Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Le Pouce: the thumb



Yes that is a giant thumb in the middle of a traffic circle and it has become the point by which we orient ourselves.
               How did the thumb become the centre of our geographical lives here in Marseille? Excellent question. It started with us arriving in Marseille about two hours late. Our plane from Paris to Marseille took over forty-five minutes to load, mostly because people had too many carry-on pieces and did not have the sense to optimize space by putting pieces both above them and at their feet. After this ridiculous loading, the captain came on and informed us that air traffic controllers were en grève (on strike) for the next hour, so we sat on the tarmac for at least an hour. It was at this time, probably because of a lack of adequate oxygen in the cabin, that both Keith and I were finally able to fall asleep.
               Navigating Marseille to find our residence was an adventure in itself as well. Traffic in Marseille is like many European cities: the roads are narrow, there is no system to the how the streets connects, and it seems that traffic rules are more suggestions than laws. In particular we find it interesting that parking either halfway up on the sidewalk or all the way on the sidewalk in a marked spot is common. No more worries about how close to the curb you are, just bump yourself right on top of it! In addition to all of this, the garbage collectors are currently en grève, so there are, at some points, piles of garbage a quarter of the way into the road.  After some wrong turns and descending a fifty degree hill that triggered childhood nightmares of me in a car rolling down the Alex Taylor hill, we arrived at our lodging in one piece. Tired and famished we realized our concierge was on lunch and opted to do the same.
               We ate lunch at a local café which is called “La Table du Pouce” and this begins our connections with the thumb. Oh the food! I’m sure this is just the beginning of many wonderful descriptions. I had the Salade Océan, which contained more seafood than salad. It was colourful and contained so many prawns that later that evening I had to Youtube how to eat prawns. My attempt was messy and quite un-lady-like like, but the Youtube instructions from a rotund Aussie in an oversized white tank top have clarified the etiquette. Keith`s lunch was mole fish which is a local specialty and came with various vegetables, cheese and an egg. To walk off our lunch and 20 hours of travelling we took a stroll around the neighbourhood. Using le pouce as a landmark we were able to find a gorgeous park with fountains and gardens as well as excellent views of the mountains which surround Marseille and of course the Mediterranean. 

               As for le pouce, it not only has helped us to get to know our local surroundings but has become a useful way to answer the question of where we are staying. By replying `à côté du pouce’ and sticking up our thumbs everyone knows immediately where we are located. After some further research (ie reading the plaque next to the statue) we have found out that le pouce also has special meaning for us as newcomers to Marseille because

 “The contemporary French sculpture symbolizes the successful integration of strangers to Marseille.”  Le Pouce de César Baldaccini

The warmth of the weather, the sight of palm trees, and the constant presence of our suitcases make this still feel like more of a vacation than a move, but for the moment, regardless of what we label this adventure, we are running on either adrenaline or deep sighs of content as we look at our surroundings.

1 comment:

  1. I am happy you guys made it safely to France!!! I was worried about the strike. Please keep up the blog. I plan to check it often.

    Je suis heureux de vous les gars il fait en toute sécurité à la France! J'étais inquiet au sujet de la grève. S'il vous plaît suivre le blog. J'ai l'intention de le vérifier souvent.

    Best wishes/Meilleurs vœux

    Keith Brunt

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