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Month: July 2020

Bistro Chic at the Hermitage Hotel

by: Cassandra Tanti
31/07/2020

Never one to rest on its unwavering prestige and 130-year history, the Hermitage Hotel has expanded its Michelin star restaurant Le Vistamar to offer guests an exciting new Bistro Chic concept.
Head chef Jean-Philippe Borro and his team have created a refreshing new menu that will run alongside its Michelin-starred cuisine at Le Vistamar, delighting guests who are looking to dine in a relaxed and inviting atmosphere.
“We wanted to make the best use of this space and our idea was not to decrease the quality or upend anything, but to create an environment where people are at ease in a more relaxed environment,” Louis Starck, General Director of the Hermitage Hotel, told Monaco Life. “This is not only Le Vistamar, it is a terrace, a venue, and we have a lot to work with.”

Head Chef Jean-Phillipe Borro and General Director of the Hermitage Hotel Louis Starck, photo by Monaco Life

In understanding that people are seeking an “experience” now more than ever, Louis Starck says they have developed a unique offering for guests that includes “atmosphere, taste, feeling, music, view… many things, not just what is on your plate.”
Although what is being delivered on the plate is still very impressive, giving classic bistro dishes the Vistamar touch. Think organic shrimps with avocado and turmeric, shellfish paella, beef tagliatta, and marinated grilled octopus. Black chocolate fondant, affogato ice-cream and fruit panna cotta are among the delights that round out the menu.
It is not the only exciting development that the Hermitage Hotel has up its sleeve this summer, although Louis says he is unable to reveal the details just yet. So for that, you will just have to watch this space.
 
 

Grand Ida construction causing uproar

by: Stephanie Horsman
31/07/2020

Residents of Mélèzes, a building adjoining the site of the new Grand Ida apartment complex, are complaining of excessive noise, dust and disruption.
According to a report by Monaco Matin, every day there are a new set of complaints being registered about the building site for the Grand Ida, the new government-owned complex that is in the midst of being built in the Principality.
Residents of the adjoining buildings, which are about to go through a renovation of their own, have lodged complaints about noisy workers appearing on the site before 7am, drilling starting before 8am and workers staying on past normal evening cut off times.
The government is defending the workers by reminding residents that these are exceptional times and that exceptional measures must therefore be undertaken and endured. The health crisis put the construction schedule way behind, and to compensate, extended hours have been temporarily authorised to ensure the site is completed in a timely fashion. In other words, “short term pain means long term gain”.
“The measures implemented must strike a fair balance between this support for the construction sector and the preservation of the quality of life of Monegasques and residents,” said Marie-Pierre Gramaglia, Minister of Equipment, of the Environment and Town Planning, to the local newspaper.
For the majority of the sites, certain workers have been asked to arrive as early as 6:30am to try and respect social distancing rules by staggering arrival and departure times. Working hours are officially allowed from 7:30am until 9pm on Monday through Friday and from 9am to 1pm on Saturdays, though actual work is only permitted from 8am to 8pm on weekdays and 9:30am to 12:30pm on Saturdays. The government reserves the right to shut down any operation which doesn’t comply at any time, and used this right to shut down a generator last Monday that had been running before the designated times allotted.
This phase of the Grand Ida construction is recognised to be the most disruptive to neighbours, as it is all open-air at the moment. The building company in charge, JB Pastor & Fils, assures the public that once the structural work begins in the first quarter of 2021, the noise will be reduced significantly.
 
 

Pop-Opera trio comes to Monaco

by: Stephanie Horsman
31/07/2020

Il Volo, the super popular Italian pop-opera trio, is coming to Monaco to perform one night only at the Opera Garnier.

The threesome that is Il Volo is coming to the Opera Garnier Monte Carlo on 14th August with their special brand of pop-opera music. The group is made up of Ignazio Boschetto and Piero Barone, who are tenors, and Gianluca Ginoble, who is a baritone, making for a unique and special sound.

The trio have been together for more than a decade and have performed all over Italy, delighting crowds with both television and live appearances. In 2015, they won the Sanremo Music festival which led to their turn as the Italian representatives for that year’s Eurovision competition. They came in third place in the end, though they were solidly voted first in the televoting. 

Celebrating 10 years together in 2019, the group released The Best of 10 Years, a compilation of their hits from the past decade. The release of this album marked the start of their world tour, which kicked ff in Japan.  

Tickets are €280. Doors of the Opera Garnier open at 8pm for an 8:30pm start.  

