15 ° C
Profile

Day: 27 April 2021

Anyone for chess?

by: Cassandra Tanti
27/04/2021

It’s hard to miss, the giant black and white chess board that has been installed in the heart of Monaco at Casino Square. So, who put it there, and why?
Chess has enjoyed something of a resurgence lately, largely thanks to the roaring success of Netflix’s original series ‘The Queen’s Gambit’.
Safe to say, the knock-on effect has been truly global, with Google search queries for chess more than doubling, and those on the hunt for ‘how to play chess’ hitting a nine-year peak.
Monaco has its own relationship with the game through the Blitz manga series created by local company Shibuya Productions. In fact, the grand final in the latest book released in February actually takes place at the Monte-Carlo Casino.

It all creates the perfect amount of buzz around the first ever installation in the new Casino Square, which was designed to accommodate more events, a larger number of spectators, and giant installations such as this.
Titled ‘The Queen of Art’, the elegant black and white checkerboard is positioned right in front of the Monte-Carlo Casino, featuring custom made pawns brandishing the golden insignia of the Principality of Monaco.
The public are invited to look at the position of the pawns in relation to each other, as well as the clock provided by Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet, which is sponsoring the installation. Its giant size inevitably evokes the inner child in all.
And while giant art installations are nothing new in Monaco, the chess board actually forms part of a new spring campaign by the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) called the ‘Colours of Monte-Carlo’, designed to reignite interest and passion in the face of the health crisis. The story continues in the Casino itself, where a colourful lady poses in the atrium, above her a neon sign reads: ‘Life is a Game, Play it’.
The installation will remain in Casino Square until 14th June.
 
READ ALSO:

Monaco’s own manga powers ahead

Princely family inaugurates new Casino Square
 
 
Photos by SBM
 
 

Fine dining in space

by: Stephanie Horsman
27/04/2021

When French astronaut Thomas Pesquet went up to join the crew on the International Space Station last week, he took with him gastronomic meals created by the chefs of the Ducasse Council. This is what fine dining looks like in space.
The Ducasse Council and the National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) via the Centre for Assistance in the Development of Activities in Microgravity and Space Operations (CADMOS) have been teaming up since 2004 to create a range of meals for astronauts to take with them on space missions to enjoy on special occasions.
Called the Special Event Meals-SEM programme, internationally certified French meals are launched into space with astronauts, giving them treats to look forward to as an occasional alternative to the daily fare provided by the Russians and the Americans.
The latest selections were sent up on 23rd April with French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and Americans Katherine Megan McArthur and Robert Shane Kimbrough, who joined the International Space Station crew.

Photo by Sebastien SALOM-GOMIS / AFP

On the menu for this mission are meals that would make any foodie drool. Buckwheat in tandoori, radishes and baby onions; cod with Camargue black rice and piquillos; Breton lobster, organic quinori with seaweed and lemon sauce from Menton; Burgundy-style beef cheeks, carrots and mushrooms; Clafoutis with pistachio and morello cherries; and morsels of melting apples are some examples of the fare.
In all, 92 dishes are provided for the six-month mission. Life in zero gravity provides certain constraints, such as special manufacturing processes to preserve both taste and nutritional values, which are stored in a lightweight metal containers.
In 2020, 10 vegetarian choices were added to the menu to bring the grand total of choices up to 40 recipes.
Food safety is naturally a preoccupation for the chefs, second only to the flavours of the meals. This, for the last decade, has been taken care of in Pouldreuzic, a town in western Brittany, by Jean Hénaff of the Jean Hénaff Research and Development Lab whose expertise lies in ensuring the meals are safe, healthy and well within the guidelines set out by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The facility works closely in conjunction with CNES and the Ducasse Council.
Photo by the Ducasse Council

The six month process to see if a meal passes muster starts with the Ducasse Council, who develop the recipes in their own labs. The meals are then sent to Henaff’s facility to be prepared for sending and tested to find the perfect balance between something that seems like a pre-prepared canned dish and a home-cooked meal. The dishes are then tested under real conditions at food replenishment cycles at the space station.
Giving the astronauts the proper amount to nutrition is a tricky act, as definitions of “food” differ from person to person. Food choices and availability can have both physiological as well as psychological impacts on the crews. Muscle atrophy, decalcification, immune system deficiencies and cardiovascular problems are very real concerns, as are less severe conditions such as stress, nausea and relational imbalance.
The result is an effort to determine an accurate and comprehensive assessment of the long-term macro and micro-nutritional consequences of the space environment of astronauts and, on the other hand, increased consideration of possible psychological problems of the crew. These studies will eventually assist in how to best treat astronauts who go on extremely long-term missions.
Alain Ducasse heads the three Michelin-starred Le Louis XV at the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo.
 
