Le Métropole Bar- Brasserie

One evening after having a delicious meal with friends, we were in the main port area of Marseille when it was suggested we all head to Le Métropole which is known as a very gay-friendly bar/brasserie to have some drinks.  Not being one to say no to a social gathering, I happily went along with everyone else.
 

As soon as we turned the corner on to Place Gabriel Péri, you could tell this was the spot to be, Le Métropole Bar – Brasserie had all the makings of a ‘before’ club event judging by the beautiful and stylish crowd that was in attendance.

In fact there was a special club event happening there that night, The Glam Sound Party, and let me tell you, I am still trying to hunt down the DJ’s podcast from that night, the music that was played totally set the tone for the whole evening.

People were gathered outside, either sitting at tables or even standing and chatting with friends.  Inside the party continued on;  men, women, gay, straight, bisexual…no one cared, everyone mingled around, and some were even dancing at the back near the bar.

Le Métropole to me felt decent in size and has a very modern look in its overall design; it also seems to fit in well in this, one of the main shopping and hotel areas of the city.

I loved the mood of the place, I found the people to be very friendly, smiling and quickly introducing themselves to one another.  Le Métropole was busy, the staff was totally running off their feet, drinks were reasonably priced and they take their time mixing them, they weren’t just throwing these drinks together, each one seemed treated like a work of art with garnishes, etc.

It was such a good time that we almost lost track of time as we were there that long and still had other clubs we wanted to check out that night.
Le Métropole Bar- Brasserie is located steps from the port at: 2, Place Gabriel Péri

I understand they are open Monday – Saturday, from 7:00am onwards.  My only regret is that I did not have enough time on this trip to try one of Le Métropole’s meals but from the reviews I hear from friends, they tell me that the food is nothing but fresh and the portions are of good value for the money.
I know I will be back.

Photo Credit: Gabriel Art Fotograf
Thank you: The Glam Sound Party

LGP Marseille

Personally I had never gone to a LGBT community center growing up and in fact I do not recall where one had been around at the time so I never really knew what to expect from such a place.

It’s only been in the past couple of years I have started to check out various community centers where ever I might be traveling, just to get an idea on how they work, meet the people involved and find out more about what information they might be providing.
Late one afternoon when our group in Marseille was making our way out to dinner, one of our wonderful hosts took us for a walk from our hotel through the neighborhood to see where the LGP Marseille community center is located and once there we would get to see where all the action for EuroPride 2013 and everything else takes place.

Approaching the outside of the center, I felt a connection immediately, I was struck by its clean, crisp design and once we stepped inside, I felt instantly comfortable with my first thought being how they have found a real treasure of a space here.

LGBT community centers are great for meeting new people, especially if you have just arrived to the community, you can get all kinds of information on anything from AIDS prevention to where the hottest nightclubs are in town, but what I like best is that there are safe, laid back places to socialize.  And LGP Marseille is right up there with the best of them.

LGP Marseille is located close to the port and within a very mixed cultural community that I found to be funky and fun.  One of the other guests asked our hosts how the area has responded to them moving in, we were told that they were very much welcomed, because with the other minority groups around, everyone seems to understand where one another is coming from.

If I were living in Marseille, or making my first visit to the city and wanted to find out more on what to see and do, this would and will continue to be one of my first stops every time.
The hours of operation are: Monday to Friday, 10am-12pm and 2pm-6pm You will find LGP Marseille located at: 11, rue Moustier

LGP Marseille did not disappoint, the center provides a wealth of information and you will never meet a greater group of people.

EuroPride 2013 Marseille

Start making your travel plans now, because EuroPride 2013 next July 10 - 20th in Marseille is going to be nothing less than spectacular!

During the extended weekend I spent as one of the guests of LGP Marseille, the large amount of information we received throughout our time was meticulous and done with care and full consideration for those planning to attend EuroPride 2013 and if it is any indication of what is to come, then this is going to be one massive event!

After many years of going to various Pride events I have always heard the word “inclusive” being used, then when the time comes, there is always a margin of people who tend to be priced out of the celebrations in some capacity.

This doesn’t seem to be the case for Marseille’s EuroPride 2013.  Taking in account the current world economic climate, various hotels, restaurants, shops and travel agencies have all come together to offer special price packages to suit everyone’s budget so that no one misses out on any of the festivities.  This time I believe everyone will be able to join in the fun and everyone will benefit.

Keeping EuroPride 2013 affordable is the main objective.

LGP Marseille is planning for ten days (eleven nights) of huge parties (presented by: Delice Dream, Beardrop, Rainbow Power, Matinee Group, etc.).  There will also be the EuroPride Parade, approximately fifteen conferences, various workshops, many free events and sports activities held not in one particular area of the city but throughout the city so that you are able to discover the different facets of Marseille itself.

Some of the EuroPride 2013 locations to check out are:

EuroPride Park: Cultural and military area in Friche de la Belle de Mai, where there will be expositions, military stands, conferences, debates, cinema projection, theatre, etc.

EuroPride Club: Docks des Suds, 11 parties with the biggest European parties combined in the same place.  For more details go to: Club EuroPride

EuroPride Beach: For the first time in EuroPride history there is going to be a beach completely dedicated to the festival, expect all types of beach and water games events to take place!

