June 2024 - Page 14 of 25

When and where to see the Olympic flame in the Riviera

17/06/2024

In just under two weeks’ time, the Olympic torch will arrive in the French Riviera for a tour of seven towns and cities in the Alpes-Maritimes. Here’s all the information you need to know if you’re hoping to be a part of this historic occasion.

The Olympic flame will be beginning its tour of the Alpes-Maritimes in Villefranche-sur-Mer at 8.05am. Alice Modolo, a free-diving world record holder, has been given the honour of carrying the torch for this section of the relay, which will conclude at 8.35am at the Citadelle.

Then the flame will be heading to Grasse for a 9am depart from the Cours Honoré-Cresp. Michelin-starred Chef Jacques Chibois of the Bastide Sainte-Antoine will trace a route to the Stade Louis Perdigon with the torch in-hand over the next 50 or so minutes.

Next comes a visit to Cannes. Carried initially by former Paralympic athlete Alexandre Farrugia, the Olympic torch will leave the Chateau de la Castres just before 11.30am. Three additional sportsmen and women from the city will be given the honour of transporting the eternal flame along a route of 3km through the city to the Base Nautique de Moure Rouge via the Palais des Festivals.

Into the hinterland

From there, the flame will head inland to the mountain resort of Valberg, where it will be picked up by Olympic medallist and snowboarder Julia Pereira de Sousa-Mabileau at 1.18pm. A bicycle stage from nearby Launes to Beuil’s Place Charles Ginésy will conclude the first mountain sector of the Alpes-Maritimes route at 1.38pm.

The fifth stage will see the Olympic torch travel back down to the coast. Antibes-Juan-les-Pins will welcome the flame to the Pinède in Juan-les-Pins shortly after 3pm. Several local personalities from the worlds of sports and culture will then exchange the torch over a 4.9km route through Antibes, a city that is officially twinned with Olympia in Greece. The torch is due to arrive at the Stade du Fort Carré at 4.22pm.

Then it is back into the mountains for a depart from the zipline in La Colmiane at 4.33pm. Judo’s 2013 World Champion Loïc Pietri is expected to fly down the country’s longest zipline at speeds of 120kmph to deposit the flame at the Ecole des Neiges et d’Altitude 20 minutes later.

Grand finale in Nice

The celebrations in Nice will begin ahead of the flame’s arrival in the city, which is being projected for 5.56pm on the Avenue des Grenouillères.

A fan zone on the Quai des Etats-Unis will be open to the public from 3.30pm until 7.45pm and will feature an array of sporting events, games and activities for all ages alongside live music and special Olympics-themed shows.

Ultra trial star Sébastien Camus will begin the flame’s voyage through Nice, with other athletes expected to join him along the route on the Promenade des Anglais via the Quai des Ponchettes.

The Olympic cauldron will be formally ignited at 7.30pm.

Following its stint in the Alpes-Maritimes, the torch will then proceed on to Vaucluse and the Drôme.

For further details on the route, click here.

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Photo source: Paris 2024, Facebook

* Article originally published on 5th June 2024

France in turmoil: Unexpected alliances and snap elections shake the nation

by: Stephanie Horsman

16/06/2024

The rise of the far-right in the recent EU elections has shaken the French world of politics to its core. President Emmanuel Macron has called for a snap election in the hopes of securing a stronger position for his party, while a surprise potential alliance between the right-wing Les Républicains and the far-right Rassemblement National, formerly known as the Front National, appears to be emerging.

France stands at a pivotal juncture that could significantly alter its political trajectory.

Following the shock results of the EU elections, in which the Rassemblement National took 30 of France’s 81 seats, French President Emmanuel Macron called a snap election in an effort to capitalise on the disarray among his opponents and secure a stronger position for his party in the National Assembly. It is a risky move that will turn out to be either pure genius or a total disaster for Macron and the current centrist government.

Among the other notable developments over the last few days and weeks is the emerging potential alliance between the right-wing Les Républicains party, led by Éric Ciotti, the former President of the Departmental Council of Alpes-Maritimes, and France’s far-right, namely the Rassemblement National.

