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Day: 14 August 2025

Cannes to host second Summer Run Club event

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
14/08/2025

Lucia Cannes will host the second edition of Summer Run Club x Oysho on Sunday 18th August, following the success of July’s inaugural event which attracted over 60 participants including several local influencers. 

The free event runs from 8pm to 9:30pm, featuring a 5-kilometre route along the seafront starting and finishing at Lucia Cannes. The evening timing allows runners to avoid peak summer heat while enjoying Mediterranean coastal views.

Participants receive limited-edition Summer Run Club x Oysho t-shirts and exclusive tote bags containing promotional codes for Oysho boutiques. The run concludes with an aperitivo at Lucia Cannes, including fresh fruit juices and pinsas to share.

The concept combines both sport with lifestyle elements, reflecting what organisers describe as Côte d’Azur living. The collaboration between local venue Lucia Cannes and Spanish fashion retailer Oysho aims to create regular community events showcasing both fitness participation and local dining culture.

Registration for the run remains free of charge.

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Twiga’s new owners secure premium deal with AS Monaco until 2028

by: Cassandra Tanti
14/08/2025

LMDV Hospitality, the Italian group that acquired the Twiga brand earlier this year, is making a high-profile entrance into Monaco with a new premium partnership with AS Monaco running until 2028. The deal also brings into the spotlight Acqua Fiuggi, the historic Italian mineral water brand purchased by LMDV Capital in 2024.

Formed from the 2022 launch of Triple Sea Food and its subsequent merger with Twiga in February 2025, LMDV Hospitality has rapidly grown into a 650-strong group combining fine dining with exclusive entertainment. Its portfolio includes acclaimed restaurants such as Vesta, Casa Fiori Chiari, and Trattoria del Ciumbia, alongside Twiga venues in Monte-Carlo, Versilia, Baia Beniamin, and Porto Cervo. The acquisition of Twiga marked a decisive step in the group’s ambition to become a global leader in high-end hospitality.

Now, through its partnership with AS Monaco, LMDV is securing a prominent place in the Principality’s cultural and sporting life. Twiga will be featured on the professional team’s training kit, as well as pitchside at the Performance Centre and within the VIP spaces of the Stade Louis-II.

Acqua Fiuggi — whose origins trace back to the 13th century — will appear on the jerseys of AS Monaco’s amateur teams, while its bottles will be served at home games, in hospitality areas, and at press conferences.

“We are delighted to welcome a partner like LMDV Hospitality to the Rouge & Blanche family,” said Thibaut Chatelard, AS Monaco’s Marketing & Revenue Director. “Like AS Monaco, LMDV Hospitality makes it a point of honour to offer its customers unrivalled experiences. We look forward to creating synergies between our two entities.”

Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, President of LMDV Capital, described the move as both strategic and personal: “Monaco is much more than a place — it’s our home. With Twiga and Vesta, we bring our vision of hospitality: energy, elegance, and uncompromising quality. Partnering with AS Monaco is a long-term commitment to the Principality and its community. We are proud to stand alongside a global sporting icon that shares our values, our ambition, and our vision of excellence.”

See also: 

Flavio Briatore sells Twiga Monte Carlo and other venues to Italian billionaire

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How to exchange your damaged banknotes in France

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
14/08/2025

French residents and visitors can now exchange damaged euro banknotes for new ones free of charge through the Banque de France.

The service covers banknotes that are torn, stained, partially burnt or otherwise unusable, with no monetary limits and no fees. The exchange process is available through banks or directly via the central bank.

Two exchange options available

Account holders can take damaged notes to their regular bank, which will handle the exchange process. Alternatively, people can approach the Banque de France directly through two channels.

The first is visiting the Caisse de Paris branch, where physical attendance is required. Only adults can conduct transactions, though they may deposit notes for third parties including businesses. Damaged banknotes undergo expert examination, with authentic notes exchanged on the condition that more than 50% of the original surface remains intact.

The second option involves participating post offices that partner with the Banque de France. Customers complete a dossier, attach their damaged banknotes and provide supporting documents. La Post forwards applications to the central bank for processing.

