The doors of Lucca, Italy

I found lots of interesting doors in Lucca, Italy, in different colors, shapes, heights and widths.

And this lovely door knocker.

Last stop in France–Marseille

After disembarking from the AmaKristina in Avignon, we went to Marseille for a couple of days. Marseille is a colorful and fairly hilly city, with lots to see and do near the Old Port.

Outdoor market in Marseille

Marseille Cathedral near the Old Port (not my picture)

Main door into the Cathedral

Interior of the Cathedral

Pieta inside the Cathedral

Colorful shops and interesting decor are sprinkled throughout the City.

Lots of restaurant options and great seafood in Marseille. The first day, we had a fantastic lunch at La Brasserie de Joliette near the Old Port and the next day another excellent lunch at Nul Part Allieurs, also at the Old Port.

Goat cheese salad at La Brasserie de Joliette near the Old Port

Mussels at La Brasserie de Joliette

Tuna nicoise salad at Nul Part Ailleurs.

We did the Hop On/Hop Off bus to get a glimpse of the rest of the city and one of the most curious things we encountered was when our bus was attempting to turn right onto a narrow street, and a car was parked right at the corner so we could not get around it.

The bus driver honked several times, expecting someone to come out, but no one did. A few minutes and several honks of the horn later, a passerby saw our predicament and signaled for the bus driver to come to the car, where he pointed out a note on the front window. The bus driver read the note and called the number indicated on the note.

A few minutes later (and by now we have been sitting there for at least ten minutes), a woman sauntered to the car, casually took off her coat and got in, as though parking one’s car on a corner, blocking traffic and going about one’s business is what is done in Marseille–but the bus driver’s reaction clued us in that this was not what one usually does in Marseille. A lesson in French culture.

Doors of Arles, France

Perhaps becaue Van Gogh lived in Arles and painted 300 paintings here, or perhaps people here just like color, but I found more colorful doors here than anywhere else I have visited in France.

French doors

I often notice doors when I travel, the color or size or ornamentation. Here are some I noticed while traveling around France on my Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.) tour.

This door in Barbizon caught my eye because it was set back into the building and because of the carvings.

Neighbors in LeMans

LeMans door with elaborate carving.

A wide, squat door in Angers

In Lyon, sometimes the door caught my eye, but more often it was the decorative work above the door that entranced me.

Red doors on churches often catch my eye. The one on the left is in Paris and the one on the right is in Bayeux.

Purple is my favorite color, so the doors to this church in Sarlat won my heart.