The sea reclamation project at Portier continues in its early stages with further moves to protect the environment and the local habitat. While the first transportation and transplanting of protected species took place up until April, work continues to move any polluted materials to the Envisan treatment centre in Seyne-sur-Mer. Other unpolluted sediments are being moved into Monaco’s territorial waters.
“From the point of view of the marine environment, sediment dredging is a delicate operation,” said Jean-Luc Nguyen, Director of Urbanisation at Sea. He added that the resulting sedimentation must be closely monitored.
A few days ago, the work was not progressing satisfactorily, and dredging was temporarily stopped on the Fairmont side.
On Wednesday, August 9, the current changed and sediment was carried beyond the dredging zone, forcing a temporary halt in work. The project continues with extreme sensitivity for the environment. Complete cleaning will be carried out once the marine infrastructure is completed.
The 29-year-old man on holiday in Monaco has been arrested in connection with a shooting incident one year ago in Montpelier, according to Midi Libre.
The main suspect in the case, who was involved in a shooting between opposing groups of people in the car park of a discotheque, is accused of attempted murder in late August 2016.
On Sunday, August 6, the Research and Investigation Brigade in Nice arrested the man, a Vauclusian, in the morning and placed him in custody in Montpellier. He has been accused of firing two 9mm shots during the fracas, injuring a man in the neck and jaw. The victim spent several days in a coma with little hope of recovery.
The alleged culprit has been described by the authorities as having a long criminal record for acts of violence and drug trafficking. He was indicted for attempted murder on Tuesday, August 8, and placed in pre-trial detention. The judicial investigation continues.
A bank holiday in France on Monday, August 14, will extend by one day the busiest weekend on French roads as July holidaymakers head home and August vacationers leave for holidays. The A7 and A9 are almost certain to be the worst affected, while the A8 will be very crowded, particularly on Friday.
The Paris region, the Rhone valley and the Mediterranean are all expecting very heavy traffic. The worst hours to travel on Friday, August 11, will be between 10 am and 8 pm, while heavy traffic will be on the roads from as early as 5 am on Saturday, until 5 pm. Sunday will see the worst traffic from 9 am until 6 pm and Monday will be problematic from about 10 am until 6 pm.
The local A8 motorway, between Aix-en-Provence and Italy, will experience its heaviest traffic load on Friday, August 11, from late morning until evening.
Traffic will continue to be heavy into Tuesday along the major arteries in France as families return home, particularly from 4 to 8 pm.
Like many of you who live in Monaco, between the heat and visiting tourists, I tend not to stick around during August. After working hard with my clients to get them in prime summer shape, this is the time for me to escape and take a little break from teaching Pilates.
But that doesn’t mean I take a break from my own practice while on vacation. Making time for myself each day to stretch the areas where I feel tight and strengthen those that are weak makes me feel good in my body and in my mind and I therefore make this a priority wherever I go.
I used to be a gym bunny, mindlessly burning calories at the gym, and thought that Pilates and yoga were the biggest time wasters. But I’ve never been in better shape than since I gave up going to the gym to take up these two disciplines. I feel stronger, longer and considerably fitter even though I’ve cut the amount of time I exercise in two. I can squeeze in my practice at anytime and anywhere, even at the airport in between two flights.
When we fly, our bodies get stuck in awkward positions for long periods of time so it feels good to get the blood flowing with a few simple moves and stretches doing what I call Airport Yoga.
When I first started my yoga session at the airport, I was a bit apprehensive, worried I might get “arrested” but in reality no one seemed to mind what I was doing. Security passed by barely raising an eyebrow and it wasn’t until I looked at the video that I realised I had a small audience at times.
I use a foldable travel mat which I bought online at Yoga Design Lab. It’s non-slippery and can be put in the washing machine. Although it’s not the most comfortable to practice on every day, because it’s very thin, it works fine to practice on occasionally or to put on top of a mat you use at a studio.
One of the things you learn in yoga and Pilates is to focus on what you are doing and on your breathing, which means you don’t get distracted (a pretty useful life skill, too). I even managed to fit in a small meditation at the end.
If you’re curious to find out what yoga could do for you, Monte Carlo Bay Hotel offer a wide range of classes – I have a personal preference for Ashtanga, a pretty dynamic and physical form of Yoga. Mats are provided but if you want to buy your own, the best place to go for it in Monaco is Nike or Decathlon.
What I try to share with my clients in Monaco is that exercise should not be an end in itself but a means of preserving the body in good condition so you can enjoy life – and travel – more. Yoga in between two flights simply felt like a pretty natural thing to do.
Article first published August 8, 2017.Maddy is the Founder of Nutrition For Naughty People, aimed at helping individuals find a better balance between the things that keep them healthy and the things that make them happy! Any questions? mk@nutritionfornaughtypeople.com.
Pr Franco Borruto with Latvian Prime Minister Maris Kucinski and Monaco Consul in Riga, Maris Grudulis Photo: DR
Pursuing the bilateral cooperation initiated in 2016 between Monaco’s Department of Health and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Health of Latvia, Professor Franco Borruto, a medical consultant to the Department, was invited by Latvian counterparts to hold a conference in Riga on the measures needed to be taken with regard to cervical cancer.
The Latvian authorities have expressed concern that the number of women affected by cervical cancer has increased significantly: out of 100,000 women, 23 cases have been detected, six times more than in a neighbouring country, Finland. Out of one million women in Latvia, two per week die of this disease.
Professor Borruto met with the Head of Government of Latvia, His Excellency Maris Kuchinskis, and the Minister of Health, His Excellency Anda Caksha, to discuss the strengthening of ties with the authorities and his confreres of the Faculty of Medicine of the University in Riga.
Cervical cancer has increased sharply in the Baltic countries and has received special attention from WHO and the Latvian authorities. Professor Borruto illustrated the possible solutions and will shortly be actively participating in courses at the University of Riga.
Monaco’s preventative system is a model for Latvia. Prevention and screening are key elements of the public health policy developed for many years by the Princely Government.
A road in Beausoleil was closed to traffic in both directions on Tuesday morning after an elderly motorist lost control of his vehicle and struck scaffolding at 6 blvd Guynemer at about 11 am. The exact cause of the accident remains a mystery.
The driver was not injured, but traffic on the RD51 was cut for the time needed to secure the scaffolding. A detour was set up using the RD53 to connect with the middle cornice (RD6007) and bypass the incident.
