Riviera Insider - January 2016

RIVIERA

SUCCESS STORYBehind the curtains of theCafé de Paris

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GOURMETItaly’s youngestMichelin-starred chef

LIFESTYLEYes, Nice Carnival ishappening!

BUSINESSRules of renting out aholiday home

T h e e n g l i s h - l a n g u a g e m a g a z i n e f o r T h e f r e n c h r i v i e r a & m o n a c o s i n c e 2 0 0 2

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THEOULE-SUR-MER




New year, new title, new look, new publication, morethan twice as many pages…it’s a great start to 2016!The Riviera Times, the English-language newspaperestablished in 2003, has blossomed into Riviera Insi-der, with a fresh, contemporary new look but thesame high-quality content you have known for allthese years. Riviera Insider is bold, clear and infor-mative. Standing amongst some 5,000 other pro-ducts in the newsstands; as soon as you see the titleyou immediately know this is clued-up Anglophonenews and information about the Riviera! Rest assu-red, throughout the rebranding process, the editorsdefended the news and information content toothand nail, to ensure we remain an invaluable guide tothe Côte d’Azur for all English-speakers in the region.When it came to selecting the first cover photo of

our re-launched magazine, admittedly it was atough one when faced with some many greatimages, including one of Princess Stéphanie ofMonaco next to a full-grown elephant (page 45),the Nice carnival parade (page 24) and the char-ming gems of Vernazza (page 59)…But ultimatelywe decided upon this beautiful image of an acro-bat; a perfect representation of our versatility aswe transition into a bold and exciting new-lookpublication. We wish you, our dear loyal readers, a harmo-nious, joyful and prosperous 2016 filled with coun-tless happy moments here in the south of France.The next time you read our magazine, it will beMarch – so we look forward to seeing you againin the springtime!

EDITORIALBy SARAH HARVEY

Nearly 25 years ago, Petra Hall (Riviera Insider’s editor in chief) established a Riviera newspaperin German which was followed by an English version in 2003. These titles have now blossomedunder the names Riviera Insider and Riviera Zeit into attractive, contemporary magazines. The goalfrom the beginning was to provide readers with exciting, informative and unique insights from theMediterranean written by professional mother-tongue journalists. She has become an institutionin the south of France and Monaco's media landscape.Sarah Harvey (editor of Riviera Insider) is new to the team. The widely-travelled journalist fromLondon has been working in the industry for 14 years and spent the past five years reporting fromthe Maldives and Sri Lanka before returning to the region where she spent some of the happiesttimes of her childhood. She specialises in writing articles in the fields of leisure, sport, history, theenvironment and art.Aila Stöckmann (editor of our sister publication, Riviera Zeit) has been writing for German-spea-king readers about the Côte d'Azur for more than a decade. With undiminished enthusiasm, shecontinues to share her experiences and encounters in the south of France. The German nationalhas not only her feet but also her heart firmly planted in the sunny Riviera. Michaël Aouizerate (marketing) is a media man through-and-through. For more than 25 years,the energetic Frenchman has had a solid track record with clients and with conceiving value-added advertisements and campaigns in print media. He previously worked overseas includingMarrakesh, Dubai, Mauritius and Bora Bora before joining Riviera Press.Karine Balagny (marketing) loves the international flair of the company. After several years ofliving in the USA, and thanks to her experience in Sales and Events, the native of Normandy hasfound her dream position in our multicultural publishing house.Carole Hébert (secretary) is the heart and soul of the team. Besides dealing with accounting,subscription management and reader-concerns, the native of northern France has a knack withnumbers and always ensures everything in the office is ticking over perfectly. Vincent Artus (artistic director) has a gift for transforming visions and ideas into reality. The niçoiscreative talent has as a penchant for clean lines and playing with white space for optimum effectand has brought a fresh, stylish look to our publication. The multi-talented creative is also a pho-tographer and videographer.

PETRA HALL

MICHAËL AOUIZERATE-BENE

CAROLE HÉBERT

AILA STÖCKMANN

KARINE BALAGNY

VINCENT ARTUS

THE TEAM

6 RIVIERA



MonacoChanging times - 40 yearsof the Monaco Circus Fes-tival

45Ireland Fund of Monaco:Celebrating ties betweenthe Principality and TheEmerald Isle

51

Art & CultureA fresh look at Cocteau

54The Corbusier, 50 yearsafter his untimely death

53

LifestyleJetting off from Nice tothe Big Apple, in style

55Bedding down in the ‘citythat never sleeps’

57The expat love affair withthe Italian Riviera...and itsresidents!

59

GourmetMeet Italy’s youngest Mi-chelin starred chef

60

Education Special:Encouraging harmony inschools in the multicultu-ral Riviera

68

EventsWhat’s hot and where togo in January & February!

72

NewsCatch up on all the latestnews and updates fromacross the Riviera

77

The HotlistTop ten news and trends

1O

Success Story Café de Paris: How an ins-

titution was born

18

NiceThe story behind one of

the world’s biggest carni-vals

24

ArchitectureVilla Arson, a renowned

artistic hub

26

PropertyNews and trends in Riviera real estate

32

BusinessFinancial advicefrom a

charted accountant

35Riviera fraudster

convicted

36Spotlight on the electrical

car revolution

38The success of the Sixt

family empire

42

Cover© Natalya Vyshedko

Shutterstock,

Issue #164SEE MORE, DO MORE,

KNOW MORE

8 CONTENTSRIVIERA


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The Australia-Monaco Association launches this year, with the aim of encouraging social and business ex-changes between the Australian community and the Principality of Monaco. It will also include work on de-veloping friendly relations between the two countries, as well as cultural and artistic co-operation, not tomention promoting tourism and sports amongst its members, and in partnership with other associations.Since 2010, Australians have moved from 12th to 9th as the nationality visiting Monaco the most.Highlights of the 2016 programme will include an Australia Day party with a BBQ, Aussie wine and Australianbeer on 26 January at Stars ‘N’ Bars in quai Antoine 1er, which will continue each year. According to orga-nizers, there may also be an annual Australian Gala Ball. Several other events are being penciled in, includingBBQs and entertainment. Last year, more than 300 guests assembled at very short notice for a trial-run ofan Australia Day party. The success of this event, and similar, led the organizers to discuss the idea of of-ficially creating the Australia-Monaco Association. Andrew M. Cannon, the Honorary Consul, Consulat deMonaco, Melbourne, Australia , is a regular visitor, as is Stephen Brady , the Ambassador for France and Mo-naco. And there are many Australians living in the area, including athletes such as the former Western Bull-

dogs and Melbourne AFL player Craig Ellis and his fiancée, Erin Deering; Grand Prix driver Daniel Ricciardo and cyclists Simon Gerransand Matt Goss. More details on future events will be posted on our news website www.rivieratimes.com.

CELEBRATINGTIES BETWEEN‘DOWN UNDER’AND THE PRINCIPALITY

Creation of Australia-Monaco Association

10 THE HOTLISTRIVIERA

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The winter season is in full swing atthe Hippodrome in Cagnes-sur-Merand the tracks have re-opened afterbeing upgraded with improvementsincluding cutting-edge surfaces forthe horses to race upon: Beautifulgrounds, beautiful horses and beau-tiful views, with glimpses of the blueMediterranean set against the ver-dant green turf. Feel the excitementas the horses race neck and neck tothe finish-line! Don’t miss the topraces, including the Prix de la Côted’Azur on 14 January and the GrandPrix of the Riviera on 14 February.With tickets at €4.50, there’s no ex-cuse not to go! Additionally, the Hip-podrome has opened on theweekends to the community. EverySaturday and Sunday, doors openwith free entrance, free parking andentertainment for the whole family.There will be pony rides, giant infla-tables and plenty of spots to eat.

FEEL THETHRILL ASHORSES RACENECK ANDNECK TO THEFINISH LINE

To the races!

The COP21 climate change confe-rence in Paris in December 2015has given individuals, businessesand entrepreneurs new zeal for‘going green’, and the Riviera is noexception! ‘Upcycling’ is one ofthe hottest new trends in the re-gion, particularly amongst thosewho are environmentally-conscious. Upcycling is a way ofreusing discarded objects or ma-terial in such a way as to createa product of higher quality orvalue than the original. Antibes

recently welcomed the Côte d’Azur’s first recycled boutique,Univers Recyclage, specialising in ‘upcylced’ and recycledgoods. With an array of goods from handbags made from rub-ber tires or old jeans labels to bowls made from vinyl recordsor handmade metal robot figurines, there are all kinds ofunique items to explore! This nautical inspired bag made fromused boat sails makes us think of cruising around in the sum-mer sunshine. And Nice-based Okavengo, a partner ofGrasse’s Junior Chamber of Commerce, has created a pre-sentation of ethical products which include 100% organic cot-ton bags and USB sticks made from bamboo (all Fair Tradecertified). For more information see www.okavengo.produits-pro-motionnels.eu and www.universrecyclage.over-blog.com.

‘UPCYCLING’ ISHOTTEST NEWTREND ON THERIVIERA

Reduce, reuse, recycle…


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The newest and most fun way toshed the excesses of the holidaysand get in shape: Trampolineparks have been all the rageacross the UK and the UnitedStates, and now you can partakein the fun, right here on the Côted’Azur. Salto Trampoline Arena re-cently opened in Mougins, with1,000 square metres of fun fitnessfor all ages, from kids to adults(there are separate rooms for thechildren). Now everyone canspend a few hours having a blast

while blasting calories! The arena features a climbing wall(where it’s fun to fall), an elastic tight-rope, Dodgeball tourna-ments and all sizes of trampolines to add extra bounce to wha-tever you do. Catapult into the air, bounce off walls, or try amid-air summersault before diving into a pit of squishy blocks.Ever wanted to slam dunk like Michael Jordan? The basketballhoops with angled trampolines launch you into the air to do itwith ease. Sound like too much? They also offer individual andgroup acrobatic classes as well as Zumba, stretching and car-dio. Looking for a fun venue for a birthday party? It can be ren-ted out for private parties or themed evenings. Whether gettinginto serious shape, or just trying to tire the kids out, the arenais sure to be fun for all ages.

