Home Based Travel Agent - November 2008 - (Page 47)

Provence FOR THE AGENT Provence is known for its landscapes, rich with lavender, and its fresh cuisine. However, there’s another side to Provence that will satisfy those clients who really love to take home quality, local products: shopping! Clustered particularly in the Old Town section are shops serving up everything from pottery to tapenade and rosé wine to almond-paste confections. Marseille is known as the birthplace of bouillabaisse, so after strolling through the cobblestone streets in search of gourmet food products and homey wares, your clients can stop in for a bowl of the famous seafood soup at a bouillabaisse restaurant. Getting There: Marseille is served by the Marseille Provence Airport. For clients connecting from Paris, it is a 1½-hour flight. On the TGV high-speed train, travel from Paris is three hours. For clients who would like to make Marseille a stop on a broader journey, there are ferries that connect the city to Corsica, Sardinia, Algeria and Tunisia. These trips can take up to 24 hours, depending on the destination, so your clients will have to build travel time into their itineraries. For more information or to purchase ferry tickets, visit www. directferries.co.uk/marseille_ferry.htm or www.ferrysavers.co.uk/tunis.htm. Within Marseille, travel is fairly easy, as it has an extensive bus, tramway and train system, as well as a bike rental system that allows you to hop on and off throughout the city. Bulk purchases can be made for groups taking public transportation. For information, call the Vente Entreprises Collectivités (011-33-04-9110-5479 or 011-33-04-9110-5491). INCREDIBLE SHOPPING FINDS IN MARSEILLE Your clients will love the handcrafted products and local foods tions, all dedicated to offering quality, natural soaps to the public. Arguably its most famous product is Marseille soap, in both bar and liquid form, made with pure olive oil. There are two locations in Marseille: Boutique Marseille 1st, 18 rue Francis Davso (011-33-04-9133-0417) and Boutique Marseille 2th, 1 rue Caisserie (011-33-04-9156-2094). A Provençal Christmas tradition is santons, ceramic figurines handcrafted by artisans throughout the region. We were fortunate enough to meet one santonnier, who welcomed us in with a smile to look at his work. Clients can snag his santons at his shop, Le Cabanon des Accoules, at 1, rue des Moulins. Clients wishing to stock up on ceramic and terra-cotta goods should stop into the pottery shops to browse through some of the most charming artwork in France. Numerous craftspeople throughout Marseille sell beautifully hand-painted objets d’art from their workshops. One in particular, Serge Moutarlier, pointed out to us that there are seven in the Old Town district, including two santonniers. His shop, Serge Moutarlier Céramiques (www.serge moutarlier.com), can be found at 7, rue A view of Marseille, France’s second-largest city du Petit-Puits (011-33-04-9190-6832, atelier@sergemoutarlier.com). Our absolute favorite stop on our shopping tour was the Place aux Huiles. Here, artisanal jams and locally harvested olives share space with Marseille soap and specially made perfumes, while infused vinegars and olive oils are available for tastings. Place aux Huiles is in the Old Town district at 2, place Daviel (011-33-04-9190-0555, placeaux huiles@free.fr). —RR Tourism Information I Marseille Tourism Board www.marseille-tourisme. com/en/in-marseille I Comité Régional de Tourisme Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur www.decouverte-paca.fr/us s.zurn-seiller@crt-paca.fr r.benaissa@crt-paca.fr 011-33-04-9156-4732 I Comité Départemental de Tourisme des Bouches du Rhône www.visitprovence.com Shopping Musts La Compagnie De Provence (www. lcdpmarseille.com) has several loca- NOVEM B ER 2008 Home-BasedTravelAgent 47 http://www.directferries.co.uk/marseille_ferry.htm http://www.directferries.co.uk/marseille_ferry.htm http://www.ferrysavers.co.uk/tunis.htm http://www.marseille-tourisme.com/en/in-marseille http://www.decouverte-paca.fr/us http://www.lcdpmarseille.com http://www.sergemoutarlier.com http://www.lcdpmarseille.com http://www.sergemoutarlier.com http://www.visitprovence.com

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Home Based Travel Agent - November 2008 Contents Editor’s Note Publisher’s Note Your Lifeline Agent Spotlight New Technology Industry News Hot Deals Cultural Tourism Luxury Hotels For the Traveler: Luxury For the Agent: Luxury For the Traveler: Latin America For the Agent: Latin America Hawaii For the Traveler: Provence For the Agent: Provence For the Traveler: Florida For the Agent: Florida Home-Based Agent Expo New Products

Home Based Travel Agent - November 2008

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