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Month: June 2021

Opening of Monaco’s first summer pop-up restaurant

by: Stephanie Horsman
09/06/2021

Popular delivery and click & collect eatery Mezze Kitchen now has a brand new pop-up restaurant for summer so lovers of their delicious modern Lebanese cuisine can enjoy a sit down meal featuring all their favourite dishes.

Three passionate chefs, Riccardo Giraudi, Maxime Giaccardi and Albert Hahas, came together this year to offer fresh, yummy Lebanese dishes for lockdown-starved patrons looking for something a bit different than the usual fare of frozen pizzas or endless leftovers.

The concept was a catered-only set-up offering click & collect or delivery options only. This was fine during the lockdown, but now that life is slowly returning to normal, the trio decided to add another dimension to their dining experiences, namely the opening of a pop-up restaurant on Rue du Portier, which will serve up all the same exquisite fare, but give diners the option to eat out.

The dishes are authentic as well as delicious and include such wonders as a Fattoush Salad that features croutons made of Lebanese bread, a beetroot Mouttabal is a visual as well as culinary hit with its pretty pink colour, Makanek sausages are glazed with a sweet pomegranate molasses sauce, and beef Shawarma tickles the taste buds with its spices and grilled onions.

Meat-eaters will adore the Mousakhan rolls with pulled chicken, Shish Taouk chicken skewers or ground beef and lamb Kafta, whilst vegetarians will go crazy for the roasted cauliflower with roasted almonds.

Desserts include classic baklava, a selection of uniquely flavoured ice creams or, for those looking for something a little out of the ordinary, Mouhallabiyeh, an orange-blossom infused creamy mix of milk and cream with just enough sweetness added.

Lunch menus can be had for €22 and include choices such as the Mezze Bowl, or a selection of cold mezes and grilled meats.

Mezze Kitchen still delivers as well, from Tuesday through Sunday, for both lunch and dinner.

 
 
Photo by Fabbio Galatioto – Mezze Kitchen 
 
 

Fête de la Musique at Fort Antoine

by: Stephanie Horsman
09/06/2021

Celebrate the summer solstice with Faada Freddy’s heady soul music, taking place for Fête de la Musique this year not at the port, but at the Fort Antoine Theatre.
For many, the Fête de la Musique signifies the traditional start of summer on the Côte d’Azur. Held on 21stJune, the actual first day of summer, music fills the air in every town and village in the area.
This year, the Fête in Monaco will be extra special, not least because it will be the first since the onset of the pandemic, but also because it will be at a new location.
Monday 21st at 8pm, music lovers can gather at the Fort Antoine Theatre to hear Senegalese R&B, soul and gospel singer Faada Freddy perform his hauntingly beautiful songs that are popular the world over.
The free concert has been organised by the Monaco City Hall and will be held by reservation only, with all health precautions in place, such as compulsory mask-wearing and designated seating.
Tickets to the concert will be distributed on Monday 14th June at the Espace Léo Ferré upon presentation of a Monegasque national ID card. There is a two ticket maximum per ID card. In the event that tickets are not completely sold out on Monday, those holding residency permits will be allowed to collect tickets on Tuesday 15th June.
Faada Freddy, the stage name for Adbou Fatha Seck, grew up in Dakar, making guitars from tin cans in order to fulfil his dreams of becoming a musician. He travelled the globe with his group, Daara J and collaborated with several international stars such as Wyclef Jean of the Fugees and Damon Albarn from Blur and Gorillaz.
Freddy went solo in 2014 and his critically acclaimed album, Gospel Journey, was recorded without any instruments, only his voice and body percussion were used, accompanied by backup vocals and finger snapping.
For more info on how to see Faada Freddy, call +377 93 10 12 10 or go to the Espace Léo Ferré website at www.espaceleoferre.mc
 
Photo of Faada Freddy by Barron Claiborne
 
 
 