TRAMPOLINEPARK COULDHELP YOU KEEPNEW YEAR’SRESOLUTIONSOF GETTING FIT

For fifty years, the Biot glass factoryhas been making its unique, ‘bubbleglass’. The master artisans haveworked to develop several differentcolours. This year, they have deve-loped their most unusual ‘colour’yet—glow-in-the-dark! The sloganfor this unique new creation: “Findyourself at the heart of the magicof fire and glass”…Imagine havingdinner in the garden and as the sundips below the horizon, plungingyour guests into darkness; the oohsand aahs begin as each person’s

plate begins to gleam in an incandescent green or blue tinge!Now that is something that doesn’t happen every day! Be sureto visit the Verrerie de Biot, where you can tour the glassma-ker’s studio and watch them hand-blow glass, or even take aworkshop in glass-blowing. According to Nice Tourism Office,it’s the second most popular attraction in the region. In addition,it’s still in the same hands of the family who founded it. Verrerie de Biot, Chemin des Combes, Biot Tel. 04 93 65 03 00.Reopens after annual closure 27th January, then open Mondayto Saturday, 9.30am – 6.30pm and Sunday, 10.30am – 1.30pmand 2.30pm – 6.30pm.

BIOT GLASSMARKS 50YEARS WITHUNIQUE LUMINESCENTGLASS

Bounce into the New Year!

The Centre de Découverte du Monde Marin (Marine World Discovery Centre) in Nice – recent Winner of the2015 Environmental Awards – is helping to bring you face to face with dolphins, octopi, turtles, whales (andeven grouper and skate), right on the Promenade du Paillon! These new fun (and educational) panels havebeen installed in Nice’s green enclave, bringing a bit of the seaside into the city. But did you know these in-credible creatures can all be found within the Pelagos Sanctuary – which is right on your doorstep? The87,500 sqkm sanctuary is a quadrant stretching out between France Italy and Monaco; from EscampobariouPoint (on the western edge of the Giens peninsulain at Hyères), in the west, to Fosso Chiarone (the wes-ternmost part of the Gulf of Asinara, off the Tuscan shores). It spreads right out into the Mediterranean toincorporate the waters around Corsia and the northerly tip of Sardinia, as well as smaller islands such asthe islands of Hyères, Liguria, the Tuscan Archipelago and the Strait of Bonifacio.The project aims to educate children and their families about the importance of protecting the marineworld. It was the winner of a competition for a more environmentally-aware city.

PLUNGE INTOTHE UNDERWA-TER WORLD!

Dolphins in the Promenade du Paillon



For the first time ever, a French National Park canbe explored using Google Street View - The Mer-cantour, in the north of the Alpes-Maritimes de-partment. Last summer a team of “Googlers” and“Trekkers” (carrying special backpacks equippedwith an Android device which operates 15 lensesat the top of a mast, each angled in a differentdirection to enabled the team to stitch together360-degree panoramic views). Data was collec-ted from 19 of the park’s most beautiful walkingtrails. Google has processed the photos and GPS,which is now all available on Google Street View– so viewers can explore the soaring mountainsand pristine panoramas of the Mercantour from

the comfort of their own armchairs. The scanned images are as diverse asthey are spectacular: family-friendly activities, sporty scenes; sometimesshot from very high up and sometimes running through the middle of a vil-lage. The French National Park, which was voted in recent years as one of theten most beautiful nature reserves in the world, is in good company on StreetView; even the Grand Canyon and the Galapagos Islands have been scannedby the Google team. www.mercantour.eu.

VIRTUAL HIKING WITHGOOGLE STREET VIEW

360 degrees of Mercantour

Snow is cold. But the ski season is hot andthe Ice DJ festival at Isola 2000 is even hot-ter! Just a few hours from Nice, Isola sits2,000 metres up, with ski slopes, warmcafés and plenty of winter fun. The Ice DJFestival is a series of free concerts at thefoot of the slopes, featuring some of the big-gest DJs in France. Four concerts in total,between December and March promise tobe so scorching, it melts the ice! Para One,known for their Daft Punk remix, will beplaying on 16 January. February’s concert,on the 19th, hosts the experimental soundsof DJ Synapson. And last, but certainly not

least, is Nice’s very own Feder, whose recent album is topping thecharts. Feder helped organise the immensely successful benefit concertin Nice for the Red Cross and victims of October 2015’s flood. The music starts at 1pm, with sets from local DJs, until the main actstake the helm from 3 – 5pm. But it doesn’t stop there. The local DJs re-turn to the tables until 6pm, when the after party will continue indoorsat The Hunter, Isola’s new Irish pub. For more information, visitwww.isola2000.com.

DEEP GROOVESAT THE FOOT OFTHE ALPS

Ice DJ Festival

15THE HOTLISTRIVIERA


Cirque du Soleil is coming to Nice and tickets arehot, hot, hot! From the 23rd to the 27th of March,Nice audiences will be enchanted by the criti-cally-acclaimed Varekai show. Over 10 millionspectators have enjoyed this story since its 2002debut in Montreal. ‘An explosive fusion of dramaand acrobatics,’ the show pays tribute to the no-madic soul and the history of the circus. Setdeep within a faraway forest, the story beginswith young man falling from the sky into a worldof infinite possibilities. Audiences journey alongwith him as he discovers this strange and unu-sual world. Varekai, which means ‘wherever’ in the Romany language of the gypsies, pays tribute to the an-cient circus tradition of Georgian Dance, but also features Russian Swings, synchronised jumping, single

point trapeze, clown acts and more. Written and directed by Dominic Champagne, the extraordinary world created by the famed Montrealcompany will carry you away with their imagination. Don’t miss the colourful costumes, curious music and back-bending contortionism– everything you expect from Cirque du Soleil! Held at the Palais Nikolai in Nice. Tickets are on sale now.

WORLD-FA-MOUS SHOWARRIVES ONTHE RIVIERA

Roll up, roll up, for theCirque du Soleil

The Riviera attracts the crème de la crème ofthe artistic world, and 2016 is no exception!British rock band Coldplay recently announ-ced the first dates of its grand stadium tour– and will be heading straight to the CharlesEhrmann Stadium Nice on 24 May to com-mence the French sector of the circuit! Intotal, the Head Full of Dreams Tour will passthrough 20 stages in 15 countries across Eu-rope and Latin America. This is Coldplay’s firstworld tour since the Mylo Xyloto Tour in 2011and 2012, which attracted more than threemillion concert-goers on five continents. Thenew "A Head Full of Dreams" album was re-

leased only last month; the follow-up to Ghost Stories, which was theirsixth consecutive to shoot to the top of the charts. Coldplay declined totour after the release of Ghost Stories, instead heading straight back intothe studio to work on "A Head Full Of Dreams". In addition, superstar Ri-hanna will be appearing in Nice on 15 July. It will kick off the French sec-tion of her world tour. Rihanna's first concert in France as part of her 'AntiWorld Tour' will be in Nice at the Allianz Riviera stadium. It will featurespecial guests The Weekend and Big Sean.

TWO WORLD-CLASS ACTSJOIN THE MUSICAL CALENDAR

Coldplay and Rihannaspice up 2016




into the night. Fortunately, his family has alwaysunderstood his tireless commitment. He somehowstill finds the time to cheer on his beloved AS Mo-naco football club. Since Brancato took over the helm at Café de Paris,which is owned by Société des Bains de Mer (SBM),revenue has more than doubled. However, earningsin the coming years will probably be somewhatlower, he believes, largely as a result of the workbeing carried out by SBM around Casino Square. About 140 waiters serve the vibrant mix of clien-tele, plus 50 people work in the kitchen. During thesummer, the number of staff increases to as muchas 240. When Brancato took over the managementof Café de Paris in 1995, his first task was to esta-blish some order. He analysed all the positive andnegative points of the operations and dealt withthem accordingly. “Many of the waiters neededtraining,” he remembers. “Around 40% of the exis-ting team had to be replaced.” His standards were,and still are, extremely high. “Everyone must betrained by a school of hotel management andshould speak at least two foreign languages. Chi-nese and Russian are now in demand, indicating

ust getting to Stefano Brancato’soffice is no easy feat. After naviga-ting various stairwells and an ele-vator and walking through variousstorerooms, you finally arrive at

his tiny office in a remote corner of the vast Caféde Paris premises. Here, away from all the hustleand bustle of the mythical brasserie, the 50-year-old Italian has been directing a 200-strong teamwith a sure hand over the past 20 years. The regular guests are of course familiar withBrancato, who rarely misses the opportunity topersonally oversee what is happening at the fa-mous café, located in the heart of the Principality.Always present yet always reserved: discretion ishis hallmark. Maintaining overall authority is also akey element of his role. With an average of 1,000meals a day and up to 4,500 daily guests on theterrace during the summer (the motto is “see andbe seen”), the director has to keep a clear head.Brancato certainly achieves that. The brasserie runs like clockwork from 8am to2am. Brancato arrives at 9am every day and rarelyleaves before 10pm, often staying until much later

J

HERE BEATSTHE HEART OFMONACO• A peep behind the curtains of the Café de Paris • The mythical Café de Paris in Monaco’s Casino Square celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2018. We met with directorStefano Brancato, who has been setting the pace here for the last 20 years. His motto:“Every day brings a new challenge.”

