Towns and cities along France’s Mediterranean coastline will be taking part in a major tsunami alert operation this Friday, with the goal of informing the public what they should do and expect to happen in the event of an actual threat.
20 years ago, an underwater earthquake off the Algerian coast caused high waves and flooding throughout the Mediterranean, including on the Côte d’Azur and in Liguria.
In fact, there have been around 300 recorded tsunamis in the Mediterranean region since 1600BCE. Some of them have been devastating and have had serious repercussions on the lives of people living close to the water.
In line with World Tsunami Risk Awareness Day, which will officially take place on Sunday 5th November, nine departments along France’s Mediterranean coast have decided to organise a major tsunami warning operation on Friday 3rd November.
What to expect
The Alpes-Maritimes and Var will join the Bouches-du-Rhône, Gard, Hérault, Aude, Pyrénées-Orientales, Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud for the exercise between 10am and 10.30am.
The operation is essentially a test of the preexisting tsunami warning and information system as well as an opportunity to increase public awareness.
The public isn’t required to do anything in particular, although feedback on the system may be requested via an online form.
People are also being asked to refrain from calling the police, emergency services, prefectures or town halls if and when they receive an SMS message linked to the tsunami alert system, as well as avoid posting or sharing “alarming” tsunami-related content on social media.
Make sure you’re never left out of the conversation.
Almost 80 million people visited France in 2022, making it the most popular international tourism destination in the world and bringing in a staggering €58 billion in revenue.
From the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre of Paris to the lavender fields and rosé vineyards of the glamourous Côte d’Azur, France has a lot to offer to its many millions of tourists, who continue to flock to L’Hexagone in huge numbers year-on-year.
Somewhere between 75 to 79 million tourists visited France last year; a figure higher than the number of people currently residing in France. Spain came a close second in the European rankings for popularity, with 71 million tourists, while the UK fell far behind its closest neighbour, with little over 30 million visitors.
For the French economy, this is great news, for when these visitors choose to come to France, they spend too.
A record €57.9 billion in tourism revenues were recorded by the Banque de France in 2022, up 2.1% on 2019, the last record-busting year, despite receiving 15 million fewer people.
The main reason being given for the huge numbers are the return of both the British and the North Americans, who, like the rest of the world, were recovering from the after-effects of lockdowns and travel restrictions, and were back in droves in 2022.
94 million tourists by 2025
France’s popularity is unlikely to wane, with GlobalData, a respected London-based analytics and consulting firm, predicting a 12% jump in international arrivals from 2022 to 2025 that could equal a mind-blowing 94 million people each year.
And France seems ready to welcome them. In a recent International Tourist Satisfaction Survey organised by the government, the country scored highly for its warm welcome, accommodation options, cultural and leisure facilities, and, of course, gastronomy.
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After a successful trial phase, France is now offering the simplimmat.gouv app to everyone wanting to register a used vehicle in their name or document a transfer of ownership.
After a vehicle is resold in France, the person must declare the transfer of the vehicle no later than 15 days after having physically transferred it. This is designed to protect the seller from traffic fines that may occur with the new buyer.
Meanwhile, if someone buys a used vehicle, they must have a registration document issued in their name within the month following the declaration of transfer.
On the new Simplimmat mobile application, the administrative transfer of the vehicle and the request for a new registration document can be completed in around 10 minutes, and even carried out at the same time as the vehicle keys are handed over.
The buyer will then receive the registration document at their home three to four days later.
What are the advantages?
The Simplimmat application prevents the situation where the seller fails to declare the transfer of the vehicle on the National Agency for Secure Titles (ANTS) website, thereby blocking the buyer when they go to register the vehicle in their name.
The fact that the seller and the buyer carry out the procedures at the same time, and in the physical presence of each other, also helps to avoid errors in entering information relating to the sale which are likely to lead to administrative blockages.
The Simplimmat app also verifies compliance, so when the papers of the vehicle are not in order, Simplimmat blocks the transfer of the vehicle. The buyer therefore has a guarantee that the vehicle is not stolen, for example.
After trial phases in the Centre Val de Loire, Normandy, Yveline Brittany and Ile-de-France regions, the app is now accessible to all individuals residing in France, who sell or buy a vehicle registered in the country.
A unique “by invitation only” approach will characterise the inaugural year of Four Seasons Yachts. To learn more about this exciting new era of yachting, Monaco Life caught up with CEO and veteran travel expert Larry Pimentel.
