With under a fortnight to go until the sixth edition of the Monaco ePrix, many tickets are still available, and at a reasonable price.
Only three stands are completely sold out. It is no longer possible to get seats for the first-corner carnage at Sainte Dévote, nor the final climb up from La Rascasse and into the final corner, but many thousands of seats around the track remain available.
As revealed in Monaco Life’s Everything you need to know about the Monaco ePrix, some of the best views are to be found around La Rascasse corner. This is due to the views of the pitlane, as well as plenty of giant screens to follow the action.
Photo from Cale de Halage stand by Monaco Life
But the following stands have views of a big screen as well as of the pitlane too, and still have availability:
– Tribune L – Piscine Rainier III
– Tribune T1 – Cale de Halage
– Tribune T2 – Cale de Halage
There are still many seats available in the Quai Albert II stand, where spectators can experience some of the most high-speed action with views of the Monaco port. There are even a handful of places around the iconic Casino Square, one of the better overtaking spots on a track where is notoriously hard to pass.
Photo of the Quai Albert II stand by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life
Tickets are very reasonably priced. Children between the ages of six and 15, who are accompanied by an adult, attend for free, whilst all other tickets are priced at €30. Tickets can be bought at the Monaco ePrix online ticket office or from the ticketing office at 44 Rue Grimaldi.
Maccabi Tel Aviv spoiled AS Monaco Basketball’s homecoming party, and threw one of their own inside the Salle Gaston Médecin, drawing first blood in the Euroleague playoff opener (67-79).
A hangover from the Roca Team’s Coupe de France victory on Saturday was feared and ultimately realised in Monaco on Tuesday. Intensity and aggression were present in Les Monégasques’ first five minutes, but not thereafter. It took little for the Israeli visitors, who were also celebrating their nation’s Independence Day, to wrestle control of the match from their hosts in the first game of the post-season playoffs.
350 Maccabi fans in attendance
Monaco’s efficiency outside the paint was their achilles heel; it was Maccabi’s strength. Even when struggling to contain a Monaco team, brimming with confidence in the opening plays, they could count on regular three-pointers to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Roared on by 350 travelling fans, Maccabi finished the first quarter with a slender two-point advantage thanks to an on-the-buzzer Wade Baldwin three-pointer.
Photo by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life
The momentum never truly shifted back in favour of the home side, who following the defeat are perhaps even more grateful for their home-court advantage. Alpha Diallo (15 points) scored back-to-back dunks, but then in a moment of folie, committed a reckless intentional foul to allow the Israeli side to regain a comfortable seven-point gap (27-34).
Another sedentary third-quarter
Monaco were down, but far from out at half-time (33-36). However, it was on the return from the dressing rooms that Maccabi stretched their lead to the point of unassailability.
Mike James (15 points) was called upon to produce moments of magic, but for once couldn’t produce them. In front of the waving flags of the fervent opposition supporters, he crumbled at the free-throw line, missing four of his eight free throws.
Photo by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life
His shortcomings were reflected throughout the team: simple passes went astray, only four out of 26 three-pointers found the mark, and even simple plays within the paint weren’t mastered.
Midway through the fourth quarter, there was clearly no way back for the Roca Team (52-57). An air of resignation had gripped the crowd. An Okobo three-pointer didn’t ease that ominous feeling of impending defeat, which finally did come (67-79). Monaco have work to do to overturn their deficit and progress to the final four in Kaunas.
“They took us out of our comfort zone.”
Sasa Obradovic was unequivocal in his post-match assessment: “Maccabi deserved to win today,” he began, “We weren’t mentally ready to play this one. We were too hectic and wanted to win the game too quickly. We were rushing too much and they took us out of our comfort zone and were a lot more physical than us. If you hit a couple of threes, maybe the game is different because we were okay defensively until a certain point.”
Despite a limited preparation period following Saturday’s Coupe de France triumph, the Serbian coach wasn’t searching for excuses, highlighting the team’s fluctuating performance levels throughout the season. “There can’t be any excuses. I would like to have had a normal preparation. Maybe we would have been more physical. We have shown different faces throughout the year,” he told Monaco Life.
“We have to forget this and look forward now. I believe the next match will be different,” concluded Obradovic. For Monaco, it must be if they have designs on reaching the final four, and avoiding a repeat of last season’s playoff pain.
More than five million French households will automatically receive an energy voucher to help cover rising costs this spring. Read on to check if you are eligible.
Starting 21st April, the French government began sending out cheques to help offset the high energy costs still plaguing many lower income households. The vouchers, which are awarded based on a means test, will help pay for electric, gas, fuel oil and even wood bills in some cases, as well as for specific energy projects in the home, such as the installation of a heat or geothermal pump.
