Opera de Monte-Carlo has announced that its latest production La Damnation de Faust, being performed in the Principality this month, will be broadcast live on 19th November to celebrate National Day in Monaco.
The Damnation of Faust, created by French composer Hector Berlioz, was first performed at the Opera-Comique in Paris in 1846. The Opera de Monte-Carlo first perfomed the opera in 1893 under the production of Raoul Gunsbourg, and again in 1969.
Today, it has been recreated by Music Director Kazuki Yamada and Choreographer Eugénie Andrin, with Pene Pati singing the role of Faust and Aude Extrém as Marguerite, together with the Opera de Monte-Carlo led by Gabriel Grinda.
In this opera, demons and damned spirits greet Méphistophélès in a mysterious, infernal language and welcome Faust among them. Hell has fallen silent after Faust’s arrival — the torment he suffers is unspeakable. Marguerite is saved and welcomed into heaven.
“It is this gradual shift from a harmonious aesthetic to a supernatural strangeness that is interesting,” says Choreographer Eugénie Andrin.
The opera was performed in Monte-Carlo on 13th and 16th November 2022, and the invitation-only performance on Saturday 19th November will be broadcast live on Mezzo TV.
Next on the Opera de Monte-Carlo schedule is Lakmé, with music by Léo Delibes, on 9th and 11th December.
Here is a teaser of the Damnation of Faust by the Opera de Monte-Carlo.
To watch Saturday’s performance live, visit the website by clicking here.
The world’s most well-known luxury train service, the famed Orient Express, is making a comeback in 2024, mixing old school glamour with modern conveniences aboard the original carriages. Here’s a taster of what passengers can expect.
The Orient Express conjures up images of another era: opulently dressed ladies, civilised table service meals and perhaps, for Agatha Christie fans, stories of murder, although even that was an extremely high-class one.
The first Orient Express voyage was a trip between Paris and Istanbul in 1883. It was the height of luxury travel, and a wonderful way to make a journey by anyone’s standards. But as a taste for fast and cheap travel grew, long train journeys like the Express fell out of fashion, with the service finally ending in 2007.
Fast forward a decade and the French hospitality group Accor announced they would be taking a 50% stake in the brand and planned to restore the service, previously known as the Nostalgie-Istanbul-Orient-Express, to its former glory.
A luxurious bathroom aboard the restored Orient Express
The first photos, unveiled in late October at the Orient Express Revelation exhibition in Paris, have revealed a décor that is a sublime blend of Art Deco and contemporary, with no detail overlooked.
A legend saved from the scrap heap
Modern art adorns the walls of cabins, which have been optimised to ensure maximum comfort, and there are call buttons for champagne on the bar car’s tables along with Lalique lamps and Morrison & Nelson marquetry. Many of these original features were found almost entirely intact when the train was saved from the scrap heap in 2015 by industrial history researcher Arthur Mettetal, who tracked the carriages down to a station on the Belarus-Poland border.
The old and new combination was no haphazard accident, as Sébastien Bazin, the chairman and CEO of Accor, explained to Condé Nast Traveller.
“The Orient Express is a legend that has lived on through stories, journeys and years,” said Bazin. “The nature of that legacy means that the rebirth of the brand must resonate with both its history and the present day to create something timeless.”
“The definition of luxury”
To take the project from idea to actual concept, French architect Maxime d’Angeac, known for his collaborations with several French fashion houses, was given the job of balancing the two worlds of old and new to make something truly unique.
“I had to respect two key elements in this formidable project,” he said, “extending the spirit of innovation that characterised the original train and reinventing the concept of comfort and luxury for the 21st century.”
To achieve this, d’Angeac is using some of the original elements of the first Orient Express, like the rail motif tapestry that was pioneered by Suzanne Lalique in the 1930s, which he incorporated throughout the train, as well as dark wood panelling and leather partitions. He has merged these with bright colours on the furniture to give a modern twist.
In the YouTube video above, which was put out to give excited future passengers a taste of what it will be like, d’Angeac explains his philosophy: “We are not here to be bling-bling or to be obvious. We are the definition of luxury.”
Passengers will have to wait until the restored Orient Express is fully completed and the route revealed in 2024 to travel on this legendary train.
Photo credits: Maxime d’Angeac
Monaco summit examines the “exploding” explorer yacht market
The third annual Explorer Yacht Summit was held on Thursday at the Yacht Club of Monaco, a world-first international conference dedicated to expanding the explorer yacht market.
On Thursday 10th November, yacht owners, charterers, brokers, designers, builders and suppliers were welcomed at the full-day event to network with experts at the forefront of the field.
