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Josephine Baker enters Pantheon, remains stay in Monaco

by: Stephanie Horsman
30/11/2021

Monaco has marked the entry of Josephine Baker into the Pantheon in Paris with a moving ceremony at the Monaco cemetery where her remains will stay, at the request of her family.
Josephine Baker, who died in 1975, was the world’s first black superstar and one of Europe’s most sought after entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. She was renowned for her beauty as well as her talents, but she was also an ardent civil rights activist, and put her life on the line as an intelligence gatherer during World War II.
She spent her twilight years near Monaco, where she befriended fellow American expat Grace Kelly, who was by then Princess Grace. Upon her death, she was interred at the Monaco Cemetery where her remains will stay despite having a space in the Parisian monument.

Josephine Baker, photo source: AP

To mark Josephine Baker’s entry into the Pantheon on Tuesday, a ceremony was held at the Monaco cemetery on Monday in the presence of Prince Albert II, Minister of State Pierre Dartout, Ambassador of France Laurent Stefanini, US Consul General Kristen Grauer, Baker’s family and other personalities.
The Prince first delivered a speech in front of the Monument aux Morts, recalling the strong ties that united Josephine Baker to the Principality of Monaco as well as the friendly relationship that existed between the artist and Princess Grace. This was followed by a minute of silence, before the American, French and Monegasque hymns were played by the Orchestre des Carabiniers du Prince.
Photos by Manuel Vitali, Government Communication Department

The Prince and guests then went to Josephine Baker’s grave where a blessing was given by Father Cézar Penzo, who himself had carried out the burial of Josephine Baker on 2nd October 1975.
Prince Albert was invited to symbolically remove some earth which he placed in a wooden chest and handed over to Laurent Stefanini.
According to the wishes of the Baker family, the singer’s remains will remain in the Principality of Monaco. The Monegasque earth has been mixed with that of the city of Saint-Louis – where Joséphine Baker is from, as well as that of Paris – where she made her career, and the Château des Milandes in France where she lived and raised her “Rainbow Tribe”.
The ceremony at the Monaco cemetery ended with a moment of meditation.
Monaco has named a new square on the promenade overlooking Larvotto Beach ‘Place Josephine Baker’, set to be completed by Christmas, in yet another tribute to this remarkable woman.
 
 
Top photo by Manuel Vitali, Government Communication Department
 
 
 

Festival of Stars finale: an exquisite celebration of SBM fine dining

by: Cassandra Tanti
30/11/2021

It was the highest concentration of starred chefs in one of the most beautiful settings in the world: the grand finale of SBM’s Festival des Etoilés at the Casino de Monte-Carlo, a spectacular display of everything that makes Monaco extraordinary.

One of the many things that the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) does undeniably well is offer unique experiences, and this year it was all about fine dining.

The company behind Monaco’s most famed establishments, including the Hôtel de Paris, the Casino, and the Hôtel Hermitage, launched the first ever Monte-Carlo Festival of Stars (Festival des Etoilés) in May, bringing together Michelin starred chefs from its own resorts with renowned starred guest chefs for exceptional gastronomic experiences.

Saturday 27th November marked the unique festival’s grand finale as SBM opened the doors of its most prestigious gaming room in the Casino de Monte-Carlo, the Salle Médecin.

Yannick Alléno, Franck Cerutti, Alain Ducasse, Manon Fleury, Dominique Lory, Marcel Ravin… all of SBM’s starred chefs joined forces for one evening of pure enjoyment. It was a landmark event featuring the highest concentration of stars in the most beautiful setting in the world; a new symbol of the ‘Great Art of Living’ (Grand Art de Vivre) by the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer.

Prince Albert (centre) with (left to right): Marcel Ravin, Dominique Lory, Manon Fleury, Yannick Alleno, Alain Ducasse, Jean-Luc Biamonti, Louis Ducruet and Franck Cerutti. Source: SBM Monte-Carlo

HSH Prince Albert of Monaco, accompanied by his nephew Louis Ducruet and wife Marie, joined fortunate guests for a five-course, 750€ dinner featuring each chef’s signature dish, accompanied by a wine pairing selected by the sommeliers of the Cellars of the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, the largest of its kind in the world.

