American Club of the Riviera Thanksgiving 2017. Photo: Jacob Nielsen
Americans in Monaco and the Côte d’Azur feted Thanksgiving with the American Club of the Riviera, which was also celebrating its 55th anniversary, over lunch at the historical Negresco hotel in Nice.
Guests were treated to a tour of the ground floor art works as collected by Madame Augier, whose family has owned the Belle Époque hotel since 1957. The hotel-cum-museum has been a listed Historical Monument since 1974, and is home to 3,000 objets d’art including 1600 original paintings (one of three full-length portraits of Louis XIV is in the Versailles Ballroom, the other two being the Louvre and Versailles).
The art appreciation was followed by a Champagne reception in the Galerie Royale at 12:30 pm, where smoked salmon and foie gras canapés were served with Jeepers Champagne – named after WWII American soldiers who left a Willys Jeep for the champagne producer Armand Gourtobe who had been injured while rescuing American GIs and could no longer walk through his vineyards.
The lunch at the new location (it has customarily been held in Monaco in past years) was a huge success – it finished at 4:30 pm – with 153 people in attendance including Major William Connors, US Army, Liaison Officer to the French Army, and his wife Sarah, who enjoyed a traditional turkey as prepared by Meilleur Ouvrier de France 2007 and 2-starred Michelin chef, Jean-Denis Rieubland.
Major William Connors, US Army, Liaison Officer to the French Army. Photo: Jacob Nielsen
Later that evening, another Thanksgiving feast took place at Stars’n’Bars for the 24th consecutive year as MonacoUSA honoured the holiday on the third Thursday of November.
Some 70 guests sat at communal tables at Stardeck where they shared stories of gratitude, gobbled turkey and watched the traditional three NFL Thanksgiving football games on the big screen.
The all-you-can-eat buffet, of which nearly every ingredient was organic, was a hit with the customary stuffed turkey and all the fixings. The entire meal was homemade – even the cranberry sauce and pie made from real pumpkins – and made using owner Kate Power’s original Texan recipes.
Although it was an American celebration, the festive evening included all nationalities and all ages. Seven lucky guests won prizes including watches, headphones and a Bacardi party keg.
According to IMSEE’s 2016 census, there are currently 366 American residents in Monaco.
Anna Botha won the Coaching Achievement Award. Photo: Twitter IAAF
Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim, the 26-year-old high jumper, and Nafissatou Thiam, 23, who competed in Combined Events, have been named the male and female World Athletes of the Year at the IAAF Athletics Awards 2017, held at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Friday, November 24.
IAAF President Sebastian Coe presented the trophy to Barshim, while International Athletics Foundation (IAF) Honorary President HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco presented the trophy to Thiam.
“Tonight is our time to celebrate,” Seb Coe said. “We have recognised the achievements and remarkable careers of some outstanding athletes, coaches and officials. With more than 50 champions, record breakers, ambassadors and coaches here tonight it’s impossible to individually honour everyone – I wish we could.”
The former Olymian added, “We celebrate your amazing contributions to a phenomenal year of athletics. I’m particularly excited by the young generation of talent which so dramatically came of age on the world stage in 2017.”
In the Rising Star Category, Norwegian Karsten Warholm won for Male and triple jumper Yulimar Rojas was named as female.
The President’s Award went to Usain Bolt, 31, who is widely considered one of the greatest sprinters of all-time. The Jamaican retired this season after taking 100m bronze at the World Championships in London to end his career as one of the most recognised athletes in the world.
Nafissatou Thiam has been named the female World Athlete of the Year. Photo: Twitter IAAF
Namibian coach Anna Botha won the Coaching Achievement award and Cherry Alexander picked up the Women In Athletics award, which recognises outstanding achievements and contributions made to develop, encourage and strengthen the participation of women and girls at all levels of the sport.
Paul Sanwell’s image of Australia’s Sally Pearson in the semi-finals of the 100m hurdles at the IAAF World Championships London 2017 earned him the Athletics Photograph Of The Year title.
The Monte-Carlo Gastronomie event takes place from Friday, November 24, until Monday, November 27, in the Fontvieille Chapiteau. Now in its 22nd year, and growing annually, the food fair attracts a wide range of exhibitors, mainly from France and Italy.