By JOSHUA INSTAR Photos FABIEN PRAUX

18 SUCCESS STORYRIVIERA



WHO ARE THECLIENTELE OF THECAFé DE PARIS?“60 PERCENT ARELOCAL GUESTS,40 PERCENT AREFOREIGNERS.MANy SHOW BU-SINESS PERSO-NALITIES ANDSPORTS PERSO-NALITIES REGU-LARLy STOP By”

how times have changed. It goes without sayingthat staff should be friendly and have a good feelfor service.”Brancato himself went to the school of hotel ma-nagement in Giarre, Sicily, completed his Mastersin Stresa and has worked in Taormina as well as atthe London Hilton and the Richemond in Geneva.Then Monaco came calling. What does the director feel are the most importanthighlights of the world-famous brasserie? “Impor-tant factors include a pleasant atmosphere, thequality of the products and the expertise of thestaff. Of course, it’s not like it’s a three Michelinstar restaurant run by Alain Ducasse, but certainstandards have to be maintained.”So what are some of the most popular items onthe extensive menu? “In the winter, from Octoberto March, fresh oysters are very popular, whileother seafood also features amongst our speciali-ties. Other hits are calf liver, steak tartare, sole,daube monégasque, braised beef, monégasque an-tipasti of sardines, the typical barbajuan ravioli andpissaladière, which is onion tart.”Managing more than 200 people every day is cer-tainly no easy matter. How does he gain the res-

pect of his staff? Does he ever lose his cool whenthings heat up? “No, shouting achieves nothing; Icommunicate in a different way. I expect perfor-mance levels to be met as well as compliance withthe rules I have established. Of course, mistakescan happen, but customers should not be aware ofthem. A good relationship with my team is very im-portant to me,” said Brancato.How about the clientele of Café de Paris, who arethey? “Sixty per cent are local guests, 40 per centare foreigners. We are fortunate in that many showbusiness personalities and sports stars live in thePrincipality and regularly stop by. They feel comfor-table with us because no one bothers them here.At Café de Paris, they can relax like everyone else.If other guests want to ask them for an autograph,they first have to receive permission from the headwaiter, who then passes on the request to the ce-lebrity in question. But this only happens once themeal is over. Otherwise we do not allow anyone totake photos.” One photo in his office shows Bran-cato with Bono from U2, but he resists the oppor-tunity to name-drop about the reams of VIP guestswho regularly fill the Café de Paris, who include protennis players, Formula One drivers and politicians.As we said earlier, discretion is one of Brancato’sfortes.

20 SUCCESS STORYRIVIERA


21SUCCESS STORYRIVIERA


Blanc had an intreging saying about himself: "Rougegagne souvent, Noir quelquefois, mais Blanc gagnetoujours." - Red wins often, Black sometimes, butWhite (Blanc himself) always wins. They called him the 'magician of Bad Homburg' andlater the 'conjuror of Monte-Carlo'. The Prince'swishes were his command: "The new casino and thesurrounding luxury hotels had to measure up to Paris,London and New york." It seems hard to imaginenow, but when the Hôtel de Paris first opened, thearchitect hadn't planned for either a café or a bar tobe included in the design. Opposite the magnificentbuilding were carriages and stables for the horseswhich drew them. And under the direction of FrançoisBlanc, the square in front of the Casino slowly evol-ved. A fountain was created as a focal point, and in1897, four palm trees from Bordighera in Italy wereplanted there. Then in 1868 the stables were abando-ned to make way for a cafe. The new attraction wascalled Café Divan, which resembled a chalet andsoon became the popular meeting-point for the ex-clusive hotel’s upper crust guests. In the same yearthere was an enormous breakthrough: the railwayline from Paris, which until then had ended in Nice,now continued all the way into Monaco. By 1869 thePrincipality was already attracting 170,000 touristsannually. Among the visitors were distinguished fi-gures including the future King of England, EdwardVII; the writer, Alexander Dumas; and the composer,Jacques Offenbach. The Principality was suddenlyvery much in vogue. The Café Divan, later named theGrand Café of Monaco, was rebuilt many times andin 1890 was anointed with its final name, the Café deParis, which is still world renowned today. Althoughcountless architectural alterations, refurbishmentsand tweaks were made over the course of the years,both the Belle époque facade of the building (whichexpanded to over 10,000 square metres) and also theelegant aesthetics of Monte-Carlo’s "Golden Triangle",were preserved. In two years time, 2018, the Café deParis will celebrate its 150th anniversary. A legendaryvenue which has withstood the trials and tribulationsof many epochs, and today attracts even more thanever guests from all over the world.

onte Carlo 1868: Elegant ladies insumptuous crinolines, silk parasolsresting on one shoulder, saunter onthe arms of their beaus across theCasino square. There are no cars,

naturally, since Carl Benz was yet to invent the firstautomobile, some 18 years later. In 1864, the impo-sing Hôtel de Paris was constructed in beautiful Belleépoque style, the year after the now-iconic Casinowas built. It was all paid for by the Société des Bainsde Mer (SBM), the company specifically created bythe then Prince Charles III. In return for nearly 1.7mgold francs, the monarch gave the property developerand extremely canny businessman, François Blanc,the monopoly to run all the gambling operations inMonaco. In record time, the quiet spot where pre-viously olive, lemon and orange trees flourished wasreplaced with the foundations for Monaco's currentfame, at the behest of Prince Charles. Blanc and hiswife Marie swiftly set about implementing his ambi-tious plan: A new town – Monte-Carlo - created in thestyle of Bad Homburg (one of the wealthiest townsin Germany), where the business-minded Frenchmanhad already created a prosperous casino, surroundedby luxury hotels, thermal baths and other attractions.

BelowTHE BAR WAS A LATER ADDITION© Archives Monte-Carlo SBM

AboveNEW LEVELS OF GLORY© Archives Monte-Carlo SBM

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AND THEN THE LOCOMOTIVESARRIVED!

From theCafé Divanto the Caféde Paris:148 years ofhistory

22 REPORTAGERIVIERA


jasre.com


day, Nice is not living up to its reputation as a sunnyMediterranean city and the sky is filled with ominous-looking clouds. This doesn’t bother Zanon in the sligh-test. He knows weather like this is the exception here,rather than the rule, and poses confidently for photosin front of the dramatic backdrop of murky skies.Back to the carnival: The potential threat of an attackat the event had already been identified in 2015 (aswe reported). As we move into 2016, France is still ree-ling from the impact of the Paris attacks. Denis Zanon,a handsome and charming man of 53, says: “It’s nota question of cancelling events, but of adopting theright security measures. We already faced an unpre-cedented challenge with the recent Christmas mar-ket. Rather than calling off the popular ‘village de Noël’,

efore we go any further, let’s getone thing clear: despite a tumul-tuous 2015, the Nice Carnival willtake place next year from 12th to28th February under the slogan “Roi

des Médias” (King of the Media). Basing the theme onthe media is extremely topical, because it had an in-tegral role in the atrocities committed on French soillast year.Fortunately, Denis Zanon, who has been director oftourism for France’s fifth-largest city since 2008, dealswith sensitive issues like security in a surprisinglyopen way. He also answers our questions in the samerelaxed manner in which he greets us, at his large of-fice on the Promenade des Anglais. On this particular

24 NICE

B

YES, NICECARNIVALWILL STILL HAPPEN!• Interview with Denis Zanon, directorof the Nice tourism office • Petra Hall”speaks to Denis Zanon about security, digital innovation, the challenges faced byNice in business tourism, and the amazingcareer of a remarkable man

RIVIERA

Nice Carnival in full swing© Fabien Prauss


that online reservation systems have become extre-mely dominant, but fail to offer suitable add-ons. Atleast, not yet. Denis Zanon and the Nice tourist officenow want to target this gap in the market. “But des-pite all of these digital innovations, visitors can stillfind a city map in paper form. We are still traditional,in some ways.”He adds: “We are doing quite well, but we will neverget complacent. Only through outstanding work canquality tourism be sustained for the long term.” Ac-cording to Zanon, the French Riviera Pass that offersmany benefits for visitors is very successful. But histop priority is business tourism. “In the last sevenyears we have undertaken many restructuring mea-sures for these important visitors and we have wor-ked on Nice’s image. We have now become a bigplayer in the sector, with around 40 internationalcongresses and numerous smaller events such asworkshops, seminars and others. Business travellersspend considerably more than private tourists.” It is of course also about keeping hotels occupiedthroughout the year. “At present we register an ave-rage bed occupancy rate of around 80% and are wor-king on enabling guests to come and enjoy excellentservices during the off-peak seasons as well.”The director, who is originally from the French Alps,learned the principles of providing a perfect service inhigh-end tourism destinations including Chamonixand Courchevel. They are another world - the world ofluxury tourism, where money is no object. However,referring to the extravagant desires of certain guests,he also believes here that “the ultimate luxury is tobe able to draw the line.” When Mayor of Nice, Chris-tian Estrosi, summoned Denis Zanon from Courchevelto the Mediterranean eight years ago, Zanon wassceptical at first. “I never wanted to go to the Côted’Azur. I had a clichéd, rather poor view of the region.Thankfully, this proved to be unfounded. Now, I loveNice and its wonderful environment: the sea, themountains, the excellent transport links thanks toFrance’s second-largest airport, and the proximity toItaly”. The latter factor is particularly important for thefather of a 10-year old son. His grandfather comesfrom Padua, his grandmother from Florence.The director of tourism provides a refreshing responseto questions about his education and training. “I ama self-educated person and previously drove a truckfor my father’s company. One day, I came across atiny job advertisement in our local paper. The Chamo-nix tourist office had a vacancy for a young man witha good knowledge of English. I had learned Englishfrom motorbike magazines. So I applied, because Ifelt that driving lorries could not be my future. I gotthe job and at the same time gained a wonderful bosswho became something of a father figure for me. Hesupported me where he could because I was a com-plete virgin, so to speak, in the tourism trade. One dayhe asked me if I wanted to represent Chamonix in To-ronto. I spontaneously said yes, although at the timeI thought it was somewhere in Italy…so it’s like I dis-covered the world in eight years!”

