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Month: May 2024

Swiss Ocean raises the profile of mental health awareness in yachting

by: Niki Borisova
29/05/2024

Anxiety and stress are the two leading factors that contribute to mental health issues for yacht crews, said experts discussing the importance of wellbeing at a Swiss Ocean conference earlier this month, an event that highlighted the need for better awareness and support in the industry. 

Held during Mental Health Awareness Month, the recent Setting Sail to Wellness event that was hosted by the Yacht Club de Monaco and organised by Swiss Ocean Yacht Management honed in on the prevalence of mental health issues, and ways of mitigating and providing support to crew, in the global yachting industry.  

The wellness conference was held in a panel style with four speakers, each an expert in their industry. 

Among the speakers was Marinos Kokkinis, Managing Director of OneCare Group, a leading health, wellbeing and e-Learning platform for the maritime industry, who highlighted how while one in four people suffer from mental health issues, it is a subject that is often overlooked.  

According to a study into mental health in the yachting community, the leading factors in the degradation of mental health are stress (69%) and anxiety (57%).  

“It is not just mental health we need to be aware of; physical health is just as important as they can both have an impact on each other,” explained Dr Jens Tulsner, CEO of Marine Medical Solutions, a member of OneCare Group. “Medical issues also create mental health issues as they cause a high level of stress.” 

“It’s important to invest in your crew,” said Claire Ferandier-Sicard, CEO and Founder of Empowering Sustainable Yachting ETYC.  

Kokkini, meanwhile, added, “Mental health cannot be achieved overnight; it’s a slow process which takes time.” 

Speaking to Monaco Life at the conference event on 5th May, Louise Holloway, the Managing Director of Swiss Ocean, shared her motivations for spearheading talks on how to improve mental health support pathways as well as awareness in the yachting sector, saying, “Yachting does get under your skin, and it’s an industry I’m very passionate about.” 

Read related:

Blue Ducks: A mission to bring yacht crews’ mental health to the fore

 

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Left to right in photo: =Thorsten Kinzl, Louise Holloway, Claire Ferandier-Sicard, Marinos Kokkinis, Ingrid Gantad and Doctor Jens Tulsner. Photo by Monaco Life

Spanish Days at the Café de Paris

by: Elsa Carpenter
29/05/2024
café de paris

Over five days in early June, the Café de Paris Monte-Carlo will be celebrating the vibrance and variety of Spanish cuisine alongside live music and performances by an authentic Flamenco group. 

Between 5th and 9th June, the colours, tastes and sounds of Spain will be in the spotlight at the Café de Paris in Monaco’s Casino Square.  

In addition to a special menu produced by tapas chef extraordinaire Fernando Lopez, an expert Iberian ham slicer, Sandra Fernandez, will be in residence in a showcase of this typically Spanish gourmet fare. 

There will be music too, courtesy of singer Alvaro Alcaidhe, as well as emotive performances by Flamenco group Jose Lucena.  

To reserve a table at the Café de Paris’ Spanish Gastronomic Days, click here.  

Read related:

Presenting Monte-Carlo SBM’s Route des Grands Crus 

 

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Photo credit: Monte-Carlo SBM

 

 

World Environment Day: head to Larvotto Beach 5th June

by: Cassandra Tanti
28/05/2024

In celebration of World Environment Day, the Principality of Monaco is hosting a series of fun activities dedicated to the environment.

World Environment Day is observed annually on 5th June and is a United Nations initiative aimed at promoting environmental awareness and action.

The Société Monégasque d’Assainissement (SMA), the Department of the Environment, the Beyond Plastic Med (BeMed) the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation (FPA2), the Monegasque Association for Nature Protection (AMPN), and the Pelagos and Ramoge Secretariats are joining forces to present an exciting programme for the whole family at Larvotto Esplanade.

Wednesday 5th June schedule

The day will kick off at 9am with a waste collection operation. Two teams will work simultaneously: one at sea and the other on land.

