The Air League of Monaco is hosting an interesting event this week, a seated dinner and Q&A with Captain Robert Pearson, the pilot who famously glided a passenger jet to safety in Canada after it had run out of fuel.
On Wednesday 3rd May, guests will be welcomed to a special event at the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation Conference Hall in Monaco, where Captain Robert Pearson will be guest speaker.
Captain Robert “Bob” Pearson and First Officer Maurice Quintal were flying Flight 143 to Ottawa when the Boeing 767 ran out of fuel, and consequently power in both engines and landing gear. Captain Pearson, also an experienced glider pilot, managed to land the plane on a closed runway that was being used as a race track. Miraculously, no one was seriously injured in the incident. The airliner was forever known as the Gimli Glider, and in 1985, Pearson and Quintal were awarded the first ever Fédération Aéronautique Internationale Diploma for Outstanding Airmanship.
Guests on Wednesday will be treated to a screening of the Discovery Channel’s documentary on the Gimli Glider, a Q&A with Captain Pearson, and a three course dinner. Money raised will go towards the Air League of Monaco, which was formed in November 2013 as a Monaco Charity. It is dedicated to “keeping Monaco and its surrounding area at the forefront of Aviation” and helps young people start a career in aviation by offering scholarships and awards.
It has Prince Albert II as its principal patron, while Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Dame Shirley Bassey, former F1 driver Thierry Boutsen, and Monaco Ambassadors Club president Christian Moore are also among its patrons.
Stay tuned for our interview with Captain Pearson.
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“To Catch a Thief” villa sells for full asking price
One month is all it took to find a buyer for the €3.6 million villa that was once the set of Alfred Hitchcock’s “To Catch a Thief”, starring Grace Kelly and Cary Grant.
Back in March of this year, Monaco Life reported on the listing of the one-time Hollywood film set.
Advertised and now sold for €3.6 million by Côte d’Azur Sotheby’s International Realty, the property will have been a real coup de coeur purchase or investment for the unnnamed buyer, who is adding a slice of local history to their portfolio with Villa Les Bolovens, its official name.
As well as providing the backdrop to one of the most iconic scenes in the 1950s “To Catch a Thief”, the 5,000m2 hillside plot boasts stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea, Nice and the Baou de Saint Jeannet.
Landscaped gardens and a swimming pool complete a seven-bedroom villa, which has been respectfully maintained in the style many will recognise from the famous film.
“To Catch a Thief” won an Oscar for Best Cinematography in 1956 and was also nominated for Best Set in a nod to the beauty of the location chosen for the film.
More than 1,200 migrants have entered the Alpes-Maritimes since the start of 2023. To help better manage the situation, the French prime minister is sending 150 extra officers to assist at the Italian border.
France’s prime minister, Elisabeth Borne, announced on 26th April that she will be sending an additional 150 police and gendarme officers, starting next week, to help with “increased migratory pressure at the Italian border”.
So far this year, the Alpes-Maritimes has seen 1,202 migrants cross the border from Italy, with 110 new arrivals coming in just a single week. The situation is such that a gymnasium in Menton has had to be requisitioned to house the people hoping to come and stay, and the Alpes-Maritimes Departmental Council has said that reception systems for minor migrants are a “saturation” levels.
This comes as the prime minister has postponed a new immigration law, which would have sped up the expulsion of illegal migrants while easing residency applications for those who work in sectors needing labour, saying that it will not pass for lack of support from the French legislature. She is hoping to revisit it again in autumn, but is reluctant to press for another divisive bill right now whilst the pension reform war still wages on.
“Now is not the time to start a debate over a bill that could divide the French,” Borne said at a news conference.
The sun-filled terraces of the Monte-Carlo Beach Hotel are once again open for the delectable restaurant Elsa, headed by chef Mélanie Serre, who has this year cast her local produce net even further.
Chef Mélanie Serre made her mark on the gastronomic scene of Monaco in 2022. Backed by years of experience at some of France and Monaco’s most awarded restaurants, she took over the kitchen of seasonal restaurant Elsa, and with it the responsibility of upholding an organic menu.
