MONACO NEWS: The family and friends of missing Bristol boxer Michael Graydon have organised a march in the city on Saturday to raise awareness of his disappearance, the Bristol Post reports. Meanwhile, Police in Monaco are investigating whether the boxing promoter was abducted following a dispute in Nice on the night before he went missing (see earlier report, below)…

MONACO NEWS: The Palais de la Plage has proven more stubborn than the demolition team thought, and much of the building remained standing on Thursday after an overnight onslaught…

PREMIUM - MONACO ARTS, MONACO LIFESTYLE: Art broker Yves Bouvier and two other Swiss nationals have been arrested in Monaco over alleged manipulation of prices on the art market. The focus of the local investigation is the art collection of Dimitry Rybolovlev, the 48-year-old Russian fertiliser oligarch who owns the majority stake in Monaco football club…

MONACO NEWS: Police are investigating whether there are any links between the disappearance of Bristol man Michael Graydon in the early hours of Saturday with an earlier incident in Nice on Thursday night. The 29 year-old avid boxing fan had arrived in Monaco with a close friend to watch a boxing match and disappeared from view after being expelled from Rascasse at about 01:40 on Saturday morning. He has not been seen since...

MONACO NEWS, MONACO CRIME: A Monegasque civil servant has again appeared in court in Monaco charged with assaulting his wife. During St. Valentine’s weekend, while on a visit to Lisbon, the husband hit his wife in the face after a meal in a local restaurant…

MONACO SPORT, ASM: They started out as the underdogs, but Monaco surprised the pundits on Wednesday night with a stunning 3-1 win away to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in London in the UEFA Champions League…

MONACO LIFESTYLE: The last remaining villa on ave Princesse Grace is to be torn down overnight, with demolition starting at 20:00 and due to finish at 08:00 on Thursday morning. Despite its contribution to the aesthetics of Monaco, the Palais de la Plage was not protected…

MONACO ARTS: As part of the 12th Monte-Carlo Comedy Film Festival, Peter Bogdanovich last night presented the European preview of his latest comedy She’s Funny That Way at the Théâtre des Variétés, The preview followed a Film Masterclass with the famous director...

MONACO SPORT, ASM: "Since the start of the Champions League Monaco have never been favourites, that said we still managed to finish top of our group and that's thanks to the players' work," Leonardo Jardim told a press conference on Tuesday, a day before AS Monaco meet Arsenal in London...

MONACO NEWS: The police in Monaco are looking into new leads in the disappearance of Bristol man Michael Graydon, last seen in the early hours of Saturday morning following a disturbance at Rascasse nightclub…

PREMIUM - MONACO NEWS, MONACO CRIME: Some small relief has come at last to eight local investors who lost 1.1 million euros in the crash of Hobbs-Melville, the local firm that took in investments without having the proper licence to do so…

MONACO CRIME: The Rascasse nightclub is never far away from the local headlines, and once again its name cropped up at Monaco’s Criminal Court. Two 20 year-old women from Nice appeared accused of stealing a mobile telephone and 38 euros in cash from a handbag at the popular Monaco nightspot on October 14 last year…

MONACO NEWS: Police in Monaco have stepped up the search for Bristol man Michael Graydon who went missing in the Principality in the early hours of Saturday morning. The 29 year-old was last seen outside the Rascasse nightclub, where he had been involved in an incident, according to family members who have arrived in Monaco to help in the search...

PREMIUM - MONACO PEOPLE: Monaco residents David and Frederick Barclay, billionaire owners of the Ritz Hotel and the Daily Telegraph, have become embroiled in a major row in the UK after the daily they own ran an article concerning the death of two employees at News UK, the publisher of the Times and the Sun...

