Tuesday 28th. September, '99.
Marseille.

Not a long flight, and dozed for most of it, watched one movie and gave 'Notting Hill' a miss. Sunrise and we are over a coast, yet trying to work out where from the inflight magazine isn't helpful. Asking the flight attendant doesn't help either, and I'm even more amazed a short time later to hear an announcement (in English, for my benefit ?) stating "we are now over Wales or Scotland" so maybe they had the same map in the cockpit ?

Arriving without confirmed accommodation, I check at the airport information desk. These extremely attractive, helpful ladies checked the faxes I had sent from Montreal and my on-line booking requests with the properties concerned, and advise me yes - the World Chambers Premier Conference has most hotels in the city booked out, and suggest I try accommodation here at the airport so I at least have a room for tonight. This will also enable me to phone the different places direct.

So off to another desk where another young lady numbers the list of nearby hotels and suggests I call direct on the phone system here, request a double room for the entire week which I can always change. Done ! The shuttle bus will collect me shortly.

Primotel Aeroport Hotel,
Marseille.

Such a warm welcome ! Helene is the one I'd spoken to on the phone, and I'm off upstairs past chandeliers to an end room #105 facing the countryside.

Birds ! The pool - sparkling in the sun, distant sounds of traffic, a warm, sunny day with clear blue sky. Nicely tended gardens and those white hills in the distance.

People to call, and I leave messages for Dume and Richard and one at Jean's hotel. Ringing down the hotels on my list most are fully booked for Thursday night, so I settle on the Ibis Prado which does accept a booking through to next week. A bath then a nap.

Sleep til 4pm local time and leave another message for Dume. I ask the operator to please check Richard's number as I don't understand the recorded message and discover it is no longer in service, so until I check my address book it will have to wait.

Off into town to explore ! The bus fills, different languages and national dress. Plenty of garden beds with splashes of colour at this busy airport, little vans with Marseille Chamber of Commerce signs on the side zipping back and forth. Bollards lining the footpaths and I can also see the hotel from here.

Conifers, she-oaks and poplars beside the highway, pylons and windswept stunted trees on the limestone (?) hills.

We stop at the railway station - Gare Saint-Charles - with elaborate crests for the different regions high up under the impressive roof which reminds me of Frankfurt. Lasting impression ? The smell of urine.

Walking down the steps to ---- I look at the buildings, traffic, tree-lined streets. More poles, or barriers lining the narrow footpaths. Sandstone buildings with intricate wrought-iron balconies. The doorways remind me of buildings in Rome, as do some of the narrower, twisting streets.

Stop at a cafe and sit outside sipping a coffee, realising I would have been wiser to ask for expresso, or at least coffee with milk. F18 for Diet Coke, F37 for all-day parking at the airport, and coffee is only F9. The shuttle bus between Marseille and the airport is F47, so at this rate my F104 will not last long !

Walking up to the nearby Ibis hotel, I discover it is within walking distance of the railway station, and maybe the place to stay on my last night with an early train the following morning.

After wandering around it occurs to me the reason there are so many obstacles on the narrow footpaths - it's to prevent vehicles parking there ! The first sight of the orderly black bollards at the airport was distinctive and quite appropriate, I thought, being such an ancient port. Yet the more I saw of them - the more I disliked them.

Back on the bus, back to the airport and the hotel. Down to the dining room where I have my first taste of 'tapenade' - a spread not unlike Vegemite but made from anchovies, ground black olives and garlic. Spread onto the jaw-breaking crusty French bread it's great. There's also spinach pate, eggplant, endive (which I now recognise) and various other oily dishes not really to my taste. Ordering beef is with a touch of daring - thinking of all the 'mad cow disease' stuff I've read and funny handle references on chat. There was a nice vanilla custard desert with caramel and merangue, and delicious coffee in a large cup to end the day.

Wednesday, 29th. September, '99.

Another lovely clear morning, with birds singing ! Breakfast in the almost empty dining room. More creamy coffee in big cups, real French croissants with ham and mild cheese.

There is a 'problem' with the net-connection here since the hotel installed a new computer system, Helene tells me, so I'll wait until I locate a Cyber-cafe.

Walking around the grounds, there's a rather impressive staircase and inside one of the unfamiliar trees with fine, lacey foliage a little birds nest.

Off on the hotel shuttle bus and back to the busy Airport. As the bulk of conference delegates arrive today the 'Welcome' desk is manned by Marie-France and Cathia, and I note even Zimbabwe is represented at the conference, so someone else to look for.