 

Who won the World E-Bike Series in Monaco?

by: Stephanie Horsman
27/04/2021

The WES World E-Bike Series Monaco had their first race in the first round of the UCI E-Mountain Bike Cross-Country World Cup on Saturday, featuring 46 riders and a generous donation to the Princess Charlene Foundation.

WES Management and High-end Italian appliance manufacturer SMEG hosted the World E-Bike Series Monaco on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th April , marking the first race since the event was upgraded to become part of the UCI E-Mountain Bike Cross-Country World Cup (UCI E-MTB XC World Cup).

There were 46 participants in the race which had a challenging start due to the near-immediate 700 metre 15% climb the riders had to take to reach the main track after a sprint. This initial stage split the top cyclists from the pack, with as much as a 30 second gap between them and the rest.

Once tackling the uphill, the descent proved just as tough, as different riders with different styles vied for the best spots. Cross country cyclists tended to go for the trails whilst the endure set chose routes off the beaten path.

Men and women competed on the same circuit at the same time and each rider had to complete six laps around the gruelling course.

In the end the winners of the race on the women’s side were Sofia Wiedenroth from Germany racing for Specialized, Katherin Stirnemann from Switzerland in second place for Thömus RN Swiss Bike Team, and Great Britain’s Karen Pepper riding for Team Pepper Lapierre taking third.

On the podium for the men’s race were Jérôme Gilloux of France racing for E-Team Moustache in first, Swiss rider Joris Ryf for Bergstrom Werkmannshaft taking second, and third place went to France’s Hugo Pigeon riding for Scott SR Suntour Enduro Team.

During the event, WES Management presented a €5,000 cheque to Gareth Wittstock, General Secretary of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation.

 

 Photo by WES Management

 
 

New head of Education Department

by: Stephanie Horsman
27/04/2021

Isabelle Bonnal has been appointed the new Commissioner General for the Department of National Education, Youth and Sport in Monaco.
Having dedicated nearly 45 years to education in Monaco, Isabelle Bonnal was promoted to the post of Commissioner General for the Department of National Education, Youth and Sport on 18th March 2021.
Ms Bonnal obtained a DEA with honors and a Capes in Modern Letters, then began her career in the Principality’s national education system in 1978 as a Professor of Letters. After teaching in all the public and private secondary schools in the Principality, she was appointed Director of National Education, Youth and Sports in August 2011.
Her efforts were focused on the success of students during exams, pastoral care to help students achieve their best, student and staff training, and the modernisation and innovation of teaching practices in Monaco’s schools.
The enhancement of the skills of teaching staff, the development of digital technology in the service of education, support for students in their chosen orientation, support for students with special needs, the development of educational and cultural activities and sports for the benefit of students, the organisation of the annual editions of the International Day of the Rights of the Child, and helping families in difficulty through humanitarian associations are all ways in which Ms Bonnal has been involved for 10 years.
She has been given several honorary distinctions for her work over the years. She was given the rank of Knight of the Order of Grimaldi by Prince Albert II in 2011 and Knight of the Order of St. Charles in 2014. In France, she has been awarded the title Commander of the Order of Academic Palms in 2019 and was given the insignia of Chevalier de l’Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur in 2020.
 
Photo by Manuel Vitali / Government Communication Department
 
 
 

HPV: boys need vaccinating too

by: Cassandra Tanti
27/04/2021

Health authorities in Monaco are encouraging young boys to take advantage of the free HPV vaccination and help limit the risk of cervical cancer in women.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infections are easy to catch and are the cause of most cervical cancers in women.
Vaccination and screening are the two most effective ways to combat cervical cancer, and vaccinations are already recommended for young girls in the Principality between 11 and 14 years of age.
But HPV can be spread from males to females, through any skin-to-skin contact in the genital area, therefore health authorities also recommend that boys be vaccinated.
Vaccinating boys protects unvaccinated girls and women from infection and therefore the risk of uterine and vulvar cancer.
According to the latest recommendations from health authorities, HPV vaccination is recommended from the age of 11 for both girls and boys. It is administered in two doses spaced six to 13 months apart. These two intramuscular injections are necessary for effective protection.
“The vaccine against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is not compulsory, but it is strongly recommended for young girls and young boys,” said the government in a statement on Tuesday.
The vaccinations are available from a general practitioner, a paediatrician or a gynaecologist and are covered up to 80% by Monaco health insurance funds.
The Prince’s Government covers the remaining 20%, as part of the current vaccination campaign for people who do not have mutual or complementary insurance.
 
Photo by Amir Hosseini on Unsplash