Dates for your diary: two February Pink Ribbon events with special guest Noah Wyle

Breast cancer charity Pink Ribbon Monaco is back with two big events next month, featuring appearances by former E.R. star actor Noah Wyle.

This February, two special occasions are taking place. The first is the ‘Dare to Bear’ Gala at the Hôtel Hermitage on Friday 10th February. TV star and human rights advocate Noah Wyle, whose life was touched by the recent illness of a relative, will be in attendance.

During the gala, an auction will be held selling one-of-a-kind photos and film strips from two Alfred Hitchcock‘s classics: Rear Window and Vertigo. All stills contain either Grace Kelly or Kim Novak alone or with James Stewart.

These one of a kind pictures will be sold alongside the filmstrip for a unique piece of movie history. Also in the auction is jewellery, a watch and more.

Two days later, on 12th February, will be the annual Pink Ribbon Walk, which Wyle will also be a part of. The five-kilometre event starts at 9.45am from Port Hercule, following a route that passes in front of the Palace, the Cathedral and the Oceanographic Museum, then the Casino de Monte-Carlo terraces.

“The easy circuit will allow people of all sporting levels to participate,” say the organisers. “Children are welcome and free under 13 years old. Other participants must assist people with reduced mobility or using strollers in certain places.”

Raffle tickets will be on sale at €10 for two, and a commemorative t-shirt, offered by partner SBM Offshore, will be given to mark the event.

The walk itself is unique to others, in that participants don’t have a number on their bibs. Instead, they are asked to write messages of support or tribute to people living with breast cancer. Additionally, it is not meant to be competitive, but collaborative.

“It is not a question of completing the course in record time, but of participating in large numbers to bring visibility to the cause we support,” the association says.

The walk is organised within the framework of the Monaco Run, which offers different events for all running enthusiasts over a weekend each year. In 2023, the Monaco Run will offer 1,000m races for young and old, as well as a chance to participate in the 12-kilometre City Trail, which will take runners through the Principality’s most emblematic sites via narrow streets, parks and stairways. Five and 10-kilometre races will also be held.

Pink Ribbon Monaco has been raising funds and awareness for breast cancer since 2011 under the leadership of founder Natasha Frost-Savio. Registration for the Pink Ribbon Walk is €30, and for more information or to register for the walk and to purchase gala tickets, visit www.pinkribbon.mc or email office@pinkribbon.mc.

 

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram.

 

Photo source: Pink Ribbon Monaco/Facebook. This article was originally published on 12th January. 

UArctic meeting puts polar issues front and centre

More than a hundred people gathered at the recent UArctic Rector’s Meeting, including Prince Albert II, who emphasised the important role of universities in solving the climactic challenges facing polar region.  

UArctic is a network of universities, colleges, research institutes and other organisations concerned with education and research in and about the North Pole, who are all working to promote viable communities and sustainable economies, as well as forging global partnerships in the region.  

On 13th January, representatives from 29 UArctic-affiliated schools met at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco along with other interested parties and were greeted with a welcome address given by Prince Albert II.   

“To protect the Arctic, as with everything related to the environment, nothing would be possible without science and without the work of scientists,” said the Prince. “Nothing would be possible without such painstaking – sometimes unrewarding – efforts, which alone enable us to see beyond appearances, to understand the complex mechanisms at work, to anticipate their effects, and more importantly to find ways of mitigating and adapting to them. This is why we need to encourage research without respite, to nurture it, protect it, and to disseminate the knowledge it offers us as widely as possible.” 

The Prince Albert II Foundation (FPA2) has been a long-time supporter of UArctic and, as such, recognises the active roles universities as seats of learning can provide to the bigger picture. 

Along these lines, the Prince declared, “The specific role of universities is also due to their being not only places where knowledge is produced, but also where it is transmitted. This is also an essential quality for responding to the challenges that we face today.” 

The day unfolded by holding keynote discussions on “some of the most critical and debated issues” facing the region today. A summary will be available to read later this year.  

The meeting was also an opportunity to introduce The Polar Initiative, launched in 2022 by the FPA2 as a tool to take a proactive role in polar preservation and conservation. 

 

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram. 

  

Photo source: Daiwei Lu for Unsplash

AS Monaco’s free-scoring season in numbers

A free-scoring AS Monaco have enjoyed their best first half to a Ligue 1 season in five years. Whilst their league position may not fully reflect that, Les Monégasques still have everything to play for. 

Monaco sit just five points behind Olympique de Marseille, who currently occupy the bottom step of the podium. The Principality side’s first half of the season has been one of mixed fortunes: from the red-card-heavy start to important victories against local rivals OGC Nice and Lyon.