Harnessing GP fever for a good cause

by: Cassandra Tanti
09/06/2021

Important funds were raised over the Grand Prix weekend for two charities supporting mental health among yacht crew, an issue that needs more funding and awareness within the industry.
While yachting can deliver crew incredible adventures to remote parts of the world that few other occupations could offer, it is also a hard career both physically and mentally.
According to a survey by the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN), 82% of superyacht crew had experienced low crew morale, 57% of women and 39% of men had suffered from social isolation or loneliness, and 55% of female respondents found accessing mental health care to be a challenge.
Meanwhile, 53% of women and 30% of men said they had experienced discrimination, harassment or bullying from the owner, crew or guests, most commonly from captains or other senior crew.
In 2019, Will Faimatea, director and founder of Bond TM, spotted an initial funding request by Colin Squire of Yachting Matters. He told Monaco Life: “After further talks with Colin and Brendan O’Shannassy, I realised that they had been looking for funding for some time and I decided to donate the initial funding to start the Yacht Crew Help, a division of ISWAN.”
Yacht Crew Help is an online toolkit that provides crew with a direct line to free, 24-hour emotional support, guidance, and useful health and welfare resources.
“As a former yacht crew member who has come ashore, I feel compelled to give back to the industry and support the crew who may need it,” said Will Faimatea. “As well as the helpline, this project increases awareness in the industry that the mental health and wellbeing of crew is just as important as it is in other walks of life and everyone should learn to recognise any warning signs in themselves and in others, and do what they can to assist.”
On the terraces of Bond TM, overlooking the start line of the Monaco Grand Prix circuit, fans gathered ahead of the race to enjoy the atmosphere. It wasn’t just the thrill of the GP that had drawn them there, it was the knowledge that their money was contributing to this important support network, Yacht Crew Help, as well as a second charity, Sail2help, which raises awareness of mental health issues among all young people and finances support strategies.
In total, over €7,600 was raised for the two charities – a figure that could have been higher if health measures restricting numbers were not in play over the grand prix weekend.
Still, it is a great achievement, and Will Faimatea hopes that it is just the start of continued support for the two important causes.
“I would like to see Yacht Crew Help have sustainable funding and I want to raise awareness of this need for funding amongst the companies that work in the yacht industry, as well as increase the awareness amongst yacht crew,” says Faimatea, who is now looking to create an industry awareness day that will be followed by regular mental health education among crew.
People wishing to donate to the charities can do so here:
Yacht Crew Help: https://justgiving.com/campaign/yachtcrewhelp
Sail2help: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/tim-davies-9643
 
 
Photo: Shutterstock
 
 
 

Carabinier concert for charity

by: Stephanie Horsman
09/06/2021

The Prince’s Carabiniers Orchestra will be holding a jazz concert Wednesday night and during Fête de la Musique to benefit two local charities.
Get set for an evening of fantastic jazz when the Prince’s Carabiniers Orchestra play on the roof terrace of the Lycée Albert 1er on Wednesday 9th June at 7pm, with all proceeds going to local charitable organisations Monaco Disease Power and Monaco Humanitarian Aid.
The concert will not only provide entertainment but will have a two-fold purpose as well. Firstly, it will allow student members of the H2O Humanitarian Club from the lycée to carry out the actions they have been striving toward all year, namely the integration of those at the school with disabilities.
Several other activities were carried out throughout the school year to benefit the two charities, and this final concert will give them the ability to donate sums to help improve the daily lives of disabled people in the area.
Additionally, the concert will allow the Corps of the Prince’s Carabiniers, currently in a recruitment phase, to introduce themselves and the opportunities that life in the corps can offer to post-baccalaureate students as a career path.
This concert will be the first of three this year, the other two being a performance during the Fete de la Musique on 19th June and another at the Universal Expo in Dubai on 13th November.
Entry is free for the concert at the lycée, but reservations are required. To get a seat, email concertcarabiniers@gmail.com or go directly to the Lycée Albert-Ier.
 
 
 
 

