Operation Stop Smoking returns for the fourth year, challenging smokers to kick the habit and start living healthier lifestyles.
The challenge set forth by the Prince’s Government and the French Ministry of Health offers support and handy tips on how to stop smoking during the month of November, and encourages a sense of camaraderie amongst those wishing to stop. Success rates are shown to be double that of those trying to quit on their own at other times, due partly to a sort of “misery loves company” scenario, but also because a programme such as this offers hands-on encouragement and advice on how quitting smoking impacts quality of life in positive ways.
“Our role is to support those who have the will to stop smoking to help them achieve this important project for their health,” said Didier Gamerdinger, Minister for Social Affairs and Health.
As part of the initiative, the Princess Grace Hospital and the Department of Social Affairs and Health is distributing free kits to help those who want to cut cigarettes from their lives. They are available at local pharmacies.
There are several approaches to assist in assuring a successful outcome, including speaking to a doctor about drugs that aid in stopping smoking, using nicotine substitutes in the form of patches and gum, and apps that help keep people on track.
Running has also proven to be an effective way to quit. Researchers have tested a programme dubbed ‘Run to Quit’, which encourages running in groups with a coach and being tracked by a smoking cessation specialist. With a success rate of over 90%, the plan clearly works and so again this year, Dr Mohammed Mouhssine, a therapist specialising in quitting the habit at Princess grace Hospital, will be present at No Finish Line to help runners break the habit.
With all the support available, it should be easy to decide to give up smoking, but for those needing more convincing, there are the health concerns that go along with smoking. Cancers of the lung, mouth and oesophagus are the most common and most deadly, as well as the negative impact on memory, reasoning and learning, earlier menopause in women, and lower life expectancy. Cutting out cigarettes can prolong not only life, but can make that life a healthier one.
This is one time when being called a “quitter” is the highest compliment there is.
For more information, go online at www.tabac-info-service.fr or call 39 89 to speak to someone who can help.
Monaco’s newest Ambassadors were given the green light by the Sovereign Prince earlier this week and subsequently welcomed by Minister of External Relations and Cooperation Laurent Anselmi.
The new diplomats hail from Norway, Chile, Qatar and Indonesia and presented their Letters of Credence on Tuesday 5th November.
The Ambassador from Norway, Oda Helen Sletnes, started her career in the Norwegian Foreign Ministry in 1981. By 1994, she was appointed Coordinator for Winter Olympic Games Affairs. Later, she acted as Deputy Director General, Head of the European Affairs Section of the MFA, Minister, Deputy Head of the Norwegian Mission to the EU in Brussels, Director General of the Department of European Affairs at the MFA and Ambassador and Head of Mission of Norway to the European Union.
Juan Salazar Sparks has been an Ambassador for Chile since 1990 and has served in Australia, New Zealand, the EU in Brussels and Denmark. Additionally, he has served as Director of Multilateral Policy, International Adviser to the Minister of Finance, Director General of International Economic Relations, Director of the Andrés Bello-ACADE Diplomatic Academy and Director of Strategy at the Ministry of Finance. Foreign Relations.
Qatar’s Sheikh Ali Bin Jassim Al-Thani began his service as Minister Counsellor at the Directorate of American and European Affairs at the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Doha, from 2007 to 2012. He then assumed the Ambassadorships in Luxembourg and Belgium where he became the first Ambassador of the State of Qatar to be accredited to NATO. He is founder of the Gulf Friendship Group in the European Parliament. Most recently, he became Ambassador of his country to the Republic of Austria, Slovenia and Slovakia from 2017 to 2018.
Sr. M. Arrmanatha Christiawan Nasir began his diplomatic career in 2001, becoming Deputy Director of Agriculture and Commodities in 2006 and then appointed Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Nations in New York. He then served as Deputy Chief of Economy, Finance and Development and Head of the Cabinet of the Minister / Spokesperson of the MAE.
Photo: Direction of Communication – Michael Alessi
The date has been set for the 24th Monte Carlo Gastronomy fair, a highlight of the winter calendar and a must-see for food lovers looking to fill their pantries for Christmas and New Year.
More than 100 producers of gourmet French, Italian and European products come together under the Big Top in Fontvielle to present their gastromonic delights for tasting and purchase.
Photo: Monte Carlo Gastronomy
Each exhibitor has been carefully selected to ensure only the finest products are available: wine, champagne, salmon, foie gras, truffles, cheeses, cured meats, and organic products, to name but a few. But there are also table decorations, kitchen utensils and original gift ideas – all coming together to make this fair one of elegance and refinement.