we relocated it from Place Masséna to the CouléeVerte within the fenced-off area of the Promenade duPaillon. This has made it far easier to check people asthey enter the market. We will make other arrange-ments for the carnival. For example, we have alwaysused sniffer dogs to secure in advance the areaswhere the various parades take place. We are parti-cularly concerned about the possibility of a masspanic and a stampede. Fireworks are therefore strictlyprohibited as a result of this.”It’s certainly a major logistics headache. The UEFA Eu-ropean Football Championship, which takes place invarious French cities including Nice from 10th Juneto 10th July, will also require extensive preparations.However, that is the responsibility of the City, not the60-person-strong team at the tourist office.Yet Nice, with a population of around 350,000 people,knows it owes much to its sterling internationalimage – and has enjoyed its superb reputation for thepast 150 years. This stunning metropolis is today thesecond most popular destination in France. Around 5million people visit the city every year, and almost60% of them are foreigners. Denis Zanon comments:“Thanks to them, we survived the crisis unscathed,but some markets could collapse overnight. So muchdepends on geopolitical factors and currency situa-tions. We know we have inherited a leading role intourism and therefore carry a great deal of responsi-bility. Standing still is not an option. We are constantlybeing challenged to meet ever-changing demands.”January 2016 was set to be when a completely newwebsite will go live, with a responsive design that willreact to whichever device is being used to access it,such as smartphones and tablets. There are alsoplans for a virtual marketplace which visitors can useto organise everything right down to the smallest de-tails of their stay: hotels, restaurants, excursions, and,of course, tickets for the carnival. The idea behind it is

25NICE

RIVIERA

WE ARE DOINGQUITE WELL, BUTWE WILL NEVERGET COMPLACENT.ONLY THROUGHOUTSTANDINGWORK CAN QUA-LITY TOURISM BESUSTAINED FORTHE LONG TERM.

Denis Zanon,© Fabien Prauss


26 ARCHITECTUREriviera


VILLA ARSON: AN ARCHITECTURAL, ARTISTIC MARVEL• Exploring a stark contrast of styles at the famous artistic hub • a School of appliedarts, exhibition space and focal point for international artists all in one; a unique mix whichdistinguishes this Nice institution from all other ecoles Superieures in France, to say nothingof the architecture and history of the buildings and scenery itself.

nside Villa Arson you’ll find tuckedaway a School of Applied Arts, anexhibition hall, a group of apart-ments and workshops for guestartists; and as if that wasn’t en-ough, an impressively kitted-out

media centre and theatre. Its interesting story be-gins in the 18th Century, with the building of a glo-rious new villa on a piece of land that covered twohectares and had a view over the rooftops of Niceand out across the Bay of Angels. The garden waslaid out over three terraces.Up to the present day the basic structure of thegarden and the villa itself have remained exactly asthey were, and it was officially named a site of na-tional heritage in 2003. It’s surrounded by an ex-tensive conglomeration of buildings which havebeen constructed in such a way that the villa stillremains very visible from its garden. In 1962 theCity of Nice decided to expand the School of Ap-plied Arts, which was then in city centre, and tomove it to new buildings. The famous architect Mi-chel Marot was given the design commission.He succeeded in producing an architectural mar-vel, using practically the whole 12,000 squaremetre terrain. In spite of this, the lavish Genovesered epicentre is shown off to good advantage and

I

By ALFRED THUM

The exhibition hall isopen daily from 2pm-6pm, except for Thurs-days. The nextexhibition of work bySonia Boyce begins on31st January 2016. 20 Avenue StephenLiégeard, Nizza

VILLA ARSON

27ARCHITECTUREriviera


there is lots of greenery, gardens and patios withtrees, bushes and flowers, which descend downthe hill in terraces. It has the enchanting impres-sion of a Mediterranean landscape which the ar-chitect has created with ingenious craft, flair andartifice. The terraces are simultaneously the roofs of thestudios and workshops which lie underneath them.The pyramid-shaped roof lights, which give the stu-dios such excellent light for the creation of art,have the effect of being like modern sculptures. If you climb down from these green roof terracesonto the level of the workshops, the scene changescompletely. In the style of the 1960s, ‘le style bru-taliste’ as it’s called in french, there’s a preferencefor concrete, rough and unpainted, with the im-prints of shuttering boards still visible; direct, un-hidden and unvarnished – which reinforces thebrutal character of the concrete. The architect had a good idea for the large surfacesof the outside walls, which helps to make up forthe sins of the visible concrete obsession of thetime, for us modern-day observers: thousands andthousands of pebbles, which we recognise fromMediterranean beaches, clothe the concrete walls,and almost give the feeling of an impressionisticpainting. The handling of light, the way it flows fromabove into the rooms without letting any hard sha-dows fall, and also the opening up of the spaceswith the use of large expanses of windows rea-ching out to the surrounding greenery and gardens,leaves students of art and exhibition visitors in adecidedly Mediterranean building - somethingwhich was important to the planners.Beginning with the reception area, there’s a sizea-ble olive-grove, around the centre of which aregrouped trees from all the continents in the world,symbolising the international character of the ins-titution. The exhibition hall offers a surface of 1,200square metres and its complex, layered set-up pre-sents both a challenge and an opportunity for theorganisers and exhibiting artists. The curators takea decidedly modern approach, wanting to be on thepulse when it comes to the roll-call of artists theychoose. You often find artists here who have al-ready been seen at the Biennale in Venice but inparticular it’s all about the discovery and promo-tion of new talent. for the students on courseshere, this coming together with the internationalart scene is exceedingly productive, to say nothingof the fact that the students themselves, either inthe course of their studies or for their degreeshows, get the chance to exhibit their work here.Students can choose either a three-year or five-year course. After three years they can earn a di-ploma, (comparable to a BA). Those who want to gofurther must be given the go-head by the board ofexaminers and after two years they will get an ad-vanced diploma, which is officially recognised asequivalent to a Masters degree.

Villa Arson, designed by architect Michel Marot,is a well thought-out architectural masterpieceof the 1960s. But does it still have the functionalcapability of a college in the 21st century?This building has not only won recognition from thearchitectural world over the years but it has alsoachieved this without sacrificing functionality. In2007, the architecture critic Alain Charre coined theterm “geographic architecture” (architecture géo-graphique), and by this he meant the structure ofVilla Arson, particularly the arrangement of the com-plex over three terraces, with the ateliers located onthe bottom terrace and accessible via two paths.This functional organisation is still appreciated andadmired everywhere to this day.

What is so special about this arrangement?The hanging gardens on the upper terraces providevisitors with a wonderful view of Nice and enablethem to stroll about without disturbing the workingsof the college. At the level of the ateliers, one pathprovides easy access for the delivery of materialsover ramps using trolleys and electrically powereddelivery vans. The working area and the area for vi-sitors are thus not strictly separated, but care is no-netheless taken to ensure that the each area is notdisturbed by the various comings and goings. Theterraces double up as the roofs of the ateliers andprovide natural light through pyramid-shaped sky-lights. laterally fitted windows also let in light. de-pending on the location of each atelier, the lightingis individually designed to make the greatest possi-ble use of natural light.

Geographic ArCHITeCTUreThe Director of villa arson art academy, Jean-PierreSimon, explains to riviera insider why even thoughthe complex is old, it hasn’t lost anything in its charm- and that’s not the only reason for its excellent repu-tation.

THe HANGINGGArdeNS oN THeUpper TerrACeSproVIde VISI-TorS wITH AwoNderfUlVIew of NICeANd eNABleTHeM To STrollABoUT wITHoUTdISTrUBING THeworkINGS ofTHe ColleGe

Interview ALFRED THUM

28 ARCHITECTUREriviera


How significant is the location of the college? The architecture has to be absolutely Mediterra-nean from a climatic standpoint. Intermediatespaces modulate the light in the large entrancehall. The walkway to the ateliers is partly coveredto provide shade in summer and protection fromrain, and the windows have sun protection blinds.There are no air conditioning units in the entirebuilding and ventilation is controlled by a complexsystem that seems to have anticipated modernviews on sustainability. Structural modificationswere required to create facilities for video produc-tion and numerical art. The architectural and hor-ticultural features are highly conducive tointeractions among the students. Incidentally, thenumber one criterion for choosing Villa Arson as aplace of study is its favourable layout as a basis fora good working environment. forty years after theschool was first opened, this is still seen as aluxury.

How would you define the new challenges ofa modern school of art?A school of art in the 21st century should enableits students to acquire practical knowledge of awide range of techniques, from the old and tradi-tional (such as etching and ceramics) through tothe very latest techniques (such as numerical art).This knowledge will then form the basis for eachstudent to find his or her personal artistic path. Inother words, a school of art should on one handoffer the overall framework for a global, historicand multi-disciplinary approach while also provi-ding individual support for the budding artist andgiving him or her free rein to pursue their own in-dependent research.

