A new system launched by the Monegasque government could spell an end to the confusion – and confrontations – between taxi drivers in France and Monaco.
The sticker or vignette system devised by the government is set to be rolled out from 1st April. It will allow non-Monaco registered taxi drivers to legally pick up passengers from within the Principality’s borders. This is something that had previously been prohibited, causing countless issues for passengers and drivers on both sides of the border.
Minister of State Pierre Dartout says that the new system will put the customer first, adding that it is “a matter of common sense”.
“We hope that the implementation of this system will be accompanied by reciprocal measures on the part of the French authorities, in order to allow Monegasque taxis to pick up customers heading for the Principality, in particular from the airports of the Côte d’Azur,” he said.
In total, 320 vignettes will be made available for drivers from outside of Monaco: 300 for VTCs – voiture de transport avec chauffeur or a passenger car with a driver – and a further 20 for taxis. Uber drivers, for example, will only be able to obtain a vignette if they hold a legal VTC license.
According to Jean Castellini, Monaco’s Minister of Economy and Finance, the number of vignettes available for foreign-registered drivers is three times the number of vehicles with the same classifications that are based in Monaco.
Each vignette costs €600 for the coming seven months. No plans for after this specific time period have been announced.
From this Friday, the vibrant new Petit Marché de Monaco Ville will be held every week, selling a bounty of fresh produce and breathing new life into this historic, but largely touristic, part of the Principality.
Monaco-Ville, colloquially known as The Rock or Le Rocher, is the neighbourhood that encompasses the Palace, the cathedral and some of the oldest streets in the Principality. The Grimaldi family has resided in this section since 1297, making it an important historic centre, though one that is often overlooked by locals.
Efforts to change that, and thus revitalise the area, are being put in motion with plans hatched by Marjorie Crovetto, the Principality’s Delegate for Commerce, Halls and Markets, now coming to fruition.
The weekly farmer’s market, called the Petit Marché de Monaco Ville or the Little Market of Monaco Ville, is starting up on Friday 31st March. For now, just one producteur of fruit and vegetables will be present.
It can be found between 8am and 1pm on the the Alleé Saint Jean-Paul II, a stone’s throw from the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.
A home delivery service
For those who find it a challenge to make it up to the Rock, a home delivery service has been set up by the townhall for people who reside in Monaco and need a bit of extra help transporting purchased items. It is similar to the service offered at Monaco’s two other market centres: La Condamine and the Marché de Monte-Carlo.
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: Shelley Pauls for Unsplash
Photos: Hundreds join Prince Albert for official launch of Kate Powers Foundation
The legacy of one of Monaco’s most beloved members of the community will live on in the Kate Powers Foundation, which has been officially launched in the presence of lifetime friend Prince Albert II of Monaco.
It was a packed house at Twiga on Tuesday 28th March as close to 400 members of the Monaco community came together for the official launch of her namesake foundation. It was a clear testament to how much they all loved and respected Kate Powers, including Prince Albert II of Monaco.
“It is wonderful to see so many familiar faces here, so many friends,” said Monaco’s Sovereign. “Your presence is a great testimony to Kate, to what she meant to us, and for what she did in her life. It’s all about giving back and helping others, and helping our planet as well. As she really embodied these values and this vision, I think we owe it to her to continue the work that she started with her family and many of you in this room.”
American-born Kate spent most of her life in the Principality after her mother, Jeanne Kelly, moved to Monaco to be with her friend Princess Grace. The Grimaldi and the Powers children grew up together.
As founder and owner of the popular former Stars n’ Bars family restaurant with her life partner Didier Rubiolo, Kate Powers was passionate about her local community and the environment. She passed away from cancer in August 2021, but her legacy to make the world a better place will live on.
Didier Rubiolo and Annette Anderson, former manager of Stars n’ Bars at the launch of the Kate Powers Foundation, photo credit Ed Wright Images
“Do what you love, love what you do, and make a difference”
During the official launch, President of the Kate Powers Foundation Rhonda Hudson relayed the moment that she and Kate decided to create the foundation in 2021.
“She looked at me and said, ‘Well I guess I could use a little help right now with all my ideas’, and she smiled,” revealed Rhonda. “She then asked me, ‘Why would people want to be a part of my foundation?’ and I repeated to her her most commonly used words: ‘Do what you love, love what you do, and make a difference’. The Kate Powers Foundation was created to serve the community of Monaco. We will continue Kate’s passions and desires by focusing on the environment, education and wellbeing in the Principality.”
