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Month: March 2022

Monaco welcomes the Munegu Repair Café

by: Stephanie Horsman
28/03/2022

Pull out all those broken, transportable items lying around the house and take them to the Munegu Repair Café at the Condamine Market this weekend.

Ripped clothes, chipped crockery, broken toys… everyone has a certain number of items hanging around that never get repaired, but also don’t get thrown out.

Now those items have a chance for a new lease on life at the upcoming Munegu Repair Café (Monaco Repair Café).

Affiliated with the Nice Repair Café, it’s to be a free event at the Condamine Market on Saturday 2nd April from 3:30pm to 6pm for people to bring transportable pieces to this central location to help make the repairs needed to make them almost like new again.

Tools and materials are on hand, as well as expert volunteers with skills in a variety of fields. Together, the specialists and the customer work together to mend broken items whilst at the same time learning the skills to make future repairs at home.

There are over 2,200 Repair Cafés worldwide. Advocates say they are a fun way to do good for the environment as well as being a confidence booster for people who may not have believed they had the necessary skill to make minor repairs on their own.

The pieces salvaged by Repair Cafes mean less waste goes into dumps, raw material usage is reduced, and CO2 emissions are cut because recycling uses less energy than manufacturing things new.

The idea for this ingenious scheme is Martine Postma who launched the first Repair Café in 2009 in her effort to promote sustainability in her neighbourhood in Amsterdam. Since then, it has spread to dozens of other countries around the globe such as the UK, Germany, France, Japan and India.

Access to the Munegu Repair Café is free. For more info, contact jbonnin@mairie.mc

 

 

 

Leclerc pipped at the last in eventful weekend in Saudi

by: Luke Entwistle
28/03/2022

A late overtake from Max Verstappen snatched victory from Charles Leclerc at the Saudi Arabian GP on Sunday, the seeds of another thrilling two-horse race for the title are already being sown.

It was the reigning World Champion Verstappen who had the final word on a weekend that was punctuated by big moments on and off the track. A missile attack near the circuit on Friday threw the entire race weekend into doubt, before Mick Schumacher’s heavy crash in Saturday’s qualifying led to a lengthy red flag and the safety of the circuit being called into question.

Amidst the chaos, it was the cool-headed Sergio Perez who snatched his first ever pole position on his 215th attempt with what he described as “the best lap of my life”. But having controlled his opening stint, a cruel turn of fate would deprive him of a chance of race victory.

Between the barriers of a tight street circuit in Jeddah, drivers kept it tidy at lights-out. There was little change towards the front of the field, although a lowly Lewis Hamilton set about his task of getting into the points from his 15th place starting position. The difficulty with which he set about that task was telling, his Mercedes simply doesn’t have pace in abundance this year. The Briton would go on to take just a point, whereas his new team-mate George Russel fared much better, securing fifth position.

Up top, things were largely static in the opening stages of this race, much of the action took place in the mid-field. The pick of the battles was between Alpine team-mates Fernando Alonso and Sebastien Ocon. The pair dovetailed each other before team orders put a premature end to what was an interesting, entertaining battle.

Everything changed during the first set of pit-stops. Ferrari tricked Perez into pitting early, and the very next lap, before Leclerc had taken a fresh set of tyres, Nicolas Latifi hit the barriers, bringing out the safety car.

Sunday’s Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, photo source: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office

Effectively earning a free-stop, Leclerc was primed to profit and took the lead of the race. Verstappen and Leclerc’s Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz also leapfrogged the helpless Mexican, who had seen his steady race thrown into turmoil as he dropped out of the running for the race victory.

Leclerc kept a steady gap to Verstappen until the final few laps, but after a virtual safety car period, the Dutchman closed in. Leclerc was up for the battle, however, and after Verstappen had overtaken, he used DRS on the following straight to take back the lead. A similar move a lap later saw Verstappen lock-up and flat-spot his tyres, as the chance looked to have passed.

He remained undeterred. The decisive move came just four laps from the end. Veratappen, having learned from his previous mistakes, tactically allowed Leclerc to stay ahead, thus receiving DRS on the start/finish straight. Leclerc was helpless to defend and lost the lead, when only a few laps earlier he had looked destined for consecutive wins for the first time in his career. Sainz capped off the podium and secured his second place in the drivers standings, the Spaniard sits 12 points behind leader Leclerc.

Post-race, Leclerc took a holistic view on his race, saying. “Although I’m disappointed to lose the victory so late in the race, it feels good to be fighting for wins again”. The Monegasque driver continued, “I hope it stays this close for the coming races. It’s exciting to watch and to drive like this.”

Should both cars continue to develop at similar rates, the cat-and-mouse battle that we saw on-track in Jeddah will likely be mirrored in the title battle itself, the next chapter of which will be written in two weeks’ time in Australia.