Post office submissions are limited to €5,000 per dossier, requiring multiple applications for larger amounts.

Documentation required

All applicants must provide valid identification and bank account details showing the beneficiary’s IBAN. Legal entities need official registry documents or extracts dated within three months, with individual representatives named on corporate documentation and presenting their own ID.

Proof of fund origins may be required, though this isn’t mandatory for postal applications. Acceptable documents include recent income tax assessments, bank statements, or certified cash withdrawal confirmations.

The service aims to maintain public confidence in France’s currency system while providing practical solutions for accidental damage.

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Main photo credit: cottonbro studio, Pexels.

 

Mediterranean marine heatwave pushes sea temperatures towards record 30°C

by: Cassandra Tanti
14/08/2025

The Mediterranean Sea is in the grip of an exceptional marine heatwave this week, with surface waters in some areas edging towards 30°C — a level not seen since the infamous 2003 heatwave.

According to Mercator Ocean International, part of the EU’s Copernicus Marine Service, July 2025 already recorded remarkable anomalies. The average surface temperature across the Mediterranean reached 26.68°C, covering 95% of its waters, with 40% of the basin heating by at least 2°C above the seasonal average.

In parts of the western Mediterranean near Spain, and in the central basin around Italy, sea surface temperatures have already breached the 30°C mark, more than 5°C above normal. Such extremes are destabilising marine ecosystems, disrupting reproduction cycles, and threatening species from seagrass meadows to tuna populations.

The surge in sea temperatures follows a sequence of back-to-back marine heatwaves in recent years, each linked to climate change. The Mediterranean has been warming at an accelerated rate, with scientists warning it is now one of the fastest-heating seas in the world. In August 2024, median surface temperatures reached 28.9°C in some parts of the basin — around 2.7°C above normal — peaking at 30.8°C off the Côte d’Azur.

This summer’s marine heatwave compounds the effects of intense land-based heatwaves sweeping across Europe, with southern France among the worst affected. Scientists note that both Europe and the Arctic are warming more than twice as fast as the global average, intensifying extreme weather events on land and at sea.

For Monaco and the surrounding Riviera, the trend carries particular significance. Warmer waters threaten the delicate balance of marine biodiversity in the Pelagos Sanctuary, while also impacting local fisheries and coastal economies. With water temperatures still climbing, the coming days could see new records — and stark reminders of the Mediterranean’s vulnerability in a rapidly changing climate.

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Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life

Monaco marks Napoleon Bonaparte’s birthday with special events at the Grimaldi Forum

by: Cassandra Tanti
14/08/2025

The Grimaldi Forum’s acclaimed exhibition Monaco and the Napoleons: Intertwined Destinies will mark Napoleon Bonaparte’s birthday this week with special guided tours and themed activities, offering visitors an even richer experience of this unprecedented collection.

Running until 31st August, the exhibition features more than 180 artworks, rare historical documents, and personal objects belonging to the Emperor and those closest to him. From Napoleon’s iconic bicorne hat to the intricate mechanical songbirds that fascinated 19th-century audiences, each piece tells part of the story of a man who, as Stendhal once wrote, has become “no longer a real person today, but a legendary figure… the only true one.”

The display brings together treasures that have never before been shown side by side, including portraits by celebrated artists François Gérard, Jacques-Louis David, Antonio Canova, Jean-Baptiste Isabey, and Carle Vernet. For the first time, visitors can view these masterpieces alongside artefacts that illuminate the links between the Emperors of France and the Princes of Monaco — connections that shaped both dynasties and contributed to the creation of Napoleon’s enduring legend.

On Wednesday 14th August, the museum’s Happy Hours will feature a special English-language guided tour at 6pm, accompanied by a few surprises. The following day, 15th August, Napoleon’s birthday will be honoured with themed English tours at 12pm and 4pm, offering deeper insight into the life, legacy, and myth of the first Emperor of France.

With many works on display to the public for the very first time, Monaco and the Napoleons is a rare chance to step inside an extraordinary chapter of European history before the exhibition closes at the end of the month.

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Photo credit: Kyriaki Topalidou, Monaco Life