Photo: Monte Carlo Gastronomy
Also taking place this year will be the 2nd edition of the ‘Maestro Chef’ culinary competition by fair organiser Caroli Com. Eight amateur cooks will have the chance to demonstrate their talents in front of top chefs by producing three recipes (one per day) provided by the Monaco Goût et Saveurs Association, represented by Joël Garault, former Michelin starred chef of the Hôtel Hermitage’s Vistamar, and Jury President.
Photo: Monte Carlo Gastronomy
The recipes will be revealed to candidates on the day of the event and each will have a basket of fresh produce and limited time to make the recipes. At the end of the first day, four candidates will be nominated to compete in the sem-ifinal on Saturday, where two candidates will be chosen to take part in the grand final on Sunday.
The Monte Carlo Gastronomy fair is supported by the leading hotel and sommelier associations of Monaco, France and Italy as well as high-profile chefs, and attracts more than 12,000 visitors each year.
It will be held from 29th November to 2nd December at the Chapiteau of Monaco.
Art has the potential to be much more than simply decorative. When chosen carefully it can impact our mood, improve sleep patterns, and help our bodies track the passage of time, all of which have measurable benefits to our wellness and quality of life. This is something that major architects and developers are increasingly designing into their corporate and commercial properties, and may be something that we can all learn from in our homes and offices.
Light colour and frequency have played a large part in our human evolution. Modern advances in the study of the ways in which light impacts us, known as ‘Human Centric” lighting, have taught us much about the effects on our circadian rhythms and the implications for our broader health. From energy levels to optimisation of our ability to concentrate and immune systems, the more we learn the more important light quality becomes. Yet more and more of us spend much of our lives in artificial and unchanging places at home or in the office. This idea of beneficial manipulation of artificial light is being used by some innovative artists in their work. Jason Bruges created Icosahedral Sky to closely replicate the changing colour and frequency of natural sunlight, updating in real time through sensors placed outside the building. Bringing the sun inside thorough art in an ingenious fashion.
Icosahedral Sky
Numerous studies show that light colour can also change our moods and influence decision-making, including increasing heartrates or helping to focus on detailed tasks. At the 2016 Bristol Biennial, Liz West’s Our Colour installation simply used tinted light bulbs to wash over the empty interior of an office block. The effect was that of a rainbow cast indoors. Consider certain times of day in your own office when decisive and bold action is required, or others calling for moments of quiet contemplation. Or your living room, which may need to adapt to be multiple different rooms within a single day.
A fascinating combination of both of bringing daylight indoors and considered use of colour is the wonderful Olaf Eliasson’s Weather Project in the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern (top picture). The vast sun was made up of mono-frequency lights that rendered invisible every colour other than yellow and black. The fully mirrored ceiling created a second sun and bounced light around the vast hall, creating a very strong sensation that one could palpably feel being shared throughout the audience.
The Weather Project by Olafur Eliasson
In addition to light quality, studies have shown that our energy levels and sleep patterns are badly impacted by the static nature of our homes and offices. We evolved in constantly changing surroundings, hour to hour the world is remodelled. Yet the places we live and work tend to be stagnant. Art is a great way to break this cycle. Rob and Nick Carter created the Transforming series – an exhibition of largely classical oil paintings and drawings. Only they weren’t. They were incredible animations looping over hours. A Turner-inspired woodland of trees whose leaves flutter in the wind, clouds lazily moving so slowly as to be almost imperceptible. Over the course of the day dawn turns to dusk, art that changes every time you see it, tracking the passage of time with the viewer.
Tree of Life series, Tumbleweed
Barbara Myers’ Tree of Life series brings gnarled branches and twisted trees into our homes, boughs that seemingly grow through walls and crawl across ceilings. However, they are cast in solid bronze, then patinated to match the colour of the original wood, there is even moss on the ‘northern’ side. We have previously installed simple lights on rotating rigs that gradually lengthen the shadows of these organic forms, patterns cast onto floors and walls, creating a sensation of walking through woodland.
Which brings us, rather neatly, to another way in which art can contribute towards wellness – reintroducing the natural world. There are fascinating reports looking at the benefits of being surrounded by nature, even when synthesised multi-sensory replications. Some sculptors integrate sound, scent or motion into their work to communicate to a viewer how they experience the natural world. Walter Bailey, a protégé of David Nash and extraordinary sculptor working primarily in charred wood, has previously created pieces that blur the distinction between art, furniture and building. Dodecahedron and Cube encourage us to sit within the artwork, surrounded by the scent of the natural oils of the sequoia and bathed in dappled light as if we were in cool forest. Shown here in combination with the composite photography of David Anthony-Hall, 400 images of woodland digitally combined into a 5m wide scene that feels more like a window than a photograph, with planting in front. The effect was to transport the viewer from central London and pull them immediately into the surrounding countryside. How might snatched moments of privacy in this English idyll impact your mood?