Opening the menu was gastronomic legend Alain Ducasse and his right-hand man, Head Chef of Le Louis XV (***) Dominique Lory, with San Remo gamberoni, rock fish gelée and caviar, served with a 2020 Chablis from Domain Jena-Paul & Benoît Droin.

In celebration of truffle season, Chef Marcel Ravin (Blue Bay*) put forth the Monte-Carlo egg with alba truffle, cassava and maracudja. It was complimented by a fruity white wine from Villa Minna Vineyard in the Bouches-du-Rhône.

Chef Manon Fleury (Elsa*) was on full display with her classic vegetable dish of squash and citrus fruits with orange blossom water cream, a refreshing plate ahead of Chef Franck Cerutti’s (Le Grill*) rich farmed veal with black truffles and wild mushrooms, served with a luxurious 2009 Pomerol from La Petite Eglise.

Chef Yannick Alleno, photo by Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life

The meal ended on a splendid note with the ‘Leader of Modern Cuisine’, Chef Yannick Alleno (Hermitage Hotel), and his surprising fir tree extract in coffee frozen jelly, spicy crystalline shards and hot chocolate cream.

The grand finale was an incredible climax to what was a very successful fine dining festival for SBM. The first edition was marked by the unveiling of a souvenir plaque by CEO Jean-Luc Biamonti, engraved with the names of the six chefs. The walk of fame of the Festival of Stars Monte-Carlo was thus launched and the 2nd edition announced for the autumn of 2022.

See the Monaco Life Instagram post by clicking here.

SEE ALSO: 

New pairings announced for Monaco’s ‘Festival of Stars’

Yannick Alleno: What to expect from Monaco’s most anticipated new restaurant

Manon Fleury: “This is the future of gastronomy”
 

Top photo source: SBM Monte-Carlo

Rapidly rising Covid cases in Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
30/11/2021

The incidence rate in Monaco has hit an all-time high of 454, surpassing the neighbouring French department of the Alpes Maritimes. Hospitalisations are, however, remaining stable.
After months of falling Covid rates, November has seen a rapid rise in the number of cases in Monaco.
A spike in the weekly incidence rate, released by the government every Monday, was anticipated given the record number of daily positive cases Monaco has seen over the past seven days.
However, an incidence rate of 454 is still very alarming.
Of the 5,450 PCR and antigen tests conducted on residents and non-residents of the Principality between 22nd and 28th November, 4.86% came back positive, an unprecedented figure for Monaco.
Meanwhile, the incidence rate in the Alpes-Maritimes, which has consistently been higher than Monaco since the start of the health crisis, sits at 354.
Thanks to France and Monaco’s high vaccination rates, fewer patients are becoming seriously ill, however. There are nine Covid patients being cared for at the Princess Grace Hospital Centre, two of whom are residents, plus two non-residents in ICU.
So what is driving the surge?
The Monaco government doesn’t provide a breakdown in age of positive cases so it is hard to determine if the spike is partly attributable to children, as is the case in France. The single biggest increase in the neighbouring republic has been in the six-10 age group, which has seen a 150% increase in the incidence rate in a week. Like in Monaco, children in this age group do not yet qualify for a vaccine, a decision which both governments are reviewing.
Weather also plays a major factor, say the experts, as it drives people indoors where they socialise with friends and family and the virus is more easily spread.
The six-month ‘vaccine fade effect’ is also taking hold Monaco, so the government is urging everyone aged 12 and over to get their booster shots.
The government reacts
The Prince’s government announced on Friday that it would tighten some restrictions in view of the rapidly rising incidence rate, which stood at 54 at the beginning of November.
Masks are once again required outdoors at all times throughout the Principality, PCR test validity has been reduced from 72 to 24 hours, working from home is again “highly recommended”, a ban has been reintroduced for standing cocktails and “dancing” in establishments, and masks are required for indoor sports at schools.
The government says it is doing everything it can do prevent another lockdown in the Principality.
 