What happens after graduation?The scope of the art school’s role extends beyondthe exams. It provides support during the difficultphase that follows, when an ex-student wants tostand on their own two feet professionally and islooking for a position in artistic production, the artmarket or as an art critic. Schools of art in francehave long neglected this post-educational aspect.A change in thinking in this direction also involvesart schools taking the first steps towards beco-ming post-diploma research institutions -- that is,enabling deeper artistic research that would betantamount to a doctorate at a university. Therewould certainly only be limited demand amonggraduates for a third cycle such as this, but thisfocus on research would finally bring schools ofart into the same sphere as universities.

Which aspects of your school of art make youparticularly proud?The strong aspects of Villa Arson are the quality ofthe structural spaces, the technical facilities of theateliers and the expertise of the teaching staff. The

220 students overall have more space available tothem than in other schools of art. we are of courseproud of our graduates who go on to make careersfor themselves. In the classification of schools ofart in france, Nice is ranked in second place behindthe paris School of fine Arts.

photojeAN-pIerre SIMoN© Fabien Prauss

29ARCHITECTUREriviera


COUNT-DOWN TO

NEW‘GREEN’

IKEA

Furniture giant set to open in2018 in eco-neighbourhood

Although you still need to be a little bit more pa-tient, plans for the opening of an ikea store in nicehave recently been made concrete. late last year,the city was handed a sales agreement, followingboth parties signing a mutual declaration of intentin 2013. And so, in the second half of 2018, the fur-niture giant will finally open its doors. the blueprintfor the entire "eco-Quartier Saint-isidore", part ofthe ambitious "eco Vallée" project, is now ready.the newly-emerging green district in nice Saint-isidore covers approximately eight hectares ofland. its inception began with the Stadium AllianzRiviera two years ago. the project is particularly in-novative in its design because it has no purelycommercial areas; instead it’s a hybrid of living,working and shopping zones. not usually noted forthe inspiring architecture of its stores, this timethe new ikea will blend in alongside attractiveapartment complexes, shops, restaurants, officesand hotels. At a later date it will be linked to thethird planned tram-line.287 apartments, including 25 percent social hou-sing, 1,900 square metres of office space and 3,400square metres of retail space will be created, in ad-dition to the ikea ‘epicentre’. And true to the mottoof the eco Vallée, which over the course of severalyears will sprawl across 10, 000 hectares in theplane in the Var between the airport and the nor-thern part of the river, everything will be built withecology and sustainability in mind. More specifi-cally, renewable energies such as geothermalenergy is used, the parking is only underground,footpaths and green terraces will be constructed,and the buildings strive to maintain a positiveenergy balance.Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the same architect whodesigned the neighbouring stadium, has beenbrought back on board to design the ikea. Accor-ding to a poll, 80 percent of niçoise welcome theestablishment of an ikea in the city. But we willhave to hang on a little longer for the 33rd branchof the Swedish furniture empire in france. the startof construction has been delayed for good reason- until after the completion of the european foot-ball championship this summer, which will also behosted in nice.

photos, left and aboveTHE NEW ECO-QUARTIER©Wilmotte & Associés SA/Inter IKEA Systems B.V> 205

SIZE32 000

SQM

2000 PARKING

SLOTS

CREATION OF350

NEW JOBS

TOTAL INVESTMENT

AROUND

€110 MILLION

AnticipAtedopening: 2ndhAlf of 2018

Living, working and shoppingare all combined together inNice’s new "Eco-Quartier Saint-Isidore". The centerpiece, nextto the football stadium, will bean ecologically-inspired Ikeastore.

30 ARCHITECURERIVIERA



‘CONSERVATIVE’ OUT-LOOK FOR 2016...But many positive signs in the French property market

he forecast for 2016 is lookingfairly conservative, with a slightdecline predicted in the number ofproperty sales in France compa-red to 2015. However, there aresome silver linings because ac-

cording to credit brokers, banks have lowered ratesfor home loans and the rates should remain low in2016. Several factors support this hypothesis. The Euro-pean Central Bank (ECB) announced recently thatit is keeping its main interest rate at 0.05%; themassive injection of liquidity in the euro zone; andthe 10-year bond yield (OAT) remains extremely low(recorded at 0.79% on December 3, 2015). In addi-tion, ECB President, Mario Draghi, announced thatthe policy of quantitative easing (which helps keepinflation in check) will be extended until March2017, or longer. All of these factors contribute to in-centives for buying a property in 2016. “Thirty banks have now lowered their mortgagerates which are thus returned to the same levelsof January 2015. Rising interest rates observed du-ring the summer have been completely halted,”Sandrine Allonier of Vousfinancer.com told Frenchjournal, L’Obs. In addition, improved access to free ‘Prêt à tauxzéro’ (PTZ) loans for two years from 1 January areexpected to boost the number of purchases madeby first-time buyers. A slight increase in property prices was noted bet-ween 1 December 2014 and 1 December 2015, ac-cording Meilleursagents.com, in several areasacross the country, including Toulon and Aix-en-Provence. But by late 2015 property prices werestabilising, the number of sales was increasing andsome pretty favourable credit rates were available.While there appears to be progress when you com-pare 2015 with the previous year, the market is stillmore lacklustre than it was five years ago, and assuch, most commentators are advising cautiousoptimism in 2016. During the first eight months of 2015, French hou-sing sales rose 10% compared with the previousyear, totalling 740,000 units. This is still below theboom years of nearly 800,000 annual transactionsin 2010-2011 - but surpasses 2014, which only saw690,000 sales.Speaking to Les Echos French finan-cial newspaper, Fabrice Abraham, Managing Direc-

T

FlatsBordeaux: + 57 percent (in 3080euros per square meter)Lyon: + 42 percent (in 3275euros per square meter)Lille: + 36 percent (at 2840Euros per square meter)Nice:+ 31 percent (in 3515euros per square meter)Strasbourg:+ 29 percent (in 2420euros per square meter)Toulouse: + 22 percent (to 2,500euros per square meter)

HousesLille, Bordeaux: + 30 percentMarseille: + 25 percent-Nantes:+ 23 percentNice, Lyon:+ 20 percent

tor of Guy Hoquet l'Immobilier, said: “The numberof sales in our network [450 branches] increasedby 12% since the beginning of the year, through toOctober.”The market during the last quarter of 2015 wassluggish, as it always tends to be at the end of theyear. Perhaps a little pessimistically, a survey onFrench property site, Immonot.com, noted a “chill”in the market in October. The terror attacks in Parisin November had a negative impact on spending ingeneral across France, particularly on luxury goods.However, looking back at 2015 as a whole, saleswere up 18% in third quarter of the year comparedto the same period in 2014, according to the Fede-ration of Property Developers (FPI). The reason: Adramatic rise of 56% in sales to investors in rentalproperties, thanks to the success of the Pinel taxexemption law. Pinel tax exemption law came intoforce on 1 January 2015 and allows investors to de-duct the income tax from their rental investment:12% over 6 years, 18% over 9 years and 21% over 12years. But if the amount of the reduction is higherthan your tax, it will not be possible to benefit froma tax credit. And when viewed in the context of thepast five years, property prices in six medium andlarge cities (with over 150 000 inhabitants, apartfrom Paris) has increased by at least 20 percentsince 2005, with Nice seeing the fourth biggest in-crease.

32 PROPERTYRIVIERA


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ulia Child's beloved home in Plas-cassier, close to grasse, is whereshe spent some of the happiesttimes of her life. featuring a scaled-down replica of her kitchen that isin the smithsonian, it was put up for

sale at the very end of 2015 for €800,000. the listingagent was Peter Illovsky of Côte d'azur sotheby's In-ternational realty in Cannes. It was Julia’s husband,Paul Child, who introduced her to her first french mealin rouen at the end of the 1940s. Julia instantly be-came hooked on french cooking. Paul was stationedin Paris with the us Information agency and Julia en-rolled at the world-famous le Cordon bleu. In 1949,she joined the women’s cooking club, le Cercle desgourmettes, where she met two ladies who wouldbecome her future collaborators in introducing frenchcooking to americans; simone “simca” beck andlouisette bertholle. together, the three opened asmall cooking school in Julia’s Paris kitchen in1951and later co-authored ‘mastering the art of frenchCooking’ in 1961; followed by its sequels.when the Julia and Paul eventually settled in Cam-bridge, massachusetts, Paul custom-designed Julia’skitchen with her input. being 6ft 2” tall, the counterswere raised to a height that was comfortable forJulia, and three permanent cameras were positionedin the kitchen so her tv shows could be filmed fromthere. Julia became america’s foremost authority onfrench cuisine, and was admired by viewers for beingher cheery self. Julia and Paul missed france, anddecided to build a 1,614square feet holiday villa on halfan acre of hillside just outside Plascassier which theyleased from Julia’s friend and business partner,simca beck, and her husband. the house was namedla Pitchoune ("the little thing"). they designed it to below-maintenance, with four bedrooms, four ba-throoms and an open plan living and dining room. Itwas there that the couple spent some of the happiesttimes of their lives. when they arranged the lease,since they had no children of their own, they told theirfriends that eventually the keys would be turned overto simca and her husband’s family, which came topass towards the end of Julia’s life, 12 years ago. thisis the first time this unique property has been put onthe market.

ean-françois buet, President of thenational real estate federation(fnaIm), has commented in an of-ficial statement that the amend-ments to the ‘Prêt à taux zéro’(PtZ) zero-interest loans to make it

easier for first-time buyers “clearly show that thegovernment has listened to the professionals; wecan only rejoice.”he went on: "firstly, the increase in the maximumamounts of borrowing of 8,000, 10,000 or even15,000 euros will enable many potential buyers tobuild a personal contribution worthy of the name.now, we know how banks are sensitive to the factthat borrowers have to present a folder of theirpersonal contribution. this will therefore make it alittle easier to finance a first new-build home foryoung employees on permanent contracts.“better yet, expanding the benefits of the PtZ to allmunicipalities for purchases of older properties isa good thing. while PtZs were already available forexisting dwellings, they were restricted to only inrural area, which is not necessarily a destinationsought by young first-time buyers looking for areaswhere there is activity and jobs.”

