The Monaco Impi’s beat The Samurai to win the Melrose Sevens Rugby tournament, one of the oldest sevens competitions in the world, in Scotland over the weekend.
The Monegasque team, consisting of players from the Principality of Monaco, Scotland, England and France, pulled off a huge shock by beating strong favourites The Samurai on Saturday 8th April. The 26-12 win sees the team lift their first trophy.
No one seemed more surprised about the feat than Coach David Boglashvili: “We’ve only existed for six years. We didn’t reach a final anywhere… so it’s the first time in my life. It’s a great sevens experience. We are very happy, especially regarding the level of some of the other teams.”
The team itself was constructed only a week before the tournament, leaving Boglashvili with the unenviable task of molding a game plan consisting of players with whom he lacked familiarity, whilst also trying to create automatisms on the fly between players of numerous nationalities.
“The players come from different backgrounds, from all over the place, and yet they gelled together into a side. It’s a magic experience to do so much. I’m very proud of the way they have come together – more than even the result. It was difficult to create a game plan in such a short time, but somehow we seemed to manage and earned ourselves a super result,” said Boglashvili.
The upcoming 12th Salon International du Livre de Monaco has a packed schedule filled with some of the world’s best-known writers. A bonus this year: there will be a special focus on authors coming out of Panama, Uruguay and Argentina organised by AMLA.
Over the course of two days, 15th and 16th April, the Salon International du Livre de Monaco at the Grimaldi Forum will welcome a packed house with 177 writers on hand. This array of talent will be holding public discussions and speaking on topics relevant not only to their works, but also to the world-at-large.
As part of this event, a special treat awaits with the presence and support of ambassadors, critics, editors and authors from Panama, Argentina and Uruguay at the Latin American Literature Conference. This will be held on Saturday 15th from 11.45am to 12.15pm at the AMLA stand.
BOOKS… LATIN STYLE
For lovers of Latin America, this is a can’t-miss opportunity to hear some of the region’s great minds speaking on themes relevant to them.
For example, Panama’s Ambassador to Monaco and France, Issamary Sanchez Ortega, will speak on her nation’s unique ecosystem and sustainability goals while González Trejos will recount Panamanian literature, emphasising narrative in the last century and a half, and Miguel Franco will speak on the history of the noir genre both in prose and poetry in Panama’s Republican period.
Uruguayan Ambassador Jorge Luis Jure will hold a talk on Uruguayan Authors and the Sea, Mercedes Rosende will tell crowds about her latest novel called L’Autre Femme, and writer, editor and critic Antoine Barrale will speak about the evolution of Uruguayan literature.
Finally, Argentinian author Eduardo Fernando Varela will be introducing his latest book, Roca Pelada, which is filled with hilariously funny and almost magical moments set against a backdrop of some of the world’s highest mountain tops.
ROOTS OF THE SALON
The Salon International du Livre de Monaco was created in 2012 by Les Rencontres Littéraires Fabian Boisson as a way to present new and established literary talent and ideas from around the globe in an intimate setting.
This year, the Salon will feature, in addition to the Latin American event, novelist and journalist Pierre Assouline, politician Jean-Louis Debré and actress Emmanuelle Seigner, who will tell of how she experienced the storm of controversy around her husband, Roman Polanski.
Entry to the 12th Salon International du Livre de Monaco is, and in past editions, free and open to the public.
Do you have an event in Monaco or the French Riviera that you would like us to include in our What’s On section and events calendar? Please email editor@monacolife.net.
Photo source: Nick Fewings for Unsplash
Lego and street art amongst fun new workshops for kids at A Fàbrica
The A Fàbrica centre at the Princess Antoinette Park is hosting several new children’s workshops starting in April, giving kids a chance to hone fresh skills and learn something new.
A Fàbrica centre at Princess Antoinette Park has long been a favourite for parents in the know, offering cool monthly eco-fun workshops. Now, the Principality’s Community Entertainment Service is adding some events that are sure to draw both parents and kids alike.
Atelier Lecture: ‘Mon p’tit poulailler’
First up is a reading event in collaboration with the association La Valise à Histoires. These 45-minute sessions are perfect for children aged 18 months to six years, and consist of a facilitator run story-telling part, followed by a time where little ones can handle the books themselves, instilling the idea that books are special and need to be looked after with care as well as with amusement.