SEE ALSO:

Masks outdoors, no dancing, health pass for terraces

Omicron has arrived

IMSEE reveals real vaccination situation in Monaco

 
Photo by Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life
 
 
 
 

Beking unites cycling fans for unique festival

by: Luke Entwistle
30/11/2021

Amateur and professional cyclists came together for the inaugural edition of Beking on Sunday, an official UCI calendar event with three-time Vuelta a España winner Primoz Roglic taking the victory.
The event, organised by Monaco resident and European champion Matteo Trentin, brought together a whole host of blockbuster cycling names including British Tour de France winners Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas as well as Paris-Roubaix winner Peter Sagan.
As the stars descended upon Port Hercules on a crisp, sunny Sunday morning, the focus was not only on the competitive criterium race, but also on inspiring the next generation of riders, promoting cycling as a means of transport and involving amateur riders for an unforgettable day of cycling.
On a circuit that is more well known for hosting the most iconic motorsport race in the world – the Monaco F1 Grand Prix, attention was this time firmly fixed on two-wheel racing. That, however, didn’t prevent world-famous drivers from taking part, including Mercedes’ F1 driver Valterri Bottas and F3 driver Arthur Leclerc, who were amongst a whole host of ambassadors to take part in the morning pro / AM race.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CW3BAM-MEPt/?utm_medium=copy_link
For the professionals, this was a chance to experience their local roads in a unique way as well as build fitness ahead of the upcoming season. Geraint Thomas, Tour de France winner, told Monaco Life: “We have to train at this time of year and it’s an easy way of doing it in a race so it’s good, especially with the closed roads. It’s nice to have closed roads, especially here. It’s not a bad scene, is it?”
Since all of the riders in the event were Monaco residents, Thomas also revealed why the area is so popular with elite cyclists. “From my point of view, you have the mountains and the weather, that’s the main thing. Compared to Wales, it’s quite a bit different. It’s important to acclimatise, and we do quite a lot of races in the summer, in the heat and obviously up mountains as well so it’s perfect for that.”
In the afternoon’s criterium race, an official UCI calendar event, Primoz Roglic, three-time Vuelta a España winner, took the victory with Sonny Colbrelli and Roglic’s compatriot Tadej Pogacar completing the podium.
The event was also committed to doing social good. Not only did the whole day promote soft mobility through emphasising the bicycle as a means of transport, but it also raised funds and awareness for charitable organisations, most notably the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation.
The first edition of Beking was therefore a resounding success, and fans will be hoping it makes a return next year.
 
 
 

Home décor that pulls at the heart strings

by: Stephanie Horsman
30/11/2021

If you struggle to give away old garments because of their sentimental value, then the MyCrown Collection is a unique alternative. We speak to its creator Sophia Vaharis Tsouvelekakis.
Sophia Vaharis Tsouvelekakis, owner of Brooks Brothers Monaco, is a curious mix of entrepreneur and sentimentalist. This mix inspired a collection of home décor pieces made entirely from repurposed clothing and sustainably sourced fabrics, giving a second life to tired pieces and helping the environment at the same time.
The idea came about when Mrs Tsouvelekakis was going through old clothing in her and her family’s closets. She came upon several pieces she knew would never be worn again, but she didn’t have the heart to give them up. Instead of simply shoving them back into the closets, where they would take up space and never see the light of day, she took out a sewing machine and turned old clothing into new, usable home decorations.
The result was first her hallmark pillows and table napkins created from shirts, scarves, dresses, and skirts, which she soon decided was more than just a personal project, but a fantastic idea for a small business venture.
The business quickly grew and expanded to include towels, sheets, dressing gowns, candles and customised, hand-crafted accessories for homes and yachts using fabrics supplied by the clients for a personal touch, or using sustainable fabrics obtained by MyCrown.
Now, Sophia is giving back even more by collaborating with the Prince Albert II Foundation on a venture called Pillows with a Purpose, donating 30% of all purchases made in Monaco to the Foundation to support projects protecting the oceans and the Earth.