MONACO CHARITIES: An association has been established to support the work of Monaco’s Scientific Centre, under the presidency of Camilla de Bourbon des Deux Siciles, Duchess of Castro…

MONACO CHARITIES, MONACO PEOPLE: The high society of Palm Beach came to support the Passion Sea project created by Helga Piaget and Italian artist Marco Nereo Rotelli at a Gala Dinner in the Venetian-style residence of Mr Dante Colussy in Palm Beach, Florida. Andrea and Veronica Bocelli were the guests of honour…

MONACO LIFESTYLE, MONACO EVENTS: Monaco is home to the highest density of foreign-owned UHNW residences, with a figure of 83 percent 'based elsewhere', according to the Wealth X Global Luxury Retail Report 2015 which has been released by Sotheby’s International Realty...

MONACO NEWS, ASM: Following Monaco’s 1-0 victory against Nice on Friday night, a group of about 20 individuals attacked a number of AS Monaco supporters who were celebrating in a nightspot on Port Hercule in the early hours of Saturday morning…

MONACO EVENTS: As part of the Year of Russia in Monaco the Cossack troupe Donskoye Siyaniye will present several performances at the Port on Saturday, February 21 at 11:30, 13:00, 14.30 and 16:30 on Sunday at 1:30, 13:00, 14.30 and 17:00...

MONACO NEWS, MONACO PEOPLE: Flavio Briatore’s Billionaire Club and Twiga have been fined a total of 4,000 euros for employing bouncers working on the black during last year’s Grand Prix. Twelve agents were taken on by Billionaire Club and 13 by Twiga, Monaco’s criminal court was told. A police raid on May 21 discovered that the foreign workers had no work contracts. The formalities had been completed by May 26...

MONACO FOODIE:

Monday, 18 February 2015 8:00
 

A day in the Stars' kitchen

Readers of my infamous food column taking a punch at poor culinary standards in iconic Monegasque restaurants will know that one of the critiqued establishments, Stars ‘N’ Bars, responded by inviting me to spend a day in their kitchen.

Early one frosty February morning, I wander past the superyachts in Port Hercules towards Monaco’s best-known restaurant ready for a similarly frosty reception. I am welcomed by the smiling faces of Stars ‘N’ Bars’ owners Kate Powers and Didier Rubiolo with their energetic manager Annette Anderson...

We begin the day by discussing the changes that will be announced in full during their menu relaunch this April. As well as menu additions, there will be a revolutionary menu format combining the feel of a traditional menu with the flexibility of an iPad offering print-free menu changes. Considering the 400 or so dishes that have passed through their menus over the last two decades and the weekly addition of 12 specials, this paperless book-video will fit with their eco-strategy by reducing their carbon footprint.

My morning continues with a whirlwind kitchen tour that gives me an idea of the logistical nightmare of running a culinary operation on a scale that dwarfs most of their Monegasque competition. They run a continuous service from 7am to midnight requiring a rotating staff of over 100 employees. The kitchen feeds around 600 daily diners (and up to a daunting 1,500 people during the Monaco Yacht Show), while the bar drains from 18 to 50 barrels per day.

Yet Kate and Didier carry the stress lightly. The two of them encapsulate a Monegasque success story: behind the façade of glamorous insouciance lies decades of gruelling hard work. They both come from culinary-school backgrounds: Kate in Texas, Didier in Avignon. They met at the Roof Club – a celebrity-studded private dining club that Didier used to run.
Together they set up Monaco’s first Tex-Mex restaurant, Le Texan.

1n 1993, they created Stars ‘N’ Bars in a three-story, abandoned warehouse with the help of a royal connection or two. In the last two decades, they have worked hard to build Stars ‘N’ Bars’ reputation as a sought-after venue for local families and celebrities alike. Surprisingly given the volume of young families around the principality, it’s the only restaurant in Monaco to run a daily kids’ club. It’s also the place in Monaco where you’re most likely to rub shoulders with Jude Law.

My dedicated tour guide, Didier introduces me to some of their United Nations staff. I watch as longstanding chef Sarath from Sri Lanka teaches a Filipino stagiaire how to make an apple pie, while Vimal from India cooks up a vat of chilli con carne. Then it’s my turn to don a chef’s hat and apron to test out one of the new menu items. I am happy to find that they have taken on board my suggestion to add a healthier salmon option to the children’s menu. As we cook the salmon together, Didier tells me:

“I like everything. When I cook at home, I never know what I’m going to cook until I have visited the market and been inspired by the myriad fresh fish and vegetables on display. There is so much choice here in Southern France.”