The Four Seasons Yachts concept was launched last year in Monaco to plenty of hype, so it’s not surprising that the project returned to the Monaco Yacht Show again this year for a progress report.
By the time it’s ready for its 2025/26 inaugural season, the new Four Seasons Yacht will be unlike anything ever seen on the water. It’s being created by luxury yachting company Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings, founded by entrepreneurs and bold visionaries Nadim Ashi and Philip Levine, and crafted by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, an enterprise renowned for building and delivering some of the most impressive superyachts and luxury ships in the world.
“When we launched Four Seasons Yachts in Monaco this time last year, we were humbled by the tremendous response and excitement about the offering, which sparked unprecedented interest in this stunning project,” Larry Pimentel, President and CEO of Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings Ltd., and Joint Owner and Operator of Four Seasons Yachts, tells Monaco Life.
An opulent yacht that creates its own category
Four Seasons Yachts is a key part of Four Seasons’ future growth and strategic vision, as the company looks to capitalise on new opportunities and satisfy the market’s insatiable appetite for luxurious experiences.
Four Seasons will manage the entire guest experience, from the front of house to food and beverage, delivering the world-class amenities and service that the company is famous for.
“It’s very different in the sense that we are creating a category of one, because it’s not a cruise ship, it’s not a yacht, it’s something in between,” says Thatcher Brown, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Joint Operations at Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings and Owner and Joint Operator of Four Seasons Yachts.
Meanwhile, a Four Seasons team will manage customised shoreside experiences and overland programs.
The inaugural Four Seasons Yachts voyage will take place in the Caribbean, before heading to the Italian and French Riviera coastlines in the summer of 2026. Image source: Four Seasons Yachts
After the 2025/26 Caribbean season, the Four Seasons Yacht will be a noticeable addition to the Italian and French Riviera coastlines in the summer of 2026 as it cruises iconic yachting locales in the Mediterranean before making its way to the Adriatic Sea and the Greek Isles.
The first year’s schedule takes in 33 countries and 137 unique destinations, with an average guest journey of seven nights.
The unparalleled Funnel Suite and guest-centric layout
A defining feature of the Four Seasons Yacht will be a stunning wraparound glass window covering four levels of the elite Funnel Suite. It alone is costing $4.5 million. It will be the largest continuous piece of glass at sea and will offer incredible 280-degree panoramic views. The Funnel Suite itself will cover a total 900 square metres of combined indoor and outdoor living space, an immense floorplan that can be further expanded with vertical and horizontal connectivity, allowing guests to have one of the largest continuously connected living spaces at sea.
This ability to retract discreet soundproof walls extends throughout the entire vessel, allowing for multi-suite connectivity for extended families; 95 suites onboard can be re-configured into 65 suites with larger accommodation possibilities.
The incredible Funnel Suite. Image source: Four Seasons Yachts
Pushing the boundaries of creativity and craftsmanship
Another design-first is the yacht’s cutting-edge transverse marina, which features expansive openings across the vessel from port to starboard, offering large platforms and tiered lounging decks on both sides to maximise light and sea views. It allows guests easy access to a world of water sports adventure filled with state-of-the-art water toys in ports that are traditionally exclusive to privately-owned yachts.
Poolside
The centre of the yacht will be a bustling gathering place for guests thanks to a giant 20-metre saltwater pool; one of the largest at sea. The pool is designed so that it can be quickly emptied, the floor raised and converted into a multi-function area for performances, fashion shows and the like. The hydraulic lift design borrows inspiration from the classic Christina O yacht, which also had many famous-first features.
Amenities include no less than 11 onboard restaurants and bars, a full-service spa and a salon.
The pool area of Four Seasons Yachts. Image supplied
Who are Four Seasons Yachts clients?
The concept is being marketed to guests who frequent Four Seasons resorts and hotels, are lovers of the sea, and who are accustomed to luxury, privacy and a sense of community.
“When you see these yachts in the playgrounds of the Mediterranean, what you see are individual, beautiful yachts all coming together, socialising when they want to and then retreating to their own privacy and space when they want to,” says Thatcher Brown. “So, we took that as an analogy for designing this yacht. With the expansive indoor-outdoor al fresco terrace-deck space, you can comfortably commune with your friends. Signature suites are very residential in feel, allowing for private entertaining. Alternatively, guests can retreat to their own exclusive, expansive accommodations.”
With only 95 suites onboard, Four Seasons Yachts has made the decision to provide initial booking access to inaugural voyages by invitation-only, beginning with loyal Four Seasons guests. A waitlist is currently available for everyone else online at www.fourseasonsyachts.com.