As she explained to Monaco Life in 2022, it was a challenge to source all of the specialty ingredients for her menu. So, it is not surprising to learn that this year the 37-year-old chef from Ardèche, southeast France, has widened her scope to reach even more local, organic flavours.
Chef Melanie Serre, photo source: Monte-Carlo SBM
Mélanie Serre, winner of the 2023 Ethical Environmental Responsibility Prize, and her team are now working with a wider range of producers in the surrounding region for fruits, vegetables, olive oils, fish, meats, and wines.
Domaine d’Agerbol in the heights of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, for example, provides fresh, organic vegetables, less than a kilometre from farm to plate. The Jardin des Antipodes in Menton has sun-kissed herbs and fruits, while Domaine Oléicole Lessatini, a family business of four generations in the hills of Nice, supplies local wines.
Monegasque fisherman Eric Rinaldi and the Verinni fishery ensure that the day’s catch is as fresh as possible thanks to the hardworking fishermen off the coast of Imperia.
It is a sustainable approach that not only benefits clients, but supports the local ecosystem, creates jobs and energises the social fabric.
This April, guests will find amongst the menu langoustine tartare served with Osciètre caviar, fresh cucumber juice and Granny Smith apple; pan-fried foie gras escalope, confit beef cheek ravioli, mushrooms and clarified broth with fresh herbs; roasted saddle of lamb, harissa tomato sauce, young spring vegetables and panisses with black olives; and pickled cucumber, honey and lemon mousse, served over roasted rice.
The daily specials are dependent on the products available, ensuring the ingredients are eaten at their prime.
Elsa is open now from Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. The Market menu for weekday lunch is 72€, and 92€ on weekends and public holidays. A Degustation menu for dinner is 142€. In July and August, the restaurant is only open for dinner.
Monte-Carlo Beach – Restaurant La Vigie, photo courtesy Monte-Carlo SBM
A luxury resort nestled in nature
Monte-Carlo Beach is an oasis on the edge of a bustling, busy Principality of Monaco. Set against a pine forest bird reserve and in a totally private peninsula, it offers guests a chic and intimate setting, as close as possible to nature in this part of the world, with peaceful views of the Mediterranean Sea and an exclusive private beach.
It is a little piece of paradise that Monte-Carlo SBM is this year making even more alluring.
In addition to Elsa restaurant, the hotel features the Pointe de la Vigie where, from 2nd June, a private club will come alive from midday to 8pm, reviving a vision from the past. It has been the best-kept secret of Monte-Carlo Beach since 1952, with bungalows nestled in the pine forest, renamed this year as “Love Nests” for more intimate moments with lovers or friends. Access is possible by boat and a shuttle will make it easy to reach the new Maona Monte-Carlo to continue the evening under the stars.
Maona is set to open in July, image courtesy Monte-Carlo SBM
Maona is currently under construction at the same site it existed in the 1960s and 1970s. When it opens in July, guests will be able to enjoy a cabaret under the stars, invoking the glamour of the times: the original created by Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis and his long-time mistress Maria Callas, its name a coming together of the two famous residents of Monaco.
Vintage-inspired cocktails will flow from 7pm to 2am with a pianist, DJ and diva taking turns to amuse guests.
Soon, there will be little reason to leave this secluded wonderland at any hour of the day.
Spiky seed pods, called épilletslocally, are out a full month earlier than usual, and with them comes the danger of these sea urchin-like seeds becoming painfully lodged in the ears and noses of our furry friends.
Usually seen from June onwards, the warmer and drier conditions in the south of France have, this year, led to an early emergence of these spiky seeds.
The spikes of the épillet attach themselves to anything that passes by them and act like a creeping harpoon that embeds itself to the host. As the host moves, they tend to move forward in one direction, usually toward the skin, where they can become serious irritants.