On 11th June, Ciotti called on his party to forge an agreement with Jordan Bardella’s far-right party, which was previously led by Marine Le Pen. The highly controversial move is splitting opinion among some members who fear the loss of the party’s traditional values, while others see it as a necessary evolution to remain relevant in a changing political climate.

An attempt by the Reconquête party, another far-right entity although perhaps more extreme in its views than the Rassemblement National, to join with Bardella’s party has not materialised, with their leader, Éric Zemmour, preferring to take his chances alone.

This decision led Reconquête’s Member of European Parliament, Marion Maréchal, the niece of Le Pen, to speak out, ultimately leading to her expulsion from the party.

Meanwhile, the parties on the left have called for the creation of a “new popular front” to consolidate a power base against the right.

Discussions between the Greens, the Socialists, the Communists and the far-left France Unbowed have resulted in an agreement that each will field only one candidate in each of the 577 districts in the first round of the early elections on 30th June.

This uneasy alliance will need to overcome some fairly significant ideological differences to be cohesive, including military support to Ukraine and a refusal from France Unbowed’s Jean-Luc Mélenchon to declare Hamas a terrorist organisation. If they manage to hang together, however, this grouping could be a force to be reckoned with.

These developments are a blow to Macron, whose hopes of his centrist government’s chances of gaining more control – and staving off the far-right – are starting to dwindle.

The decisions made in the coming months will likely have lasting implications for the future of French politics, determining not only the leadership but also the ideological direction of the country. As the political drama unfolds, the world watches closely, recognising that the outcomes in France could resonate well beyond its borders.

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Photo source: Emmanuel Macron, Facebook

CSM joins team of scientists tracking threatened Antarctic emperor penguins

by: Stephanie Horsman

16/06/2024

A team from the Centre Scientifique de Monaco has joined with an international group of researchers and scientists to establish a new method of tracking populations of the threatened Antarctic emperor penguin species that ingeniously combines satellite imagery, phenological data and behavioural models.

With their natural habitats facing dangerous degradation due to climate change, Antarctic emperor penguins are becoming increasingly endangered, and it is estimated that populations of the world’s tallest and largest penguin species could fall by as much as 90% by 2100.

In a bid to track their colonies and mating habits more closely, while limiting human interference, researchers from the Centre Scientifique de Monaco (CSM), the Paul-Emile Victor French Polar Institute, Germany’s Alfred-Wegener-Institut, France’s Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have joined forces to establish a new way of following the health of colonies from a safe distance.

The new methodology is based on data collected by satellite over the past two decades, behavioural models and phrenological data. This will allow scientists, who have been previously unable to track the populations by satellite between October and April due to the lack of light in the southern region, to use additional sources of data to get a clearer on-the-ground picture of the overall situation.

“This research has the potential to transform the difficult-to-study emperor penguin into the Southern Ocean’s ‘canary in the coal mine’ and serve as an early warning system for ecosystem health,” explains Daniel P. Zitterbart, an Applied Ocean Physicist from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and Woods Hole. “Using this new method, our next goal is to use annual satellite imagery to obtain accurate population and breeding success figures for the 66 emperor penguin colonies known to date.”

By refining their approach, scientists believe they will be able to obtain more accurate counts of emperor penguins. The data collected will not only aid in protecting this iconic threatened species, but also highlight the global effects of climate change.

Read related:

Aaron Gekoski’s ‘See No Evil’ wins the FPA2’s 2024 Environmental Photography Award

Photo source: Ian Parker, Unsplash

Artist Elizabeth Wessel honours Princess Grace at Art in Motion Helmets exhibition

by: Celina Lafuente de Lavotha

15/06/2024

In Monaco’s Espace 22 Gallery, the ‘Art in Motion’ exhibition of helmets is currently underway, featuring more than 13 artists and their diverse interpretations of equestrian, triathlon and urban bicycle helmets. Among them is Elizabeth Wessel, known for her bold and evocative designs that blur the lines between fashion and fine art.

