City Cents Marseille

Ed Chamberlin hit the streets of Marseille with €100 and came back with…

1 / PASTIS
The quintessential Marseillaise drink, this aniseed liqueur is about 45% alcohol, but diluted with water before serving to make a sweet aperitif. You really can’t visit the city without giving it a go. Pick up a bottle from La Maison du Pastis (108 Quai du Port, tel: +33 (0)49 190 8677, www.lamaisondupastis.com).
€12

2 / OLD PERRIER POSTER
The tasteful designs of commercial posters from decades ago put many of today’s eye-assaulting ads to shame. Using very few colours, this advert for Perrier – which is produced not far from Marseille – is beautiful and effective. You can find a range of posters at local street markets.
€15

3 / NAVETTES
No part of France would be complete without its own bit of pâtisserie! These nice, crunchy biscuits are flavoured with orange blossom, and modelled on a small boat called a barque. Buy some at Biscuiterie José Orsoni (7 Boulevard Botinelly, tel: +33 (0)49 134 8703, www.biscuiterie-orsoni.com).
€3

4 / SAVON DE MARSEILLE
Marseille’s signature toiletry has been produced in the area for at least 600 years. Made with olive oil, water from the Mediterranean, soda ash and lye, the result is a prestigious addition to anyone’s bathroom. Get some at Savonnerie Marseillaise de la Licorne (34 Cours Julien, tel: +33 (0)49 612 0091).
€3.60

5 / MEKANIK KANTATIK
Experimental musician Nicolas Cante is better known as Mekanik Kantatik, whose music consists of the sounds of the piano dismantled and reassembled in unexpected configurations, with a layer of electronic sounds on top. It is beautiful, strange and unique (www.dfragmentmusic.com).
€15

6 / MARSEILLOTES
Marseille’s little treat for sweet tooths are delicious chunks of nougat, covered in a layer of chocolate and flavoured with orange, honey and aniseed. The name is a merging of the words “Marseille” and “papillote” (parcel, in cookery). So buy a pack of Marseille parcels for someone you love.
€6

7 / NOTRE-DAME DE LA GARDE FIGURINE
Situated at the highest point of Marseille, the Notre-Dame de la Garde – or La Bonne Mère – is visible from almost anywhere in the city. The basilica topped with a statue of Mary cradling Jesus is a logo of sorts for the city, and these miniature figurines are highly popular.
€8

8 / LAVENDER
Provençal chefs have been using lavender to add a gently floral, sweet flavour to dishes for centuries. If you’re feeling a bit creative, you can even cover the herb in sugar and use it to decorate cakes. We sniffed some out at Place aux Huiles (2 Place Daviel, tel: +33 (0)49 190 0555).
€4.50

9 / CIGALE
The ceramic cicada has been part of the Provençal visual landscape since 1895, when it was created by a potter inspired by the poetry of French entomologist Jean Henri Fabre. Today it is considered to be good luck to hang one outside your front door at a slight angle.
€9.50

10 / LA CAGOLE & MACH’O BOBO
Some things have to come in couples, and that’s the case with these Marseillaise beers. The word “cagole” refers to a Marseillaise lady with, shall we say, an outgoing personality, while Mach’o Bobo is her perfect partner: a strong, confident bourgeois bohemian.
€2.50 each