For more info and to book a seat, visit www.montecarlolive.com

 

 
 

'Tour de Nice' postponed to July 2021

by: Stephanie Horsman
31/07/2020

After an initial rescheduling, the organisers of the Tour de France have decided to put off the 2020 edition of the Tour de Nice until next summer due to Covid fears and inconvenient dates.
With over 15,000 applicants each year, the cancellation of this first stage of the Tour de France comes as a disappointment to many fans and participants. Originally postponed, the organisers have just announced they will cancel the Nice leg until next year. The decision came from concerns over the current health crisis as well the dates being awkwardly timed for many of the participants.
This was especially true for many of the riders living outside France, which made up 31% of the total number last year.
Though it was a disappointment, there is still optimism for next year. “The city of Nice and the organisers, faced with a renewed enthusiasm and a record number of registrations, made a point of keeping the event organised in the superb surroundings of Nice,” according to a press release.
Cyclists will simply have to wait until next summer to take on the 170km circuit that includes challenging and beautiful climbs such as the Col d’Eze, the Col de Turini and the Colmiane Pass.
 
 

Women’s Rights Committee joins energy transition pact

by: Stephanie Horsman
31/07/2020

The Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Women’s Rights is now part of the Principality’s energy transition pact.
The charter was signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and the Women’s Committee’s Chair Laurent Anselmi, Minister of Public Works, Environment and Urban Development Marie-Pierre Gramaglia, Director of the Mission for Energy Transition Annabelle Jaeger-Seydoux, and Céline Cottalorda, the Chief Officer for Women’s Rights Committee, along with other members of the Committee.
Mr Anselmi pointed out that “in signing the National Energy Transition Pact, our Committee, which is dedicated to promoting and safeguarding women’s rights, is making a firm contribution to the interaction driven by the UN; at the same playing a modest but determined role in helping to build the structure that the Principality is steadily creating, at the behest of the Sovereign Prince.”
Marie-Pierre Gramaglia added that this was “an effort that must unite us all: Monegasque nationals, residents, employees, people from all socio-professional backgrounds, all of the stakeholders within our community – today, the Women’s Rights Committee, and tomorrow, all of you.”
Céline Cottalorda, who signed on behalf of the Committee, said that she wanted “to set an example and encourage women in the Principality and the associations that are involved with the Committee to commit to protecting the environment.”
The Office of the High Commissioner for the Protection of Rights, Liberties and for Mediation, as well as local organisations She Can He Can, Soroptimist and Femmes Leaders Mondiales Monaco also pledged to sign the National Energy Transition Pact Commitment Charter.
 
Photo from left to right: Annabelle Jaeger-Seydoux, Laurent Anselmi, Céline Cottalorda and Marie-Pierre Gramaglia. © Government Communication Department / Stéphane Danna.
 
 

New measures to combat rise in Covid

by: Cassandra Tanti
30/07/2020

The government has laid out its plans to combat the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the Principality, including mandatory testing for all tourists arriving from high-risk areas.
Minister of Social Affairs and Health Didier Gamerdinger and Public Health Inspector Eric Voiglio held a press conference on Thursday 30th July to take stock of the current health situation in the Principality and announce its new round of measures.
It was revealed that the number of positive cases detected in Monaco recently were largely isolated cases of people returning from high-risk areas, sometimes outside of Europe, as well as people from neighbouring communities or those vacationing on yachts.
Testing tourists
In an effort to prevent travellers from bringing the coronavirus back in to Monaco, the government is urging residents not to travel to “high risk” locations – those that are listed and updated regularly on the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) website.
Residents who still wish to travel to these destinations are “strongly advised” to be tested for Covid-19 upon their return to the Principality.
Meanwhile, tourists who are coming to Monaco from zones with high infection rates – both within and outside of Europe – and who are staying at a hotel in the Principality, will be required to provide the results of a PCR test that was taken within the last 72 hours. If they cannot do this, they will be tested on site and placed in two-week quarantine pending the results, which are usually achieved within 24 hours.
While providing an extra barrier of security, the measure allows the Principality to continue to welcome visitors from all areas.
According to Didier Gamerdinger, hotel guests are already accepting these measures freely.
The same measures will apply to athletes who will arrive in the Principality for the Herculis EBS meeting on 14th August.
Screening continues
Since the government’s mass serological testing campaign wound down and was handed over to five doctors, eight pharmacists and nurses throughout the Principality, a total of 680 tests have been conducted so far.
‘Monaco Safe’ label
Meanwhile, 78 businesses in Monaco have asked for and received the ‘Monaco Safe’ label, including the Grimaldi Forum. To ensure everyone continues to comply with the government’s strict standards, checks are regularly conducted by authorities during the day at stores, and at night in restaurants and bars.
Mandatory masks
Despite all the positives, there have some areas of concern for the government, namely in queues, where people have been observed standing too close to each other and not wearing masks. As a result, the government has made it mandatory now for masks to be worn by people standing in queues, especially at bars and large venues such as the Stade Louis II for the Herculis meet.
Supporting search for vaccine
The government is also closely monitoring research into a vaccine, said the minister for health, as several avenues are being considered, including a vaccine by Astra Zeneca and another by Moderna which has entered into phase three of trials. Prince Albert, it was revealed, actually met with the president of Moderna in recent weeks to follow progress made.
However, until a vaccine is found the message remains the same to the people of Monaco: wear a mask, practice social distancing, and avoid travel to high-risk areas.