Monaco’s Employers’ Federation, FEDEM, has challenged the PACA regional government to come up with solutions to the poor rail service for Monaco.
Philippe Ortelli
President of FEDEM, Philippe Ortelli, has written to Renaud Muselier, President of the Regional Council the neighbouring PACA Region, to express the organisation’s dismay.
Mr Ortelli recounts the many problems encountered by rail users, especially employees in the Principality who rely on the train service for their daily commute.
Trains are frequently cancelled, strikes are a major disruption, trains are too crowded, and there is a lack of information for passengers, he said. The problems have been going on “for too long”, Mr Ortelli added. The inconveniences engendered by the unsatisfactory rail service have major repercussions for the wellbeing of employees.
Mr Ortell said that FEDEM stands alongside employees in seeking solutions, so that Monaco can maintain its attractiveness as a place to do business.
The auction house Hermitage Fine Art is presenting over 500 items of Russian art and history of the XVIII-XX centuries on October 27-29 at the Hotel Metropole.
Hermitage Fine Art is a new auction project founded in 2017 in Monaco, comprising a team of leading international specialists working in various art sectors across Europe and Russia, united by their love for Russian culture, history and fine arts, and by their wish to preserve and popularise Russian cultural heritage abroad.
“We are honoured to present a rich collection of Russian art items from the last three centuries, which has been carefully collected for many decades,” President of Hermitage Fine Art, Alessandro Conelli. “Presenting materials associated with the times of the Russian Revolution 100 years ago has symbolic significance to us.”
An important distinction of the auction catalogue is the special themed sections dedicated to the Romanovs dynasty in the form of art and engraved items, memorial items belonging to the reign of the last Tsar, and documents and books about the causes and stages of the revolutionary movement. An unusual surprise is a selection of books from the library of Russian businessman B Berezovsky.
The organisers have decided to dedicate their first auction to the memory of Russian poet, Nikolay Turoverov (1899-1972). The catalogue presents a large selection of his books and autographs.
Among other items, Hermitage Fine Art will present the most rare samples of porcelain owned by members of the Imperial House; the album of essay engravings “Darling” by F Tolstoy; autographs of Peter the Great, Anna of Russia, Catherine the Great, Alexander I, Nicolas II, Rasputin, Stalin; the last letters of the love correspondence between Alexander II and Catherine Dolgorukov, archive materials of His Highness Duke S. G. Romanovskiy; and a most rare album of photographs about the early history of Russian aviation.
Marie-Pascale Boisson, Director of SICCFIN, together with the Senegalese delegation and colleagues. Photo: DC
A delegation of two representatives of Senegal’s CENTIF came to Monaco on October 11 and 12 to learn from their counterparts at SICCFIN about techniques to help in the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
The officials of the Senegalese Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) were able to discuss a number of issues with specialised SICCFIN agents, including the topics of investigations and international judicial cooperation. Meetings also involved the Directorate of Judicial Services, in particular the Prosecutor General’s Office.
In addition, the visit was aimed at strengthening existing links between the two FIUs. Requests for visits to Monaco from other FIUs testify to the recognition of SICCFIN’s quality of the work carried out by its agents and the Principality’s commitment to the fight against the scourge of money laundering.
Two years ago, SICCFIN received a delegation from the CENTIF of Côte d’Ivoire, and another from Niger’s CENTIF representatives.
This Sunday at Larvotto Beach, from 2:30 to 4:30 pm, The Animal Fund (TAF) is hosting a free talk about Plastic Pollution and its effect on the ocean and marine life.
The “Breathe for the Ocean” event, held next to the scuba club, will include the participation of Dr Aleksandra Hristova with an inspiring and informative talk about turtles.
Additionally, Beverley Holt, Wellness Coach and founder of the Holistic Info Directory, will speak about the whale, which symbolises creativity, wellbeing, and emotional depth.
The fun and family-friendly afternoon aims to raise awareness about the importance of a healthy, pollution-free ocean and how we can protect and care for its mammals.
In recent months, the Monaco-registered TAF has held a series of activities, together with local associations such as the Centre de Sauvetage Aquatique de Monaco and the École Bleue, to promote its Plastic Pollution Campaign.
Iryna Pugachova, a classically trained ballerina, opened Ms Fit – Fit for a Princess in 2014. Her ballet-barre classes became an instant success with Monaco’s female fitness-minded. Now the former Moulin Rouge dancer has taken her workouts beyond the walls of her studio at Montee de la Cremaillere in Beausoleil with the launch of MsFit Live!
“I always wanted to franchise my MsFit business,” Iryna told Monaco Life. “Launching MsFit Live! has been the first step towards globalising but without having to worry about logistics – such as workout spaces, instructors and local management – in different locations.”
The online product was client driven, as her Monaco followers were looking for a workout during the holidays. Iryna explained the methodology and flow of the online classes are the same fast-paced, disciplined, cardio-heavy barre workouts you’d find in the studio, and retain the focus on lean muscle and flexibility training.
“I made the online classes somewhat more compact – around 35 minutes compared to 60 minutes in the studio – to fit busy schedules. And also it’s quite different to maintain client motivation in front of a TV or mobile device where they can only see me and I can’t see them, so I wanted something more dynamic.”
For the moment, the online classes are intermediate but MsFit Live! has reached clients in Monaco, London, Melbourne, LA and Norway.
Reasonable space is required as you need to be able to elongate fully, as well as lift your legs with quite wide range of motion so it’s best to move furniture, pets and kids out of the way for those 35 minutes to prevent bumping into things.
A yoga mat is also recommended for the ab exercises, but “a folded-up beach towel can work as a replacement if you’re travelling”.
“In terms of a barre, I personally use the back of a chair, but you can use the back of a sofa, or a high table to hold on to for that part of the class.”
The MsFit Live! technology is flawless: “I am fortunate that my partner being the CEO and founder of an Apple-backed e-health company, so I was able to use the technology they developed for their client education in 102 countries.”
The scheduling and booking system is the same as the studio classes. Once you book your space you’ll receive a private invitation to the class with a link. There is a countdown until the class starts and when it does, simply press Play and you’re good to go.
“Studio space is hard to come by in Monaco and my classes are usually fully-booked. I even had fights break out by the barre because of the lack of space before I made it mandatory to reserve in advance.
“Luckily, with MsFit Live! clients can take the class wherever they are now and the only catfight they might get themselves into is that with an actual cat if she’s competing for your workout space!”
As every year, it’s the end of October and the approach of the All Saints’ school holidays marks the return of the traditional fair – the Foire Attractions – at Port Hercule.
The 4-week amusement fair with 80 stalls, rides and attractions will open on Friday, October 20, at 2 pm and close on Monaco’s National Day, Sunday, November 19, at 11 pm.
Various rides on Quai Albert Ier – Pulsion, AtmosFear, Tagada and Astrojet – should appeal to big and small, and this year, Aviator will be a novelty for adults and teenagers.
As always, gourmet stands will offer the traditional pancakes, waffles, and other snacks.
Public safety checks, introduced last year, will again be in place, providing greater security as the Town Council makes every effort to strike the right balance between security and friendliness.
Access to the fair attractions will be via seven entrances on the upper and lower parts of Quai Albert Ier. Checks will be carried out at each of them, and those attending should carry only small bags to simplify these operations.
The Fair will be open until midnight each Friday and Saturday and on October 31. On November 18, a fireworks show is scheduled at 8 pm as part of the National Holiday celebrations.