Monaco is represented by L’Orangerie, the local company that produces liqueur from the Principality’s own oranges; Gold Energy, which specialises in luxury energy drinks; Lato Fields Estate, specialists in virgin olive oil; La Bodeguita Monaco, and Zepter International. From further afield come exhibitors from Slovakia, Morocco and Vietnam.
Needless to say, wine tastings form an important part of the festival, as do demonstrations of cooking skills, and there is daily draw for prizes at stake for exhibitors and visitors alike.
Minsiter of State Serge Telle inaugurates proceedings at 11 am on Friday, and the four-day food feast ends with a draw for a Gourmand’s Prize at 5:30 pm on Monday.
Entrance is a very modest €5, and children under 12 are admitted free of charge. The event is open daily 10 am to 10 pm, except for the last day, Monday, when it closes at 7 pm.
As an added incentive, entrance is free from noon until 2 pm and from 7 pm to 10 pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Maddywell’s grassfed beef burger wrapped in spinach leaves and topped with cheese & truffle mayo (definitely not vegan nor healthy but you can leave those out!) sweet potato fries and Natura’s ketchup
Unless you’ve been out of town for a while, you’ll have probably noticed the ad on the back of Monaco buses promoting €99 fillets reduced from €198 at Beef Bar.
Monaco is unique. I’m pretty sure if this same poster was advertised in a different part of the world, the buses would’ve been met by animal rights activists wearing lettuce binkins.
The debate on meat remains high on the agenda over the last few years and every time a new documentary is released, there seems to be a surge in the number of people “going vegan”.
It’s encouraging that people are becoming more mindful of their meat consumption but veganism isn’t for everyone. And it doesn’t have to be.
The majority of vegans will tell you they feel “amazing” since they stopped eating meat and preach that meat is “bad”. And it’s true, some people thrive on a vegan diet but in general terms, the answer is not so simple as meat is good or meat is bad.
The quality of the meat is what counts and depending on whether the cow has grazed in an open field or if it was fed with grains and pumped with antibiotics and hormones in a factory, the grade of beef you get out of it will just not be the same. The burger you get at Beef Bar will probably be a little different to the one you get at McDonald’s. It kinda makes sense.
So while there are no studies that have been made on the impact of pasture raised beef on our health, what is clear is that the rates of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity have gone through the roof since factory farming industrialised our food system and wreaked havoc on our health.
In my work, I try and raise awareness about how to integrate more vegan sources of protein into the diet and to be more mindful of our consumption of animal protein. If you’ve ever eaten at EQvita you’ll know that a vegan meal can be delicious, nutritious and filling all at the same time.
Having said that, I think everyone has the right to decide whether they wish to continue eating meat or going vegan. One of the reasons I’ve decided against going completely vegan is because besides EQvita, most restaurants in Monaco and the region mostly cater for meat eaters and I ain’t interested in turning up to a restaurant and eating steamed vegetables or a bowl of fries.
French and Italian cuisine are not exactly known for being vegan friendly and it’s very unusual when you dine out at a typical restaurant in the region to find a dish that is vegan, has flavor and is nutritionally balanced. So rather than eating something that is bland or poor from a nutrition standpoint, I’d rather go for a bit of animal protein.
I used to be a big meat eater but I reduced my intake considerably in the last couple of years, to the point where I started flirting with veganism.
Now I feel really good with a plant based diet 80-90 percent of the time and giving myself the option to eat animal foods when I feel like it. When I opt for meat, I follow the advice below of Dr Mark Hyman, a leading doctor in functional medicine and a lecturer at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York where I studied.
1. Choose grass fed, pasture raised and preferably organic meats. Not the easiest thing to find in Monaco but the butcher at Marché U often has some and so does Formia in the Condamine and Beausoleil markets. They’re more expensive but ideally you will eat less meat and more plant-based foods.
You’ll find grass-fed beef on the menu at Beef Bar.
2. Think of meat as a condiment, not a main dish. Fifty to seventy percent of your plate should be filled with vegetables. I would say that this is a good tip to follow for all your meals, not only when you’re eating beef.
We are so lucky to have such an amazing array of local and seasonal vegetables in the markets and organic supermarkets in town.
3. Walk over to the Condamine market and ask what’s in season and maybe you’ll discover a new type of vegetable to try out with your fillet. The stallholders are super friendly and will be help you find something that’s in season and is easy to prepare.