Julia Child's French home with custom kitchen goes upfor sale

PresIdentof fnaImsatIsfIedwIth thenew versIon of the PtZ

It was JulIa’shusband, PaulChIld, who In-troduCed herto her fIrstfrenCh meal Inrouen at theend of the1940s. JulIaInstantly be-Came hookedon frenCh CookIng.

J

JFirst timeAmericanchef/TV personality’shome hasbeen put onthe marketsince herdeath in2004

34 PROPERTYRIVIERA


fUrniSHed toUriSt AccommodAtion

The rules ofrenting out aholiday home

ore and more owners are choosing torent out their properties as furnishedtourist accommodation, which means

they are renting them out for short stays on adaily, weekly or monthly basis, but not for a per-manent stay. this is now common practice; ho-wever there are certain rules which must befollowed.daily, weekly or monthly rentals are a rapidlygrowing market because of its profitability (50%higher than long-term rentals) but the propertymust be attractive (in terms of its location, andin good condition) and the ad must be well writ-ten.furthermore, this way of renting requires invest-ments from the owner. they must organize theplanning, be available for the tenants and haveto pay for all operating costs (repairs, furniture,cleaning…).if the property is the main residence of thelandlord, it cannot be rented to another party formore than four months per year and in the caseof it being a secondary residence, the ownermust register their business with the mairie(town Hall).concerning the taxation of rental income fromfurnished lettings, there are two different in-come tax regimes:“micro-Bic” (Bénéfices industriels et commer-ciaux): most owners choose this way of taxa-tion; there is a 50% allowance against earningsand the maximum turnover is €32,900 perannum. income from furnished lettings is taxedas personal income.“régime réel-Bic” (Bénéfices industriels etcommerciaux): if the costs are higher than 50%of gross revenue, it is better to choose this taxa-tion. thanks to this regime, you can deductcosts from the gross rental income but thischoice is irrevocable for a period of 3 years andyou have to fill in a 2031 tax declaration with abalance sheet made by a chartered accountant. consequently, if you’re renting your property outfor the first time, do not hesitate to ask for gui-dance so you’re sure to choose the best regimefor your case!

acron law reinforced the obligations ofthe french companies which use em-ployees seconded by foreign em-

ployers.With the enlargement of european Union, theuse of foreign employees assigned by compa-nies located in countries where salaries andsocial contributions are lower than in francebecome common. in 2013, 212 000 employeeswere seconded in france, mostly from polandand in the construction sector.Since the 1st of April 2015, in order to avoid in-fringement of the law relating to secondmentof employees, each french company whichuses the employees of a foreign subcontractormust verify that the subcontractor has fulfilledhis/her obligation to complete a preliminary de-claration to the labor inspectorate and to ap-point a “representative” in france capable ofacting as intermediary with french governmentagencies. this obligation is fulfilled if the contractor hasa copy of the preliminary declaration and thedocument with the name of the appointed “re-presentative” prior each assignment. But if theforeign employer does not make this declara-tion, this is the french contractor which mustcomplete this declaration within 48 hours fol-lowing the beginning of the secondment.if the contractor and the subcontractor do notcomply with these obligations, the frenchcontractor may be punished by an administra-tive fine up to 500 000 € according to the ma-cron law (instead of the current figure of10.000 €).

Secondment of foreign employeeS:

More obligationsfor clients orcontractors

M M

JEAN-PHILIPPEGIOANNICHARTERED ACCOUNTANT© Fabien Prauss

35BUSINESSRIVIERA


he investigation by HM Revenueand Customs (HMRC) identified Te-rence Sefton Potter, 55, as the “ar-chitect” of the fraud. Potter andfive others were subsequentlycharged with Conspiracy to Cheat

the Public Revenue. On 18 December, Potter, who according to theCrown Prosecution Service lived in Monaco and Si-nagpore, was sentenced to a jail term of six years.Neil Williams Denton, 44, of Greater Manchester,was also convicted for his part in actively ‘selling’and promoting Potter’s schemes to wealthy indivi-duals. In a previous trial, which can only now be reportedas restrictions have just been lifted, three invest-ment bankers, James Hyde, Phillip Jenkins and Ha-mish MacLellan were sentenced for taking part inthe fraud. Hyde, Jenkins and MacLellan were in-vestment bankers working for Jeffries Internatio-nal and at the time of their arrest had investedalmost £100,000 respectively in the scheme. Theirtrial took place in September 2015 and all three re-

T

RIVIERA FRAUDSTER RECEIVES 6

YEAR JAILTERM

an accountant and independentfinancial advisor who owned

several properties on the Côted’azur has been convicted at

Southwark Crown Court in London for attempting to steal

£2.2 million in a tax fraud linked to the film industry.

ceived custodial sentences of four and a half years. Potter, who was well-known in the community onthe French Riviera, was an accountant and tax spe-cialist, and a former partner at Ernst & Young. Hewas also involved in film production, primarily withAquarius Films, which is responsible for a host ofBritish films and holds distribution rights to GeorgeClooney’s 1999 blockbuster Three Kings. The court heard that Potter devised and sold anumber of fraudulent schemes to wealthy profes-sionals which were portrayed to Her Majesty’s Re-venue & Customs (HMRC) as being tax avoidanceschemes exploiting legal loopholes. However, thebogus schemes were fraudulently underpinned byfalse documents, making them tax evasion, thejudge ruled. Potter set up two partnerships that were sold tothe wealthy investors. One produced a film called'Starsuckers', the other was a project to develop apackage to be made into a film by others called'Mercedes the Movie'. Together, both partnershipsclaimed to have spent £5.7 million on the projects.This created artificial losses that allowed the in-vestors to claim back PAYE (pay-as-you-earn) taxthey had paid.The partnership declared the losses in its tax returnand so did the investors, which would have allowedthem to recoup up to £40,000 in tax relief fromHMRC, for every £20,000 they had invested. Howe-ver, as the scheme was illegal their claim for taxrelief was false. The claims were supported byfalse documents produced by Potter.Jennie Granger, Director General of Enforcementand Compliance, HMRC, said: “This was pure greedby a dishonest tax agent, a financial adviser, andpeople who were already wealthy individuals.Those found guilty had no interest in the film in-dustry, or regard for the impact on honest tax-payers. While it started with a tax adviser pushinga deeply fraudulent tax scheme, wealthy profes-sionals investing in such schemes should be awareof the pitfalls. Those found guilty believed theywere above the law, cheating the system by mas-king tax fraud as investment in films.“Groundbreaking work from our expert investiga-tors uncovered the full extent of the fraud, and thisverdict shows that those who engage in this sortof activity are not beyond our reach. The messagefor anyone thinking of joining such a scheme is:think again - if it sounds too good to be true, it is.Get independent tax advice and stay on the rightside of the law.”Over 100 officers from HMRC took part in the ope-ration that led to the arrests in February 2012. Eigh-teen properties were searched and computers,business records and mobile phones were seized.The majority of the tax refunds were withheld byHMRC and although £500,000 had been paid outinitially, this has since been recouped by HMRC.Investigations to recover further proceeds of thecrime are underway.

SEFTON POTTER, POLICE MUGSHOT.© HMRC

THOSE FOUNDGUILTY BELIEVEDTHEY WEREABOVE THE LAW,CHEATING THESYSTEM BY MAS-KING TAX FRAUDAS INVESTMENTIN FILMS.

36 BUSINESSriviera


A L C O H O L C A N D A M A G E Y O U R H E A L T H , C O N S U M E W I T H M O D E R A T I O N

WINE TASTING AND SALES AT THE ESTATEWWW.DOMAINEDELANGLADE.FR

LE LAVANDOU (VAR) - FRANCE

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© D

R


he Côte d’Azur is the perfect placeto buy an electrically poweredcar, which unlike its fossil fuel-po-wered counterparts is free of da-maging effects on theenvironment. No exhaust fumes,

no noise. Solid lines of cars roll through the den-sely-populated coastal region every day, pollutingthe clean sea air and causing a din. Most commu-ters don’t travel more than 100 kilometres a day; adistance most electric cars manage without a pro-blem. What’s more, the region’s mild climate is per-fect for the models which are more open to theelements. And indeed, opinions are shifting. More and moredrivers now favour electric mobility. It’s a good wayof playing your part in ‘saving the planet’ - and inthe long-run, even money. But to really be eco-friendly, electric vehicles should be light and useenergy efficiently. Lithium battery production andrecycling can put a strain on the environment;coal-fired plants generating electricity for the carsputs a damper on their environmental benefits.In France, the market has grown particularly fast

in the past year. Electric car sales have more thandoubled compared to the year before with around15,000 purchased in the l’Hexagone alone. Throu-ghout Europe, car dealers sold 33,835 e-cars in thefirst quarter of 2015.The numbers may still seem small and owing totheir restricted reach of around 140 kilometreswith one battery charge, electric cars are stillmostly confined to city use. But since 2010, the pri-vate automobile sector has noticeably changed. Asthe silent cars’ battery capacities are increasing,the prices are dropping. There are more and morecharging stations around and new models regularlyhit the market. Countries like France and Monacoalso offer enticing subsidies to customers optingfor an electric car. The French state currentlycontributes up to 6,300€ (up to 30 per cent of theprice) to the purchase costs.Erick Kaspy and his co-workers at GoElectrix aretrue electrical mobility pioneers. The small enter-prise based in Sophia Antipolis technology park(Alpes-Maritimes) has been selling all kinds of elec-tric vehicles to cities, enterprises and private cus-tomers for eight years. By now, they also offer usedmodels, rent out electric cars and repair and main-tain their customers’ fleets with service and ex-

T

TAKE A DEEPBREATH…

• The benefits of electric vehicles • Times are changing, albeit slowly...There are now more and morereasons for customers to buy an electronic car - at least, that’s particularly the case on the Côted’azur. aila Stockmann paid a visit to France’s e-cartrailblazer, Goelectrix, in Sophia-antipolis.