Following the waste collection, a waste characterisation session will take place from 10:45am to 11:30am, to help people better understand the nature of the collected waste.

Starting at 2pm, various activities and workshops will be held at the Larvotto Esplanade, including booths from various partners, an escape game workshop, a waste fresco workshop, and a goose game workshop for children. The workshops will conclude at 5pm.

The Pelagos and Ramoge secretariats will also organise the signing of the RAMOGE Charter of Commitments for the Posidonia Alliance, an initiative that allows any marine stakeholder to commit to the preservation of Posidonia.

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Photo by Monaco Life 

Rockin’ Peille to raise funds for the Fondation Flavien

by: Niki Borisova
28/05/2024
rockin' peille

The upcoming Rockin’ Peille concert on the Plateau de Saint Pancrace is set to feature performances by more than 50 musicians as well as a motorcycle troupe from the Principality. The charity event will be donating a significant portion of the funds raised to the Fondation Flavien, a Monaco-based organisation dedicated to furthering paediatric cancer research.  

This Saturday 1st June, the Plateau de Saint Pancrace in Peille will welcome a host of rock and rollers for its annual charity event. 

It will all kick off at 6pm with a motorcycle parade organised by Rebel Rider Monaco, with the live music then to begin at 9pm and last well into the evening.  

Among the acts scheduled to perform are Blood Sugar, a Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute band. In all, some 50 musicians will be playing during the course of the concert. 

A portion of the funds generated by the event will be donated to the Fondation Flavien, a Monaco-based organisation set up by Denis Maccario, the father of a young boy who lost his fight against metastatic brain cancer 10 years ago. Today, the charity plays an important role in advancing research into paediatric cancer as well as acting as a source of support to the families of children affected by this horrible disease. Since its inception in 2014, the Fondation Flavien has donated a staggering 853,000€ to research projects.  

Food and drinks will be available on-site at the Rockin’ Peille event, while a designated parking zone will be provided around 200m away. Tickets cost €10 per person.

For more information about the concert as well as how you can make a donation to the Fondation Flavien, click here. 

Read related:

Prince’s Palace glows orange for Flavien Foundation

 

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Photo source: Rockin’ Peille / Facebook 

Private collection featuring early Picasso works to be auctioned by Bonhams

by: Stephanie Horsman
28/05/2024

A private collection that features the early works of Picasso and has never before gone under the gavel is set to be auctioned by Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris next month.  

On 5th June at 6 Avenue Hoche in the French capital, Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr will be presenting an incredibly rare and valuable private collection of Impressionist and Modern artworks that includes some of Pablo Picasso’s earliest pieces. 

See more: Stunning results achieved at luxury car auctions by Artcurial Motorcars, RM Sotheby’s and Bonhams

Among them is El campanar de l’església del Pi, one of several tributes made by the legendary artist to his adopted hometown of Barcelona. The piece is a beautiful, sentimental view of the landscape overlooking the Church of Santa Maria del Pi, one of the city’s most recognisable and iconic Gothic landmarks.  

“In this view of the city, painted from the balcony of his studio on the neighbouring street of Nou de la Rambla, which Picasso shared with his friends Ángel Fernández de Soto and Josep Rocarol, we find his taste for simplified lines and efficient composition, punctuated by successive shots. The foreground, composed of roofs, is executed with rapid, confident touches,” say representatives for the auction house of this exquisite piece.   

What makes it even more poignant is that the painting coincides with a transitional period in the artist’s life, following the 1901 suicide of his great friend Casagemas, an event that influenced the latter blue hues of his work. 

El campanar de l’església del Pi has been held in private collections for the entirety of its existence until now, and the auctioneers are estimating that it will sell for a figure in the vicinity of €600,000 to €800,000.  

Other notable pieces going under the gavel include an Édouard Vuillard piece called Madame Vuillard en peignoir rouge, painted around 1911, which is expected to go for €140,000 to €160,000, and an exquisite Rembrandt Bugatti entitled Trois panthères marchant. Designed and executed around 1905, this work is an utterly unique piece that auctioneers predict will fetch between €3,500,000 and €5,500,000.  

