Marseilles, Day 2

Château d'If

Today was a funny day.  We had intended to take the "hop on, hop off" bust tour but when we arrived at the stop the entire street was blocked off.  We waited a while and then wandered over to the tourist bureau where a very helpful lady told us that the bus wasn't running today.  Earlier, as we walked around the old port, we noticed a lot of temporary construction and were bemoaning that fact that it was probably a pop concert that would go into the wee small hours.  No, the lady told us, it was for Carnaval and would run from around 2 PM to 6 PM.

Carnaval

Since the bus had been cancelled for the day, we decided to take a "Mediterranean Cruise," probably the only such cruise we will ever enjoy.  It took all of twenty minutes and took us to the Isle d'If. 
The Château d'If is a fortress (later a prison) located on the island of If, the smallest island in the Frioul Archipelago situated about a mile offshore in the Bay of Marseille. It is famous for being one of the settings of Alexandre Dumas' adventure novel The Count of Monte Cristo. The château is a square, three-story building 28 m long on each side, flanked by three towers with large gun embrasures. The remainder of the island, which only measures 30,000 square meters, is heavily fortified; high ramparts with gun platforms surmount the island's cliffs. The Château was built in 1524-31 on the orders of King Francis I as a defense against attacks from the sea.

Map of Isle d'If

View from embrasure of Château d'If

A condemned cell

 On our return, we sat outside a pleasant bistro viewing the old port and enjoying lunch and watching the preparations for the Carnivale parade. After a short rest we went out to watch the parade.  Lots of people enjoying themselves with the participants in the parade seeming to have as much fun as the spectators.

Carnaval Crowd

Marching Girls

Float

Float

Float