Sophia Vaharis Tsouvelekakis at Brooks Brothers Monaco

Monaco Life: Why did you call it the MyCrown Collection?
Sophia Vaharis Tsouvelekakis: My grandmother left me a lot of dresses from when she attended royal parties of King Constantine and Anna Maria when her husband was Minister of Health during the 60’s in Greece. To honour those memories and to keep them alive I turned the dresses into pillows, and I crowned them! Then, I started thinking of all the rest of the old clothes from my family. They were not worn anymore, yet we refused to give them to charity for the same reason, because they have a story to tell us. The third step was to turn this idea into a business. Due to Covid-19 and the lockdowns, our retail network had a stock of shirts that remained unsold and I thought that repurposing them was a great solution. In this way, they were not any more just past collections but new items. The name MyCrown Collection gives a royal flair to the reused products, showing that something old, worn out, or even boring, with some work and creativity, can become glamorous once again.
Who is your target market with the collection and why?
MyCrown Collection is all about memories. Memories we are reminded of through items we want to keep, even if we do not want to wear them anymore, as well as new memories that will be created from the MyCrown Collection that are not made through reused fabrics. People can send us fabrics or choose a design from our online catalogue and request a personalisation. We want to create something new and unique with our clients, just as they dream it. For example, we can create a collection of table napkins with favourite songs, bathrobes with funny quotes, candles with hidden wishes, double-sided table mats with pockets from shirts, and matching pillows from the remaining fabric. Anything is possible, we are open to the ideas and the wishes of our clients. Our target market is people who want something different and customised for their home decor.
Why did you choose to support the Prince Albert Foundation?
When the Greek night at the Sporting Salle des Étoiles in September was organised, SBM and Aleco Keusseoglou decided the proceeds should go to support the FPA2 (Prince Albert II Foundation). I asked if they could mention a more specific purpose, perhaps something that Monaco and Greece had in common. The answer really surprised me: we decided to support the monk seals of the Greek Island of Gyaros in the Aegean Sea. Then I went to the press conference where Olivier Wenden spoke in great detail about the island and its history as a place of exile for political dissidents in the 70’s. On the night of the event, HSH Prince Albert was explaining to me the beauties of this island and its ecological importance, which I, born and raised in Greece, had never visited before! In just those few days, I knew this foundation suited me perfectly and I am happy to support it with my humble pillows.
Not many people are given the opportunity to reuse their clothes in such a unique way. Do you feel you are contributing to the sustainability movement?
I started the MyCrown Collection because I had all those special clothes given to me that had no purpose any longer, they had just been hidden in my closet for years. Of course, I still give old clothes and items to people in need, but I have found a way to give a new meaning to all those items I am attached to and I cannot give away. I can enjoy them as my new decor pieces. I am glad to see many other brands are taking steps towards the support of the sustainability movement, one for example that I adore is Reconcept Designs. The owner is Reem Adeeb, a friend of mine, who lives in Cannes, and we sell her items in our concept store, MyHydra Boutique, located on Hydra Island in Greece. I must say, it is one of our best-selling brands. MyCrown Collection is a fun business project for me and if at the same time I can contribute to saving the planet, it is just double happiness for me.
 
