We went to Marseille city centre for brunch by the sea. The city is quite standard – quite run down in places, in fact – but when we reached the area by the marina it all changes again. Helped by the baking hot, Mediterranean sun, this bit of town was very enjoyable to look at, even if it was just for half an hour.

But that’s one of the joys of this trip – one morning you can be taking a quick walk along the marina in Marseille and the same evening you can be strolling along the beach in 40 degree Barcelona.

The 500km + journey between the two was interesting because the view through the windscreen became more and more Mediterranean every half an hour. More of the dry, barren land and more of that sort of orange colour associated with such hot places.

We arrived at our hotel during the early evening. It was fairly out of town, so we decided to get a lovely air-conditioned bus into the centre of the city. Having a quick walk around a couple of the main points on the map (Place de Espanya and the surrounding area) what struck me was the size of the buildings, the monuments and the statues. I had been given advance notice that the architecture was good. They were right.

After a ride on the air-conditioned underground system to the marina area, we walked down a long boulevard to the beach. The sun was in the process of setting, so I have to say that Freddie Mercury was right. The panoramic view, south East towards the seemingly never-ending expanse of sea, with it being over 30 degrees well after 8.30pm at night, made the visit worthwhile all by itself. However a nice seafood meal, at a restaurant on the beach, made it all the more special. Being the last night my wife was with me on this trip, it was nice to be in such a romantic destination.

KM TRAVELLED TODAY: 545 km TOTAL: 6402 km