Fear not, you haven’t been forgotten! Although we promised last week to introduce all remaining new Local Communities, we let the InterNations Survey Series announcements take priority. We’re back on track now, so here are a couple more new Local Communities brought to your attention.

Marseille, France

With around 900,000 inhabitants, France’s 2nd largest city is a dynamic and international place. It has gained its reputation as a cosmopolitan melting pot largely thanks to its status as France’s most important port. The city’s trading status dates back to its very foundation around 600 BC by the Greeks, survived the plague epidemics of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, after which the city gained importance as a military port. During the French Revolution, the city sent 500 volunteers to Paris in support of the revolutionary government. Their marching song has become known all around the world as La Marseillaise, the national anthem of France.

Today, Marseille is an important centre of trade and industry in France, which has emerged from the oil crisis of the 1970s with a modernized, advanced economy. It has developed into a large research centre and, thanks to its Mediterranean climate and vibrant cultural scene and nightlife, continues to attract large numbers of tourists. Through its vast range of cultural offerings and its efforts in the field of arts and entertainment, Marseille has won the title of designated European Capital of Culture for 2013.

The InterNations Community Marseille, currently counting around 170 members, is as international and cosmopolitan as the city itself. The InterNations Ambassador Bea Leesemann, a freelance author and journalist from Hamburg in Germany, has been living in Marseille for some years now. Her first official InterNations Marseille Event took place just yesterday, and we hope she and all her guests had a great time!

Lausanne, Switzerland

InterNations members in and around Lausanne used to share their Local Community with members in Geneva, thus forming the former Geneva Lake Community. This is now a thing of the past. With over 1,560 members, InterNations Lausanne is a significant Local Community in its own right!

Given the city’s relatively small population (approaching the 130,000 mark), the number of InterNations members in Lausanne might appear surprising at first. However, expats and other people with temporary residence permits are thought to account for another 10,000 residents. Altogether, an estimated 36% of Lausanne’s population is made up of non-Swiss citizens, thus bestowing a truly international flair on this picturesque city on Lake Geneva.

Lausanne is in fact a notable economic, cultural and educational centre in Switzerland’s francophone Western regions. It is home to a considerable number of international sports associations, most famously the International Olympic Committee, and several other national and international institutions of some import. Several renowned Higher Education institutions are also based in Lausanne, including the University of Lausanne and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Among the many cultural sights and noteworthy buildings of Lausanne are the Olympic Museum (obviously) and the landmark cathedral of Notre-Dame.

InterNations Ambassador François Raval, of Italian-Swiss origin, was born in Geneva but has travelled extensively across Europe and previously lived in France and the UK. Next to his day job in wealth management, he maintains an active interest in photography, sailing, golfing and tennis. François is keen to uphold a close connection with the Geneva Community and will co-ordinate events for the Lausanne Community with his Ambassador colleague in Geneva. Here’s to a successful co-existence!

InterNations co-founder Malte Zeeck relays his thoughts and impressions from his visit to the Côte d’Azur and Monaco to attend the events planned by the Communities in Nice and Monte Carlo.

The south of France is definitely one of the nicest regions to visit in Europe! The sun, the palm trees, and the smell of the ocean which I breathed in as I got off the plane at the Nice Côte d’Azur Airport were not needed to make me aware of that. With my French rental car I drove down the highway to Cannes, the city of the famous film festival, to meet our two Côte d’Azur Ambassadors Gudrun Bjarnadottir and Celine Monier for lunch.

At the beautiful Promenade de la Croisette, the beach esplanade where movie stars stroll by, we sat down at the Plage Miramar restaurant for a refreshing glass of white wine and a tasty salad. We discussed the future of the InterNations Côte d’Azur Community and planned on creating future communities in cities like Marseille, Montpellier, Toulouse, and Bordeaux, and even thought about splitting the Côte d’Azur Community as it covers Nice as well as Cannes, Antibes, Sophia Antipolis and St. Tropez.

