On a nice weekend in March a couple friends and I decided to head to the small coastal town of Martigues for a Saturday in the sun. We caught the bus from Aix at 8:30 in the morning and took a scenic ride to our destination.
Martigues lies on a small channel between the Mediterranean and the Sea of Martigues and has been given the nickname the "Venice of Provence" because of it's beautiful canals and bridges connecting small islands housing shops and restaurants.
We got off the bus in the center of town and took a leisurely stroll along the beach before finding a small cafe overlooking one of the city's many canals. We sipped a cafe au lait and watched the yachts bob in the water as we soaked up some sun before paying our tab and exploring the windy streets of the town.
Although beautiful, there isn't a whole lot going on in Martigues - despite being a gorgeous Saturday in spring the town was pretty sleepy. The three of us meandered through the deserted avenues, snapping photos here and there of cool old boats, glimmering canals and charming buildings, but after an hour of walking we'd seen about all we could.
We decided to grab lunch at one of the cafes situated next to the numerous little waterways dissecting the city and chose a sunbathed table on a palm-tree lined boulevard. First thing was first, we ordered a bottle of cold (and cheap) rosé to help quench our heat-induced thirst. I ordered a delicious and simple pasta dish of homemade tagliatelle with boutargue (botargo), olive oil and garlic with lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Boutargue is the roe pouch of tuna or grey mullet that is dried and cured in salt before being coated in beeswax for keeping. It has a fairly intense ocean flavor - salty, briny and because of the curing a bit musky. I think it is probably a taste that is polarizing - you either like it or don't (our server for example, hates the stuff), but if you like seafood you should at least try it someday. The simplicity of the dish did not undermine it's complexity of flavor - the pasta was soft and silky, while the boutargue (broken up and tossed into the noodles), which provided the main focal point of the dish, was cut by the occasional freshness of minced garlic and nuttiness of the cheese.
Washing it all down with a glass of wine and some good bread made for a delightful afternoon in the sun and the ocean breeze.
After lunch we paroozed the city a bit more before deciding that we should head back to Aix. Because of the location of the town only a couple of buses go to and from Martigues a day - thus, we could catch the 2:40 p.m. bus in the afternoon (which seemed a little rushed) or hang around a city that wasn't providing much excitement beyond the sea until 6:00 p.m.
Thus, we opted for the former and took one last walk along the water - where we ran into a very cute, but agitated looking cat trying to catch some rays - and then hopped back onto the bus and made our way back home.
Martigues was gorgeous, but a few hours was more than enough time to soak up the sights and walk it's streets.
The main port in Martigues.
Looking out towards the Sea of Martigues.
The similarities to Venice are obvious when you see the buildings lining blue canals.
Awesome little sailboat docked along one of Martigues' many waterways.
Our little kitty friend.
I didn't realize swans would hang out in salt water until I saw them in Martigues.
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