The calculations for eligibility are based on an individual’s Income Tax Reference Tax (RFR) as well as personal usage. Eligibility can be checked easily and conveniently by using a simulator put out by the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
If you are eligible and still haven’t received a voucher by the end of June, there are two courses of action that can be taken. The first is an online formor you can call a dedicated hotline on 0805 204 805 from Monday to Friday and between 8am and 8pm.
The cheque is not a direct cash payment to individuals, but rather a voucher used to directly pay participating energy suppliers. The voucher is credited directly onto a customer’s account or it can be pre-assigned to specific payees in advance either online or by ticking the pre-assignment box on the energy cheque before sending it to a supplier.
If pre-allocation has been requested, reimbursement of the energy voucher will be sent directly to suppliers in April.
The range of rebates is from €48 to €277 depending on household use and circumstances.
Fresh spring produce, from courgette flowers and strawberries to garden peas and new potatoes, is flooding into the markets of the Côte d’Azur. Monaco Life rounds up the best to visit in the Principality and the south of France.
Let’s kick things off with the newest market to join the list of marchés des producteurs in the region: the Petit Marché de Monaco Ville. It only opened for the first time at the end of this March, but represents a desire to revitalise the market sites of the Principality by the Monaco townhall. For now, it is just one stall strong, but looks set to grow with plans to add a section for artisans later in the year.
The Petit Marché de Monaco Ville is the latest market address in the Principality. Photo credit: Monaco Communications Department
The Condamine Market on Place d’Armes and the Marché de Monte-Carlo on Avenue Saint Charles are also well worth a visit. Stocked to the brim with beautiful seasonal goodies from the region as well as a great international range of luxury consumables, both regularly host specialist gourmet events for visitors and locals alike.
Open air markets are a way of life in the south of France and the Cours Saleya in Nice is perhaps one of the most photographed spots in the city. On Mondays, it’s an antiques affair, but the rest of the week is dedicated by-and-large to fresh produce. You can pick up virtually everything you need for a great meal here, from line-caught seafood to locally grown fruit and vegetables. There’s also the popular Marché de la Libération just to the north of the main train station in Nice. It’s a smaller and more local resident-focused occasion, but it should be on your list for the reasonable prices and friendly atmosphere.
The Marché de Valbonne, which takes place every Friday morning throughout the year, is a mecca for residents and tourists. From clothes and jewellery to olive oil, honey, soap, furniture and candles, without forgetting bountiful stalls of fresh produce, the Valbonne market is a must-see and must-visit event. Be sure to reserve a table at one of the town’s many restaurants if you want to stay on for lunch… It gets very busy here in the summer months.
Covered markets are also aplenty and the shade they offer beneath the purpose-built roofs and awnings is much appreciated come July and August. The largest in the area are to be found at the Marché des Halles in Menton and the Mercato di Sanremo, just over the border in Italy. There’s also the Marché Forville in Cannes and the Marché Provençal in Antibes.
High solar activity over the weekend has allowed people as far south as Gap in the upper reaches of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region to get a rare glimpse of the Northern Lights.
Usually reserved for those living in or close to the Arctic Circle, the aurora borealis have been observed as far south as the PACA city of Gap in the Hautes-Alpes.
It’s all due to an intense solar storm caused by the sun over the weekend. Thanks to this, people living beyond the normal reaches of the Northern and Southern Lights – the aurora australis have also been livelier than usual – have been able to enjoy their awe-inspiring beauty for two consecutive nights.
This level of solar activity only happens a few times every decade, but seeing the aurora borealis also depends on the right metrological conditions, making their spectacle that much rarer in lower latitudes.
Incroyable #auroresboreales visibles ce soir depuis les Hautes-Alpes!! ?
Suite à une éruption solaire du type M1,7 il y a 2 jours et orientée vers la Terre.
Un évènement exceptionnel sous nos latitudes et aussi bas en France!
— Paul Marquis (Expert Meteo) (@La_Meteo_du_13) April 23, 2023
AuroraWatch UK, a group set up and run by astronomers from the University of Lancaster, were watching their dials closely on Sunday night as readings crept up to almost 1,000 nanoTeslas. Anything above 200 NT is considered enough to see the famous lights. The readings fell slightly on Monday night, and will continue to through Wednesday, when the solar storm is expected to resolve itself.
Monaco’s fire brigade has welcomed five new recruits to its ranks with an official ceremony held to mark the end of their training.
The Monaco Corps of Firefighters gathered on 19th April in the Place du Campanin in Fontvieille to officially receive five new recruits at a ceremony under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Maxime Yvrard.
The new members were handed their helmets by sponsors during the event, marking the end of their intensive five-month training course. They will now work alongside the 143 other firefighters in the Principality.
The ceremony was a solemn one; it was held in honour of Sergeant Hertier, the former Monaco firefighter who died in an unfortunate accident in 2021.
Also present at the event were Director General of the Department of the Interior Christophe Prat, Superior Commander of the Public Force Colonel Tony Varo, and Father Christian Venard, Chaplain of the Force Publique, who blessed the helmets.