Explorer yachts are a growing niche, making up 6% of the global superyacht fleet. The last two decades have seen an explosion in the market, with more new builds in production than previous decades. Since the start of the 2020s, 69 new build projects have been commissioned, bringing the total to 740 globally. Some of the largest vessels reach up to nearly 140 metres in length and can be home to permanent crews of as many as 60 people.
Unlike usual luxury yachts, these vessels are often ice-capable and enjoy long-range facilities and equipment. They can give access to some of the most remote and “off-the-beaten-track” destinations, even in the roughest of conditions — something that has great appeal.
They add a new dimension to the yachting experience, says Zelda Swindell, Senior Charter Manager with brokerage house Northrop & Johnson, who attended the summit: “You can really have it all with these vessels: you can have the luxury, but you’ve also got the adventure, the location. These vessels really are unique and cutting-edge.”
Glacier Bay, Alaska, photo source: Northrop & Johnson
Why explorer yachts?
The Explorer Yacht Summit began in 2019 with Patrick Coote, Managing Director of Northrop & Johnson Monaco, after identifying a gap in the market.
“We could see a rapidly growing interest in yachting off the beaten track,” he explains. “People were starting to get fed up with the typical milk run between the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.”
Monaco has always been a hub for explorers since the days of Prince Albert I, who was also known as the Explorer Prince. The summit brings this global community together each year in the Principality, reinforcing Monaco’s position on the global stage as the world capital of advanced yachting. Indeed, the event has gone from strength to strength in recent years, says Coote, and has quickly established itself as a firm fixture in the superyacht calendar.
Having spent his career in various aspects of the yachting industry from shipyards to brokerage houses, Patrick Coote has seen superyacht trends come and go, but he says explorer yachts are here to stay.
“An explorer yacht offers an array of possibilities. A robust and stable platform is perfect not only for long passages at sea but also for a wide variety of exciting activities, be they under the water, on land, or in the air,” he says. “Whatever appeals to you, be it expeditions, adventure sports, submarines, heli-ops, research or science, everything is possible.”
Future good
In addition to their primary purpose as luxury leisure vehicles, explorer yachts, have incredible potential to contribute to marine science. Approximately 70% of the world is still unmapped, says Victor Voscovo, keynote speaker at the summit and owner of an explorer yacht himself. That includes parts of the Mediterranean, and contributing to this pool of knowledge is something yacht owners and charterers can easily do.
“There is a general appreciation among expedition yacht owners that we need to conserve the marine environment and play an active role in its protection,” explains Coote. “This community of owners is more active than most in the fields of Marine research, science and education.”
Photo above: Antarctica, source Northrop & Johnson
Russia-Ukraine War: Monaco targets those with undisclosed links to Russia
The names of thousands who have had their assets and funds in Monaco frozen due to their possible links with Russia have been made public.
The Prince’s Government announced on Monday that the Budget and Treasury Department, in collaboration with the Digital Services Department, has launched a new website called Gel des Fonds or “Freezing of Funds”.
The digital platform, published in English and French, lists all the people or entities that are subject to a procedure for freezing funds and economic resources in the Principality, in line with international economic sanctions.
The Minister of State has currently identified 3,675 such persons, entities or bodies. As of 11th November 2022, they must report the funds and economic resources belonging to them or that they own, hold or control within the territory of the Principality, to the government.
They are suspected of “compromising or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine”, according to the government, and have until 1st December to contact the Budget and Treasury Department via the website.
The national list was created by Sovereign Ordinance No. 8.664 of May 26th 2021 and is updated each time entries are added, deleted or modified. It is the first time the list has been made public, and allows professionals to access the information and receive notifications any time the list is updated.
“The new digital platform is in line with recommendations formulated within the framework of the evaluation of the Monegasque system for the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism (MONEYVAL) and attests to the commitment of the Principality of Monaco to maintain the highest level of international standards,” said the Prince’s Government in a statement.
AS Monaco Basketball failed to bounce from their Betclic Elite defeat to Dijon, as they once again fell short on Friday, this time against Valencia in the Euroleague (89-84).
The Roca Team remain in a strong position in the Euroleague, but they must re-find their form in order to keep their play-off campaign on track. The Principality do, however, have home-court advantage for their next three European ties.
Former Lyon-Villeurbanne player Chris Jones did the majority of the damage for the Spanish side, with the Monégasques failing to find a way to limit his influence.
Offensively, Monaco were grateful for Jordan Loyd’s (24) efforts, but in a game dominated by free-throw efficacy, the away side couldn’t take their chances. The game slipped away after the return from the dressing rooms. Only one point separated the side’s at the break, but thanks to an unreplied six-point streak at the end of the third quarter, Monaco went into the final quarter with a 10-point deficit (64-54).
Despite outscoring their opponents in the final stages, and at multiple stages going within three points of Valencia, Sasa Obradovic’s men couldn’t restore parity.