The sessions are organised by age group with events running at 3pm, 3:45pm and 4:30pm. The first meeting will take place on Wednesday 12th April with the reading of Mon p’tit poulailler. It’s a free event, but reservations are required and can be made on +377 93 15 29 33.
Atelier de Briques Lego
Next up is a Lego workshop in association with Bricks 4 Kidz. This reservation-only event focuses on using creativity to build and construct, and is based on an amusement park theme. It will be held on Tuesday 25thApril at 2pm and 3:30pm for kids aged six to 13. To book a free spot, ring +377 93 15 29 33.
Atelier Jardinage
Co-hosted by a speaker from the Monaco Media Library and a gardener from Princess Antoinette Park, a gardening workshop, Atelier Jardinage: Médiathèque Hors les Murs, will take place on Friday 28th April from 9:30am to 11:30am. Kids will be able to handle seedlings and be taught how to nurture plants, giving them the joy of watching them continue to grow. This free event requires a reservation to be made by calling +377 93 15 29 40.
Atelier Street Art
Finally, for the budding artists is the Atelier de Street Art, hosted by @jess9art. Kids aged seven to 10 can join on Saturday 13th May from 9:30am to 12:30pm for their shot at creating some awesome street art, followed by another session for kids aged 11 and up from 2:30pm to 5:30pm. Reservations are required also for this free event, and must be made at +377 93 15 29 33.
Do you have an event in Monaco or the French Riviera that you would like us to include in our What’s On section and events calendar? Please email editor@monacolife.net.
Photo source: Unsplash
Monaco Age Oncologie using cutting-edge technology for treatment of the elderly
The 2023 Monaco Age Oncologie conference brought together specialists working in the fields of geriatric oncology and peripheral elderly care to set out the latest in treatments, technology and support for the aged, who account for two in three new cancer cases each year.
Held at the Fairmont Hotel on 22nd and 23rd March, the Monaco Age Oncologie (MAO) congress saw over 550 multidisciplinary specialists, oncologists, geriatricians, nursing staff, nutritionists, psychologists, and heads of associations who work with seniors with cancer.
Nearly two-thirds of the 380,000 new cancer cases in France occur in the over-75’s each year, and the numbers are expected to rise as the enormous baby boomer population continues to age. The MAO addresses the issues involved in dealing with cancer in older people as well as looking at new inventive ways to treat and care for them.
Some innovative new methods were presented, including one by two nurses who conducted a patient care programme using immersive 3D glasses. The 3D environment relaxed nervous patients, particularly during chemotherapy treatments.
“The two authors of this program discovered the potential of these 3D glasses here a few years ago,” said Mauro Lena, President at Lena Group and organiser of the event. “They adapted it to their circumstances and applied it. Today this method of care is not only operational in their hospital, but arouses the interest of many other establishments for multiple applications.”
Accelerated Workshop in Oncology (WAO)
MAO was preceded by the first edition of the Accelerated Workshop in Oncology (WAO) devoted to general oncology. It featured a series of workshops and meetings led by specialists in gynaecology, thoracic oncology, digestive oncology, urology and supportive care.
Leno summed up the heart of the event, saying, “It makes it possible to establish a concrete inventory and to draw up clear perspectives through presentations made by very active specialists. It reviews, in an exhaustive manner, treatment methods, feedback, and analysis of the results of preclinical and clinical studies, describes regulatory developments and makes it possible to plan effectively for the future. It’s a hub.”
The Monaco Age Oncologie was held with the support of the Lena Group, the Monaco Scientific Centre and the Princess Grace Hospital Centre, in collaboration with the Francophone Society of Oncogeriatrics.
Historical film Jeanne du Barry starring actor Johnny Depp will open the Cannes Film Festival this year, his first time film since the end of his highly publicised defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard.
The Cannes Film Festival will set the scene for the dramatic return to the screen of Johnny Depp, who was mired in controversy over a defamation case between him and his ex-wife Amber Heard that had many wondering if the actor could recover from the ugliness of the trial.
The film, entitled Jeanne du Barry, is a biopic tale of the life of Louis XV’s working class, and working girl, lover who climbed her way up the social ladder against all odds to become King’s favourite, scandalising his court as his last official mistress.
The drama was directed by Maïwenn, who is a Cannes darling, having screened two of her other films, Mon Roi and Polisse, at the prestigious festival. She also plays the starring role against Depp’s Louis VX, who incidentally had to learn French for the film. He is also a co-producer under his company IN2 along with Why Not Productions.