Ultimately, however, the club are the victim of one of Ligue 1’s most competitive seasons in many years. Those at the top, Paris Saint-Germain, RC Lens and Marseille have reached a level of consistency rarely seen in Ligue 1. Monaco themselves have managed to follow in the wake of the podium sides, largely due to their clinical finishing. If their season is to reach a successful conclusion, Philippe Clement’s side will have to keep firing at all cylinders, with none of the clubs around them showing any signs of a let-up.

29 – Monaco have scored in 29 consecutive Ligue 1 matches – the best run of any side in the top five European divisions (Premeir League, Serie A, Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1). The run dates back to March 2022, and that fateful match against PSG, that at the time changed the course of Les Monégasques season.

18 – The percentage of shots converted into goals in Ligue 1 this season (42/234). That figure is the highest of any team in Europe’s top five divisions.

42 – Monaco’s 42 goals mean that they are the second-highest scorers in Ligue 1, behind only PSG, who dispose of an attack consisting of Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Neymar. In all competitions in the 2022/23 season, nine different players have registered for the Principality side. That includes three defenders: Guillermo Maripán, Caio Henrique and Axel Disasi, who combined have scored seven Ligue 1 goals this term.

2 – The club have two players who have scored more than 10 goals in the league. Wissam Ben Yedder and Breel Embolo have both reached double figures. Amongst the top 10 European divisions, only PSG can boast such a statistic.

37 – The number of points accrued by Clement’s side in the first half of the season. That is the highest total since the 2017/18 season (41 by gameweek 19) when the club finished second in the league. The club have averaged just below two points per match.

20 – The number of points earned away from home. That is the same number as Marseille, and only PSG have earned more (22). Despite trips to PSG, Nice, Lille and Lorient, the club has only lost once on their travels in Ligue 1 this term.

The club are currently on a good run of 1o wins, two draws and two defeats in their last 14 Ligue 1 matches. With the club still also competing in the Europa League, Monaco have everything to play for going into the second half of the season, and the means to make it a great success.

 

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

Photo by Monaco Life

Podcast: This Week in Monaco #3

Listen to ‘This Week in Monaco’, our new Podcast where we talk to the journalists behind the biggest headlines of the week.  

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram. 

 

 

Historic Monte-Carlo Rally returns to the Principality

Just a week after the Monte-Carlo Rally, the historic version of the iconic race arrives in the Principality on Friday with iconic cars of bygone eras making their way to Monaco from across Europe.

The racing will begin on Saturday with amateurs and motorsport enthusiasts tackling some of the toughest routes of the region’s mountainous terrain. The grid will then return to Monaco for the prize-giving ceremony on Wednesday to round off a special fortnight in the Principality’s sporting calendar. 

An event for amateurs, participants of the 25th edition of the Historic Monte-Carlo Rally will begin their journey from five different destinations, all of which are classic courses on the WRC calendar. Over the course of a week, iconic cars of the past will make their way from Bad Homburg, Oslo, London, Turin and Reims to Monaco, arriving in the Principality on Friday ahead of the start of the competition the next day.

 

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us onFacebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Photo by Ivan Blanco Vilar

 

Five nights of Mozart in Monaco

The Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing five concerts dedicated to the works of one of the classical world’s most prolific and famous composers, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, from the end of January.

Fans of the musical genius have something to look forward to this month as the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra (OPMC) is gearing up for a series of performances running from 27th January to 5th February with their Mozart in Monaco event.

The opening night will feature pianist David Bismuth accompanied by Liza Kerob on violin, Frederico Andres Hood on alto and cellist Thierry Amadi, who will be playing pieces by both Mozart and that other classical master, Ludwig von Beethoven.

Then on Sunday 29th, the OPMC’s Artistic and Musical Director Kabuki Yamada will be conducting an evening with pianists Lucas and Arthur Jussen and violinists Liza Kerob and Ilyoung Chae, who will be performing four Mozart classics.

Then on Tuesday 31st, the OPMC will be hosting a Musical Happy Hour featuring Matthieu Bloch and Martin Lefèvre on oboe, Marie Barrière-Bilote and Diana Sampaio on clarinet, Arthur Menrath and Michel Mugot on bassoon, Patrick Peignier and David Pauvert on horns, and Matthias Bensmana on bass. They will be playing extracts from all-time favourites, including from the Enchanted Flute and Don Giovanni.

On Friday 3rd February, a completely different concert will take place featuring Xavier de Maistre on harp under the direction of Bernard Labadie. The renowned harpist will perform three pieces by Mozart, which are sure to be as hauntingly beautiful as his instrument itself.

Finally on Sunday 5th, soprano Fatma Saïd will sing pieces by Mozart and Franz Schubert alongside pianist Martin Helmchen, violinist Antje Weithaas, cellist Marie-Elisabeth Hecker, and clarinetist Marie Barrière-Bilote.

Ticket prices start at €17, with Happy Hour prices running at €13. For reservations and more information, visit the OPMC website.

 

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram.

 

Photo source: Julio Rionaldo for Unsplash. This article was first published on 5th January.