“Valencia made some big shots. We have talent, but we have to share the ball more. We’re going to move forward,” said Loyd post-match.
The Roca Team now have the benefit of significant preparation time for their next tie against Baskonia at the Salle Gaston Médecin next Friday. A win is a must to prevent this blip from becoming a more engrained, negative trend.
Photo credit: Manuel Vitali, Communication Department
Geoffrey Kent’s apartment in Monaco is filled with exotic objects obtained from a lifetime of travel, large artworks inscribed by famous names, and young children’s toys scattered about the floor. There are also many photos – of Kent with princes and world leaders, of him posing happily in far-flung places, of a life that is almost too full to comprehend.
He has just arrived back from a big trip. Like every year, Kent has led guests for one of Abercrombie & Kent’s (A&K) luxury adventures. This time, Geoffrey, his wife Otavia, and 160 guests embarked on an extraordinary expedition through the rarely transited Northwest Passage.
“Do you follow my Instagram?” asks Geoffrey when I inquire about the trip. “Of course,” I respond. It is filled with pics from eye boggling destinations interspersed with snapshots of the past, a path twice (or more) trodden, a life lived to the absolute fullest. It is, perhaps, one of the most incredible Instagram pages out there. Not bad for someone who turned 80 in July.
The four-week voyage took them from western Greenland through the Canadian Arctic to Nome, Alaska. They followed in the footsteps of the most legendary polar explorers under the wing of A&K’s famed Expedition Team‚ including an Inuit cultural expert, while experiencing iceberg-laden shores, remote Inuit villages, historic islands and spectacular geological wonders.
“The MV Explorer, or Little Red Ship as it is affectionately known, was the first commercial ship to ever do the north in 1984, so we’ve been doing this for a long time,” laughs Kent. “They’re in the middle of nowhere. Literally in the middle of nowhere. There’s not even any cell connection at times.”
It’s not without its comforts, of course. There is a staff-to-guest ratio of 1 to 1.3, balconies in every room, full butler service, room service, hairdresser, breakfast in bed and French-inspired cuisine. It’s also a rich learning experience with daily lectures on the local culture and environment. But I suspect the environmental lectures – and the trips themselves – have changed drastically in the past decades.
The Northwest Passage: From Greenland to the Bering Sea. Photo credit: Jerome Weitzner
“When I last went to the North Pole in 1999, I was on a Russian icebreaker called Yamal, and each propeller weighed 10 tons. We crashed our way through 17 feet of ice all the way. It was an exhausting trip because the boat had to reverse and then smash its way in, you would make three feet, and it was like this all the way to the North Pole. On this trip, we were just 600 miles from the North Pole at one point and there was flat, clear, open sea. There’s no ice, we have lost it all.”
The crew had to navigate a last-minute alternate route just to find polar bears. They managed to see 15. It wasn’t like this even a few years ago, says Kent. “It used to be a complete fluke if you got through the Northwest Passage. We had a trip in 2018 which never made it through because of the ice. We also saw very few whales this time, they’ve been put off by all the mining along that route now.”
The glaciers feed the world’s river systems, and this year many cruise ships have been unable to access them; Europe’s mighty waterways like the Loire, Po and Rhine shrinking under the most severe climate-driven drought in decades.
It’s a far cry from what the world looked like when Geoffrey Kent started the safari company Abercrombie & Kent with his parents in 1962 in Africa. Of course, the world had other challenges then: A&K’s slogan was ‘shoot with a camera, not with a gun’. They pioneered experiential travel, created the first gorilla tracks in Uganda, brought adventure to luxury travel.
And Geoffrey Kent has been there for all of it. He has notched up 27 million kilometres and 161 countries. “We organise trips to all the places that I want to go to. I never like to go to a place twice. And I love it.”
So do his clients, apparently: 33% of A&K customers return every year to adventure with Geoffrey Kent and his team.
Hot Air Ballooning in Cappadocia, Turkey. Photo source: Abercrombie & Kent
Just weeks after returning from the Northwest Passage, Geoffrey, Otavia and a group of 48 people have now embarked on an Around the World by Private Jet journey, boarding in Seattle with Dom Perignon and caviar on take-off, and making their way to South Korea. They had planned to visit the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea, but there was a significant escalation in tensions recently as North Korea fired missiles and artillery shells into South Korean territorial waters, so the UN shut down all access to the DMZ. Undeterred, the team regrouped and got as close as they were allowed: crossing the Civilian Access Control line where they were able to witness the destroyed Freedom Bridge, bullet holes still visible in the remaining structure.