Click here for more information on this major art auction event.   

Read related:

Bonhams to auction iconic panther sculpture by Rembrandt Bugatti

 

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Photo of Picasso’s El campanar de l’església del Pi courtesy of Bonhams

Pool days in Monaco: An insider’s guide to the best places 

by: Niki Borisova
28/05/2024
pool monaco

From hotel pools with special day rates to rooftop retreats and saltwater swimming, here’s the Monaco Life guide to the best places to spend a day by the pool in the Principality.  

Let’s get things going at Monte-Carlo Beach, the glamourous forty-room hotel located at the eastern edge of Monaco, just over the border in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin to be exact.  

Built back in 1930, this SBM-run site is home to an incredible Olympic-sized ozone-treated saltwater swimming pool that is heated to a perfect 28°C from May through to October. It’s a great place to spend the day as a family; two diving boards will supply endless fun for the more adventurous while those who want to catch some rays can lie back on one of the many sunbeds and enjoy the show.  

Monte-Carlo Beach has an Olympic-sized saltwater pool with two diving boards for guests and visitors to enjoy. Photo credit: Monte-Carlo SBM

The ‘Sea and Sun Day’ costs €135 per person, which includes €60 worth of food and drink. The ‘Dolce Farniente Day’ for two starts at €95 per person, and the ‘Signature Day’ offer, which includes a Beach Club cabana, starts at €171 plus entrance fees. For more information, call +377 98 06 51 00.

The legendary sandy-bottomed Lagoon at Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort can also be visited by the public. Adult prices start at €140 during weekdays, rising to €180 at weekends. During the peak summer months of July and August, a day pass to this glorious outdoor swimming space costs €185 for adults and €145 for children, instead of the usual €90. Children under three years of age go free. For more information on tariffs and special offers, click here.

Next to Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort is Le Méridien Beach Plaza, which has two pools – one indoor and the other a heated outdoor pool – that are open daily between 9am and 6.30pm, as well as a children’s pool. The day rate here is €65 for over 12s. For more information, call +377 93 30 98 80.

Atop the Fairmont Hotel is Nikki Beach Monte-Carlo, and this is a pool with a view.

The rooftop pool at Nikki Beach Monte-Carlo. Photo credit: Nikki Beach Monte-Carlo

The rooftop swimming pool is open from 11am to 8pm and the poolside sun beds are priced at €220 per person plus a minimum spend of one bottle for two and one magnum for four people. For more information, call +377 93 30 07 00. 

 See more: Poolside parties and rooftop dining at Nikki Beach Monte-Carlo

At the Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo, located between the Carré d’Or and Port Hercule, guests can relax by the heated saltwater pool with Mediterranean views or enjoy the solarium, jacuzzi, sauna and hammam. Access to the Wellness Area is €150 per person. Click here to book. 

Public pools

You needn’t have a huge budget to enjoy a day by the pool in Monaco as there are several great public pools.  

First up, there’s the Stade Nautique Rainier III in the port, which features a 50m Olympic-sized heated seawater pool with diving boards, a slide, sun loungers and a good programme of activities and events. Entry rates range from €4.50 to €12 for adults, with discounts for Monaco residents, students and seniors.  

See more: The secret beaches in Monaco you might not have heard of

There’s also the indoor-outdoor Piscine Saint-Charles on the Avenue Saint-Charles. Entrance rates start at an affordable €4.80 for adults and €3.10 for children aged three to 17, with discounted prices available for Monaco residents and other select groups. For more information, click here.

Finally, there’s the Stade Louis II facility at Monaco’s main sports venue, which has three different pools to choose from. Prices start at €3.10 for adults and €1.80 for children. Opening hours tend to vary as this swimming centre often hosts sporting events. To check the timetable and for more information, click here.

Read related:

Blue Flag: French Riviera beaches among the cleanest in the country 

 

Join the Monaco Life community – sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Threads, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.   

 

Main photo credit: Monte-Carlo SBM