* 5 Scottish independence: Boris Johnson “F UK” warning

City guide: Marseille, France

   The

   The "Vieux-Port" of Marseille. Picture: Getty
     * by JANET CHRISTIE

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   THE capital of Provence, Marseille may share a Riviera location with
   Nice, St Tropez, Cannes and Monte Carlo, but it’s a city devoid of its
   neighbours’ glitz.
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   galleries, concert halls and eateries springing up in the old port
   area. Thanks to a maritime past dating from Greek and Roman times,
   Marseille is a melting pot of cultures and races (a quarter of its
   population of one million is of North African origin) and it has some
   of the best restaurants in the country. With hills on three sides and
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   PASTIS is a regional obsession so indulge yourself in the heady
   concoction of liquorice, star anise, peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom,
   nutmeg and sage at Mama Shelter Marseille, sister of the Philippe
   Starck-designed hotel in Paris. For a selection of over 100 varieties,
   check out La Maison du Pastis or just dip into any supermarket – you’ll
   be spoiled for choice. Mama Shelter, 62 Rue de La Loubière
   (www.mamashelter.com/marseille); La Maison du Pastis, 108 Quai du Port
   (www.lamaisondupastis.com)

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   DIP into one of local hero writer and film-maker Marcel Pagnol’s
   classics while sitting on a bar stool at the Bar de la Marine, which
   makes an appearance in his tales of early 20th-century Marseille and
   its people. His celebration of the peasant life of the hilly villages
   of Provence where he holidayed have made him one of France’s best-loved
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   was once a poorhouse, and now has extensive galleries on three levels
   surrounding the courtyard. At Interface, a former granary, there’s
   contemporary art and edgy installations, as Marseille seeks to reinvent
   itself as a city of culture and shake off the air of neglect that
   settled after the partial closure of the port.

   Centre de la Vieille Charité, 2 rue de la Charité (00 33 4 91 56 28 38,
   www.vieille-charite-marseille.org)

   BEST BOAT TRIP
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   and maritime national park in Europe, on a solar-powered boat.

   Prices vary (www.marseille-tourisme.com)

   DIRECT flights from Edinburgh and Glasgow are offered by Ryanair,
   British Airways and Air France, starting from around £200. A City Pass
   Marseille offers one day (€22) or two days (€29) of open access for
   visits, transport and special deals, access to 12 museums, guided tours
   and visits to the If Islands or Frioul, plus access on the entire bus,