Prince rewards Ugandan hospital

by: Cassandra Tanti
08/06/2021

Prince Albert has awarded his Prize for Innovative Philanthropy to Dr Mutahunga Birungi, on behalf of the Bwindi Community Hospital in Uganda, for its commitment to providing access to healthcare for the region’s poorest communities.
Prince Albert delivered the award on Monday 7th June, as part of the 11th edition of the Prince’s Round Table for Philanthropy.
Dr Mutahunga Birungi, Executive Director of the Bwindi Community Hospital, received the 2021 Prince’s Prize for Innovative Philanthropy in recognition of the exceptional work carried out by his community hospital in Southwestern Uganda.
The prize is a joint initiative of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Tocqueville Foundation, to reward and support innovative projects that encourage philanthropy in the service of sustainable societal innovation.
The Bwindi Community Hospital (BCH) was founded in 2003 by Dr Scott Kellerman and his wife Carol to help the Batwa indigenous community who used to live in the Bwindi Forest, before it was registered as a sanctuary for mountain gorillas.
Each year, the BCH deals with more than 40,000 consultations and directly hires thousands of people for local actions in the field of healthcare.
The hospital’s health insurance plan, eQuality, allows 28,000 people to have access to quality healthcare without incurring costs that are unaffordable for these communities. The BCH also offers a waiting house for Batwa women with a high-risk pregnancy to ensure they are cared for by a qualified midwife during labor. This involvement has helped to increase the number of hospital deliveries to 90%, whereas 10 years ago it was only 35%. Meanwhile, child mortality has lowered from 120 to 46 deaths per 1,000 births.
The BCH aspires to become a regional centre of excellence, providing tertiary healthcare to train high-level professionals and play a leading role in the field of healthcare research and innovation.
In receiving the award, Dr. Birungi thanked the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Tocqueville Foundation for considering the Bwindi Community Hospital as worthy of the honorary distinction: “I feel extremely humbled that, from an open-air clinic for Batwa indigenous people 18 years ago, Bwindi Community Hospital has grown to make a reasonable contribution to improving access to healthcare and health training, especially for those who need it most. Our achievement has been a collective effort of the community, staff and many other people acting as individuals or as organisations from different walks of life.”
Dr. Birungi added that it is by “acting together that we make the world a better living place for ourselves today and for those coming after us.”
Dr. Birungi’s emphasis that “we share one planet” echoes the theme for this year’s edition of the Prince’s Round Table for Philanthropy: Planetary Health.
Each year, this closed-door event brings together, alongside the Prince, major international philanthropists who wish to discuss the role of philanthropy in the face of the major challenges the world currently faces.
“At a time when the pandemic has turned our societies upside down, it was essential to address the question of the relationship between planetary health and global health,” says the Prince’s Foundation in a statement.
Laurence Tubiana, Director of the European Climate Foundation and Chair of the Board of Directors of the French Development Agency, and Prof. Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Research Institute on the Effects of Climate Change and Professor of Earth System Science at the University of Potsdam, also shared their expertise in climate action and governance before establishing the close link between human health and planetary health.
 

Photo by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation
 
 
 

Here’s what’s allowed in France from 9th June

by: Stephanie Horsman
08/06/2021

Wednesday marks the third of a four-phase reopening strategy in France. So, what exactly is about to change from this week?

From Wednesday 9th June, people in France will be given more freedoms and options as the rules in place from the last national lockdown are gradually lifted.

Amongst the things set to change are some very welcome adjustments, including the reopening of indoor seating in restaurants and cafés. Previously limited to terrace-only service, customers will be welcomed back inside, albeit with a 50% percent limit on capacity and a six-person maximum per table. Customers must, however, provide contact details in order to take advantage of indoor seating, with many cafés offering a scannable QR option to make the process simple.

Rules on terraces will also change, allowing establishments with outdoor space to operate at full capacity, though the six person per table restriction will still be in effect.

Meanwhile, the curfew will be shortened, going from a 9pm shutdown to 11pm. Those out between 11pm and 6am will still need an attestation citing an essential reason for being out, but the more summer-friendly hours will allow people a much-needed feeling of normalcy.

Gyms and pools will also reopen, though there will be strict health protocols and limits on the number of people who will be able to be at these facilities at one time. Spas will also be able to reopen at full capacity. 

The introduction of the travel ‘traffic light’ system also goes into effect on 9th June. As earlier reported by Monaco Life, this scheme entails a green, orange and red list of countries who are allowed in to France under differing criteria based on the current health situations in their nations.

Health passports will come into use. Already operational via the TousAntiCovid app, users can scan in vaccination certificates or recent negative Covid tests from the My Wallet section. From the 9th, this will be an entry requirement for certain large events, such as concerts and sports matches.

With the advent of the health passport, events of up to 5,000 will also be allowed once more, subject to rules regarding social distancing and the usual protections.

Tourist sites, shops, cinemas and museums will also be able to welcome the public back with an increased capacity. They were reopened in May but had to allow 8m2 per guest. Now that has been decreased to 4m2 per person, making these venues more accessible. Cinemas and theatres can have up to 65% normal capacity, with a maximum or 1,000 patrons, or 5,000 with a health passport.

Guests at weddings and civil ceremonies are limited to 50% venue capacity and funerals can have up to 75 attendees.

Many of the larger and more popular attractions are requiring advanced bookings, so it is wise to check ahead of time to ensure there will not be entry issues.

The French government is no longer asking people to work from home, though it is still recommended. The advice is to allow for a gradual return to the office to be sorted amongst workers and employers to avoid a mass return.

“This must be the starting point of a move to find the right balance between face-to-face and remote working, and to put in place new practices,” said Labour Minister Elisabeth Borne.

With all the changes, there are still some things that will stay the same.

Nightclubs will remain closed, gatherings of more than 10 people in public spaces are still discouraged, and masks are still mandatory in public indoor spaces, with a risk of a €135 fine for non-compliance. Most cities are also still requiring masks in outdoor public spaces as well, but this is location dependent.

 

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