As Didier enthuses about food, the secret to their success dawns on me. Instead of merely shooting the messenger, they have faced up to my criticism with open-minded grace. Their willingness to listen and to implement rapid changes not only shows sound business and marketing sense, but also ensures my loyalty. As Annette adds wisely: “We’re best at human interaction”.

To read earlier Monaco Foodie columns: http://www.monacolife.net/?action=show&id=4014

Louise Simpson is a food and travel writer based in Monaco. Since studying French literature at Cambridge University, Louise has written for The FT, The Times, Condé Nast and The Independent in the UK and for Zagat and Google in the US. She also publishes travel books with Frommer’s: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Louise-Simpson/e/B0034OTN6Q/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1373370624&sr=8-2.

Israel and the Jews

Dear Editor,
 
I have not read such claptrap in a long while as that written recently in your publication by Professor Ben-Meir.  Mr Netanyahu was simply stating that Jews would be welcomed in Israel “with open arms” in response to the well understood concerns of many Jews regarding their safety in France.  He did not “call for Jews to immigrate to Israel” as he claims.
 
Furthermore, the professor is in denial if he thinks “Mr Netanyahu was rudely [italics added] suggesting that they [the Jews] are no longer safe in France”.  If he does not know any French Jews, the French emigration statistics should tell him the story.
 
I would also strongly dispute his assertion that: “Netanyahu must accept the fact that the occupation is one of the main causes (but not the source) behind the recent rise of anti-Semitism.”  Why so?  Why is Netanyahu responsible for the bigotry in France?  And why should European Jews accept the consequences for the foreign policy decisions of foreign state.  We would never say that Hindus should accept the consequences of the Indian foreign policy, Buddhas of Tibetian policy, Muslims of Indonesian policy or Shintus of Japanese foreign policy.  Many Jews have very little to do with Israel; they were born and raised in Europe, are European nationals and consider Europe to be their home.
 
Furthermore, and I hesitate to wade into this area of his commentary, “the occupation”, as he terms it, should be viewed in the context of an uneasy truce between the Palestinians and Israelis.  He seems to forget that these territories are occupied as a consequence of the 1967 and 1973 wars.  Unlike the Jordanians and Egyptians, who have accepted Israel’s right to exist and have settled their territorial disputes, the Syrians and Palestinians have not.  Thus, like North and South Korea (nobody calls this “an occupation”), they remain at war albeit under a truce.  Settle the war, then the territory.
 
Blaming anti-Semitism in Europe on the situation is the Middle East is simply a cop-out.
 
Clyde Johnston

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Offensive media

Dear Ed,

I think Kristi Prenn missed the point of Jeff Daniels' challenging opinion piece on the Paris disaster. No one, yourself included, could condone these barbaric murders nor feel that they were in anyway justified. I did not feel this was the point of the message.

As is too often the case the world was immediately influenced by an offended media who sycophantically turned this appalling tragedy into something they could portray as an attack on free speech.Thereby defending their right to continue to be offensive to whosoever they please.

Nick Harley

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Jeff is not a journalist

Sir: ‘Jeff Daniels’ is not a journalist.  ‘Jeff Daniels’ is an apologist for evil.

There is no justification for the murder of innocent people, yet ‘Jeff Daniels’ seeks to justify the appalling murders of fellow human beings, to insinuate that the satirists deserved to be murdered because their work was offensive to Muslims (and himself) and that Charlie Hebdo was anti-Muslim. ‘Jeff Daniels’ mocks the gatherings across France and the world who united in Je suis Charlie marches to mourn for and to declare their abhorrence of the murders of innocent people, killed for being journalists or in the case of the Vincennes deli, for being Jews.