Board the Airport shuttle again and off via the A7 into Marseille, where I catch a taxi from Gare Saint-Charles to the Ibis Prado.

Ibis Prado Hotel,
Marseille.

Neat, tidy and compact, room #228 looks out over trees and apartment blocks with children's voices drifting up as I open the window.

Roland helps me with directions to the Magic Cafe Jean has located, so despite walking a few blocks further than I needed to, I arrive at a small little shop in a narrow street.

Inside - eleven terminals catering mainly to those into games, with people playing pool and cards in other rooms further back.

Met with Jean.

Thursday, 30th. September, '99.

A very long day, registration at 8am, and working sessions til 6.30pm. A wonderful (French) luncheon, and of course the opening address - very positive and thought-provoking.

Tonight was the gala event - a Real French Soiree - hosted by the Marseille-Provence Chamber, at their wonderful headquaters - the Palais de la Bourse.

The entire building was devoted to food and festivities, and as such, was the 'birthday party' for the Marseille chamber. Downstairs and up on the promenade level were different buffet sections serving a wide variety of food, there was on-going music and dancers, with synchronised lighting to highlight the columns and carvings. The setting was wonderful, the architecture superb - and I was actually so proud and thrilled to be there, it was a very memorable event - truely International ! At the end of the evening, we were all presented with signed copies of the menus, and little keep-sakes of lavender and soap from the area.

Friday, 1st. October, '99.

Thismorning was a later start at 9.30, yet allowing for the traffic the pickup from the Holiday Inn down the street was still at 8.30am. I was very impressed to be handed on arrival a full-colour, bi-lingual very professional folder containing notes, comments, and pictures of the previous day's events !

This really has been an experience - the logistics alone are rather staggering, and so much energy, effort, and organisation had gone into everything. There were a few grumbles last night as part of the program did not eventuate, yet we were all looked after - and somehow I even rated special treatment by being driven back both times in a little 'toy' car - a 'Spirit' or something. Registering late I had not received the information packs and there was no co-ordinator as such - although young, THIN, attractive young ladies were recruited as 'hostesses' - pleasant, helpful, courteous. As the Chamber here also owns the airport (!) they also have a tie-in with the Information services AT the airport, and perhaps that's where these ladies came from.

After the welcome address was the only session I missed, being between the business centre, the British Chamber and the Canadian chamber stands as both representatives dealt with other things. I was so afraid I'd fall alseep IN the session as the chairs were similar to airline seats, the lights were low to focus on the stage - and wearing the headphones for English translations, I had found myself nodding off ready to press the non-existant 'recline' button on the armrest and ask for a blanket !

Another wonderful lunch, this time sponsored by the Conseil general de Bouchers-du-Rhone, and yes, I'm bringing back the menu.

Then three workshops running parallel, and I chose Workshop D in the Auditorium on "The Challenge of the internet for business" with one of the speakers Philip Holt, of Australian Business Limited.

The afternoon ended after the final address, and unfortunately this is the only time my translator headset was not working, and I was loathe to leave my seat to collect another one.

This session had included addresses by Claude Cardella; Marseille-Provence President, Adnan Kassar; ICC President, Avijit Cattauri; ICC Secretary General, Henry Roux-Alezias; IBCC, ICC Commissaire General, Christopher Stewart-Smith; Brussels Eurochambers Vice President. There was also a guest appearence by writer Andre Chouraqui who was certainly well-received.

We were all handed a bi-lingual copy of the 'Marseille declaration' on leaving the auditorium for the coaches and I quote it in full here;

MARSEILLE DECLARATION
Four hundred years ago, the world's first chamber of commerce was created in Marseille, cross-roads of the trade routes of Europe an the Mediterranean. Today, at the threshold of the Third Millennium, an extra-ordinary accelaration of historical change accompanies the phenomenon of globalization. Chambers of Commerce and Industry, aware that they constitute a distinct network with a worldwide presence of more then 10,000 organisations, affirm their detrmination to use this network in order to meet the new challnges of the world economy.

They have resolved to prepare a JOINT CHARTER of chambers of commerce, as described in this 'Marseille Declaration'.

Chambers of commerce and industry affirm their conviction that economic activity must be at the service of mankind and its benefits shared if they are to last. It is through commercial exchanges that the basic values of civilisation have been developed. These universal values, and in particular the place of the individual in society, should be respected everywhere. The chambers wish (to) play their part when international rules are drawn up in the economic and commercial spheres.

They will unite their efforts in assisting business enterprises, in particular those who wish to open up to world markets, in order to: