March 2023 - Page 18 of 30

Cycling: Monaco’s Tour de France route revealed

14/03/2023

The contours of the final stage of the 2024 edition of the Tour de France, which will depart from Monaco before finishing on the Promenade des Anglais, have been revealed.

The Tour de France traditionally concludes on the Champs-Élysées in Paris and has done so in every edition since 1905. However, due to the French capital’s hosting of the 2024 Olympic Games, the Arrivée has had to be relocated.

As revealed back in December, the 2024 edition of the Tour de France will conclude in Nice. The Côte d’Azur city previously hosted Le Grand Départ in the heavily Covid-affected edition of 2020. There will be a discernably different atmosphere when the peloton passes through Nice in 2024.

Paris-Nice the blueprint for the penultimate stage

There will be two days of cycling around the region in July 2024. The first day (the 20th stage of the event) will see the riders depart from Nice and head towards Col de la Couillole.

The peloton will take the route followed by the Paris-Nice peloton last weekend. The penultimate stage of the Paris-Nice, won by Tadej Pogacar ahead of David Gaudu, represented a test event of sorts. The organisers of the Tour de France are sufficiently satisfied by what they saw during last Saturday’s race, which concludes with a climb up to 1,678 metres above sea level.

A historic Monaco stage

The Tour de France has not visited Monaco since Le Grand Départ back in 2009. The Principality will now host the Départ of the 21st and final stage of the 2024 event, and for the first time since 1989, the race will conclude with a time trial.

Whilst not reaching the heights of the previous day, riders must still tackle an undulating route. They will first head into Beausoleil and continue their ascent into La Turbie. They will then head west towards Èze, reaching a maximum height of 508 metres.

The riders will then descend into Villefranche-sur-Mer before concluding on the Promenade des Anglais for the final race for the iconic Yellow Jersey.

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Photo of Tour de France, Nice 2020 by C. Martino

Monegasque virtuoso Stella Almondo headlines launch of The Sea is Green

by: Cassandra Tanti

14/03/2023

Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer on Saturday launched The Sea is Green initiative at a special dinner recital, marking a year of action on the theme of the sea that will bring together art, culture and solidarity.

Under the stunning Eiffel glass dome of the Hôtel Hermitage, guests were treated to a piano concert by 16-year-old Monegasque virtuoso Stella Almondo, an art exhibition by Jean Boghossian, and a gastronomic meal and wine pairing imagined by Chef Yannick Alléno.

Echoing the pioneering action of Prince Albert II of Monaco, his commitments on the international scene and the actions of his Foundation, The Sea is Green is the first theme in a year-long campaign by the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) to promote the protection of the oceans. This will be followed by ‘New Wave’, ‘Et vogue le navire’ (And Sail the Ship), and ‘Mer de glace‘ (Sea Ice).

In launching the initiative on Saturday 10^th March, newly appointed CEO Stéphane Valeri spoke of SBM’s dedication to sustainable development, highlighting that all of the company’s establishments are Green Globe certified, and the Resort is working towards becoming one of the very first in the world to obtain this certification in its own right.

Art inspired by the sea

To give the theme an artistic dimension, SBM asked artist Jean Boghossian to come up with a series of works inspired both by the sea and by the ambition of sustainable development. As a result, the Syrian-born artist created La Mer Incandescente: plaques that mimic the sails dotting the horizon during regattas, which will be displayed in the gardens and streets of Monte-Carlo. He is also showcasing in the halls of the Hôtel Hermitage his ceramic sculptures that incorporate corals and sea shells.

“In 2016, I acquired the collection of the shell museum in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, which was due to close,” explained Jean Boghossian. “The collection was therefore able to continue to be presented to the public. They are marvels, each shell is as beautiful as a precious stone.”

*Monegasque virtuoso Stella Almondo performing during The Sea is Green event on 10th March*

Monaco’s young concert pianist steals the show

The evening highlight was Monegasque pianist Stella Almondo. At just 16 years of age, this talented performer has already garnered an impressive track record, winning numerous competitions including the Flame in Paris, the Steinway & Sons in Cannes and the International Young Chopin Competition in Switzerland.

After giving her first concert at the age of 10, Stella has since performed with the Orchestre National de Cannes, the Slovak Sinfonietta Orchestra and the Monte-Carlo Opera for the Printemps des Arts. She also performed for the National Council in Monaco, where she impressed outgoing president Stéphane Valeri so much that he invited her to take part in Saturday’s event.

Guests were treated to five concertos, including Schumann’s Sonata n°2 and Chopin’s Étude Op. 25, No. 12 ‘Ocean’.

Radio Classique Journalist and Presenter David Abiker was MC for the evening, while pianist Camille Taver amused guests with his improvisations around the theme of the sea.

Under the Eiffel glass dome

The dinner was served, for the first time ever, under the Eiffel glass roof of the Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo. The Winter Garden, as it is known, had its dome designed and erected by the disciples of Gustave Eiffel, the undisputed master of metal architecture.

The meal was specially composed by Chef Yannick Alléno (Pavyllon Monte-Carlo) to illustrate the theme The Sea Is Green.

Overall, the evening was a pleasure to the senses, combining art, music, gastronomy and creative ambition with the joy of living and an ambition to protect the ocean: Monte-Carlo in a nutshell.

Click on the gallery below to see more images of the evening…

See more in the reel below…

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A post shared by Cassandra Tanti (@cassandratanti)

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All photos source: Monte-Carlo SBM

2023 MIPIM focuses on innovation, tech and sustainability

by: Stephanie Horsman

14/03/2023

The MIPIM real estate convention is back to talk trends, challenges and the future of the market, and this year’s edition has a strong focus on innovation, tech and sustainability.

The International Market for Real Estate Professionals, more commonly known as MIPIM, is returning with renewed purpose from 14th to 17th March.

It will focus on several areas such as post-pandemic positive urban change and what markets to invest in as well as launch a new Road to Zero zone that aims to accelerate the transformation of the built-up environment towards a more sustainable model.

Held every year at the Palais des Festivals, the event is expected to see over 23,000 people attending with delegates from 90 countries and 2,400 businesses exhibiting. Additionally, a great number of the world’s leading investment managers have confirmed they will be on hand, including Isabelle Scemama, Global Head of Investment at AXA, and Henning Koch, CEO of Commerz Real.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming the world’s investment community to MIPIM 2023, who will make up around a quarter of all delegates,” said MIPIM Director Nicolas Kozubek. “With an end to low interest rates and continuing macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty, this promises to be a crucial year for cities and regions looking to secure vital capital investment to support building and regeneration projects.”

FACING CHALLENGES

MIPIM 2023 will look at the most pressing challenges facing the industry, notably those brought on by recent global events, driving change through leadership, the innovation needed to reshape the housing markets and environments, and how to bring the pieces together to do what now needs to be done.

The MIPIM Awards show, which will be taking place at the Palais des Festival’s Grand Auditiorium from 6.30pm on 16th March, will be giving recognition to projects that “seek to enhance the built environment’s prospects, in line with ESG (environmental, social and governance) goals”.

Some of the categories include Best Alternative Project, Best Mixed-Use Project, Best New Development, Best Refurbished Building and Best Urban Regeneration Project. There are 43 visionary finalists vying for the prizes, all using eco-friendly tools and approaches to their work.

NEW THIS YEAR

This year, MIPIM is launching a new Road to Zero area, which hopes to speed up the switch of the real estate world towards a more sustainable model. The 400m2 space will combine exhibition, networking and conference areas with a focus on practical methods to limit carbon emissions in the real estate industry.

For more information, please click here.

Do you have an event in Monaco or the French Riviera that you would like us to include in our What’s On section and events calendar? Please email editor@monacolife.net.

Photo source: MIPIM

Monaco Age Oncology: The stage for a radical virtual reality treatment for cancer patients

by: Elsa Carpenter

14/03/2023

Virtual reality and its ability to alleviate stress and soothe the minds of cancer patients will be the focus of a fascinating workshop at the upcoming Monaco Age Oncology conference, which takes place later this month.

In the same way that cancer treatments can be hard on the body, they can be tough for the mind and spirit too. That’s the subject of one of the workshops planned for the 2023 Monaco Age Oncology (MAO) event that will highlight the revolutionary new use of virtual reality in the care of cancer patients at the CHU Lyon Sud and Saint-Étienne Nord.

The workshop will take place on Thursday 23rd March at 2pm in the Monte-Carlo Congress Centre. There, care givers from the two hospitals will present their experiences and findings alongside a virtual reality simulation, which will give attendees personal insight into how VR could be incorporated into their own practices.

The concept uses VR headsets with digital stereoscopic technology to whisk the patient away to a different “environment” during treatment.

