Gilles Tonelli, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, accompanied by HE Rémi Mortier, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Monaco to the Council of Europe and Gabriel Revel, Deputy to the Permanent Representative, participated in the 127th Ministerial Session of the Council of Europe on May 19 in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus.
This high-level meeting brought together the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the 47 member states.
In his speech, Gilles Tonelli addressed the many issues which the Ministers had debated during their deliberations, in particular those concerning the defence of European common values in the face of terrorism; ensuring the long-term effectiveness of the system of the European Convention on Human Rights; the protection of refugee and migrant children, the fight against violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism.
At the end of the meeting, the Guidelines on the Protection of Victims of Terrorism and the Action Plan on the Protection of Refugee and Migrant Children were adopted by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs.
As if its medical excellence was not enough, the Princess Grace Hospital has opened a vegetable garden.
On Monday, May 22, Stéphane Valeri, Minister of Health and Social Affairs, inaugurated the urban vegetable garden of the Princess Grace Hospital Centre, in the presence of André Garino, Chairman of the Board of CHPG, Patrick Bini, Director of CHPG, Benoîte De Sevelinges, Deputy Director, and Jessica Sbaraglia, founder of Terre de Monaco.
Urban agriculture has become an interest for CHPG, which called on the association Terre de Monaco to bring the project to fruition. This partnership led to the creation of a 250sqm vegetable garden, whose healthy and tasty produce is destined for the kitchen of CHPG’s nursery, retirement homes and staff restaurants.
Two months of work and 20 tons of organic potting soil were necessary to transform unused land into a real farm in the heart of Monaco. This approach is part of CHPG’s Sustainable Development policy, which since 2010 has been developing innovations and projects, aimed both at saving energy and reducing its environmental impact.
Terre de Monaco has set itself the task of establishing urban agriculture, in particular ecological fruit and vegetable gardens, on the rooftops, balconies and the surroundings of buildings of the Principality and neighbouring municipalities, while marketing the produce from its small farms under its own label.
Returning for the first time since last year’s Formula One, the first glimpse of the Med brings back wonderful memories.
When balconies were really full
Graham Hill marching up to Casino Square straight into the American Bar at the Hotel de Paris for a very large gin and tonic, or Jackie Stewart doing his famous walk down the hill, hand-in-hand with his wife, Helen, carrying his own helmet!
I don’t think I’ve seen a driver do that in the last ten years.
The discount seats
And journalists could talk to drivers one-on-one, or even ski with them in Switzerland without a PR person present. Happy days.
Now, of course, with TV and, especially, social media, that sort of thing is unimaginable. Even Lewis Hamilton’s dog has his own website.
For example, when Fernando Alonso declared that he was going to race at Indy the whole of Spain started following his progress online. Never mind the race, the Spanish papers sent reporters to cover their hero’s every movement.
So is the Monaco Grand Prix the same after all these years? By and large, no. The one aspect that has changed, and had to change, was that of safety.
As a street circuit, Monaco can never be as safe as some of the new tracks where you can barely see the action because the cars are so far away but Lorenzo Bandini’s horrifying accident in 1967 could not happen today. The cars are stronger, racing suits are still fire-retardant but now more high-tech, helmets have been hugely improved and, certainly fire fighting equipment is much more advanced.
True, accidents can still happen, particularly on the first lap, but while pieces of the cars may fly on impact, the drivers will – hopefully – emerge unscathed.
Ayrton in the pit lane
Happiest Monaco Grand Prix memories? To watch Jean Pierre Beltoise win in the torrential rain back in ’72; to see Her Serene Highness Princess Grace hand over the massive trophy with this little guy standing next to her, who of course was none other than Prince Albert; Ayrton Sienna’s unforgettable fastest lap in 1988, and Michael Schumacher at his majestic best. The list is endless.
The wonderful thing is that, in spite of all the changes on the outside of the track, once the five red lights go out it will be a gigantic battle from the inside.