The last time Depp was cast in a film role was in 2020’s Minamata, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. Depp was already embroiled in court cases at the time, losing a March 2021 libel suit against UK newspaper The Sun for calling him a wife-beater. This was followed up by a very public legal battle against his ex-wife who accused him of domestic abuse in an op-ed piece. He won the case, and the two parties settled, but the event left a bad taste in the mouths of many.
Jeanne du Barry will open in French cinemas the same day as the premiere and is expected to join Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon and Disney’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny when the official selction list is revealed on 13th April.
The acclaimed Em Sherif Monte-Carlo has returned for a new season in Monaco’s most famous hotel, featuring a refined menu by Chef Yasmina Hayek that combines luxury and tradition.
The internationally-renowned restaurant, with its origins in Beirut, opened its doors in the Hôtel de Paris in April 2022 and quickly forged a reputation among locals and international visitors as a culinary destination in Monaco.
The menu is a celebration of Lebanese culture and cuisine with moreish staples like hummus, falafel, beef kibbet and Fattoush among the mezze.
But this is Monaco, so Chef Yasmina Hayek has delivered on expectations, elevating her spice-rich offerings with prime ingredients like wagyu hummus, Lebanese beef tartare, and a delicate marinated yellowtail with green chili and citrus dressing. The starter menu has no less than 30 mezze plates, a veritable smorgasbord that is destined to be shared.
Em Sherif offers an extensive menu that mixes luxury and tradition. Photo source: SBM
The main plates follow the same philosophy – last season’s best selling dishes like slow cooked lamb shoulder and whole seabass stuff with caramelised rice sit alongside semolina pearls with caviar or lobster, wagyu beef skewers, and Beluga caviar served with katayef Lebanese blinis, homemade sumac chips and lebneh.
“You will always find the basis of Em Sherif wherever you go, such as hummus, mutabbal, fattet, and fattoush… real staples of Lebanese cuisine,” Chef Hayek told Monaco Life during a special opening lunch on 4th April. “But you will also find new additions to the menu that we didn’t have last year like the grills, more salads, and different mains. We also introduced luxury products like caviar, lobster, truffle, wagyu beef, and raw fish to have a more balanced experience.”
The desserts are a celebration of the rich, sweet flavours of Lebanon, including Em Sherif’s signature pistachio baklava, an éclair with date cream infused with black tea and salted caramel, and a light citrus semolina cake with almond milk ice cream.
Em Sherif baklava, photo source: SBM
Where Lebanon meets the Mediterranean in a luxurious hotel
It is a culinary journey to the homeland of Chef Yasmina Hayek, who trained at the Institut Paul Bocuse and who now has a leading role at many of the family restaurants first initiated by her mother, Mireille Hayek, in 2011.
While Em Sherif Monte-Carlo lie sleeping during the cooler winter months, Chef Hayek was busy opening a new Em Sherif in Doha. It was hot on the heels of a restaurant opening in Abu Dhabi and London, with further expansion planned throughout the Middle East.
The mother-daughter team is clearly a winning formula. The restaurant group received the ‘Art and Hospitality Award 2023’ earlier this year, and is ranked ‘No. 20 Middle East North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023’.
Chef Hayek says she is proud to bring her heritage cuisine to both those who love it, and others who are discovering it for the first time.
“The biggest challenge is to satisfy both clientele: those who know Em Sherif worldwide and come for the cuisine, and those who don’t know Lebanese food but come to feel satisfied and have a good time around the table,” revealed Chef Hayek.
The Em Sherif terrace overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and The Rock. Photo source: SBM
New this year: Live music
If the food weren’t enough to plunge you into the divine universe of Lebanon, then the sounds of international artist Faylasuf surely will, with his electronic influences and Arab-Andalusian inspirations.
From now until 30th September, Em Sherif Monte-Carlo will be featuring a brand-new musical programme with DJ, percussion, saxophonist and female vocalist performing to the rhythm of Faylasuf.
There’s also a Chicha Lounge and signature cocktails to round out the exclusive oriental experience.
Em Sherif Monte-Carlo is open from Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. Bookings can be made online, by phone on +377 98 06 88 75, or email emsherifmc@sbm.mc
See more in our experience at Em Sherif in our Instagram video below…
Do you have an event in Monaco or the French Riviera that you would like us to include in our What’s On section and events calendar? Please email editor@monacolife.net.
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