Playing ahead of the game
“It’s not about meeting regulation, it’s about doing the right thing,” Larry Pimentel, a veteran travel expert, tells Monaco Life. “The concept is a commitment to the world’s waterways and to the environment as a whole. They are a gift, so if you’re given a gift, you should have the intelligence to take care of it.”
State-of-the-art technologies are being integrated throughout the design of both the yacht itself and the guest experience. They include the use of green energy fuels, zero emission energy sources when possible, such as solar and shoreside electrical power, water and waste management, and air emissions “far better than international requirements”. There’s also HVAC air treatment and purification, extensive waste recycling, and much more. Sustainable materials are used throughout construction and design, with local sourcing a priority.
“We took the best of what passenger shipping has, and took the best of the yachting finishes, and merged them together to create a product for which there isn’t an equal.”
The Four Seasons Yacht will also have one of the world’s first variable engines, “a bit like a hybrid car”, explains Larry, “so when it’s at anchor it can work off the battery and not the engine, preventing an enormous amount of emissions.”
Sustainability was a strong focus in building the vessel. Image source: Four Seasons Yachts
The team is working on technology that the world is simply not ready for just yet.
“We have 27 items that we focused on so, in totality when the ship comes out, it will be one of the most technologically, environmentally advanced ships,” says Larry. “Five years after that, it won’t be because the technology is coming very quick. So, what we’re trying to do is play ahead of the game.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the figures to build this 207-metre Four Seasons Yacht are staggering: over $4.3 million per stateroom, for an eventual overall cost of $450 million.
“We’ve tried to create one of the world’s most interesting hybrids,” concludes Larry. “We took the best of what passenger shipping has, particularly in propulsion and construction, and took the best of the yachting finishes, and merged them together to create a product for which there isn’t an equal. We are a hybrid product and that hybrid product is a Four Seasons Yacht in a category of one.”
Monaco’s Roca team continues to dominate the Betclic Elite Championship, securing their ninth consecutive league victory in a clash against Gravelines-Dunkerque. Two days after their impressive triumph over Maccabi Tel Aviv (107-79) in the Euroleague, the Monegasque team faced a resilient Gravelines side but ultimately emerged victorious with a final score of 91-76.
The encounter was a face-off between extremes: the unbeaten Monaco and Gravelines-Dunkerque, struggling at the bottom of the league alongside Boulogne-Levallois. Monaco’s dominance in the league persisted, reaffirming their status as the leaders of the Championship.
Jordan Loyd’s triumphant return
While Monaco’s key players Donatas Motiejunas and Mike James were absent (with Kemba Walker not registered in the Betclic Elite), their team saw a significant addition in the form of Jordan Loyd. Loyd made a triumphant return following back surgery over the summer, contributing 15 points, two rebounds, and two steals in his first appearance.
Gravelines-Dunkerque’s resilience
The scoreline, however, fails to capture the full intensity of the match, as Gravelines-Dunkerque held their ground for over a half, leading 41-38 at the 20th-minute mark. The team took advantage of Monaco’s defensive vulnerabilities, with standout performances from Vafessa Fofana (19 points, four rebounds) and Tajuan Agee (17 points, six rebounds).
Monaco’s triple threat
Yet, the tide turned in favour of Monaco after the break, largely thanks to their impressive three-point shooting, connecting on 11 out of 23 attempts. Players like Yakuba Ouattara, Petr Cornelie, and Elie Okobo ignited several long-distance shots, putting Monaco to a 15-point lead (62-48) by the 26th minute and extending it to 17 points with a decisive shot from Alpha Diallo (74-57) in the 32nd minute. Diallo was a standout performer for Monaco, contributing 16 points and two steals.
As the reigning champions of France, Monaco remains undefeated and will now set their sights on a challenging matchup against Milan in the Euroleague on Thursday. Following that, they will return to defend their national dominance against Nancy on Saturday. Meanwhile, Gravelines-Dunkerque seeks to secure their first victory as they host Le Mans on the same day.
Make sure you’re never left out of the conversation.
It was an evening that resurrected the grand balls of decades past held for Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace. On 20th October, Prince Albert and Princess Stephanie headed the prestigious guest list for the Bal du Centenaire at the Casino de Monte-Carlo, an exceptional evening that also attracted Princess Stephanie’s children Louis Ducruet, his wife Marie, and Camille Gottlieb.