As Gilles Freyer, a professor of oncology at the medical oncology departments of the CHU Lyon Sud and Saint-Étienne Nord as well as the president of the Organising Committee of the MAO, explains, “The brain is focused on what it sees and what it hears thanks to the immersive device. The [patient] experiences these sensations and is disconnected from the treatment in progress.”

It is a thoroughly sensory experience that “provides patients with a state of general relaxation and offers considerable benefit against anxiety”.

“It provides psychological comfort, which is coupled with real physical effectiveness against nausea,” continues Professor Freyer. “We were also able to measure that the relaxing effects persist several hours after the administration of the treatment.”

The workshop is open to all participants of the MAO event, which runs between 22nd and 24th March. More information on the conference can be found here.

Monaco Age Oncology 2023: Major medical meet heads to Grimaldi Forum

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Photo source: Adrian Deweerdt for Unsplash

Monaco court turns down Pastor bid to halt Esplanade des Pêcheurs project

by: Elsa Carpenter

13/03/2023

A judge has dismissed a motion brought by Patrice Pastor’s SCI Esperanza that sought to overturn the decommissioning of the controversial Esplanade des Pêcheurs plot.

The Esplanade des Pêcheurs saga is nearly 10 years in the making without even a single brick having been laid. Now the path has been cleared for construction to begin, following the dismissal of a case brought by SCI Esperanza, which is run and managed by developer Patrice Pastor, that hoped to negate a decision and law passed last year by the National Council.

The law in question allows the State to benefit financially from private developments as well as securing more much-needed housing for Monegasque citizens.

Pastor and SCI Esperanza had taken umbrage with several elements of the Esplanade des Pêcheurs project and the recent law, namely the “lack of competition” and tender process in handing the plot over to the Caroli Group, and that the development is not in the public interest. All points were dismissed by the sitting judge, Didier Linotte, reports Monaco Matin.

Where do the issues with the Esplanade des Pêcheurs project originate?

There was very little mention of the Caroli Group during the hearing – this case was a direct disagreement between the State and SCI Esperanza – and it appears that any previous ructions between the Caroli Group and the Monegasque government have been put to bed.

In 2014, the State and the Société Monégasque d’Etudes et des Gestion Immobilières, now known as the Caroli Group, signed a memorandum of understanding regarding a large-scale project on the Esplanade des Pêcheurs and the government was set to submit a bill to the National Council to decommission the land. This never materalised and, less than a year later, the State withdrew all plans.

The Caroli Group was outraged and sought financial retribution to the tune of €423 million. In 2020, Monaco’s court ultimately ruled that the State should pay the developer €137 million plus interest since the filing of the claim in 2018.

Prince Albert II was forced to step in and called on his government to find a more amicable solution. This took the form of a modified project, which included premises for the State and a smaller private building than the one proposed.

As it stands today, there has been no construction work on the Esplanade des Pêcheurs.

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Photo source: Caroli Group

French Senators pass pension reform as unions plan more strike action

by: Cassandra Tanti

13/03/2023

President Emmanuel Macron’s unpopular pension reform plan is one step closer to becoming a reality after the French Senate on Saturday adopted the bill.

The upper house of the French Parliament voted 195 for and 112 votes against the text in the wake of a seventh day of nationwide demonstrations against the plan on 10th March.

The law, which aims to raise the retirement age by two years to 64, will now be reviewed by a joint committee of lower and upper house lawmakers on Wednesday.

“An important step was taken this evening with a broad vote on the pension reform text in the Senate,” French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said after the vote, adding that she believed the government had a parliamentary majority to get the reforms passed into law.

If the committee agrees on a text, a final vote in both chambers could take place as soon as Thursday, but the outcome of that still seems uncertain in the lower chamber – the National Assembly – where Macron’s party needs allies’ votes for a majority.

If the government fears it won’t have enough votes in the lower house, it could deploy a rarely used and highly controversial tool, known as the 49:3 procedure, to push legislation through without a vote.

Unions call for strikes to continue

Between the rolling strikes of certain sectors, including train services, and the unions’ call for mobilization on Wednesday 15th March, further disruptions are to be expected this week.

For the eighth time since the start of the social movement, the unions are calling on French people to take to the streets on Wednesday, the day that the joint committee will review the text.

Disruptions are expected particularly in the transport, education and energy sectors.

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Photo source: Union Locale CGT Cannes

Month: March 2023