38 BUSINESSriviera


39

counterparts. A starter model from the small carrange costs around 20,000 Euros. The slightly futu-ristic-looking BMW i3 is a bestseller. The modelcombines driving comfort and high-class featureswith enough space for four persons plus baggage.The pricetag: 50,000 Euros.Nowadays, there are many charging stationsthroughout the Alpes-Maritimes region. Even themayor of the ski-region, Valberg, drives an electricvehicle, the men at GoElectrix mention, as theycontinue their sales pitch. All big insurers acceptelectric cars and offer policies up to 30 per centcheaper. Accidents are less dangerous than in atraditional car, because the material is more ro-bust, they add. Used and serviced regularly, e-carshave a long lifespan. And France is even discussingan attractive special rate for electric vehicles on itsmotorways.A great opportunity to experience electric cars andfeel what they’re like to handle firsthand is with atest-drive. The Ever convention will be held in Mo-naco’s Grimaldi Forum from the 6th to the 8th ofApril. Visitors will be able to test-drive eco-friendlycars and find out all sorts of information on rene-wable energy. As with every year, GoElectrix will bethere as well.

The first electric ve-hicle, developed inaberdeen, dates backas far as 1839? Thefirst car with a com-bustion engine wasbuilt in 1886. in 1900,38 per cent of all UScars were electric, 40per cent were steam-powered and only 22per cent used petrol.

DID YOU KNOW:

One year ago, therewere just over 9,000publicly-accessiblecharging points for e-cars. By 2017, this fi-gure is expected tohave more than doubled. in Monaco, the percentage of registe-red electric cars ismore than three timeshigher than in France. This is because Monaco’s small size isideal for e-cars and thestate grants buyers hi-gher subsidies (up to10,000 euros).Several smartphoneapps, such as charge-map.com, show driversthe closest chargingpoints.

FACTS & FIGURES:

pertise without equal anywhere else in France.CEO, Erick Kaspy, firmly believes in the future ofelectric cars. But still, he notes, the option hasn’tbecome a no-brainer for drivers. “France is very innovative but those concepts takea long time to become widely accepted,” he says.“People need to see more electric cars on the road,then they’d believe in them more,” adds entrepre-neur Georges Dao, who was so fascinated byKaspy’s ideas that he invested in the start up a fewyears back. Ever since, he has only been drivingelectric cars and scooters.“Do you know how customers react when they sitin an electric car for the first time and start the en-gine?”, asks Julien Schrank, a salesperson at GoE-lectrix. “They smile.”He says people are surprised when they don’t hearor feel anything - no vibrations, no engine noise.The only way to know the car is actually running isby looking at the display. And electric car driverstend to quickly adopt a new style of driving and de-velop a whole different philosophy, Schrank sug-gests from his experience. “You drive lessaggressively; it saves electricity and increases theamount of kilometres it can run for on its electriccharge.”Electric car drivers learn to automatically plan theirentire day. How far do I have to drive? Where canI quickly recharge the battery while I’m havinglunch? More and more car parks and enterprises inthe Alpes-Maritimes offer free charging stations. Inthe evening, drivers can plug their car into a normalpower socket at home. And while the battery ischarging overnight, they are even saving money intheir sleep. Less than one Euro worth of electricityyields 100 kilometres of driving! A canny invest-ment, as Schrank tells his customers. If they drive100 kilometres a day, they save around 3,000 Eurosa year in fuel costs.But there is a fly in the ointment. Electric cars arestill more expensive than their combustion engine

39BUSINESSriviera


FIRST TOURISM INDUSTRY CONVENTION AIMED AT ‘REINVENTING’ THE FRENCH RIVIERA.

700 PROFESSIONALS MOBILIZEDFROM ACROSS THE REGION

I want the Côte d'Azur brand to beconstantly reinvented, so that this region ofbrightness and creativity can offer tourists

something innovative, bold, and buoyant. We musthave cooperation between tourism infrastructureand the events calendar, between the territories,from the sea to the mountains, and to put this ex-perience at the heart of all stays in the region”. Itwas with these words that David Lisnard, Mayor ofCannes and President of Comite Regional de Tou-risme Cote d’Azur (CRT), launched the inarguralmeeting. A number of new initiatives were decided upon, in-cluding creating a dozen exciting new official sportsand cultural events, to enhance the attractivenessand quality of events on the French Riviera. Other

new CRT concepts given the green light includecreating a host of sports tourism charter services,to improve the reception of sporting figures andtheir families. A new ‘Events, Sport and Culture’group will help devise holidays and breaks basedupon the aforementioned themes, as well as towork on promoting it. New multimedia communi-cations campaigns will be used to promote it. Fur-thermore, a Convention Bureau Côte d’Azur will addfurther impetus to the Business Tourism sector.David Lisnard also announced his intention to file anapplication with the Ministry of Tourism for a desti-nation contract ,“Côte d’Azur, terre d’événement”, tomobilize the most cutting-edge talents in theFrench Riviera working in the fields of professionalevents (business tourism), sport and culture.

“

MONACO CELEBRATES REINFORCED TIES WITH THE UK

s we move into 2016,Monaco is looking for-ward to even greater

cooperation with the UK in thebusiness realm. 2015 concludedwith a strengthening of existingties with Great Britain, includingthe popular #ConnectingToMo-naco event at the Royal Auto-mobile Club in London. Around70 figures from leading Britishand Monegasque enterprises at-

tended the event, featuring the-matic roundtables, highlightingthe exceptional advantages ofinvesting in Monaco. The roundtables were chaired by MichaelSkapniker, the famous FinancialTimes columnist. The operation was organized byby Monaco Invest in partnershipwith the DTC Monaco and theMonégasque des Activités Fi-nancières (AMAF), with the va-

luable assistance of the Em-bassy of Monaco in London andsupported by the presence ofthe Ambassador, Evelyne Genta,and the Monegasque Govern-ment’s Advisor on Finance andthe Economy, Jean Castellini. Attendees included StéphaneGarino (Institute of CharteredAccountants and Auditors ofMonaco), Oliver-Tim Rott (Mo-naco Private Equity & Venture

Capital Association), PatrickChurchill (Churchill Capital Ltd.),Francesco Grosoli (BarclaysWealth & Investment Manage-ment), Tony Henry (CambridgeStrategy), Hervé Ordioni (Mone-gasque Association of FinancialActivities), Nathalie Tanzi (Tem-pest Monaco Legal Services)and Gregory Moscato (Interna-tional University of Monaco). .

A

I want the Côted'Azur brand to

be constantlyreinvented, so

that this regionof brightness and

creativity canoffer tourists

something inno-vative, bold, and

buoyant.

40 BUSINESSRIVIERA



42 BUSINESSriviera


he annual world congress of one ofthe planet’s most famous car ren-tal companies, Sixt, took place forthe 19th time this year, with Mo-naco chosen as the host city for

the second time running. Around 500 selected em-ployees and partners from all over the globe tookpart in the four-day event. The positive atmosphereand good humour of the participants was clearlyapparent at the event, as was the intention of thecompany to further expand its position as one ofthe leading mobility providers worldwide. Sixt onceagain presented itself as a master of employee mo-tivation, under the motto: “We are a family and to-gether we will succeed!” The occasion was used tobring franchise partners up to date and providethem with a deeper insight into the Sixt world. Thepersonal involvement of Regine, Erich and their sonsAlexander and Konstantin also lends a certain cre-dibility that is often lost in today’s business life. Itwas undoubtedly a big show, but many smaller ges-tures provided a human touch, such as the way thatCEO Erich Sixt tenderly put his arm around his wifeafter her moving speech at Monaco Cathedral. Orthe 500 candles lit for the gala evening, each bearingthe handwritten name of a guest. Or the words ofRegine Sixt, who said: “There is no success withoutheroes who are prepared to go that extra mile.”Of course, how to increase sales and improve qua-lity next year were still the main themes of thecongress. Erich Sixt told the assembled employees:“The customer is the boss! We must do everythingto keep them happy.” Regine Sixt opened the eventat the Grimaldi Forum and welcomed Monaco’s Mi-nister for Finance and the Economy, Jean Castellini,and tourism director Guillaume Rose, among others.As well as numerous workshops, the programmealso included a dinner at the elegant MoncoYachtClub and an impressive closing gala with the SixtGlory Awards ceremony and a shower of confetti inthe Salle des Etoiles. However, the emotional highpoint was the concert in the Notre-Dame-Immacu-lée Cathedral in Monaco’s old town. Princess GraziaPatrizia and Prince Rainier III were buried in this ho-liest shrine in the principality. Probably never beforehas a private company been permitted to organisean event here but Regine Sixt succeeded in obtai-ning approval to hold a classical concert there. Ar-tists such as the well-known opera singer, LuciaAlberti, performed works from Mozart, Schubert, Vi-valdi and others for the benefit of her “DryingLittleTears” children’s fund. When the boys’ choir, “Les Petits chanteurs de Mo-naco”, sang Silent Night in German, the congrega-tion was deeply moved. But there was more tocome: hot mulled wine was served at the end of theconcert in front of the cathedral. Only someone likeRegine Sixt can make something like this happen.Because one thing is for certain: ‘vin chaud’ hasnever been served in front of the cathedral in theentire history of the Principality .

