July 2023 - Page 19 of 29

Fiat 500s to swarm the streets of Monaco

12/07/2023

Iconic Fiat 500s from the 1960s will swarm the streets of the Principality at the third edition of the International Fiat 500 Meeting, which is taking place on 16th July.

For one day, the streets of Port Hercule will imitate the Dolce Vita of the 1960s with 100s of classic Fiat 500s celebrating the third edition of the Monaco International Meeting. The parade will be broadcast on a giant screen in the Principality, whilst other elements such as a ‘Fiat 500 DJ Set’ by DJ Afroman and a performance by Alice & Wondermen will add to the nostalgic spectacle.

Last year’s spectacle drew 4,500 visitors, and given the Italian manufacturer’s large following both within the borders of the Principality and beyond, organisers will be hoping for a similar turnout this time around. The team behind the event has also announced “new surprises” both for participants in the parade and spectators.

*2022 Fiat 500 International Meeting Monaco. Photo supplied*

During the festivities, there will be a conference held on the theme of ‘500 Design Evergreen’ by Roberto Giolito, CEO of the Fiat Heritage Group, and Alessandro Serpa, Honorary President of the Fiat 500 Club in Italy.

Reflecting on the upcoming third edition, the president of the event, Massimo Peleson, said, “We have had very positive feedback in terms of participation. All the club’s members are involved with joy and enthusiasm to relive the past and to always keep the world-renowned heritage of the famous Fiat 500 present.”

The event gets underway on the port of Monaco at 9.30am on 16th July and will conclude at 6.30pm.

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Photo source: Monaco International Meeting Fiat 500

Where to find the best watersports activities in Monaco

by: Elsa Carpenter

12/07/2023

A Monaco Life guide to the best watersports on offer in the Principality, and where to find them.

There are two addresses you need to remember when it comes to booking a day of watersports in Monaco: Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort and Monte-Carlo Beach.

As their seaside-themed names suggest, both Société des Bains de Mer establishments are found right on the beach, making them the ideal kicking off point for activities out on the water. The hotels are actually neighbours in the Larvotto quartier, so you can hop between the two to really make the most of the watersports on offer.

Pedalos, paddle boards and kayaks

These family-friendly activities can be enjoyed at a leisurely pace from Monte-Carlo Beach, while the higher octane watersports are to be found at the Monte-Carlo Bay pontoon.

A family of four or a duo can take a pedalo out for between 30 minutes and two hours. Paddle boards and kayaks are also available for the same times, and are a wonderfully relaxing way to enjoy the calm waters of this stretch of coast.

*Grab a paddle board from Monte-Carlo Beach and head out to explore the bay. Photo credit: Monte-Carlo SBM*

Water toys, parasailing and tubing

Head over to Monte-Carlo Bay and there’s a raft of jet-propelled fun to be had.

The jet ski sessions are available from €120 for a 20-minute ride, but Monaco Life would recommend one of the instructor guided sessions that lasts up to an hour and a half, which will give you the skills to really make the most of this exciting activity.

For children – and the young at heart – the banana boat and tubing rides start at €40 per person.

Prices for the parasailing rides that can take up to five people high in the air above the Mediterranean – a favourite activity for enjoying the sights of the Monaco and the French Riviera – start at €120 per person, but there is a gently discounted rate for groups. You can even rent a GoPro to take up with you!

Wake boarding and wake surf experiences are also available at Monte-Carlo Bay, as well as water skiing for children as young as four.

*Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort is the ultimate high-octane watersports destination in Monaco. Photo credit: Monte-Carlo SBM*

The hotel runs boat trips for up to 12 from the pontoon too. Bookings for this are required the day before.

For more information, click here for Monte-Carlo Beach and here for Monte-Carlo Bay.

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Photo credits: Monte-Carlo SBM

France to launch new fund to pay people to repair clothes rather than bin them

by: Stephanie Horsman

12/07/2023

This autumn, the French government will launch a new programme that will pay people to repair clothing items and shoes in an effort to cut down on the vast amount of fast fashion waste clogging the nation’s landfills.

Estimates put the volume of clothing and shoes that wind up in French landfills every year to be in the 700,000 tonne range. This accounts for some two-thirds of all waste destined for rubbish heaps, and is a serious environmental problem that is only getting worse.

SUBSIDIES FOR REPAIRS

In an attempt to cut down on the number of pieces being needlessly discarded, the French government is launching a new plan, starting in October, whereby people can claim back up to €7 on shoe repairs and €10 to €25 for clothes.

“From October, consumers will be supported in the repair of their clothes and shoes,” State Secretary for Ecology Bérangère Couillard said on 11th July during a visit to La Caserne, a responsible fashion hub in Paris.

These pay outs will come from a €154 million fund set up expressly to cover these expenses for a five-year period from 2023 to 2028.

RESPONSIBLE RECYCLING

The goal is to make it reflexive to try and mend things rather than bin them so as to reduce negative effects on the environment, such as the high levels of greenhouse gas emissions – some four billion tonnes – that the fashion industry churns out each year.

This new programme is all part of a reform of the clothing industry brought about by the French government in 2022. Objectives include accountability and traceability by brands, as well as giving funding to associations who reuse and recycle clothing to create a more circular economy.

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Photo source: Omar Alrawi, Unsplash

Prince Rainier III documentary to be rolled out in cinemas across Monaco

by: Elsa Carpenter

12/07/2023

Following on from the sell-out success of the “Rainier III par Lui-Même” documentary screenings earlier this month, the Yann-Antony Noghès production is to be rolled out in cinemas across the Principality.

