Wednesday began early as Randy needed to catch the bus with the spouses to go to the Marseille area and Alice got on the bus for the plant trip to a microelectronics firm which makes silicon chips.  The weather continues to be nice - very warm in the day but cooling off in the evenings.  Sunny and some wind.
The plant trip was interesting as I had never been to a silicon wafer fab before.  We did not see a lot but it was enough and the presentations were well done.

We went back to the campus for another poor lunch (foodwise) but with plenty of wine.  The afternoon witnessed rather dull sessions but then we left via bus for Marseille to meet the spouses.  The trip was quick and comfortable and we were all whisked away on a little sightseeing train to go to Notre Dame de la Garde.  This large church crowns Marseille on a hill top and is impressive from afar.  What was more impressive is the interior which Randy and I both loved.  Colorful mosaics abounded and it was the best church interior we had seen since Aya Sofia (and we saw a lot of churches along the way!).  The views to the sea and city were also impressive.

The little train then went back to the Vieux Port (Old Port) where Randy and I walked the streets.  Marseille is not beautiful and it very busy and more than a little dirty.  At our walk's end we were near the moored boat where our dinner was to take place and a free classical concert given by a young people's orchestra was in progress.  The setting was nice and the music was great.  A nice, short respite from the business of the day.
Dinner aboard was a festive affair which started with a weird but not unpleasant rum punch followed by seafood risotto, fish with vegetables, salad with goat cheese and a delicious lemon creme cake for dessert.  White and rose wines were served.

The Notre Dame de la Garde at Marseille

Islands off the coast of Marseille

Randy and Alice up top at the Notre Dame location with Marseille below

The beautiful bell tower with a large gold Madonna statue

Beautiful mosaic ceiling

Detail in alcove

Nave with mosaics of birds and ships

View from the lower level crypt

The tower and statue in a perfectly blue sky

Sign for the church

Our sightseeing train (our group actually filled two trains)

The moored ship where we had dinner in Marseille

Nice looking church in Marseille at the Vieux Port

The young people's orchestra with guitarist and conductor

Seafood risotto

Sail boats at the Vieux Port

Happy at our dinner table

Living room at our place in Gardanne - nothing fancy but pretty comfortable and very large

Our kitchen, which is well equipped

Our bed

Sliding glass door in our bedroom with my messy suitcase

Our toilet "closet" separate from the bathroom

Our bathroom (no toilet) that had a stone shower floor, not cut stones like tile but polished, small round stones

The nuclear plant near our place (though not visible from our house) - no meltdown yet

Jeff explaining his poster to a happy customer (Andres Carrano from RIT)

The bus trip back was not so smooth - there were too many people for the single bus due to the addition of the spouses.  Plus, for some reason the trip back took about twice as long as the trip going (we went a different way) and the A/C in the bus was turned off.  But we made back to the Rotonde hotel in Aix and got our car and headed for bed at Gardanne.