This article is crass and repulsive nonsense.  It is wickedness justifying itself with pretentious pomposity and seeming piousness.

JE SUIS CHARLIE

Kristi Prenn

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'Breath of fresh air'

Dear Sir,

Thank you for publishing Louise Simpson's review of Monaco restaurants. It was about time that someone drew attention to the lousy service and inadequate food in our little village. Free and independent press is a breath of fresh air for us Monaco residents, whose usual source of local information is what passes for journalism in Monaco Matin.  I see the very outrage over Ms Simpson's column to be a direct result of our lack of exposure to honest criticism in Monegasque media.

There are some harsh words in Ms Simpson's article but they are based on facts that we all recognise and are no worse than what Monaco residents discuss in private. They will hopefully inspire these establishments to make some changes. I look forward to reading about her day in the kitchen of Stars'N'Bars, and sincerely hope that its management will take the opportunity to listen to her suggestions. I, for one, would welcome variety in starters and salads, which have remained virtually unchanged at least in the past 15 years that I have been living in Monaco.

Yours sincerely,

Zeynep Castel-branco

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'Refreshing'

Dear Editor,

It is so refreshing to read local Louise Simpson's honest review of restaurants in Monaco. TripAdvisor is a place I often turn to to get a general idea of restaurants, but this is the first time I have ever read an honest review by a local, which provides a completely different perspective for those of us living in the Principality.

It seems to have inspired a great deal of discussion, which is precisely the point of a quality review: to inspire people, or perhaps discourage them yes, but first and foremost to provide a personal perspective, to which everyone is entitled. Thank you so much for sharing. Bravo.

Lisa af Rosenborg

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Follow-up awaited

Dear Editor,
 
I was impressed to see Stars n’ Bars’ response to the “Kitchen Nightmares” column - an invitation to spend the day in the kitchen and see how food is prepared – great reply!  I look forward to the follow-up article on Stars n’ Bars…

Tracy Rohan, Monaco

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ACM is a private club

Dear Sir,
 
I would like to add a comment -so far not addressed- about Monaco’s Automobile Club of which I have been a member for many years. If we are going to “name and shame” maybe we should ask ourselves by what right we are doing so. The clue is in the name: the Automobile Club.

Apart from the excellent food (try getting kidneys like that elsewhere in Monaco, and yes they have cream with them if you ask nicely) and what must be the most sublimely best group of waiters on the Riviera (many of whom have been there for years), a piano bar with music you might want to listen to (and I am a Rock fan so they must be doing something right), there is its best feature: their wine list.

Small but perfectly formed, you can buy a great Burgundy, or a Bordeaux if you must, without having to sell your Ferrari to afford it, indeed for less than a poor wine from the Languedoc sold in some other places in Monaco. It is the rip off in wine prices in some restaurants which beats me; I won’t pay them. But you can afford to have a great bottle of wine at the Automobile Club. People who have lived in Monaco for a long time know these things. The Automobile Club is, all round, the best thing we have got in terms of a dinner out.

I suppose if you are not a member and you are lucky enough to get invited to eat at the Club by a member you will not know this.

But to visit what is a Private Club you have to be a member or accompanied by a member to go there. The members of the Automobile Club would prefer to mix with people who appreciate the Club. Who invites a restaurant critic to a Private Club, and for what reason does a restaurant critic consider she should comment on anything in this private space? This is not a restaurant open to the public. Did the management of the Club invite her to make comments? I think we should be told why a member of the public is opining on our Private Club’s restaurant.

It is solely a matter for the members to judge what they think of their Club restaurant  which, incidentally, is about a lot more than the food on your plate. If a member has any comment to make about his Club he will take it up with the Committee, not a news service. For these reasons might I suggest we ignore what the Club’s critic says, about anything, and give the Club back to its members’ views for it is nobody else’s place to opine.   
 
Yours faithfully, William Easun

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Overpriced and unwelcoming

Dear Ian,
 
I cannot agree more with Louise Simpson, perhaps not with all her criticism of each restaurant but the way she described the overpriced restaurants like Saliere, Avenue 31, makes sense. I can even add the Beefbar where they practise the same attitude.

