November 2020 - Page 6 of 18

Christmas lights bring welcome festive cheer

22/11/2020

The symbolic turning on of the Christmas tree in Place d’Armes has marked the official start of the festive season in Monaco, with thousands of sparkling white lights and colourful decorations bringing some much-needed cheer this unprecedented year.
Covid may have cancelled the public Christmas light celebration, but Mayor Georges Marsan and members of the Communal Council were still able to kick off the city’s illuminations on Friday evening at the foot of the giant Christmas tree.
The Animation Department has spent the past two months decking out every department in the Principality with a range of illuminations. There are now more than 700 lights brightening up the streets, as well as 19 festive projections.
Once again this year, the public will be able to interact with the illuminations and installations scattered throughout the Principality.
The first, called ‘Playmagic’, uses augmented reality technology to allow people to photograph themselves with Santa Claus in front of the sparkling decor or to play with different characters.
Meanwhile, ‘Playcolor’ gives people an opportunity to change the colour of certain illuminations.
For several years now, Monaco has worked with Blachère Illumination to make the Christmas illuminations as ecological and sustainable as possible. Only 100% LED and eco-designed decorations are used, while the structures are 100% biodegradable and made from sugar cane and recyclable aluminium. The electric fairy lights will also be collected and recycled after use.
The illuminations are controlled by the City’s Animation Department using an intelligent remote-control system. In order to reduce light pollution and save energy, a large majority of illuminations will go out every night between 2am and 6am with the exception of 24th, 25th and 31st December.

AS Monaco topples Paris Saint-Germain

by: Staff Writer

22/11/2020

As Monaco has come back from two goals down to beat the league-leading Parisians, boosting the Red and Whites to second in Ligue 1.
Kylian Mbappe’s two goals against his former club were not enough as Paris Saint-Germain wasted a 2-0 lead and lost at Monaco 3-2 on Friday.
Mbappe’s first-half brace took him to 99 goals for PSG since joining from Monaco three years ago in a deal worth a staggering €180 million euros
But lively German forward Kevin Volland netted twice after the break, and was fouled by centre half Abdou Diallo for a penalty converted by former Spain and Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas in the 83rd.
Diallo was sent off to leave PSG with 10 men in the closing stages.
The defeat was PSG’s third of the season and ended a run of eight straight wins after losing the first two games.
Monaco moved up to second place, and four points behind PSG, despite being without top scorer Wissam Ben Yedder as he recovers from the coronavirus.
Another comfortable PSG win looked on the cards when Mbappe latched on to a fine pass from winger Angel Di Maria and finished confidently in the 24th minute.
The France striker then beat goalkeeper Vito Mannone from the spot in the 36th after midfielder Youssouf Fofana gave away a penalty.
Striker Moise Kean and Mbappe had goals ruled out for offside shortly before the break, and Monaco pulled one back in the 51st when Volland turned in Fofana’s cross from the right.
Volland pounced again in the 64th when Fabregas set him up from close range and Fabregas scooped over a shot 10 minutes later as Monaco found another gear.

(AP)
Photo: AS Monaco

Carlo app offering QR code contactless payment

by: Stephanie Horsman

20/11/2020

Local start-up Carlo, the app that rewards customers each time they use it at participating shops, has gone the extra mile and is now offering contactless payment using QR code technology.

The Carlo application, being used by over 100 stores in the Principality, is the first mobile payment application that rewards users for their contribution to the local economy.

Monaco-based, the company aims to be innovators for local commerce and payment sectors. Now, users can also use it to pay for goods and services using CarloPay.

CarloPay is a simple method of payment requiring only a smartphone, eliminating the need for cash or cards. To get started, users need only link their bank card to their Carlo profile. The payments are secure, as a PIN code or fingerprint from the smartphone owner is required for each purchase, and each payment is processed by French payment company Lemonway, who have been approved by the ACPR-Banque de France.

Carlo rewards its users each time they use the app at partner stores in Monaco. By scanning the QR code in a shop, the users automatically gets 5% cash back on their “virtual wallet”. Customers can accumulate cashback funds to spend at other shops in the network.

It is also a helpful tool to keep track of spending, as the app categorises purchases, showing what is being spent on food, clothing, entertainment and the like.

The Prince’s Government asked Carlo to contribute to the recovery plan and the revitalisation of Monegasque businesses during the health and economic crisis. In order to continue to reward public service employees in a context of budget deficit, the Government decided to set up digital gift vouchers through the app. These gift vouchers can be spent in a large network of shops in the Principality, thus giving a boost to local traders and generating VAT for the state as part of the #ExtendedMonaco projects and the #RelanceEconomique.

Users of the app have nearly tripled in the past year and the number of merchants participating has almost quadrupled.

Antoine Bahri, Founder of Carlo, said is proud to be contributing to Monaco’s economy, especially in these difficult times: “We are truly honoured to have been considered and called upon for this operation. We are doing everything to make this project sustainable and have an impact on Monegasque retailing in the long term.”

Carlo has plans to expand to other European cities in the coming years.