The adventurous group then will travel in luxury to Hanoi and Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, on to Laos, the Maldives and Turkey where they will go hot-air ballooning over Cappadocia. “I actually took King Charles to Ephesus many years ago, when he was the Prince of Wales,” remembers Kent.
The tour also takes in Benin, West Africa, because Kent is “very excited about learning all about voodoo”, as well as north west Brazil – an area that can only be accessed by private plane. It will end with a huge party in New Orleans after 21 incredible days.
No wonder Abercrombie & Kent was named Europe’s Leading Luxury Tour Operator 2022 at the 29th annual World Travel Awards in Mallorca, Spain.
The privilege of travelling with this veteran is the access that it affords you – VIP entry into some of the most exclusive locations in the world, like castles. On his 2023 Spring trip to the United Kingdom, guests will tour Windsor Castle in London, race BMWs at the Goodwood race track, and learn polo at the Cowdray Park Polo Club, the former stomping ground of Kent and Prince Charles. They will then helicopter to Scotland, because “no expense is spared on these trips”, where they will visit Floors Castle, the home of his “old friend” the Duke of Roxburghe, and do a spot of fly fishing.
The great migration at the Sanctuary Olonana in Kenya, Africa. Photo source: Abercrombie & Kent
Geoffrey Kent and the new King of England have a long history; they have known each other since they were in their 20s. “I was captain of his polo team for 10 years,” says Kent. “I went to Africa with him, I did all the trips with him, everywhere: the Himalayas, Kenya, South Africa, India… everywhere.”
He considers King Charles a “very good friend”, so much so that the head of the British Monarchy sent Kent a congratulatory video message on his 80th birthday.
“He’ll be a great king. He’s very qualified. Terrific guy. Hopefully I will be able to go to the coronation next year,” he says nonchalantly.
It is just another remarkable tale in what has been, and continues to be, a remarkable life for Geoffrey Kent.
Though the countries he is yet to travel “are running few”, Pakistan is still on the bucket list. He would also like to see more of West Africa – Guinea and Timbuktu – and more of Iran.
But unlike a parent who is reluctant to choose a favourite child, Geoffrey Kent has no hesitation in revealing his most favourite place in the world. “Hands down Botswana,” he says. “Kenya is still amazing, east Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, we bought another two new camps in Namibia… it’s a whole new circuit, and it is something we do very well. I love the adventure.”
Before his trip to the South Pole, the savvy traveller sought the advice of Prince Albert II of Monaco, who is “a bit ahead of me in the number of countries he’s travelled to”. “But I took him some years ago to India, and I knew more maharajas than him because I used to play all the polo tournaments there with the Prince of Wales, so they knew me well.”
With great adventure comes great risk, and Kent says that he has had his fair share of near-death experiences: he was jailed for a week in southern Sudan during the explosive civil war, he was thrown out of a boat and chased by hippos, the landing gear failed on his small plane coming into an airport in Egypt, a pilot once ran off the runway to avoid an animal… and that’s all after surviving years of playing polo – one of the most dangerous sports on the planet, and fighting wars in Yemen, Libya, and Cyprus with the British Army.
“By the time I was 25 I had done a lot, which led me on to taking risks with travel,” reveals Kent. “So, I set up the company, but I would always try everything first.”
And that includes space. Having explored and designed trips on every continent of the globe, Kent set his sights higher and established A&K Space. But if he was to provide trips to the next frontier, he had to try it out himself. So, he flew in an English Electric Lightning plane to the edge of space at twice the speed of sound; it went from 0 to 40,000 feet vertically in a minute, his body hammered by 5.5Gs. The travel pioneer was 62 years old at the time.
Extreme adventurer Geoffrey Kent. Photo source: Abercrombie & Kent
“I thought it was a pretty hairy experience, and I remember calling my chief scientist afterwards to ask what the chances were of our space project having an accident. He said 100%. I said, ‘you are telling me there is a 100% chance of killing a client on this trip?’, and he said ‘yes’. So, I thought about it for a night and I shut it down, I let 20 people go. I shut down space long before everyone else started piling into it.”
That was 2004, and six months later his pilot was killed after the plane’s hydraulics failed during the same flight.
“A quote that I often refer to is ‘Life is not a dress rehearsal’, but my whole point is that I want clients to have fun, I don’t want them to die.”
I wonder what Richard Branson would say to that (Virgin Galactic has continually delayed the start of its commercial flights to the edge of space for various reasons).
Geoffrey Kent has documented his extraordinary life in a book he authored, titled Safari: A Memoire of a Worldwide Travel Pioneer. But the adventures continue – perhaps not to space, but still to all corners of the globe, where his team of experts design the most spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime journeys, imagined by the very man himself, travel pioneer Geoffrey Kent.
Photo above of Geoffrey Kent on his recent visit to South Korea, source Abercrombie & Kent
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