It is a disgrace the way you are treated in Saliere, you do not even get a proper bill, in the evening they treat you as a tourist, so neglected and not taken seriously. During dinner in the Beefbar they wait as long as possible with the advertised menu in order to force you to the ridiculously priced standard menu.

It is good there are other restaurants like Le Bouchon and Mozza, where they understand the word "guest", joined with reasonably priced menus and daily-changing specialities, this at least avoids us driving to Italy on a weekly basis to enjoy good food and normal prices.
 
Best regards,
 
Jan Dingenouts

________

Dear Sir,
 
Further to Annette Anderson’s (of Stars N’ Bars) letter to you published (below) in Monaco Life, may I also express my disagreement with Louise Simpson’s comments on certain restaurants.
 
Stars N’ Bars serves Tex-Mex food and does it well, Tex-Mex is never going to be a gastronomic delight but the produce is fresh and the service is generally far better than most ‘high class” establishments. There is no guilt to be attached to serving good hamburgers made with real beef, fast food enterprises have hi-jacked the hamburger and given it a bad name. The ones served at Stars N’ Bars are the best I have tasted anywhere over the last 30 years or so.
 
I consider the Monte Carlo Country Club restaurant to be one of the best in Monaco for quality/value for money with a limited but well balanced menu, again with fresh produce very well cooked and presented. Every meal I have had there has been a delight.
 
The Automobile Club is also a top rate and reasonably priced restaurant.
 
I agree with Ms Simpson that restaurants in Monaco are generally overpriced and at best mediocre with the service often very poor but I also agree with Ms Anderson that this looks like “clever text for the sake of being published”.
 
Rents are very high in Monaco which explains the prices but there is no excuse for failings in produce, cuisine and service.
 
Perhaps Ms Simpson should turn her attention to the so called ‘top” restaurants which are really a disgrace and reflect badly on the Principality.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
David Solomon

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Unfair review

We do not know when Louise Simpson last ate at the Automobile Club but her account certainly bears no resemblance to our own experiences. As members of many years’ standing, we lunch and dine there frequently and find the daily-changing menus and ingredients to be of the highest quality whilst, at the same time, tasty and healthy. There is even a “menu allegé” every day, to which cream and other less than healthy “70s” products are most definitely strangers! The salade d’haricots verts and chicken breast, followed by grilled salmon with leeks last Friday were outstanding examples of Chef Olivier Ribaute’s extremely attractive  and consistent cuisine which never fails to please and impress – please take a new look, Louise!
 
Vivienne H Taylor and Richard Hale, Monaco

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Criticism 'not valid'

Dear Editor

We were disappointed to read your "Monaco Foodie" remarks about our restaurant and the "tasteless freezer to microwave tat". We try to be open to valid criticism ....we certainly are not perfect....and we act on it.  In fact we give customers a card with a direct link to Trip Advisor to "grade" their meal and give us feedback.  But, we have to admit, it's soul- killing to see food "critics" who enjoy writing clever text for the sake of being "published".

Our cooks arrive at 7 a.m each  day and prepare freshly delivered vegetables, meats and ingredients to create about 500 meals during a non stop food service of 12 hours. (Yes, we are guilty of serving burgers but the meat is 100% organic. ). Has your Monaco Foodie actually ever been in a kitchen?  Probably not, but we would like to invite her to spend a day with the cooks that she has so thoughtlessly belittled. Heck, we'll even share our recipes with you, Louise.  You can roll the chicken filet in the flour, bread crumbs and egg wash to make our chicken fingers.  

We are very sorry that Miss Simpson dislikes the restaurant but we do thank the thousands of regular customers, especially the families, who often come daily and who have supported us for more than 20 years.  (The editor of this newsletter, MonacoToday, in fact, and his family are customers.). Sorry to take this personally but I know the people who work hard everyday to serve our customers and they deserve a more professional review.