I know it won’t happen, at least it would be most unlikely, but I’d love an outsider like Sergio Perez (Force India) or Nico Hulkenberg (Renault) win the 75th Grand Prix de Monaco.
Andrew Frankl, 1966
Andrew Frankl, is Grand Prix Editor of FORZA. Article first published May 23, 2017.
“Being known eternally as James Bond has no downside,” Sir Roger Moore once told The Guardian.
On Wednesday afternoon, the death of James Bond legend and Monaco resident, Sir Roger Moore, was announced by his family via social media. He died Tuesday, May 22.
“It is with a heavy heart that we must announce our loving father, Sir Roger Moore, has passed away today in Switzerland after a short but brave battle with cancer. The love with which he was surrounded in his final days was so great it cannot be quantified in words alone.”
The five-paragraph statement, signed by Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian, also said, “Thank you Pops for being you, and for being so very special to so many people.”
Immediate reactions on Twitter included Piers Morgan: “Oh no. As if today wasn’t already sad enough. RIP Sir Roger Moore, 89. A wonderful actor & lovely man”, as well Andrew Lloyd Webber, Edgar Wright, and Russell Crowe.
Trainers background: Equestrian, surfer, runner, Maddy has been doing Pilates for nearly 15 years and teaches Mat & Reformer Pilates from beginner to advanced level
Type of workout: 60-minutes pilates sessions
Target area: Pilates is a full-body exercise system that focuses on addressing postural weaknesses and strengthening the core from the inside out
Who’s the workout for: All bodies – young, old, ultra-fit or anyone completely new to exercise
What equipment do you need: A mat and other props like a Magic Circle, a ball, a foam roller or bands
Few names of clients: Models & CEOs
Hardcore level: Depends on what clients ask for but Maddy’s known for being hardcore
Two years ago, during a consultation with an oral surgeon about a possible gingival graft, he concluded the appointment by saying: “Vous brosser les dents comme vous vivez votre vie – trop vite.”
At first I thought it was a nifty mantra – “Brush your teeth like you live your life” – but then it dawned on me: a dentist made this personal assessment in a first and brief meeting.
From a professional point of view, he had the tools and the eye to determine that I had damaged a small section of my gums, but how could he tell that I’m always on the go?
My husband can tell. At my slowest, I’m always hustling five paces in front of him, or sighing at our front door waiting for him to get a move on. He blends into the laidback Mediterranean lifestyle; my lack of patience grates against it.
Perhaps this is the reason that the practice of yoga and Pilates has always escaped me. I can’t sit still for too long – my thought process at the best of times is in permanent overdrive – so when I’m on the floor concentrating on my breathing or holding one pose for too long that’s supposed to help lengthen my spine, my impatience flares and reduces my spine to tears.
After five minutes, and glancing back and forth from the ceiling to my watch 75 times, I’m done. Which is odd, because I can swimrun for seven hours during a Sunday training session and the time flies by.
In my mind, yoga and Pilates were part of some new age “non-exercise” bandwagon that female celebs jumped on to cover-up the fact that their toned bodies were actually a result of “I don’t do that eating thing” (actual quote by an A-List actress at Monte Carlo Bay).
After meeting Pilates teacher Maddy Karlsson, who was born in Sweden to a Czech mom and Swedish dad but moved to Belgium at the age of three, I can admit when I’m wrong.
Maddy gives me an intro Pilates session at Plage Larvotto. Before getting down to the nitty gritty, she explained that Pilates is the thinking person’s exercise system – “a maintenance for your body like a tune-up is for a car” – with movements and stretches to make the body stronger, longer and more flexible.
“Joseph Pilates called his method ‘contrology’,” she said, “and he believed the powerhouse – the core – was instrumental in maintaining our spines and in gaining better control in our movements. His exercises address all the muscles of the body, including the ones you didn’t know you had.”