 

SEE ALSO: 

Saudi GP to go ahead despite missile attack, Leclerc starts in 2nd

 

 

 

Photo source: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office

 

 

 

Supporting Ukrainians through culture

by: Stephanie Horsman
28/03/2022

Several Monaco artists and cultural players are donating proceeds from upcoming events to the Monaco Red Cross to support Ukrainians in their time of need.

Monaco’s cultural and artistic institutions are banding together to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people, donating all event proceeds to the Monaco Red Cross to distribute where they are most needed.

The Monte-Carlo Opera’s premiere of Wozzeck on 25th March was the first participatory event.

Upcoming events include a Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra Concert being held on 31st March during the Monte-Carlo Spring Arts Festival at the big Top in Fontvieille, followed by a play by Edouard Baer entitled ‘The Lucubrations of a Man Suddenly Struck by Grace’ on 7th April at the Princess Grace Theatre.

Then the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic will be performing a concert by Maria João Pires on 8th April at the Auditorium Rainier III, which will be conducted by Kazuki Yamada.

On 28th April, the Ballets de Monte-Carlo will dedicate the premiere of Oeil pour Oeil at the Grimaldi Forum to the cause, as will the ‘My Land Circus and Dance Show’ on 10th June at the Grimaldi Forum.

Additionally, the Rencontres Philosophiques de Monaco (Monaco Philosophical Meetings) is putting together an evening of solidarity with Ukraine and supporting researchers and students who are victims of the war on 28th March at the Maison de l’Ocean in Paris.

Finally, the New National Museum of Monaco plans, within the framework of the actions initiated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the Blue Shield, to participate in the sending of equipment to help protect the collections on site.

For information or tickets to any of these events, visit the individual websites.

 

 

Photo of the Prince Grace Theatre, by Monaco Life

 

 

 

 

Mixed bag for Roca Team following hectic weekend schedule

by: Luke Entwistle
27/03/2022

Three games in as many days yielded contrasting results for AS Monaco Basketball. Out of the French Basketball Cup, they can now concentrate on securing an increasingly likely Euroleague play-off spot.

Victory over Spanish side Baskonia on Friday rarely looked in doubt (78-68). Whilst the usual suspects (Donatas Motiejūnas, Mike James) underperformed relative to their recent high standards, more peripheral players stepped up when needed most.

Will Thomas finished as top scorer on the night with 16, whilst Dwayne Bacon (14) and Donta Hall (10) also impressed. Hall, who had 100% accuracy on the night, has a particular knack of getting fans to their feets, his emphatic dunks and impressive defensive blocks punctuate games like exclamation marks.

Alpha Diallo (10) also impressed, and in light of a quieter performance from James, also took up the role as playmaker. The match was decided during another spectacular second-quarter (24-13), as Sasa Obradovic’s men managed the game through the second-half.

Monaco’s star performer on the night Thomas told Monaco Life that he believes the side are in a good position to secure the play-off position. “We are in a better rhythm, a better mood as a team. The guys are playing really well together on both ends of the floor.” The American continued, “I think it’s in our hands (play-off qualification). We just need to win the next two games, or at least just one of them and we’ll see what happens.”

As Obradovic pointed out, however, his side isn’t over the line just yet. “We have two games to go. These will be two finals.” A trip to Milan and a finale at home to Alba Berlin stand between Monaco and a Euroleague play-off spot. Should they secure it, it will be an impressive feat for a team that are making their debut in the top division of European basketball this season.

Monaco didn’t fare as well in the domestic cup competition. Playing their second game in less than 24 hours, there was understandably a great degree of squad rotation. However, it was Paris Lee (16) and Hall (12), both of whom were prominent in the game against Baskonia, who were pivotal against Bourg-en-Bresse as the Roca Team secured their semi-final place in Angers (74-65).

Danilo Andjusic (12) and Yakuba Outtara (10) were also impressive, the performance of the former was especially noteworthy given that it was his first match back following injury. Victory ensured that Monaco would play a gruelling third match in as many days. Those hours in transit and on the court eventually caught up with them.

A second-half collapse, and subsequent overtime mauling saw Monaco fall out of the competition at the doors of the final (86-73). Having constructed a 12-point lead during the opening two-quarters, Obradovic’s men lost control of the match after half-time, and although Outtara took the game to overtime in the dying seconds, it wasn’t enough. Monaco had run out of steam, their exhaustion reflected in the 16-3 scoreline in the overtime period. Although undoubtedly disappointed not to reach next month’s domestic cup final, the Roca Team’s season is far from over.

On course for the play-offs in their domestic division, Monaco could also put themselves on the brink of European play-off qualification with a win in Milan on Wednesday.