Prince Albert with members of the Kate Powers Foundation board, photo credit Ed Wright Images
New water fountains to reduce single use plastic
Rhonda Hudson then announced the first project that the Kate Powers Foundation will undertake: the installation of drinking fountains at different locations throughout Monaco. It will help reduce the consumption of single-use plastic, something that was a key mission of the late Kate Powers. The aim is to place permanent, portable and temporary “Kate’s Fountains” throughout Monaco.
“These filtered drinking fountains will unite the community so we can all make an effort to reduce the consumption of single-use plastics,” said Rhonda. “We are excited to announce our collaboration for this project with the Water Smart Foundation.”
Former Monte-Carlo Masters winners Stan Wawrinka and Fabio Fognini have received wildcards to compete in this year’s edition of the tournament, but British Grand Slam winner Andy Murray misses out.
The tournament’s new director, David Massey, revealed the recipients of the four wildcards on Tuesday. Wawrinka, who is returning to form after a long injury, won the competition back in 2014 and will have the chance to do so again next month. He is joined by world number 91 Fognini, who won the Monte-Carlo Masters back in 2019.
Andy Murray misses out
There was also room for upcoming British player Jack Draper, currently ranked 43rd in the world. The 21-year-old won the first set against Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open at the beginning of the year, whilst he also performed impressively at the recent Indian Wells tournament, ultimately won by world number one Carlos Alcaraz.
One of the players that Draper beat during the tournament in Miami was compatriot Murray. The former Wimbledon winner was one of the favourites to earn a spot at this year’s edition, but ultimately misses out on the competition, which is set to feature all of the world’s top 20 players
Valentin Vacherot to represent Monaco
The final wildcard was awarded to a Monégasque. Lucas Caterina could yet play at this year’s competition, but must first come through the qualification rounds. Valentin Vacherot, however, will certainly be competing on the clay courts of the Monte-Carlo Country Club (MCCC) in April. The Monégasque number one won both of his singles during Monaco’s recent Davis Cup victory over the Dominican Republic.
Photo of David Massey by Monaco Life
Speaking at the presentation of the event back in January, Massey expressed high hopes for the Monaco contingent in light of their recent performances in the Davis Cup competition, as well as Hugo Nys’ presence in the Australian Open doubles final.
Rafael Nadal yet to confirm presence at Monte-Carlo Masters
There are now very few question marks over the participants of the 116th edition of the Monte-Carlo Masters, but one glaring one does still exist. It is widely expected that Nadal will compete, but the Spaniard is yet to confirm himself. The tournament listed him, whilst the Mallorcan player also featured on the tournament’s social media communication earlier this month.
Nadal, however, is battling injury in time to feature. He is expected to be fit, and on Tuesday took to social media to show that he is returning to fitness. The picture, posted on Instagram, showed Nadal in training at his academy centre in Mallorca, and was accompanied by the caption: “We’re continuing with preparation for the return to competition.”
That return, bar any surprises or setbacks, should take place at the Monte-Carlo Masters, which gets underway on 8th April.
A week after the launch of Mr Goodfish’s spring list of sustainable fish stocks, Monte-Carlo Bay’s Michelin-starred Chef Marcel Ravin led a class on the best of “what the sea can offer us”.
120 schoolchildren from Monaco had a day out of the classroom this week to take part in the Principality’s “Bottle in the Sea” programme on sustainable seafood. It was an opportunity for the young students to learn more about responsible consumption and fishing, as well as get a close-up experience of a Michelin-starred chef at work.
After meeting with local fishmonger Anthony Rinaldi to learn about this season’s sustainble catches, the pupils headed off to the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort for an al fresco cooking class with the establishment’s Head Chef Marcel Ravin ahead of its official reopening on Friday 31st March.
Ravin spoke of his passion for seasonal ingredients, encouraging those gathered to be conscientious in choosing dishes that allow them to “consumer better and more sustainably”. There was also a tasting element to the afternoon, which was well-received by the students.
Sustainable fish stocks this spring in the Mediterranean
The event comes on the back of the recent launch of the Spring 2023 List of Sustainable Fish Stocks from the Mr Goodfish campaign.
Wild-caught species recommended by the quarterly list for the Mediterranean include: brill, sea bream, gilt-head bream, blue whiting, sardines, mullus barbatus, bluefish, northern shortfin squid and deep-water rose shrimp.
Top sushi masters from all over the continent went knife-to-knife at Monaco’s The Niwaki restaurant for the first ever European Sushi Championship. In the end, it was French chef Michael Pankar who stole the day.