Gudrun, originally from Iceland, has been living in the South of France for about 20 years. As she works in the real estate sector, she knows all about buying houses and the rich and famous. Celine is French, originally from Bordeaux and consults in a similar area. Both of them have been organizing events for a long time and take turns in the different cities that the Côte d’Azur area covers.

After lunch I had to hurry to Monte Carlo so I wouldn’t be late for our Monaco April InterNations Event. I drove over to La Turbie, a picturesque village overlooking Monaco, where I checked into a quaint hotel, the Hostellerie Jerome. There was not much time to wander through the little streets of the village as I had to get to Monte Carlo. As the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix is just a few weeks away, the streets have already been newly tarred and I was able to test the curves as I drove down the actual Formula 1 Course which leads directly through the city and past the port.

Unfortunately there were many other cars on the road and the rented Citroen is not made for racing! I arrived just in time at the crem, the Club des Residents Etrangers de Monaco, a very upscale private club which opened its doors exclusively for InterNations members tonight. The manager warmly welcomed our Monaco Ambassador, Ina Zellweger, and myself; unfortunately the other Monaco Ambassador Garance Barault was sick in bed.

Ina organized a great deal for our members: finger food and an open bar of wine and champagne await us. The arriving members are dressed elegantly and primarily work in the finance sector, the boating business, fashion, and art. With a glass of champagne in hand I was happy to say a few words about the InterNations vision to the 50 members who came to spend the night together. I was also able to thank Ina for all her hard work of organizing great get-togethers for the Community. Ina is originally from Switzerland, lived in Paris for quite some time, and is now happy to be in the social center of the Monaco Expat Community as she enjoys helping people who have just arrived in town.
After crem closed, many of the members went on to a neighboring bar to continue with a few more glasses of wine and champagne. This Community really has a family feeling to it, which is a great experience!

The next day I met up with Ina, Garance and Brigitte at the Quai des Artistes, a restaurant just by the port. Garance, a French native, just had a son and runs her own relocation service company. Although not an Ambassador herself, Brigitte, who is originally from Germany, frequently helps the Ambassador Team organize events and answering member’s questions on the platform. They are all happy that the InterNations Monaco Expat Community is developing so well and like the idea of aligning the monthly events with the ones of the neighboring Côte d’Azur Community, so that members can enjoy two events per month.

After lunch, I got to check out a few more locations for upcoming events with Ina all the while passing by the major sights of Monaco, such as the palace of the reigning Grimaldi family, or the famous casino with all the fancy cars in front of it.

Then I had to head over to Nice, as our Côte d’Azur Community Event was to start soon. Driving the serpentines along the coast line I had to think of Grace Kelly, the famous actress and Princess of Monaco (from 1956-1982), who lost her life in one of these sharp curves in a tragic car accident. Therefore I took to the curves a bit more cautiously and still managed to arrive at the Boscolo Plaza Hotel on time.

Our event took place on the rooftop terrace overlooking the city of Nice and the oceanfront. It was a breathtaking view. It was a bit chillier on Friday night than at the Monaco Event, and sadly began raining, which caused me to worry that members wouldn’t be willing to come out and have a glass of wine with the Community. But the evening turned out to be a complete success, with more than 60 people turning up. I even saw a few familiar faces from the Monaco Event. There was an interesting age range from 21 to 65, and as always members came from all over the world. The outdoor heaters, which the hotel installed for us were not needed for long, as everybody was crowding around the bar, keeping each other warm while talking about the advantages of living on the French Riviera. A few members were even interested in organizing regular events for Nice alone, so that we might have a few monthly get-togethers in this area in the very near future.