The premiere of “Rainier III par Lui-Même” on 4th July at the Grimaldi Forum saw its creator met with a standing ovation and applause from the whole house, including the many members of the Princely family who had gathered to watch the touching documentary.

Prince Albert II of Monaco, Princess Caroline of Hanover and Princess Stephanie surrounded by other members of the Grimaldi family at the premiere screening. Photo credit: Frédéric Nebinger / Monaco Communications Department

In the run-up to the opening night, it had already been decided that a second showing should be added, on 5th July, given the speed at which tickets to the first had sold out. Now, a list of further screenings has been announced, allowing even more people to watch and enjoy the film.

“Rainier III par Lui-Même” will be shown at Monaco’s outdoor summer cinema site on 24th August. It will also be screened at the Cinéma des Beaux-Arts, found at 12 Avenue d’Ostende, on 7th September, 5th October and 2nd November. Finally, it will be the turn of the Théâtre des Variétés to host the intimate production on 25th October, 15th November and 18th December.

The film uses personal sound recordings made by Prince Rainier himself to tell the story of his fascinating life in his own words. It was created by Check Productions, assisted by historians Thomas Fouilleron and Vincent Vatrican, and with the support of the Comité de Commemoration Rainier III.

Click on the images below to see photographs of the opening night:

Read more:

Prince Rainier film screening sells out, Grimaldi Forum adds second date

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Photo credit: Frédéric Nebinger / Monaco Communications Department

Monaco mourns the accidental death of Prince’s Carabinier

by: Cassandra Tanti

11/07/2023

Prince Albert and his government have given their heartfelt condolences to the family of rifleman Sylvain Panizzi, who was killed in a tragic parachuting accident on 9^th July.

32-year-old Sylvain Panizzi, from nearby Menton, was on leave from the Prince’s Carabinierie to undertake an internship in a sports parachuting club in Pamiers. He lost his life during a parachute jump in the town of Saint-Amadou in Ariège.

According to La Dépêche du Midi, “the alert was given by one of the heads of the fire department whose job was to make sure, using his binoculars, that all the jumps scheduled for the day finished safely.”

An investigation has been opened by the Pamiers gendarmerie to determine the cause of the accident.

“It is with great sadness that the Prince’s Carabinieri Corps announces the accidental death of the rifleman Sylvain Panizzi,” said the government in a statement. “Committed to the Corps for eight years, single and passionate about sport, he lost his life during a sports parachuting jump session in Saint-Amadou (09) during his leave. The Prince’s Government shares the pain of the family and the Prince’s Carabinieri Corps and sends them its most sincere condolences.”

Photo source: Government Communication Department

Oceanographic Institute travels to La Réunion to reward local Oceano Pour Tous winners

by: Stephanie Horsman

11/07/2023

Schoolchildren from La Réunion who won awards in the Oceano Pour Tous 2023 competition have been congratulated in person after representatives from the Oceanographic Institute travelled to the Indian Ocean island.

The Oceano Pour Tous competition was set up in 2014 as a way of inspiring young minds around the world to consider the deep importance of the oceans as well as raising awareness about the environmental aspects the seas have on our way of life.

Some 600 students participated in this year’s edition and the winning classes received their awards at a ceremony held in the Musée Océanographique de Monaco in June.

However, two out of nine of the winning classes of students were unable to make the journey to the Principality… Because they are based in La Réunion in the Indian Ocean, some 8,700 kilometres away as the seabird flies!

AWARDS GIVEN

So, on 5th July, representatives from Monaco’s Oceanographic Institute travelled to La Réunion to celebrate the wins of Collège Quartier Français Lucet Langenier and Collège Chemin Morin at the Regional Council of Reunion.

The College Prize was received by sixth graders from the former who had focused on how climate change is affecting the local ecosystems, including threatened wildlife and bleached coral. The students produced a logbook on the MicroplAstics anDCorAls PathogenS (MADCAP) project being led by the Société des Explorations de Monaco in the Indian Ocean. They also produced videos, posters, poems and stories to raise awareness of the issues they uncovered.

The main prize was a donation of up to €5,000 in support an organisation practicing ocean awareness activities as well as a boat trip and a visit to the local Natural History Museum and its acclimatisation garden. They also toured the Mascarin chocolate factory, a partner and supporter of the Oceano Pour Tous competition.

The Coup de Coeur Prize was won by sixth graders from the Collège Chemin Morin, who had produced a project on coral reefs and their importance by taking an educational snorkelling trip into a lagoon followed by a coral cutting workshop. They produced a video based on their experiences, which they plan to use as an awareness-raising tool.

This team won €1,000 to be donated to an association dealing with ocean awareness activities as well as an outing to the Saint-Gilles aquarium. Furthermore, they were given financial support from Mascarin to get their video broadcast on Air Austral Airlines.

NEXT EDITION

During the visit to the picturesque island, the Oceanographic Institute announced the launch of the contest’s 2023-24 edition, which will open up to entries from not only La Réunion, but also the Seychelles, Madagascar and Mauritius.

“In the wake of the major Monaco Explorations mission carried out last fall in the Indian Ocean, the call for projects will open up to students from countries located in this region of the world,” said Robert Calcagno, Director General of the Oceanographic Institute. “By opening this competition to them, we want to remind you that there is only one ocean, that all ecosystems are interdependent, but that for each of them we must propose responses adapted to local issues and their specificities, and therefore young ambassadors as close as possible to their territories to implement them.”

Click on the images below to see more: