Students are being given a first-hand lesson on sustainable development with the creation of organic vegetable gardens in a selection of schools throughout the Principality.
The initiative was formalised in an agreement signed on Wednesday by Director of National Education, Youth and Sports Isabelle Bonnal, Vice-President of the Prince Albert II Foundation Olivier Wenden, and Founder of Terre de Monaco Jessica Sbaraglia.
The agreement, which was implemented last March but could not be formalised due to the health crisis, provides for the organisation of numerous educational activities related to the environment, including the development of organic vegetable gardens in certain establishments in the Principality, such as the Prince Albert II Leisure Centre, the Parc school, the Fontvieille school, the Lycée Technique et Hôtelier de Monaco and the Condamine school, where the official signing took place.
The objective is to give students an opportunity to interact with nature from an early age and discover how fruits and vegetables are grown. Through this understanding, it is also hoped that students will have a healthy and balanced diet.
Around 3,000 pupils in Monaco each year will be able to harvest their own produce from their school’s garden.
To mark the occasion, the Prince Albert II Foundation presented CM1 B students from the Condamine school with a set of cards listing the main Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations in 2015. The fun educational tool will be distributed to all schoolchildren in the coming days.
Photo (from left to right): Jessica Sbaraglia, Founder of Terre de Monaco, Olivier Wenden, Vice-President of the Prince Albert II Foundation and Isabelle Bonnal, Director of National Education, Youth and Sports © Communication Department / Manuel Vitali
Day: 14 October 2020
Superyachts banned from mooring in Alpes-Maritimes
The Alpes-Maritimes is creating new mooring zones for yachts over 20 metres in an effort to lessen the impact on Posidonia oceania, a protected species of Mediterranean sea grass that is being destroyed by the large anchors.
Since 1988, Posidonia oceania, more commonly referred to simply as Posidonia, has been a protected species in the Alpes-Maritimes. This sea grass forms beds that are known as “the lungs of the sea”.
Anchors of large yachts drag along the seabed and cause massive amounts of damage to this fragile ecosystem.
As a result, yachts over 20 metres, many of which dot the coastline of the region, especially in the summer months, will now need to find new spots to anchor as the maritime prefect is creating new no-mooring zones to protect the sea grass beds.
On 12th October, Maritime Prefect for the Mediterranean Vice Admiral Laurent Isnard signed the first decrees regulating the anchoring of ships 20 metres and over for the Alpes-Maritimes department.
The framework for the new rules is already in existence, dating back to June 2019, setting general regulations for ships wishing to moor in French Mediterranean waters. Now these rules will be expanded and will determine exact zoning areas, complete with banned spots, on Naval Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOM) maps. Every sailor is required to carry an up-to-date copy of these maps on board.
Organising and clarifying precise mooring areas will also be beneficial in the busiest months, when there is heavy boat traffic and conflicts over rights of use and accidents are most likely to occur.
Posidonia is important to the overall health and environment of the sea. It is both a home and a nursery for several species of fish, is a natural water purifier, helps lessen the impact of carbon emissions, makes swells less severe and protects the beaches from erosion.
A perfect pairing
The Vistamar restaurant at the Hermitage Hotel continues to deliver on its promise of exciting new experiences, this time offering a gastronomic weekend with two Michelin star Chef Philippe Mille.
Executive Chef Jean-Phillipe Borrow has invited the Executive Chef of the Domaine Les Crayères into his Michelin star kitchen in Monaco, where the two masters will create an exceptional dinner and brunch on 24th and 25th October.
The idea for the pairing grew from a mutual friendship with two Michelin starred Chef Ronan Kervarrec.
The majestic splendour of the establishments within which they work is also a common factor between Jean-Phillipe Borrow and Philippe Mille. The Hermitage Hotel is Monaco’s famous “grande dame”, a luxurious five-star palace where romance and gastronomy collide. The Domaine Les Crayères is a spectacular Relais & Châteaux property in the heart of Reims that includes a five-star hotel and two restaurants: the Brasserie du Jardin and the two Michelin starred restaurant Le Parc. It sits adjacent to the Pommery champagne house and is a favourite among culinary travellers.
“The atmosphere that emerges from our two houses is similar: elegance and charm, inviting relaxation and epicureanism. This is what our customers also come looking for in our restaurants,” says Chef Phillipe Mille.
A mutual passion for fresh, local produce is also something the chefs share.
“Our respective kitchens come from the same DNA, which is respect and love for the product,” says Jean-Phillipe Borrow. “We are both committed to enhancing and refining the produce of our regions. We are also committed to bringing our cuisine into modernity to stay in line with our times and the desires of our guests.”
The collaboration is a unique opportunity for guests in Monaco to savour the cuisine of one of France’s finest chefs. Philippe Mille has been in the kitchens of Chefs Bordier, Grondart, Anton, and Roth. He was Yannick Alléno’s right-hand man at Le Scribe and then at Le Meurice. He delivered Domaine Les Crayères its first Michelin star in 2011, then a second in 2012. He is also a Meilleur Ouvrier de France and a Grand Chef Relais et Châteaux.
For October’s exceptional evening, Vistamar guests will be treated to one of Chef Mille’s signature artistic dishes – Langoustines from the Breton coast with Reims vinegar, carpaccio, caviar, a pink berry vinegar marinade, and a stained-glass shellfish coulis.
“This entrée pays homage to the Notre Dame de Reims Cathedral and to the know-how of the master glassmakers,” reveals Chef Mille.
Meanwhile, Chef Borrow will delight guests with a luxurious dish from the region: “A champagne risotto – a nod to Chef Mille, covered with the diamond of the Piedmont region – the Alba white truffle.”
Guests at the two-star evening on Saturday 24th October will be treated to a six-course menu, while the chic champagne brunch on Sunday 24th features a live cooking show by Chef Phillipe Mille on the Eiffel mezzanine.
Reservations are required.
Top photo: Chef Phillipe Mille (left) and Chef Jean-Phillipe Borrow by Monaco Life
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