Marseille

This past weekend we packed up the car, threw the dogs in, and headed down to Marseille. It is about a three hour drive from here. You pass through the alps down into the wine country, so it really is an amazing drive. We arrived in Marseille three hours later and ended up sitting in traffic for about an hour, as we were never informed on the tourist website that it was the Redbull flugtag! The day where people try to fly their ``redbull`` machines into the water. It was also about 85 degrees out and Smiley was about to die of heat! We ended up bringing our own lunch and ate in a nice little park while watching some people play bocci ball, a favorite sport around this area. Then we spent the rest of the day out at one of the islands off Marseille.

As for eating gluten free in Marseille, it is quite possible. We ate dinner at this little Italian restaurant in the old port area, where I had grilled fish and a salad. It was nothing to call home about, but definitely filled me up. They also have a lot of specials to those who eat at 7pm. Many of the restaurants have a fixed menu that has many gf options available from salads, to grilled fish, cheese plates, etc. So don`t be nervous to travel to the French Riviera! However, I do have to say that I thought Marseille sits down in my bottom ten cities I have visited in Europe. The water and the islands off Marseille make up for the incredible dirty and run down city. I have heard though that some of the smaller cities around that area are a must. So if you are in the area and are dying to see Marseille, I recommend spending the day on the islands and not in the city! But keep in mind the city is great to grab a bite to eat!