Day: 29 August 2018

The luxury Bagatelle bistro is shutting down after 16 months in operation, due to a lack of business. The permanent staff of 17 were told of the closure on August 10, according to local French daily Monaco Matin. The restaurant has operated from the site of the former and more down to earth Bistroquet in the Charles III Gallery above ave. des Spelugues.

The brand has branches in Sao Paulo, Punta del Este, St. Barth, Rio, Miami, New Dubai, Ibiza, and Saint-Tropez. The bistro’s website describes itself as “a sort of classical circus with secluded corners for schmoozing or snoozing or minding your own business.”

According to the daily, Rémi Laba and Aymeric Clemente joined forces with AS Monaco owner Dmitry Rybolovlev through the company Rigmora Holdings Limited to open the Monte-Carlo operation.

The famous international architect Renzo Piano has offered to design a new bridge to replace the collapsed Morandi Bridge in Genoa, free of charge. The 80 year-old, who designed the Shard in London and the Pompidou Centre in Paris, said he was offering his services as a gift to his hometown following the sudden collapse of the bridge on August 14.

Mr Piano made his offer to the Governor of the Liguria region, Giovanni Toti, who was happy to accept it.

“My commitment is primarily moral, to make sure that the new bridge will have the traits of Genoa, our qualities and a little of our parsimony,” the architect said. He added: “I can not think of anything other than this bridge.” Giovanni Toti responded by saying that the offer has been accepted “with joy.”

Forty-three lives were lost when the Morandi Bridge collapsed suddenly in a storm following several warnings of the urgent need of repairs or replacement. The highway operator, Autostrade per l’Italia, which is majority-owned by the Benetton family, has come under fire for putting profits above safety.

Professionals in the shellfish business have sounded the alarm over the future of the oyster. Climate change has already resulted in the French oyster harvest falling by one-third over the last five years, a meeting in Montpelier on the International Day of Shellfish Culture on Tuesday, August 28, was told.

One of the causes is a disease that has been affecting oysters for 10 years, Ostreid Herspesvirus. The herpes-like disease is particularly destructive for oysters in the first year of life. Fortunately, it is not contagious for humans.

Fabrice Permet, researcher at the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer), said: “the warming of the sea is not a problem in itself for the oyster. It develops very well in water whose temperature goes up to 30 degrees. The warmer the water, the faster the oyster grows.” However, the disease is also encouraged by the warming of the water and global warming lengthens the periods of risk during which water reaches a temperature between 16 and 24 degrees.

Acidification is also a problem for shellfish, including oysters, the meeting heard. Oyster farmers in the south of France are the most affected by climatic changes. In the Thau lagoon, between Sète and Agde, the high temperatures recorded this summer and the lack of wind have led to more stagnant water and the slow death of living organisms.

AS Monaco invited its fans to its training session at Stade Louis II on Wednesday, August 29. The reason for the venue is that work is being undertaken at the La Turbie training ground and supporters have not been able to attend the training sessions so far this season.

ASM are due to meet Olympique Marseiile at home on Sunday evening for the fourth match of the Ligue 1 season.

The club said it would be “an exceptional and unique moment” for the fans and arranged that players would be available for autographs and selfies after the session. Premium subscribers to the club were seated in the best front-row seats.

The club has said that more opportunities for fans and players to meet will be provided during the rest of the season.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Henrichs has been signed from Bayer Leverkusen on a five-year contract in the region of 25 million euros.

The 21 year-old right-back and German international said on the club’s website: “I am very proud to be involved with Monaco, a European top club for many years. I will do everything to adapt quickly and help the team win many victories. I cannot wait to work with the staff and my new teammates.”

A fifty year-old French driver who asked directions from police officers after drinking two bottles of rosé and half a litre of pastis was handed a four-month jail sentence, suspended, on Monday by Monaco’s Criminal Court.

The restaurant owner had just crossed the border into Monaco shortly after 18:30 on Friday, August 24,  when she pulled over on the blvd. du Jardin-Exotique and asked police officers for help because she was not feeling well and was concerned about the possibility of having an accident.

The officers at the scene realised that the driver was seriously intoxicated. However, because of an asthmatic condition, she was unable to provide a breath sample. The court noted that this was the first recorded incident in which a drunk driver had approached the police for help.