I got to stay on in the Côte d’Azur through the weekend and relax a little bit and was happy to see that the sun came back out! I stayed in the magnificent little town of Cap d’Ail with friends from my university. We were able to enjoy the ocean at the charming little Mala Beach, where we had a drink during sundown watching smaller boats dock. At night we went out for dinner to one of the in-spots of Monte Carlo: the Sass Café and Piano Bar. Here is where the rich and beautiful come out and mingle, those who have their Ferraris and Lamborghinis parked outside, or temporarily live on one of the huge yachts in the bay around the corner. Later, the restaurant turned into a bar with loud music and people began dancing on the tables.

We had a few drinks amidst the rich and the wannabe-rich before we headed over to Zelo’s, just across the street and one of Monte Carlo’s most prestigious night clubs overlooking the waterfront. People were dressed in the latest fashion and danced the night away. The DJ played the beginning of the Star Wars anthem every time a guest ordered one of the Magnum bottles of champagne – I can assure you that we got to hear this song quite a few times that night! Unfortunately, the caravan of stylish waitresses with the champagne cooler, glasses and the fireworks always seemed to be heading to a different table…

I have to say, the weekend has given me quite a good impression of life on the Côte d’Azur and I can assure you, it is not one of the worst places to visit or live… This truly is la vie en rose!

Photos courtesy of Malte Zeeck and Wikimedia Commons.

Special thanks to our Local Ambassadors Jean-Noel Lorriaux and Peter Scholten for taking the pictures.

To see more pictures of this event, please visit the InterNations photo album.

The InterNations Community in Paris met last monday at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Club in the Meridien Etoile.

Special thanks to our Local Ambassador Alison Reynolds for organizing the event and taking the pictures. To see more pictures of this event, please see the InterNations photo album.

The last wine tasting event on the Cote d’azur was a great success! The group started with catching up out in the nice weather. Then they went into the Vinotheque where they got an introduction by Thierry about the vineyard, its old roman history (some of the walls are from 1013 a.C.), the area and of course of the medal winning wines of St. Julien d’Aille. The wine tasting followed where we tasted excellent wines: white “Vionier”, rose “Imperator” and red “Imperator”.
It was very pleasant event and lot of networking, getting to know new people and everyone is looking forward to the next event at the Cote d’Azur.

Special thanks to our Local Ambassador Gudrun Bjarnadottir for taking the pictures. To see more pictures of this event, please visit the InterNations photo album

(The host du jour was Andy Coyne, of course. Thanks for the pictures, Andy!)

(Merci beaucoup, Jean-Noel and Peter, for hosting an enjoyable event and bringing along your cameras!)

At the third InterNations Get-Together in Lyon, members from about half a dozen nations — e.g. from Germany over Turkey and Brazil to French Guadeloupe — accepted our Ambassadors’ suggestion to participate in a French tradition typical of this season. Together with Jean-Noël Lorriaux and Peter Scholten, they met up at the Quai des Arts restaurant to taste ‘Lyon’s third river’, the Beaujolais primeur, the first vintage of this year. A leur santé!

(You can see the complete photo album on this site.)

The latest Get-Together on the Côte d’Azur — an Indian-themed evening at the splendid Palais de la Méditerranée in Nice, organized by InterNations Ambassador Ab Kuijer — attracted quite a huge crowd of guests. The staff of the venue kindly offered them an exotic welcome cocktail and wonderful spicy canapées. At the hotel’s Pingala Bar, they enjoyed Bollywood movies, Indian music and, of course, the pleasant company of many international minds from about a dozen nations, who now live and work at the French Riviera.

(To see the rest of Ab’s pictures, please go here.)

The latest InterNations event in Lyon, now hosted by Ambassador Jean-Noël Lorriaux and his new colleague Peter Scholten, was a pleasant mixture of cultural entertainment and the opportunity for socializing. First, the InterNations crowd — both familiar faces from last time, new-comers and their friends — went to see the show “Madre Mia!” at the small local theatre Espace 44 before heading over to the Latino bar Mi Barrio for food, drinks and even a little dancing. With members from so many different professional backgrounds (e.g. relocation services, consulting or translation) in attendance, they might soon decide to take their networking activity to another level and communicate their unique vocational skills to each other.