Marseille: Maeve Dermody reveals why this French city is the most underrated travel destination
From wild coastal hikes to vibrant street life, Maeve Dermody shares how Marseille reshaped her outlook on motherhood, work and travel.
It was in 2022 that AFI-nominated Australian actor Maeve Dermody — best known for her role in Beautiful Kate and as Vera in the acclaimed BBC miniseries And Then There Were None — first tasted the salty air of Marseille.
She was coming off a film shoot in Vilnius, Lithuania, landing in the French port city with her partner and then three-year-old son.
It gave Dermody a moment to celebrate life as a new mum who’d just returned to set and reflect on what had been an almost 10-year stint living in London.
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Dermody, who stars in new film Life Could Be A Dream, speaks to ROAM about the wonder she found at that time, in an oft-maligned outpost offering a slice of France far removed from the usual. “Travelling to Marseille sort of reminded me of India. This part of France captures so many different cultures — the Moroccan and Algerian influences really left a lasting impression. I wasn’t there for long, but the days were heightened because there was so much to take in. It also felt so different to the France I knew — and it’s one you don’t expect to find.
“Marseille was the first place I went to after making Hilma (based on the Swedish artist Hilma af Klint) and it’s where I felt life was full of possibilities, because I’d gone back to work as a mum and brought my little kid to Lithuania to film with me. That experience and being in Marseille really made me look at life with more gratitude.
“We ate at a beautiful spot called Limmat, a provincial-style restaurant in the city. Midway through our meal a 100-person marching band came down the street and we all paused, left our meal and then came back to it. The place felt so exotic. Some of the memorable dishes involved mussels, garden-grown salads and lots of natural wines.
“We visited the Calanques National Park and took a wild walk on marble cliff faces where you stare straight into the Mediterranean Sea. You can also walk to the next town, Cassis, where Virginia Woolf used to rent a summer cottage for the holidays. I loved the steep descent down onto beaches. We took a hiking backpack with us, and it felt so freeing to access this part of the world.
“Walking in nature allows me to process myself and the job I’d just come off — walking is a big part of what I do to help recalibrate and think about life. Swimming in the ocean is another thing I love to do and which I did in the south of France. Being in the Calanques was definitely grounding for me.
“Marseille felt especially un-touristy. We were instantly transported into people’s everyday lives just being on the streets, seeing them playing card games, and kids were literally outdoors everywhere. The mix of cultures here blew my mind; it was lovely to embrace. Where Cassis felt more bougie French, Marseille seemed like another world by comparison. The city definitely had an edge. Your senses were heightened, and you’re on alert, not out of fear. It’s certainly a place that shifts your perspective.”
Life Could Be A Dream is in cinemas May 14; lifecouldbeadream.com.au