 

 

Photo source: AS Monaco Basketball

 

 

 

 

 

Saudi GP to go ahead despite missile attack, Leclerc starts in 2nd

by: Luke Entwistle
27/03/2022

The metaphorical political cloud that lingered over the beginning of the 2022 F1 season turned literal on Friday, as cars raced on amidst a backdrop of black smoke emanating from a destroyed oil depot. 

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for the missile attack, which took place less than 10 miles from the Jeddah Circuit. The billowing black smoke engulfed the sky, and could even be smelt by drivers, who were participating in the first free practice session.

Current World Champion Max Verstappen could be heard asking over team radio, “I can smell burning… is it my car?” Friday’s second free practice session was subsequently delayed by 15 minutes, whilst drivers discussed whether they wished to continue racing long into the night.

The Grand Prix Drivers Association (GDPA) released a statement on Saturday detailing the outcome of that discussion, which is thought to have lasted four hours, and only finished at 2:30am local time.

The statement read, “It has been a difficult day for F1 and a stressful day for us F1 drivers… On seeing the smoke from the incident, it was difficult to remain a fully-focused race driver and erase natural human concerns.”

The GDPA statement then went on to detail the assurances given by F1 and Saudi government ministers before reaching their conclusion. “The outcome (from the talks) was a resolution that we would practise, qualify today and race tomorrow. We therefore hope that the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be remembered as a good race rather than for the incident that took place yesterday.”

This was then followed by a joint statement from F1 and the FIA confirming that “the 2022 FIA F1 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will continue as scheduled.” It added that “extensive discussions between all stakeholders” had yielded assurances regarding the security of the event.

The build-up to the new F1 season has been shrouded in controversy. Following the cancellation of the Russian Grand Prix, there were further calls for the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix, this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and the season finale in the United Arab Emirates. These calls were based on those states’ continued involvement in the Yemeni war.

Saudi Arabia faces allegations of indiscriminate bombing of civilians in Yemen. Against this backdrop, their hosting of an F1 race is seen as legitimising the purported atrocities of the Saudi regime.

It could be seen as falling under the category of “sportswashing”, where nefarious actors, often states, use the hosting of events, such as an F1 race, or as Russia did in 2018 with a World Cup, in cleaning their global image.

In only the second race in Saudi Arabia, you could argue that the regime’s attempts of sportswashing have failed, as the rising cloud of black smoke sullied the Saudi sky and shone the spotlight on the ongoing conflict in the region.

For now, F1 has decided to race on through the crisis, although it remains to be seen whether there will be a change in strategy regarding its race selection process. The latest crisis will inevitably precipitate a discussion about F1’s pick and choose policy regarding its response to state terrorism. Regardless of what happens on-track on Sunday, this race weekend will inevitably be remembered for what happened off it.

After claiming top spot on Friday, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was just edged out of pole position on Saturday as Sergio Perez snatched a first career pole in the final moments with the pair split by just two-hundredths of a second. Carlos Sainz will start Sunday’s Saudi Arabia Grand Prix in third, making it a Ferrari 2-3. The race starts at 7pm Monaco time.

 

Photo source: Scuderia Ferrari Media Centre

 

 

 

 

New dining experience: Em Sherif at the Hôtel de Paris

by: Cassandra Tanti
26/03/2022

Monaco’s new Lebanese fine dining restaurant will open its doors in the Hôtel de Paris on Saturday 2nd April with Executive Chef Yasmina Hayek at the helm, daughter of the restaurant’s founder.  

Em Sherif already has a worldwide presence with restaurants in locations including London, Cairo and Riyadh, all flying the flag for Lebanese culture.

Now, the family-run restaurant has set its sights on Monaco.

Founded by Mireille Hayek, Em Sherif is known for indulging diners’ senses with high-quality, traditional Lebanese cuisine.

Heading the kitchen in Monte-Carlo is Mireille’s daughter, Yasmina Hayek. Having worked for Mathieu Pacaud, who owns several Michelin starred restaurants in Paris, and two-starred Jean-François Piège, Hayek went on to join three Michelin star Chef and winner of the Bocuse d’Or Rasmus Kofoed in Denmark.

For four years, the 25-year-old has been executive chef of Em Sherif, where she describes the food as “sophisticated”, created using “techniques that in many cases have been forgotten”.

Em Sherif takes up residence in the ground floor of the Hôtel de Paris, where Alain Ducasse’s Omer operated for a short time before it’s closure at the start of the pandemic.

Monte-Carlo SBM describes its newest endeavour as “Lebanese cuisine with shades of the Mediterranean”, an “intimate menu combining passion for flavour and the philosophy of sharing”.

Stay tuned for Monaco Life’s full review of the restaurant and interview with Yasmina Hayek, coming soon!

 

 

Photos: Monte-Carlo SBM