The 2013 Tour de Finance gets underway in March and will be heading to Marseille.
Marseille is France's largest city on the Mediterranean coast and the largest commercial port. We visited the area a few years ago and I fell in love with the coastline. If you get the chance, you really must visit the world famous Calanques.
The Calanques start in the east, in the small fishing village of Callelongue on the outskirts of Marseille and stretch as far as Cassis. The best way to appreciate this rugged coastal area, dotted with inlets, is by taking a boat trip and there are numerous options available sailing out of Marseille.
Another ‘not to be missed’ part of Marseille is the Vieux-Port, the city’s main marina. The port is overlooked by two massive forts (the Fort St Nicolas and the Fort Saint Jean) and is one of the main places to eat in the city. The Quai des Belges at the end of the harbour is home to the daily fish market and there are loads of cafés and restaurants where you can enjoy some typical Provençal delicacies.
The dish most associated with the region is probably Bouillabaisse (fish soup) but no Provençal dining experience would be complete without trying Anchoïade, a paste made from anchovies, garlic, black olives and olive oil, served with raw vegetables. Also worth a try is Aïoli, a sauce made from garlic, lemon juice, eggs and olive oil, traditionally served with fish, hard boiled eggs and vegetables. And don’t forget the Fougasse (a speciality bread) to mop up!
The Tour de Finance event is only a few minutes from the Old Port and ends around 2.30, giving you the afternoon to explore the port and surrounding area.
The day starts with a welcome coffee at 9.30 and the morning will be devoted to short seminars. A wide range of subjects will be covered. Topics include healthcare and financial advice, plus tax, pensions and currency transfers. Subjects such as letting and rentals will also be addressed.
After the seminars finish, the organisers are kindly providing a free buffet lunch. This will give you plenty of opportunity to chat to the speakers and ask specific questions.
This is a wonderful opportunity to receive free expert advice on a wide range of subjects and to meet up with other people from the local area, so I really do recommend coming along. And...there’s even a chance to win prize draw vouchers worth £250 courtesy of The British Corner Shop. All you need to do is register. Mmm, marmite...
Places are limited but SFN readers can pre-book by simply following the links below. If Marseille is too far away, don’t worry, the Tour de Finance continues.