What I was particularly intrigued about was the main system that is going to be used for purchases for EuroPride 2013, the Tick’N Pay electronic wristband system.
 
I think the Tick’N Pay system will be groundbreaking in many ways and for following EuroPride’s to come.

Don’t you hate it when you go to a big event and you spend what seems to be half of your night waiting in line to purchase drink tickets, then having to get into another line to get your drink?  And if you’re like me, you end up going home with a bunch of unused drink tickets and left feeling like you’ve just wasted a bunch of money.

Well the Tick’N Pay system is a safe and secure chip wristband electronic wallet system that you will be able to get through the EuroPride 2013 website.  With your wristband you are given a personal pin code (like a bank card) in which you will be able to purchase not only drinks at a participating bar, club or event but also for the basics like public transportation, items at participating shops, restaurants, hotels and even your overall travel. 

The amount you deposit online into your wristband will be the amount you can use so that you control your spending and are able to recharge anytime, another good thing…you will not incur any credit card fees to do so.

Your credit card can be secured through your participating hotel during the trip so there is no need to carry cash to the beach or late at night going from party to party.  At the end of your visit, any amount that has not been used on your wristband goes directly back to you.  Another bonus arranged with EuroPride 2013 in Marseille is when you purchase 100 euros; you get 110 euros to spend.

There are benefits to everyone involved, you for your budget, safety and security, benefits for the participating businesses involved (in which over 100 have registered so far) and benefits for EuroPride 2013 itself in being able to use this system to get statistical information, accounting will be easier, faster and more accurate, and less volunteers are needed to control the entries and the cash in this very safe and secured cash management system.

If you would like more information on EuroPride 2013, please click on the links below:

EuroPride 2013 Marseille

LGP Marseille

NeoSphere Travel

MP2013

What could be better than spending EuroPride 2013 Marseille in the Mediterranean?  With all the hard work and efforts being put into place, something tells me that these ten days in Marseille are going to be nothing less than powerful and life changing events.

Mama Shelter - Marseille

I am told Marseille can be a very secretive city.  That in order to find the coolest people, places and events you have to find that one person who will let you in on a secret that will lead you to all the exciting stuff.

If that really is the case, then here is an easy way to get a head start on all that, check into Mama Shelter!

Mama Shelter Marseille

Map to Mama Shelter

Mama Shelter’s unique architectural design on the edge of the Cours Julien neighborhood really adds to the allure of this area in the city.  The hotel is obviously a gathering place for the art crowd… in fact any crowd and is very gay-friendly.

Once inside Mama Shelter you will feel like you are in a whole different world, it’s an eye-catching, ultra-modern, ultra-cool hotel filled with some very interesting people, but not intimidating, there’s a feeling of warmth when you step into Mama Shelter.

The friendly, fun loving staff will welcome you with beaming smiles at the reception, ready to help you with whatever you need throughout your stay and immediately you get the feeling that this is an active, functional hotel, obviously designed by the great Philippe Starck.

At Mama Shelter it seemed you could go a number of ways, two of them could be to all out party or, find a quiet space at the public computers in the lobby area to get some work done or both.  I went for both.

The first evening I met with members of our LGBT group and hosts for dinner and drinks in the Mama Shelter bar and restaurant next to the lobby on the main floor.  With an amazing interior and exterior courtyard terrace design, no wonder this place is such a popular local attraction.

The gorgeous crowd of every persuasion seemed to be in attendance too, there certainly was plenty of eye candy, it was a great added ambiance that made enjoying your meal at the table with your friends that much better.

And the food!  The food was immensely delicious; it had that down home charm of being able to serve yourself from the hot iron pots in which the food was brought to the table, directly out of the oven, just like Mama would make, and the variety of desserts!  The homemade vanilla bean ice cream was my personal favorite.

Around us were people laughing and mingling, the DJ that night at the front of the restaurant was fantastic in her 50’s retro-style outfit playing eclectic yet familiar music from decades past that literally made people get up and dance on the spot.  It all made for a great welcoming evening at Mama Shelter and it totally set the tone for the weekend ahead!

Overall I found the whole hotel to be exceptionally clean and kept in top condition, and back in my hotel room, I loved all the design elements, everything worked with what I needed and use in daily life, just with a ton more extras.  There was a microwave, well stocked mini fridge, safe, air conditioning, the bathroom had plenty of towels and products such as Kiel’s, that shower stall alone I could’ve lived in, it was totally invigorating.

The lighted edge mirrors also seemed strategically placed on either side of the bed in my room, perfect for getting your look together and fun for all sorts on your own or with a friend.

There were also small touches like the Batman and Robin masks in the room, and looking through the portfolio of previous hotel guests on your room’s 27-inch Apple iMac TV's (where you can also watch free movies) you can see the inventive ways guests have taken their own set of pictures.  For some fun to top off the last night, my colleagues and I made sure to take a group photo with the masks on to add to the Mama Shelter hotel’s portfolio.

But what I think I liked best of all about my room was the bed, it was so comfortable to snuggle under that deep, fresh, wonderfully thick and sumptuous duvet with pillows that matched the feeling all around.  Falling asleep was certainly not a problem.

I loved my stay at this boutique-style hotel; from beginning to end it was a complete experience.  Mama Shelter will let you go out and play, but Mama Shelter will also keep you comfortable and cozy.

Do what your Mama says!

Photo Credit: Francis Amiand