major naval center on France's Mediterranean coast, home of the French Navy aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle and her battle group. The French Mediterranean Fleet is based in Toulon.  Toulon is an important centre for naval construction, fishing, wine making, and the manufacture of aeronautical equipment, armaments, maps, paper, tobacco, printing, shoes, and electronic equipment.  If the volcanic ash grounds us, we can all find jobs here. 

The Old Town

The old town of Toulon, the historic center located between the port, the Boulevard de Strasbourg and the Cours Lafayette, is a pedestrian area with narrow streets, small squares and many fountains. Toulon Cathedral is located here. The area is also home of the celebrated Provençal market which takes place every morning on the Cours Lafayette, which features local products. The old town had decayed in the 1980s and 1990s, but recently many of the fountains and squares have been restored, and many new shops have opened.

Cours Lafayette Provençal market

Vendors line up on both sides of the street for blocks selling fruit, cheese, seafood, flowers, vegetables, meat, bread and olive oil. During the weekend (we will be there on Saturday!) it becomes more like a flea market selling clothes, make-up, perfume and other trinkets in addition to the usual food. There are great little shops along the street as well selling houseware and beautiful provencal fabrics in blue, green and yellow.

Fountains

The Old Town of Toulon is known for its fountains, found in many of the small squares, each with a different character. The original system of fountains was built in the late seventeenth century; most were rebuilt in the eighteenth or early nineteenth century, and have recently been restored.

 

 

The Upper Town of Baron Haussmann
The upper town, between the Boulevard de Strasbourg and the railroad station, was built in the mid nineteenth century under Louis Napoleon. The project was begun by Baron Haussmann, who was prefect of the Var in 1849. Improvements to the neighborhood included the Toulon Opera, the place de la Liberté, the Grand Hôtel, the Gardens of Alexander I, the Chalucet Hospital, the palais de Justice, the train station, and the building now occupied by Galeries Lafayette, among others. Haussmann went on to use the same style on a much grander scale in the rebuilding of central Paris

The Harbour and Arsenal

The Toulon harbour is one of the best natural anchorages on the Mediterranean, and one of the largest harbors in Europe. A naval arsenal and shipyard was built in 1599, and a small sheltered harbor, the Veille Darse, was built in 1604-1610 to protect ships from the wind and sea. The shipyard was greatly enlarged by Cardinal Richelieu, who wished to make France into a Mediterranean naval power. Further additions were made by Jean-Baptiste Colbert and Vauban.

The Museum of the French Navy

The Museum of the French Navy (Musée national de la marine) is located on Place Monsenergue, next on the west side of the old port, a short distance from the Hotel de Ville.  It is located today behind what was formerly the monumental gate to the Arsenal of Toulon, built in 1738. The building of the museum, along with the clock tower next to it, is one of the few buildings of the port and arsenal which survived Allied bombardments during World War II. It contains displays tracing the history of Toulon as a port of the French Navy. Highlights include large eighteenth century ship models used to teach seamanship, models of the aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle.

Le Mourillon

Le Mourillon is a small seaside neighborhood to the east of Toulon, near the entrance of the harbour. It was once a fishing village, and then became the home of many of the officers of the French fleet. Mourillon has a small fishing port, next to a sixteenth-century fort, Fort Saint Louis, which was reconstructed by Vauban.  In the 1970s the city of Toulon built a series of sheltered sandy beaches in Mourillon, which today are very popular with the Toulonais and with naval families. The Museum of Asian Art is located in a house on the waterfront near Fort St. Louis.

Mount Faron

Mount Faron (584 meters) dominates the city of Toulon. The top can be reached either by a cable car from Toulon, or by a narrow and terrifying road which ascends from the west side and descends on the east side. The road is one of the most challenging stages of the annual Paris-Nice and Tour Méditerranéen bicycle races. At the top of Mount Faron is a memorial dedicated to the 1944 Allied landings in Provence (Operation Dragoon) , and to the liberation of Toulon. The Memorial Museum to the Landings in Provence (Mémorial du débarquement de Provence) is located on the summit of Mount Faron, this small museum, opened in 1964 by President Charles De Gaulle, commemorates the Allied landing in Provence in August 1944 with photos, weapons and models. 

Tour Royale

The Tour Royale (also known as La Grosse Tour) is a fort built in the 16th century to protect the entrance of the Petit Rade, the naval port of Toulon. It was the first fortification of the harbor, built 22 years after Provence became a part of France.  In 1700 the French military engineer Vauban made the fort one of the strong points of his extensive system of fortifications of the Port. He recommended adding another level of cannons, and a new battery at the foot of the tower, and lowering the hills around to give the gunners a clearer view of approaching enemy ships.  The Tour was equipped with forty cannons. The Tour Royale is located at the southernmost point on the east side of the harbor entrance, near the base of the long jetty that now closes the harbor.  Look for it as we enter and leave the harbor.  After the 18th century, the tower was largely used as a prison.  During the Franco-German War of 1870, the gold reserves of France were secretly stored inside the fort.  The Tour Royale is still a military installation and is closed to the public, but the city of Toulon is constructing a park around the fort, and connecting it to the coastal path along the harbor and coastline.

Ile de Porquerolles

One of three islands off of Toulon called the Iles d'Or or golden islands. Porquerolles can be reached by taking about a 40 minute ferry ride provided by several different companies from the port at Toulon. This place is amazing. The ferry ride over is beautiful and then you arrive in a gorgeous marina into the small town. Right off the boat you can walk into the town which has many small restaurants, a small grocery store and lots of fruit stands. Bike rentals are popular.  The only cars are those the locals own.  The Plage d'Argent (beach) is the closest to town, about a twenty minute walk straight through town and then on a dirt path through trees and by a vineyard, a fun relaxing way to approach the beach. Then at the end of the path you begin to see the beach through the trees. The beach is beautiful clear warm water great for lots of swimming. Important:  Our ship leaves at 5pm. If you visit Ile de Porquerolles, make sure you are back in plenty of time!  Check the ferry schedule before heading over!

Next week -- Barcelona -- Yes!  We have time on departure day to see some sights in Barcelona! ( Heck, we may get to see more than we want to if that volcano erupts while we are on the cruise. ) What to do while grounded in Europe -- now that's a problem I wouldn't mind having.