The ‘Art in Motion’ exhibition of Art Helmets is running from 12th June through to 10th July at the Espace 22 Gallery in Monaco. It has been curated by French Product Designer Najette Derni, who founded House of Helmet in 2019, and features more than 13 artists from Switzerland and the Mediterranean area. This collective exhibition of ‘Art Helmets’ is a testimony to the diverse and innovative ways art can be incorporated into everyday objects.

Among the 13 talented artists exhibiting their art helmets is artist and fashion designer Elizabeth Wessel, with her work titled ‘The Princess’ Roses’.

Wessel’s designs are bold and evocative, blending chic sophistication with timeless allure. Blurring the line between design and painting, her stylised sketches of haute couture emanate a strong precise line. Her subjects are presented with a daring humour that is both playful and provocative.

“The Princess’ Roses helmet is a warm homage to the memory of Princess Grace and her passion for flowers,” Wessel tells Monaco Life’s Celina Lafuente de Lavotha. “In creating it, I had in mind a rose garden. The flowers are lying on the geometric lozenges of the crest of Monaco with the colours modified to match the rose that was created and bears her name.”

*Elizabeth Wessel and two of her art works*

Elizabeth is an accomplished painter who has participated in several art exhibitions in the Principality and worldwide, including the International Art Biennale at the National Museum of China in Beijing. She is also a recognised fashion designer.

“Feeling a strong need to connect my two disciplines, I searched for a link that could captivate me, and I chose to incorporate volumes into my canvases,” says Wessel. “I started layering the fabrics I sewed onto my paintings to achieve a third dimension, and I realised that my paintings began to speak to me. From there, I found it interesting to cut, paint and apply the same canvas as the quality of the painting onto the painted work for a play of reliefs, sometimes wild and disorderly. From this process, the idea of elements always cut from the same canvas was born, but this time, extending beyond the edges of the frame. These are paintings that explode. An arm, a leg or a strand of hair carry on, bypassing the boundaries of the scene and, thus, lying on the wall, bring us a feeling of freedom.”

Elizabeth is also an accomplished rider, hence her decision to exhibit a riding helmet.

“Horseback riding has been a transformative experience for me. It instills discipline and serves as a psychic medium, reflecting and responding to my state of mind,” she reveals. “Horses are healers, and they don’t tolerate any form of dishonesty. This unique connection, this energy, has greatly influenced my art. This equestrian relationship is at the core of my art expression.”

Wessel says her ideal working environment provides ample light and space. She emphasises the importance of natural light as electric light can alter colours and distort her perception of her work. Additionally, she is a self-proclaimed “large space consumer”, needing room to spread out and have everything related to her work within sight. She says space allows her thoughts to flow freely and her creativity to flourish.

“I love other artists’ company, warmth, and open minds, but I create alone,” she says. “My work is a unique journey of personal exploration. I don’t follow trends, but strive to create something original and unlike anything else; it is my hope and artistic vision.”

Looking to the future, Wessel says, “My dream project would be to have a retrospective of all my work as a fashion designer and a painter combined.”

The other artists involved in the ‘Art in Motion’ exhibition include Sylvana Aymar, Virginie Broquet , Joelle Cabanne, Patrick Christ, Gianni Depaoli, Jean-Claude Issenmann, Dominica Leccia, Ginny Litscher, Kristelle Marcelin, Yves Masaya, Raphaela MLD, Simone Monney, Sebastien Pridmore, YapaBandara and Anastasia Sabatié.

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Main photo: Artist Elizabeth Wessel (left) and Najette Derni, founder of House of Helmet, at the Art in Motion Exhibition, photo by Monaco Life

Football: Marché de la Condamine to screen the UEFA Euro 2024 matches

by: Niki Borisova

14/06/2024

Local football fans will be thrilled to hear that the Marché de la Condamine will be hosting free public screenings of the upcoming matches for the duration of the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship.

The UEFA Euro 2024 competition will get underway on Friday 14th June with a game in Munich between Germany and Scotland in Group A at 9pm. The game marks the start of a month-long competition that will conclude on Sunday 14th July.

Each fixture, whether at 6pm or 9pm, is set to be screened at the Marché de la Condamine thanks to a collaboration with the Mairie de Monaco.