Shop re-openings for Christmas far from certain

by: Stephanie Horsman

20/11/2020

Despite the current lockdown showing some positive results, French Industry Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher says a blanket re-opening of stores in time for the holiday rush is not a foregone conclusion.

As the holiday season approaches, French businesses deemed non-essential, such as booksellers, toy stores, and clothing retailers, are asking for permission to open their doors to customers despite lockdown rules.

The businesses argue they have significant precautions in place to limit infection-spreading risks and ask that they be allowed to open as early as 27^th November. This date is significant to retailers as it is ‘Black Friday’, which has become the unofficial start of the Christmas buying season and one of the biggest money-making days of the year.

An open letter was signed last Monday by 120 lawmakers, business owners, union leaders and NGOs, calling for a tax to be imposed on Amazon and other online retailers they deemed to be “profiteers”, exploiting the health crisis for monetary gain.

Asked about Black Friday openings, Pannier-Runacher told France Info radio, “We’re still holding talks on this, so I’m not going to make any indications or false promises. Letting some businesses reopen on 1^stDecember would be ideal, but we’re not there yet, and we’ll do everything necessary to slow the virus spread.”
France is struggling with the pandemic and has one of Europe’s highest caseloads at the moment. According to statistic site worldometers.com, the country has seen over two million total cases, more than 47,000 deaths and daily numbers that fluctuate wildly between almost 89,000 new cases on 3^rd November and a low so far of 11,343 on 16^th November. There are roughly 4,880 Covid patients in intensive care wards right now, fast reaching the 5,000 total bed available nationwide.

Photo: The relatively new Gare de Sud shopping and eatery in Nice

Boris Hermann in seventh place in Vendee Global

by: Stephanie Horsman

20/11/2020

Boris Hermann, skippering the Seaexplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco in the Vendee Global, has just crossed the equator and is currently in seventh place in the gruelling solo around-the-world sailing race.
German captain and Team Malizia member Boris Hermann crossed the equator on the Seaexplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco in seventh place at 6:50am on Thursday morning, 2 hours and 54 minutes behind Louis Burton on the Bureau Vallée 2 and 37 minutes before Britain’s Sam Davies on the Initiatives Coeur.
Posting a video on YouTube, Hermann’s spirits seem quite good, despite his admission that it is not always smooth sailing.
“People always think it’s sunshine sailing here, but it is a bumpy ride. The sea is bumpy, and we are going well above 20 (knots) and sometimes she takes off and bounces pretty hard in the waves. So yeah, it is sunshine and steady trade winds…quite a rough ride and the nerves are a bit tense,” he said.
The week has been beset with challenges, with sailors facing three storms, including tropical storm Theta in the Atlantic.
But with an air and water temperatures of 27°C, and steady trade winds, it isn’t all bad. “I feel great. I have found my rhythm over these last two days and got rid of the stress of the start. I’m ready to attack the Doldrums,” confided Herrmann when sailing off Guinea-Bissau.
“I’m very happy with this position, to be in the top 10, in contact with some highly experienced sailors who are on boats that are not from the latest generation. There’s a race within the race when you look at the first three who are a cut above, and then us. But anything is possible.”
Hermann updates his progress regularly, with videos on his website, https://www.borisherrmannracing.com/as well on the Yacht Clud of Monaco website at https://yacht-club-monaco.mc/

Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

Photos: National Day celebrations

by: Cassandra Tanti

19/11/2020

Hereditary Prince Jacques joined his father Prince Albert II in a salute and ceremonial attire for National Day duties on Thursday, alongside his twin sister Princess Gabriella and mother Princess Charlene.
Dressed in a miniature carabinier uniform, the young prince – due to turn six in December – appeared to be taking his princely duties seriously as he watched on solemnly behind his father for the taking of arms ceremony in the Court of Honour at the Palace.
Princess Charlene, in an elegant woollen coat with pink lining, black gloves and black beret, stood beside her son, and held lovingly onto Princess Gabriella, who looked adorable in a dark dress with accents of white and red in honour of Monaco’s official colours.

They were joined by Princess Caroline of Hanover, her sons Andrea Casiraghi and Pierre Casiraghi and their respective wives, Beatrice Borromeo and Tatiana Santa Domingo, as well as Caroline’s daughter Princess Alexandra of Hanover. Melanie-Antoinette de Massy, the daughter of Baroness Élisabeth-Anne de Massy, who died last June, was also present.
Due to restrictions surrounding the current Covid situation, the traditional parade in front of the Palace – a favourite among locals – was downsized to an intimate taking of arms and awards ceremony in the Palace court, which was broadcast live on social media and government-run network Monaco Info.

The Princely Family’s traditional appearance from the Palace windows therefore didn’t take place.
And while the public were largely absent from this year’s celebrations, Monegasque flags flew proudly in windows throughout the Principality as citizens celebrated their country and their prince.
Starting the day at 10am was the Te Deum mass in the Cathedral of Monaco, led by Archbishop Dominique-Marie David, also attended by the Princely Family.
Click on the images below to enlarge…