This principle of recreating nature is not new, it has been with us since the very earliest art daubed on cave walls. However, as our lives have become increasingly urban and removed, and artists’ techniques adapt to integrate sounds, scent and texture, the benefits of natural curation have become more pronounced.
Perception of time, improvements to our circadian rhythms, reintroduction of the natural world into our homes and offices, stolen moments of seclusion in calming spaces, washing space in coloured light to influence moods. Whatever your reasons to surround yourself with art, from investment to wellness, we would suggest seeking support from a trusted adviser and spending some time discussing with them the various ways in which you wish to benefit from this fantastically exciting market.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Oliver Hawkins is a Director at Marshall Murray, an art advisory with years of experience in the curation of artwork for private collections, corporate collectors and design professionals. For further information he can be contacted viaenquiries@marshallmurray.co.uk
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Louis XV named ‘Masterpiece of the year’ by Gault & Millau 2020
The executive team at Alain Ducasse’s restaurant Louis XV in the Hôtel de Paris has been honoured for delivering the “perfect dining experience” by the prestigious Gault & Millau Guide.
Louis XV is the first restaurant to be awarded this new distinction, the Chef-d’oeuvre de l’année, created by the coveted restaurant guide, an equal rival of the Michelin Guide.
The announcement was made on Monday during a gala dinner at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, during which the Chef of the Year was also awarded, to Arnaud Conckele of Cheval Blanc in Saint Tropez.
The ‘Masterpiece’ distinction is a welcome addition to the Gault & Millau Guide, recognising the “magic square” of professionals working in complete harmony to deliver the perfect dining experience: the head chef, the pastry chef, the restaurant director, the restaurant manager and the sommelier.
According to the Gault & Millau guide, “In the best restaurants, all heads work for the success of a great moment; a talented chef always surrounds themselves with an excellent pastry chef, a perfect restaurant manager and a knowledgeable head sommelier. Success is built by many and Gault & Millau, with its ‘Masterpiece’ award, distinguishes the mastery and talent of each virtuoso in the company of all.”
Receiving this prestigious award at Alain Ducasse’s restaurant in Monaco is Restaurant Director Michel Lang, Restaurant Manager Claire Sonnet, Executive Chef Dominique Lory, Head Sommelier Noël Bajor, and Pastry Chef Sandro Micheli.
The executive team at Louis XV receiving their award in Paris
“This job offers us the incredible opportunity every day to give happiness to people,” Louis XV Executive Chef Dominique Lory told Monaco Life. “It’s a profession of the heart; I can not imagine the kitchen any other way. I like the idea of involving my team in the creation of new dishes. These are moments of exchange and sharing that enrich each other.”
“Harmony in the restaurant is paramount,” he continued. “Claire (Sonnet) is my eyes in the dining room. She is the link between our guests and the kitchen, which allows us to meet their expectations with a multitude of small details to measure.”
Meanwhile, Gault & Millau announced its new academy on Monday featuring the 10 pillars of French cooking. Alain Ducasse was given a permanent place in the ‘Golden Toque’ academy for his dedication to the restaurant industry over the past three decades, for achieving five Toques d’Or, and for still taking an active part in his restaurants. From now on, the Toque d’Or will be his only and highest distinction in the Gault & Millau Guide. Alain Ducasse was awarded alongside Guy Savoy, Alain Passard and other legends of French cuisine.
La Poste announced earlier this week that Father Christmas’s secretary has started accepting letters for the 2019 holiday season.
As of Wednesday 6th November, anyone sending a letter addressed to Santa Claus residing on Snow Street, North Pole will be sent to a special handling area in Libourne where 60 additional workers are hired every Christmas to process the letters, notes and cards that pour in.
The fact that Santa has a time-frame may come as a surprise to some, but the reasoning is clear if the senders reside in this part of the world.
Since 1962, the law stipulates that every child who sends a letter to the Big Man will receive a postcard in response. The law has certainly been helpful in perpetuating and boosting Santa’s image, though it is doubtful postal carriers share the same enthusiasm.
Over 1.2 million children write to Santa each year, nearly all of them written on paper. This is quite possibly the only letter writing experience most children receive in today’s digitalised world, so there is value in that alone, but it also carries on an important tradition that marks the childhood of so many.
That being said, there is a now an email address where children who may be running a little late can also send letters: www.groupelaposte.com/pere-noel
Note that in order to receive a response, the letter writer’s first and last names and complete postal address must be clearly indicated.
Santa Claus’s secretary shuts up shop 17th December.
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