There was a stall selling fresh oysters in Place de la Joliette this afternoon.

That is the square (actually more of a rectangle) near the centre of Marseille which will become a small piece of Sussex if all goes to plan over the next 48 hours or so.

I’ll be honest. I didn’t think to ask whether he would be there tomorrow.

Which is a shame. Some chewy oysters and the chilled bottle of white with which he displayed them would go down nicely in this weather.

But the couple selling an array of dishes, many of them with chips, will be.

Daniel and Elaura are looking forward to a busy couple of days at their pitch.

“We have never had any trouble with the English – but they DO drink a lot of beer,” Elaura said before telling me their place is the first result you find when you Google “Le Kiosque, Marseille” – which indeed it is.

They had time to chat this afternoon. Maybe not so much tomorrow and on Thursday.

If there were any Albion fans in Marseille today, I did not see them.

After early morning cloud was burned into submission, the city was its usual bustling self under a scorching sun.

As of today, if they worked out you were foreign, they assumed you were here for the Rugby World Cup.

At the Stade Velodrome, staff were working to turn the rugby stadium back into a football ground.

This Europa League adventure feels in some ways a bit like when Albion first made it back to the Championship in 2011.

We are all excited. How can you not be?

It is not so exciting when you feel you should be in the Premier League or, now, the Champions League.

Fans of Marseille – or l’OM as everyone calls them here – were brought up on being the best in the land and among the best in Europe.

That was back in the days of dynamic striker Jean-Pierre Papin, who is likely to be there alongside the club president again on Thursday.

Playing Brighton on a Thursday will feel like a bit of a comedown.

But they now have the excitement of a new coach in Gennaro Gattuso and that will bring them to the Velodrome in force.

Gattuso’s personality appears to fit Marseille like a glove. For good and bad.

It is a fascinating city and a fascinating football club. For good and bad.

Gattuso will supervise training late tomorrow morning and then speak to the media alongside former Sheffield United forward Iliman Ndiaye, who scored for OM in their 3-2 defeat at Monaco on Saturday.

By then, Albion fans may well be arriving in town.

The square to where they have been directed has familiar oulets - Burger King, Subway, McDonald's - either right there or very close at hand.

There is also pizza - which is great in Marseille - and you will a classic French cafe on one street corner.

Those who have Category 1 tickets have a simple enough Metro ride, with no change of line necessary between Joliette and the stadium.

Metro tickets start at 1.80 Euros for one - cheaper if you buy more - and you can pay with contactless at the machine. Very easy.

Over at Le Kiosque, Daniel and Elaura are looking forward to a big day or two.

So are Albion’s fans, albeit maybe with a sense of trepidation both on and off the field after events at Villa.

Bon appetit.