Humans can simply remove them from socks or clothing and be done with them, but with pets, they often find their way into noses or ears, where they become trapped and dig deeper into the orifices, becoming incredibly painful and sometimes requiring the assistance of a vet to dislodge them. This often requires putting the animal under anaesthesia, a dangerous and expensive thing to do in itself.
HOW TO SPOT AND PREVENT TROUBLE
The best way to avoid these pesky pods is to cut them down before they have a chance to form. Whilst this is possible at one’s own home, it is another story in the great outdoors. This means that preparing pets is the best way to go.
Vets recommend shaving the fur in the interior of the ear or giving them a thick coating of Vaseline to stop the épillets from having anything to hold onto as a good start. Even with these precautions, it is advised to check after every walk, not just ears and noses, but the fur as well, with a focus on paws. This treatment goes for cats as well as dogs.
For people with long-eared pets, “snoods” can be wrapped around the dog’s head to prevent the pods’ entry. This may not help the dog win any beauty contests, but it could stop the need for an emergency visit to the vet.
Signs that the animal has picked up an épillet in a sensitive region will include violent head shaking and scratching at the ears, nose or even eyes. The animal may also become agitated, so look for behavioural changes. If a lodged épillet is suspected, take the animal directly to the vet and get it taken care of.
The best prevention is vigilance, but if it does happen, be proactive. Trained vets know what to do, and the sooner the offending pod is removed, the sooner Fido or Spot will be back to their normal happy selves.
The private collections of stage costumes, personal items and handwritten lyrics belonging to legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury are being exhibited and later auctioned by Sotheby’s this summer.
Fans of the late Queen singer Freddie Mercury will now have a chance to own a piece of the star thanks to an exhibition and auction being presented by Sotheby’s between June and September.
LIVE AND ONLINE AUCTIONS
In total, there will be six different auctions. The first is on 6th September with a live sale featuring a cross-section of some of the collection’s most significant pieces. Two more live events follow on 7th and 8th September: the first will be dedicated to the singer’s on-stage persona and the second to his home life.
Three online sales will run alongside these events. One will focus on his deep love of all things Japanese, and the other two are entitled “Crazy Little Things”, using the title of one of his band’s most popular hit songs and featuring everyday objects that the singer purchased to adorn his home.
“Freddie Mercury’s sensational life has left us with a rich array of artistic moments that still move and astound us, a legacy that, like his music, will live on forever,” said Oliver Barker, the chairman of Sotheby’s Europe. “As Sotheby’s is transformed into the stage for this remarkable collection, the focus will be as much on Freddie Mercury the showman, celebrating everything we already know about him, as on discovering his less well-known private artistic passions.”
Some standout pieces will include the elaborate military-style jacket he wore to his 39th birthday party in 1985, with an estimated sale price of £10,000 to £15,000 (€11,000 to €17,000), and the handwritten lyrics worked on by the singer for the Queen hit “We are the Champions”, which is expected to fetch £200,000 to £300,000 (€225,000 to €339,000).
There will also be a replica of the St. George Crown he wore along with a red velvet faux-fur lined cloak at the last live show Queen played together in 1986. Sale prices for this are anticipated to range from £60,000 to £80,000 (€68,000 to €90,000).
The real crown, incidentally, will be worn by King Charles III at his coronation in May.
PRE-AUCTION EXHIBITIONS
Before the sales event, Mercury’s items will be taken on the road with exhibition stops in New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong in June, followed by a “full takeover” of Sotheby’s London 16,000 square foot gallery in August.
There, the space will be divided into specially created immersive sections to house the 1,500 items that will be displayed. The London exhibit will open on 4th August and close on 5th September on what would have been his 77th birthday.
The pieces will all come from collections that resided in his Georgian-style home, Garden Lodge, which the singer bought in 1980 and lived in until his untimely death at the age of 45 in 1991 from an AIDS-related illness.
After he died, Garden Lodge was left largely as it was for some 30 years.
The tribute is fitting for a man who adored auctions, notably those put on by Sotheby’s. He once quipped, “I love going to auctions and buying antiques… The only thing I would really miss if I actually left Britain would be Sotheby’s.”
