Join us next week for a celebration of France’s Bastille Day with food, music, and diplomacy! Part of our E-Cultural Diplomacy series, the event will be held live on Tuesday, July 14th at 5 PM Pacific Time and co-hosted with the House of France and the Alliance Francaise of San Diego.

Ms. Marion Lanier, Honorary Consul of France will discuss the relations between the United States and France and share a few words about the importance of Bastille Day in French culture. The event will also present a live cooking class from Chef Julia Shelley and music composed by French artist, Ms. Véronique Forget.

Ms. Marion Lanier was born and raised in Nice, France. After receiving a Doctorate in Organic Chemistry at the University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, she moved to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania for a one year research appointment and ended up staying three years. She then moved to San Diego where she has lived ever since. She works in the pharmaceutical industry. Marion has been a member, board member and president of the House of France in Balboa Park for more than ten years as well as a member of the Alliance Francaise. In May 2019, Marion was appointed Honorary Consul for France in San Diego; a liaison between the French Consulate in Los Angeles and the San Diego community. She is married and has two children.”

Julia Shelley is a French woman who grew up in Lyon, the Gastronomical Capital of  France, some say, of the world. Her parents Pierre and Veronique, both restaurant owners and chefs, gave her an enduring love of fine cooking. Trained by some of the best chefs in France and America, most notably the Dardilly Francois Rabelais Culinary School in Lyon, France, Julia, a world traveler,  enjoys sharing her passion for people and delicious cooking. Since 2006, Julia has lived in California, first in San Francisco, now in San Diego, where she has expanded her knowledge of restaurant management, while she learned practiced her skills as a first-rate chef and wine expert.

Through her company, French chef at Home, Julia will come into your home to make cook a meal to your specifications for special occasions like birthday parties, wedding anniversaries, graduations, Valentine’s Day, New Years, and, of course, Bastille Day, the French national holiday. For more details check her website at https://www.personalfrenchchefathome.com/#about

Ms. Véronique Forget is a talented singer/entertainment based in San Diego. Captivating and sensual, the crystal-clear voice of Véronique Forget carries with it the colorful nature and dynamic soul of her native Mauritius Island and French culture. Her repertoire – influenced by jazz, bossanova, soul, and R&B – encompasses a passion of French songs where she excels in her interpretation of Edith Piaf. Véronique is an international freelance and contract performer, who can sing in 10 different languages. With her broad experience she sings for corporate, private events and featured engagements. Check her Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/veronique.voice

REGISTER HERE! After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.