SEE ALSO:
Women in Monaco Series: Sophia Vaharis Tsouvelekakis
 
 
 
 
 

Passing through Monaco: Ava Airways CEO Olivier Arrindell

by: Cassandra Tanti
29/11/2021

Olivier Arrindell is not shy about the grand expectations he has for Ava Airways, the airline venture he founded some years ago to properly connect Europe to the Caribbean and the Americas.
“I am trying to make the Caribbean and South America so accessible that you can finish work on a Friday, go to the beach in the Caribbean on Saturday, and be back in Europe for work on Monday, for a fraction of the price,” he tells Monaco Life during his recent trip to the Principality.
Born on the French/Dutch Island of Saint Maarten, the financial engineer aims to not only connect Europe but also north and south America to Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean, with flight paths that are as endearing as his personality.
“Saint Vincent, Grenada, Barbados, Trinidad, Tobago, Antigua, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint Maarten, Santo Domingo, Cayman Island, Bahamas, Cuba and many others… it is very difficult for people in the Caribbean to be able to connect with each other, or to connect to Latin America. It is also difficult for people in the Caribbean and Latin America to connect to Europe.”
Ava Airways is a Dominican Republic airline with its headquarters and airline operator’s certificate (AOC) base in Santo Domingo.
The carrier’s inaugural flight was planned for March 2020, however due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this had to be postponed and Arrindell now points to a last quarter of 2022 launch date.
“The advantage Ava Airways has as an evolving airline that has not completed its inaugural flight because of Covid is that it allowed us to choose the best technologies that are in place, conscious of the people who love technology and conscious of the people who are ignorant to technology,” he says. “Europe, for example, is very tech based, but in the Caribbean, they love to go to a booking agent, so we have developed a model that works for both.”

Photo of St. Lucia by Claudio Trigueros on Unsplash

Thanks to a partnership with APG, Ava Airways will be represented in 70 countries through more than 100,000 agents, travel management companies, consolidators and online travel agencies.
Arrindell says the airline will use the Airbus 320 for flights throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, and North America route network, and start with the Airbus 330-200 for distribution throughout the US west coast, Canadian west coast, South America and Europe then convert to the Airbus 350-900.
An economy class round trip from Paris to Aruba is estimated to be around €780-€880.
“As a financial engineer, my team and I have figured out an economical model that allows for affordable flights while being profitable at the same time,” he says. “Legacy airlines, like many in Europe and North America, normally have a population workforce of the country where I was born, but we can create an economic scale that is better.”
By employing a diversified staff, Arrindell says the privately owned, commercial airline will also have an enormous social impact.
“I am bringing humanity back to aviation with a clean concept and an economical model that is vibrant with the unification of the Caribbean on one platform, with dignity, respect, and equality, and mutual trade.”
Olivier Arrindell says the company is now paying key attention to the Dominican Republic Senate. “At the present, we have all the licenses in place, and we are focusing on providing moral support to Dominican Senator Dr. Ivan Silva, who has presented a modification of some articles of the aviation regulations which will modernise the aviation system, and this for me is a great initiative. I also have confidence in our President Luis Abinader to keep the Dominican Republic moving forward with transparent policies for its economy.”

So, why is Olivier Arrindell in Monaco? “We are at the stage of launching, but obviously it is always good to find more partners so that we can be a stronger success,” he says.
But he acknowledges that there are some hurdles to overcome, primarily the lack of diversification in the airline investment world.
“I believe in dignity, respect and equal opportunity for women, men and people of colour,” says Arrindell resolutely. “And I believe that one should be judged on their potential. But in my industry, one of the most difficult aspects for me is to join hands with those who will equitize their confidence in us, as opposed to giving their money to a European person that went bankrupt three times.
“Because at the end of the day, as they say in the Casino de Monte-Carlo, ‘always bet on black’.”
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected that the Dominican economy will grow 9.5% in 2021, a percentage slightly higher than the 9.1% recently estimated by the World Bank. The positive projection is contrary to the drop of -6.7% registered by the local economy in 2020, because of the economic closures imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Looking ahead, Arrindell is optimistic about the airline industry’s recovery in the European market, quoting recent research by financial services agency Moody’s Analytics that found consumers around the world have stockpiled an extra $5.4 trillion of savings since the coronavirus pandemic began, creating a more positive outlook for passenger demand once international travel restrictions are removed.