Marseille Stories: The last Paysanne of Plan-de-Cuques

Contributor blog post by Dorothy Garabedian:

You’re wondering: Where or what is Plan-de-Cuques?

Well, it’s a town, or rather a suburb – actually a commune north of Marseille – and it has a few secrets.

Plan-de-Cuques is not very old in comparison to other French villages, although abundant archeological evidence indicates there has been human habitation in the area since prehistoric times. Up to the 1940s Plan-de-Cuques was just a hilly agricultural area surrounded by rocky mountain ranges.

…Continue reading here for the details on Dorothy’s lovely encounter with the elderly ladies who might just be the last standing paysannes = lady farmers in this suburb of Marseille. This article uncovers a hidden corner of France’s second largest city. Dorothy takes us to another era when farming was the way of life, in Provence.

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Tags:Marseille,Plan-de-Cuque

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Dorothy Garabedian

I am an ex-pat American, born in Rhode Island, raised in Fresno, California, and now retired from government service living in Germany, near Frankfurt. From an early age I wanted to travel, but not as a tourist on a short trip. I wanted to stay longer in places. My government job with foreign postings provided that opportunity and I traveled to many countries around the world for work as well as private travel. For many years I lived in Belgium (Brussels), France (Paris), Germany, Russia (Moscow) and Uruguay (Montevideo). Now that I am retired I am devoting time to writing on travel and culture which can be seen on my blog Detours and Diversions and on my website. My connection to Marseille and Provence is family. Traveling regularly to Marseille for over 40 years for vacations, holidays and special family events, it has become like a third home. I see Marseille going through a great transformative period primed to become a delightful Mediterranean destination city with a unique style and personality; not just a place to pass through briefly heading for other parts of Provence. I say, "Marseille is a fascinating place that holds many secrets waiting to be unearthed." Through some of my revelations and insights my aim is to inspire other travelers to jump in and excavate Marseille's many treasures.

Visit Dorothy's Blog Detours and Diversions here and her website here