4. Avoid all processed meats. These are the meats that the World Health Organization points to that have been proven to cause disease, illness and cancer.
I’m not saying you should never ever have that delicious prosciutto from across the border from time to time, but bear in mind that it’s not the best choice for your health if you consume it on a regular basis.
5. Prepare your meat the right way. The way we traditionally cook meat is by grilling, frying, smoking or charring at high temperatures, which leads to the production of toxic compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines, which have been shown to cause cancer in animals.
Change your cooking methods to reduce your exposure to these toxic compounds by reducing the heat. Focus on lower temperature, slow cooking for meat and apply the same rules for vegetables and grains by baking, roasting, poaching or stewing them.
Whatever you decide to eat, enjoy it.
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. Article first published November 23, 2017.
Fée Halsted at home in the Bonnie Ntshalintshali Museum at Ardmore Gallery in Caversham, Kwa-Zulu Natal. Photo: Facebook Ardmore Ceramics & Design
A private exhibition, in collaboration with Roger Shine, Lady Tina Green and Daniela Boutsen, will feature 200 pieces of Ardmore Ceramic Art at the private dining room of the Yacht Club to raise funds for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation.
The exhibit of South African collector’s items will be held from Tuesday, November 28 to Thursday, November 30, from 11 am to 8 pm.
This is the first time Ardmore Ceramic Art, which was created in 1985 by Fée Halsted on Ardmore Farm, in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains of KwaZulu-Natal, will be shown in the Principality.
Followers of fashion will have noted that last year Ms Halsted partnered with Hermès to produce the Ardmore-designed silk scarf collection.
Photo: Facebook Ardmore Ceramics & Design
Photo: Facebook Ardmore Ceramics & Design
Photo: Facebook Ardmore Ceramics & Design
Photo: Facebook Ardmore Ceramics & Design
For the selected invitees, the three-day show at the end of the month will offer a chance to purchase unique Christmas gifts while supporting an important cause close to the heart of the Monaco community.
The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation was established in 2012 to address “one of the greatest silent killers on our planet” by teaching children essential water safety skills and how to swim. According to the Foundation, drowning claims a life every 85 seconds.
In 2016, there were 26 cases of domestic violence reported in Monaco, according to the Minister of Health and Social Affairs.
As International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women approaches Saturday, Monaco’s Association of Assistance to Victims of Criminal Offenses has launched a website – Avip-Monaco.org.
AVIP – L’Association d’Aide aux Victimes d’Infractions set up in 2014 – offers guidelines and assistance in dealing with the judicial authorities to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and criminal offences (assault, theft, verbal abuse, physical injuries, children who are victims of racketeering …) in Monaco.
The website is in French, but the helpline– 116 919 – will be able to take calls in English.
There is another Monaco website that offers aid to victims of domestic violence, MonacoSaysNoToViolence.org (NonAuxViolencesAMonaco.org). The English and French site, to serve both communities, is overseen by Vibeke Thomsen, founder of She Can He Can, which organises International Day of the Girl.
“Often women in these cases find themselves isolated, living in Monaco, and without the means to leave,” Vibeke told Monaco Life. “These websites can provide some light, and in English.”
Vibeke Thomsen, Founder of SheCanHeCan , with Project Manager Kasey Robinson at “Violence in couples: Why don’t women leave?”, at the Auditorium of the Lycée Technique et Hôtelier.
“Violence in couples: Why don’t women leave?” is the subject of a free talk on Thursday, November 23, at the Auditorium of the Lycée Technique et Hôtelier. The government-supported event will be led by Dr Marie-France Hirigoyen, a psychiatrist specialised in psychological violence and author of many books on the subject, including “Stalking the Soul: Emotional Abuse and the Erosion of Identity”.
The event starts at 6 pm and is to help promote the International Day of Stop Domestic Violence on Saturday, November 25. In addition, on Saturday three buildings in the Principality – the Palace, the Conseil National and Odeon Tower – will light up in orange, the colour selected by the United Nation’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign to symbolise a brighter future without violence.
Monaco residents are also encouraged to go orange on November 25, and share photos on social media tagging #lutteviolencemonaco and #orangetheworld.