Some of the biggest upcoming games for local fans will include the Group B fixture between Italy and Albania on Saturday 15th June at 9pm, Group C’s match between England and Serbia on Sunday 16th June at 9pm, and France’s pitting against Group D’s Austria on Monday 17th June at 9pm.

The group stages will continue on and off until Wednesday 26th June, when things will kick up another level as the successful teams enter the Round of 16 on Saturday 29th June.

For the full UEFA Euro 2024 schedule, click here.

Read related:

Football: Monaco celebrate Champions League qualification with victory at festive Stade Louis II

Photo credits: Monaco Life

Exciting changes at Coya Monte-Carlo: terrace expansion and revitalised menu

by: Cassandra Tanti

14/06/2024

Fiesta time at Coya Monte-Carlo just kicked up a notch thanks to a funky restaurant revamp, a lighter menu and – the pieza de resistencia – a large new terrace with dedicated cocktail bar and Peruvian finger food.

The multi award-winning Latin American restaurant group opened its first European site outside of London on the terraces of the Summer Sporting – just a stone’s throw from Jimmy’z and the Salle des Étoiles – in 2018.

Now, the restaurant that sparked Monaco’s obsession with Latin American cuisine and culture has undergone a make-over.

“It’s been exciting for the whole team to work on a new project,” Head Chef Victoria Vallenilla told Monaco Life’s Cassandra Tanti. “Yes, it is the same restaurant with the same identity, but we wanted to make Coya Monte-Carlo stand out within the brand, and with so many new places opening in Monaco, it is important to continue to evolve.”

*The new-look Coya feels cozy and festive, and really comes alive when the sun goes down*

The entire restaurant has been remodelled to feature even more eye-catching plant features and hand-crafted furniture, as well as signature Peruvian artefacts, in a vibrant and colourful setting.

The DJ booth is now front and centre, energising the atmosphere with pulsing vibes that amplify the spicy dining adventure.

*Dinner under the stars is now possible on the new terrace at Coya*

Large new terrace embraces Mediterranean lifestyle

The most exciting part of the revamp is the expanded terrace, now featuring dining tables, lounge areas and its own cocktail bar. With splendid views of the Mediterranean horizon, fresh sea breezes and the allure of dining under the stars, it’s a perfect spot for the hot summer months.

The addition of this large terrace has allowed for the creation of two unique experiences. Friends can gather to unwind after work on the terrace, enjoying finger foods and inventive cocktails under the sun or stars, or they can immerse themselves in a drawn-out meal, soaking up the restaurant’s vibrant party ambience.

*Seafood features heavily now on the Coya menu*

A new lighter menu

The restaurant revamp was an opportunity for Head Chef Victoria Vallenilla, or the Queen of Coya as I like to caller her, to rethink the menu and respond to new dining trends.

“We completely changed our food strategy because the whole world is changing their eating habits,” revealed the Venezuelan-born chef. “Now, we are offering more seafood and raw fish options – we have a larger selection of ceviches and tiraditos. For the meats, we have more premium meats, like Wagyu cuts, as well as grilled octopus and more salads.”

With a diverse selection of appetisers, salads, crudos, fish and seafood, meats and vegetables, the only issue with Coya’s menu is figuring out what to choose.

If you’re unsure what to pick, opt for the Menu Bagua, which features all of your guaranteed favourites.

“It’s not about being low calorie, it’s food that feels light on the body so people can still dance and party afterwards,” explained the chef.

Meanwhile, in line with its “dual-vibe” ambience, the new terrace menu is designed for sharing alongside cocktails or wine. It features a tempting variety of finger foods like empanadas, fresh oysters, wagyu beef skewers and Chilean sea bass croquettes. Make sure to try the mini chorizo sausages, I highly recommend them!

*Enjoy the cuisine and the culture at Coya*

The adventure continues

Embracing a new, lighter philosophy, Coya invites guests on a culinary journey that transcends borders, offering a beautiful and enjoyable destination for foodies and culture enthusiasts alike.

It is, more than ever, the perfect place to spend the early part of a fashionable evening before heading to Jimmy’z Monte-Carlo, the ‘Grand Art of Clubbing’.

See more of the Coya vibe in our Instagram reel below…

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