While the popularity of reformer machines and portable apparatus surging over the past decade, people often assume that Pilates is “more efficient” with equipment but according to Maddy, who conducts the majority of her sessions in clients’ homes, “I would say the contrary is more accurate. The mat is more functional and provides no support.”
Maddy unrolls her mat on the pier with a flick of the wrist, and has me stand legs hip-width apart facing her as she begins Pilates 101: the Standing Roll Down. I quickly see has a knack for explaining, which not every teacher does. Next thing I know, I’m in a Downward Dog position, with Maddy’s strong hands on my shoulders to maximise the stretch. If I were a cat, I would have purred.
With a degree in Business, Maddy worked for a Member of the Shadow Cabinet in the British Parliament but left London in 2009. “When I first moved to Monaco I was only teaching Pilates as a hobby but over the years the demand increased and I made it my main occupation, along with health and wellness coaching.”
It’s clear why anyone interested in toning up wants to work with Maddy. Her encouraging nature is sincere, but it’s her one-on-one attention that stands out, ensuring that the single leg stretch, double leg stretch, single straight leg stretches, double leg stretch and crisscross, flat ab roll ups – you name it – are executed correctly. After years of doing the plank the wrong way, I have finally been set straight.
Even though we did a beginner session, using both the Magic Circle and a ball (there’s nowhere for your love handles to hide in Pilates), I was taken aback by how fast the hour passed and how strong my body felt the following day.
Which is part of the reason she latched onto Pilates in the first place. An athletic child, Maddy dreamt of becoming a professional jockey. At 19, she met a professional athlete and moved with him to Australia where she began intense training as a runner. A firm believer in the “no pain, no gain” approach at the time, Maddy focused on burning calories at any cost.
Knee and joint problems kicked in and her doctor advised she take up Pilates or yoga, and swimming instead. “I tried yoga but I wasn’t open to the spiritual element but I immediately started feeling the benefits of Pilates in my body and mind. Suddenly I was walking taller and feeling looser but also much stronger than before. My posture and balance improved dramatically and I finally gained the long lean muscles I had worked so hard for before – to no success!”
Another advantage with Pilates, if you have a broken bone, you can work your way through it, unlike running. “Last year I broke my ankle and Pilates allowed me to keep moving and stay super fit despite not being able to put my foot on the ground for several weeks at a time.”
Maddy said that with Pilates, her body responded much better to being a little kinder on it. Forget my teeth brushing mantra, my new easygoing words to live by are: “Treat your body as you want life to treat you”.
Maybe that way I’ll end up with a body like Maddy Karlsson.
A one-hour Pilates session with Maddy Karlsson is €90, or €800 for 10. For more see mkpilates.mc
AS Monaco wrapped up the season with their 12th consecutive win Saturday – 3-2 to Stade Rennais – officially claiming the title of French Ligue 1 champions.
The victory celebrations included a private concert starring 50 Cent, which took place on Sunday at 6 pm under the big top at Fontvieille, a change of venue from the square in front of the Palais Princier. Monaco season ticket holders were included in the festivities.
Photo: Palais Princier
The players were received earlier in the evening by Prince Albert, Princess Charlene, and young Prince Jacques, wearing a personalised club jersey, at the Prince’s Palace.
HSH Princess Charlene told Monaco Life, “It was a lovely evening in the gardens of the palace and a wonderful way to celebrate the team’s victory.”
The Princess, who is hosting the Riviera Water Bike Challenge on June 4, added, “It was great to be able to introduce Jacques to the team – he was certainly fascinated by the trophy.”
Prince Albert was given an early Father’s Day gift from his wife and children, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella: an AS Monaco jersey with “Best Dad” on the back. Princess Charlene came up with the thoughtful surprise knowing that Prince Albert is probably the football club’s most avid supporter.
The team arrived at 4:30 pm and stayed several hours before heading to the 50 Cent performance in Fontvieille.