Annette Anderson
Manager

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CAN BE SENT TO monacotoday@gmail.com. Please include a telephone number.

Previous letters can be found at MORE

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FURNITURE: Moving apartments.  Must sell- Lovely furniture items, excellent shape, including Italian design couch, for quick sale, now only €1200; Danish design desk, asking now only €500; special French chest of drawers, asking now only €1450. High end loudspeakers, Avance Signature 8 Mk2, only €800. Will consider all reasonable offers as we must sell. For full information, including photos, and additional description, please contact stacy@living-excellence.com.

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Monte-Carlo Diary

Sunday, February 22

No children in church

“They’ve all gone skiing, its the holidays,” said the lady in the next pew, looking at me with great amazement. I should have known. All expat children in Monaco go skiing during winter school holidays. It’s a pity in many ways, since they risk missing some important events in the Principality, such as the traditional Cossack dancing at Port Hercule, part of Monaco’s Year of Russia.

They also miss church. I am blessed to be in Monaco on most Sundays and I always toddle along to meet the almighty, from a distance, in the presence of like-minded people. However, I am still very often met with considerable incredulity by many members of the congregation, usually those more devout then me, who throw up their arms in Damascus revelation style, saying: “Ah, so good to see you after so long,” at which point I walk away.

Perhaps it’s needless to say that these same people have often themselves just returned from three months in Namibia.

I am a great supporter of the Year of Russia. It’s a wonderful thing on any occasion to bring people together and in this case to remember the golden days of Czars and Czarinas gracing the gaming halls of the world’s glitziest Casino. Monaco’s links with Russia go back a long way indeed, and as relations between many larger European states on one hand and mother Russia on the other continue to deteriorate in view of current events in Ukraine, it’s an exemplary thing to bridge the cultural gap.

There I must stop. I see  that evensong starts in just 10 minutes.

Jeff Daniels

The Jeff Daniels column is published in the interests of editorial diversity, and views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the publishers.

to read previous columns, please click on MORE

POLITICAL ROW: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19 - Baroness Cecile de Massy has withdrawn from the forthcoming Town Council elections after igniting a major row over members of the Prince's extended family taking part in politics. The baroness is married to Christian de Massy, son of the late Princess Antoinette, the sister of Prince Rainier.

RUSSIAN YEAR: MONDAY FEBRUARY 16 - A number of top Monaco chefs will be taking part in the Maslenitsa Russian Festival from February 20 until 22 on Port Hercule. The idea is to bring together the Russian and Monegasque communities, together with residents of Monaco and the Cote d'Azur in what will become an annual event.

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Monaco Events, Announcements

Training camps: Be Fit Monaco are currently launching their next training camps for the Nice half marathon, 10km or 5km and the Cannes Triathlon. Training camps are open to all abilities whether you're just starting off and want to complete the 5 or 10km, if you'd like to challenge yourself to the half marathon or triathlon or simply improve your fitness and fat loss. www.befitmonaco.com

Art Open: Explorers, seen here, is one of the artworks in the Open des Artistes Monaco at l' Entrepôt in Monaco, which opened on February 10 and runs until March 11. Bart Ramakers, 52, is a Belgian artist. His tableaux are inspired by ancient myths and tales about beauty and power, passion and betrayal, sensuality and brutality, life and death. The exposition of 30 artists is at Galerie d’Art l’Entrepôt Rue de Millo 22.

‘ANDY WARHOL: The exhibition “Andy Warhol” continues at the Galerie Adriano Ribolzi (Tuesday – Saturday from 10:00 - 12:00 and 15:00 until 18:00). See also display ad at www.monacolife.net

Global High Net Worth Conference: Thursday, March 12 and Friday, March 13, at the Salon Bellevue of the Cafe de Paris in Monte-Carlo, a two-day conference of professionals serving the HNW and UHNW sectors. Distinguished speakers from around the world will address the major issues of the moment. Organised by the publishers of monacolife.net. Visit www.global-hnw.com for more details.

