Click picture to enlarge - Original hosted at Flickr

On March 21, 2002 I had the good fortune to depart for a ten day trip to France and Spain with my friend Mike Ayers, flying from Newark to Marseille and then driving with Michael de V south past Valencia. Here are some highlights from the trip.

Marseilles

Marseilles is port city on the Mediterranean in the south of France. My friend Mike Ayers has friend he met at Virginia Tech named Michael de V, from now on referred to as MikeD. MikeD has been living in Marseilles for about a year and speaks fluent French so we began our trip there.

Shortly after arriving in Marseilles, we were spit at. Well, first MikeD was searched at the airport and then we were spit at. MikeD was considerately waiting for Mike and I at baggage claim at the Marseilles airport when security thought he looked dangerous. They questioned him, frisked him, and asked him to empty his pockets. After producing an avalanche of old receipts and tissues MikeD was taken to a private room where they searched his shoes. Mike and I were not even questioned.

MikeD drove us to his apartment near the center of a very hip and active section of downtown Marseilles and then hurried to work. Mike and I were exhausted from the trip so we decided to just wander a few blocks and get some sandwiches at the market. While walking towards the square a man on a bench spoke some French to Mike. Making the wrong choice, Mike stopped to listen and that was when we noticed the almost empty wine bottle in resting in the man's crotch. The man spoke in French and Mike said, \sorry\ and began to walk away. Then the man began speaking nonpassable English seemingly trying to ask for five Francs. Realizing what a mistake it was to even stop in the first place we just walked away. Behind us he cursed in French even though he new we couldn't understand and then "HAAAWWWK...THHPT!" he loudly spat. He did not hit us.