Cours Julien, Marseille thinks of itself as the “Creative Quarter” of Marseille. There are several colleges plus numerous small bars and restaurants around the fountains (that are hardly ever running). The graffiti is agit prop art more than tag and usually the politics of opposition and revolution. People socialise at lunchtime and at the end of the working day. A place for a quiet dinner for two, lost in the crowd or for a game of cards.
This last Saturday the band Success played a free concert in Cours Julien: here are some photos. The rival attraction, that Eurovision Song Contest in a spectacular staging from Düsseldorf, seemed to hold its audience until the French performance, then the crowds came out for the local event, which was just starting.