Chamber Music: Monaco’s Chamber Music Association at St. Paul’s Church, on March 24 at 20:00. Pauline Litvin will perform together with Polish pianist Andrzej Tatarski. On the programme will be Mozart, Brahms, and Polancz. The Monaco Chamber Music Association’s concerts are sponsored by the Giraudi Group, known for its restaurants in Monaco that include Beef Bar, Avenue 31, and Bouchon, by Egor Boyarkin and Mrs Boyarkin, and by Monaco Life. More info: www.musique-de-chambre.org or 06 43 91 67 43.

Princess Grace Irish Library: Tuesday April 21, at 19:30. Why did the Irish experience of emigration, so prevalent in the post war period, feature so rarely in the literature of the time? A Talk and Readings from ‘Home from England’ by James Ryan. The Ireland Fund of Monaco Academic-in-Residence at the Princess Grace Irish Library from 20 April to 15 May 2015, Director of the Creative Writing Programme, School of English, Drama and Film, University College Dublin. Info and reservations: pgbooks@monaco.mc

Listings in Events & Announcements are free for non-profit associations, charged for commercial events and entities. To place listing email monacotoday@gmail.com

______________________

Monaco's photographer Claudia Albuquerque talks to Ian Brodie

Nall on Nall

Pauline Litvin of the Chamber Music Association

Vasily Klyukin talks about his tall ambitions

Treorchy Male Voice Choir the stars of St Davids Day

Adriano Ribolzi is extending his Andy Warhol expo until the end of April

Nick Danziger was the special guest at a British Association of Monaco event at BOMO

Marika Taishoff, MBA Professor at the International University of Monaco, talks about luxury

Martina Brodie interviews top wildlife artist and Monaco resident Spencer Hodge

Sir Jackie Stewart and Roman Polanski at 'Weekend of a Champion' press conference

Father Walter Raymond tells us what's on at St Paul's Church this Christmas

Kory Tarpenning on opening the first Starbucks in Monaco

Dena Lyons and Art Factory Monaco

Anita Di Sotto talks about Whisky Weekend

Martine Ackerman talks about Child CARE Monaco

Martina Brodie interviews artist Laure Fissore

Martina Brodie interviews Peace and Sport champions

Ian Brodie interviews President of National Council

Ian Brodie interviews author of Mayhem in Monte Carlo

click on images to view

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Pushed to the Max

SATURDAY, JUNE 21: There will always be tensions when a large crowd of people are crammed into small spaces, especially when they take an instant dislike to each other or harbour long-term differences. I am not talking about the long-running opening ceremony of the splendid new Monaco Yacht Club attended by le tout Monaco - a splendid affair - but the lingering impact of the lengthy and tedious French rail strike.

Tasked with taking my youngest son to Nice for a Saturday rendez-vous with a schoolmate, I squeezed with him onto the 16:43 from Monaco - delayed for 18 minutes in Menton while the frazzled French border police sifted out the usual suspects, young Somalian males who, having crossed the inhospitable Sahara, are trying in considerable numbers to make their way to the economic paradise that is France. Or possibly the UK.

Most people were eminently sensible and moved down the train to occupy every available space to allow yet more frazzled and luggage-laden bemused first-and-last-time tourists onto the only TER regional express to visit Monaco for the previous three hours.
Someone sitting down said something to me. I assumed he was offering me a space to sit. I bent down to hear better. Translated from the French, what he said was: “Can you get your arse out of my face!”

To say I was astonished hardly covers it. A number of responses flashed through my hot head: “I am surprised you are bothered about my arse, since it resembles so closely your face,” was the most polite. I wanted physically to strangle him, and since I was standing up and he was sitting down I sure as hell had a good shot at it.

My nine year-old restrained me. “He’s an idiot Dad, don’t take any notice,” he said in a French that can only be described as impeccable. At the next available jolt in the tracks he managed to more or less fall onto the idiot’s mobile phone he was holding high in the air while playing what looked like patience, and make it look like an accident.

You can mess with me, but you can’t mess with Max.

Jeff Daniels

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