Sushi making is all about style. Sure, high-quality ingredients and savoir-faire are important, but it takes a skilled chef to create beautiful looking – as well as tasting – pieces. That’s without the added element of time pressure, something all competitors at this week’s European Sushi Championship felt, along with the gaze of an extremely discerning judge.
Held on Monday 27th March at The Niwaki on Avenue Princesse Grace in Monaco, the inaugural European Sushi Championship attracted sushi masters from 10 European nations: Monaco, Italy, France, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Portugal and Belgium. Each had their knives at the ready for a rather gruelling two-hour competition that had the chefs demonstrate their technical skills along with fast-thinking approaches and creativity on a grand scale.
The participants had to pass two tests. The first was a 60-minute preparatory test, including having all the fish intended to be used in the second round cut in saku, the traditional blocks familiar to sushi eaters. The second test, also an hour long, was designed to let chefs show off their creative sides.
They were each asked to make 40 to 50 pieces of sushi – including nigiri, maki, uramaki, kazari-maki, kazari-sushi and vegetarian sushi – as well as 15 pieces of sashimi. Each competitor also made two signature dishes separately for judges to sample, including one vegetarian option using Koppert Cress products.
As if this wasn’t enough to consider, the judges heavily stressed the importance of hygiene and cleanliness, particularly with the handling of raw foods.
Winner Michael Pankar at work. Photo: Fabbio Galatioto
Though the rules on what to do were quite strict, when it came to how they did it, it was a different story. Organisers instructed chefs to colour outside the lines in terms of creativity, with an eye to presenting original, dazzling-looking fare.
This tied in with technique; the judging category which earned chefs the most points. To get top marks here, the chefs had to have a light touch, for example, not crushing the rice and making sure their fish was perfectly sliced.
SUSHI MASTER OF THE YEAR
After the last cut was made, it was Michael Pankar of France who won the day. Second place went to Italian Diego Vianello and there was a tie for the bronze, which went to Romania’s Sorin Zaharia and Shandhi Peter de Costa from Poland.
The Niwaki Sushi Chef Wagner Spadacio, photo by Monaco Life
Interview with award-winning sushi Chef Wagner Spadacio at The Niwaki, specialist in “Japanese couture cuisine”.
Monaco Life: Why do you think sushi is so popular in Europe?
Chef Wagner Spadacio: Sushi arrived in Europe no more than 30 years ago. It started as fast food in the beginning, and for the last 15 years we have seen very good restaurants emerge with super high quality sushi. I think that’s why sushi is so popular here, because it touches on all the different ways to eat it, from fast food to high-class, like here at The Niwaki.
You are a Brazilian-born sushi chef. People wouldn’t necessarily relate the two, but there is actually a huge Japanese community in Brazil…
Especially in San Paolo where I come from, where there is the biggest Japanese community in the world. When I was a kid, I was one of only three boys who were not Japanese in my school. So, I grew up next to Japanese people and their culture, and I think that is why I am doing what I am doing today.
Can you tell us about the sushi chefs who are competing today?
We organise the French sushi competition [as well as] one in Bucharest and in Poland. So, the chefs who are here today have already participated in competition for the World Sushi Cup, and we are sure they will be doing a very good job today.
What does it mean to these chefs to win the title of European Sushi Champion?
It is very easy for me to talk about this because I was the first ever French Sushi Champion in 2017. The following year, I was awarded Vice World Sushi Champion in Tokyo. It will change their life, they will pass from a good chef to a chef with an award, and everyone is interested in them. So, it will change the life of the winner as it changed mine.
What are the judges looking for today?
The competion here is very different [to] the one we do in Japan, which is very classic. All of our judges there are over 50-years-old, so they have this very traditional vision of sushi. Here, I instructed the judges not to think this way, but to see things differently and judge them as European chefs. So, they have been encouraged to use fusion and let their creativity flow.
Which is similar to the philosophy you apply here at The Niwaki…
We are not a traditional Japanese restaurant because the other chefs and I are giving our little touches to make something new, which you cannot find anywhere else.
Do you expect this to be the first European Sushi Championship of many in Monaco?
I hope we will do it every year, as you can see today it is a great competition. Perhaps we will arrange to have it at a bigger location as it grows every year.
CLICK ON THE GALLERY BELOW TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EUROPEAN SUSHI CHAMPIONSHIP:
All the headlines and highlights from Monaco, direct to you every morning