43

BUSINESS IN THE DNAThe Sixt family shows off itsstrength at the company’s19th world congress in Monaco

By MaLTe rOHWer-KaHLMaNN

BUSINESSriviera

in 2012, Sixt cele-brated its 100th an-niversary. in 2014,the company recor-ded the most suc-cessful financial yearin its history. accor-ding to erich Sixt,group pre-tax pro-fits increased by14.1% compared tothe previous year,reaching €157 mil-lion. This was lar-gely driven bystrong growthabroad, which alsohelped sales to riseby 8.6% to €1.8 bil-lion. Sixt is now re-presented in 105countries worldwideeither by its ownbranches or throughfranchise partners.

if any enterprise understandsstaff motivation and communi-cation, it’s Sixt, with its 4,000employees worldwide. regine,erich, alexander and Konstan-tin Sixt were all present throu-ghout the company’s 19th worldcongress that was held in Mo-naco at the beginning of Decem-ber, and clearly form a unitedand close family unit. What’smore, the well-organised An-nual Global Convention tookplace under the patronage ofPrince albert ii of Monaco.

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Main photoCOLOURFUL CONFETTI FALLSAT THE GALA EVENT IN THESALLE DES ETOILES DES SPORTING D’ETÉ© Peter Seyfferth

Photo, leftYEARS OF FRIENDSHIP:ERICH SIXT (CENTRE) WITHMARINA AND HANS-JÜRGENBÄUMLER© Peter Seyfferth

Photo, far leftAPPLAUSE FOR THE MUSI-CIANS AND REGINE SIXT INTHE CATHEDRAL IN MONACO© Peter Seyfferth


ckhart Tolle is perhaps best known as the authorof New York Times Best Seller, The Power of Now,and A New Earth: Awakening to your Life's Purpose,which sold an estimated 3 million and 5 million co-pies respectively in the USA alone by 2009. Approxi-mately 35 million people participated in a series of

webinars with Tolle and television talk show host Oprah Winfrey in2008, and in 2011, he was ranked by the Watkins Review as the mostspiritually influential person in the world. Victoria Ritchie has been adirect student of Eckhart Tolle's since 2000. She works with Eckhartas his editor and travels the world, sharing his work in a in a simple,easy-to-understand format. The seminars are entitled ‘Acceptance:How Bad Turns into Good Through the Power of Non-Resistance’, and‘Finding who you truly are: Being Rooted in Being, Instead of Lost inYour Mind’. We caught up with Victoria in Nice for a quick chat tofind out more...

Victoria, do you come to the Côte d’Azur often, or isthis your first time here? This is probably about my eighth time on the Riviera, I usually comein the autumn and also during the last week of January or duringFebruary. I came here originally to go to school to learn French andstarted to meet people, and liked it here, so I continued to comeback. Now it’s like my second home! There’s something about thisland, the sea, its beauty, that just draws me. I’ve lived in England andin Denmark before, but there is something special here that speaksto me and to my soul...

How open do you find the people here are to the tea-chings of Eckhart Tolle?

I’m used to presenting workshops in California:In California, there is so much spirituality tea-ching going on and so many possibilities for spi-ritual development that many people have beeninvolved in it for 30-40 years; it’s just saturatedthere. But over here, people are just discoveringspirituality and so it’s really exciting to talk tothem about it. Tolle is a very well known teacherinternationally, so I find people are very open tothese seminars.

E

Eckhart Tolle’seditor presents spiritualityworkshopClose friend and advocate of world-famous author returns to Riviera Victoria Ritchie, Eckhart Tolle’s friendand editor, is a regular visitor to the Côted’Azur. And on 8 and 15 February, shewill be hosting two mini workshops inMonaco and Nice.

olle is the most popular spiritual teacher on the pla-net today, save for the Dalai Lama; who is perhapsconsidered more of an ‘inspirer’ and icon than pu-rely a teacher. Victoria Ritchie met Eckhart in Lon-don in the late 1980’s, they became friends and shewent on to assist Eckhart by editing several of his

books. With Eckhart’s endorsement she has been sharing his tea-chings around the world since 2002, including regular guest appea-rances on the French Riviera. As we move into 2016, many people have made New Year’s Resolu-tions in an attempt to bring about positive changes into their lives,from quitting smoking to signing up to those zumba classes. But theresults are often transitory, and by the summer, if not sooner, areusually long-forgotten. Victoria explains that using Tolle’s teachings, harnessing the powerof the immediate moment can bring long-term benefits and moredeep-seated fulfillment. “Though in deepest reality we exist in a timeless realm, most of ussense and celebrate a new beginning when we turn our calendarsover to January 1st,” Victoria says. “Often it’s a time of reckoning andtaking stock as we note how our lives are unfulfilling or could be im-proved. Certain resolutions are made to bring about what is percei-ved as positive change. Though well-intentioned, these resolutionsare often short-lived”. So what might Tolle suggest to anyone wanting to make lastingchanges? “Tolle might tell us that we can immediately change ourlives for the better by becoming friends with the Now. Our relations-hip with the present moment is the key to defining our relationshipwith life itself. Because we are nearly constantly lost in thoughts ofthe past and the future, we are totally overlooking the beautiful pre-sent moment in which we are actually living,” explains Victoria. “A virtual mind reality is in fact claiming our vital energy - the resultis that we are missing our lives: Quite absurd, really. For most peoplethe Now is simply seen as a stepping stone to a more important, re-levant or interesting future moment. In reality, however, the onlytrue life exists in this Now. This is the secret that all great spiritualmasters have known and practiced. It is the key to happiness, ful-fillment, good relationships, satisfying work, and true authenticity”. Indeed, as Tolle himself says: “Become friendly toward the Now.Welcome it no matter in what disguise it comes, and soon you willsee the results. Life becomes friendly toward you; people becomehelpful, circumstances cooperative. One decision changes your en-tire reality. You will need to make that one decision again and againuntil it becomes natural to live in that way.”Victoria concludes: “This is the best New Year’s Resolution you couldmake, it will change your life radically and delightfully. Come intothe Now, come fully shining into your life. This could be your bestyear ever!.

T

NEW YEAR, NEW START…?Abandon the concept of New Year’s Reso-lutions and change your mindset: Victo-ria Ritchie shares Eckhart Tolle’s advicefor successfully bringing about lastingimprovements to your life.

44 SPIRITUALITYRIVIERA


rince Rainier was 51 when he es-tablished the Monte-Carlo CircusFestival in 1974 - an accomplishedman at the peak of his career. Butit seems he had always cherishedone of his childhood dreams. The

circus fascinated him to his dying day. In April 2005,only three months before his death, the visibly frailmonarch awarded that year’s winners the Clownd’Or - the Golden Clown, as he always did. The 81-year-old Prince had tears in his eyes, as the au-dience rose from their seats and applauded him.

MONTE-CARLOCIRCUS FESTIVALCELEBRATES 40THANNIVERSARY

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Photos CHARLY GALLOCENTRE DE PRESSE MONACO

45MONACORIVIERA

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No one present will ever forget this emotional mo-ment and will forever bear in mind just how impor-tant the circus had always been to him. At theopening ceremony in 1974, he had said: “The circusis a universe of its own, where everything is possi-ble because everything in it is true like in real life.”The Prince himself chose the participants of thefirst festival and continued to do so for the rest ofhis life. Alfred Court, a French wild animal trainer,and Charlie Rivel, a Spanish clown, received theGolden Clown back then. But the monarch’s realpassion was wild cats. A circus without wild ani-mals was unthinkable for him. He demanded thetamers respected their animals in and outside thecircus ring. Thanks to Prince Rainier, conditions forcircus animals have noticeably improved over thepast few decades. It is partly to his credit thathorses are now kept untied in their boxes and ele-phants are unchained in their stables.Princess Stéphanie, Prince Rainier’s youngest child,was nine in the festival’s founding year. She inhe-rited her beloved father’s excitement for the magi-cal circus world. She has been the Circus Festival’spresident for ten years now - a role she takes veryseriously. All decisions are run by her and she is onfamiliar terms with many artists. It almost seemsher involvement makes her feel closer to her father.At any rate, she is fighting whole-heartedly to se-cure the festival’s future. Not surprisingly, her 21-year-old daughter, Pauline Ducruet, already chairsthe jury of the youth festival, New Generation. Ar-tistic director, Urs Pilz, who has been involved sincethe early days, is always on hand with help and ad-

Mr Pilz, animal rights activists havebeen protesting against elephantshows and other wild circus animalsfor years, denouncing their use asanimal cruelty. Is it also the case inMonaco?

Yes, there were also a few pro-tests in Monaco. Times havechanged. In the past, it was nor-mal to have wild animals in thecircus ring. But now there is adebate around the subject, whichis only partly right. It is importantthat the animals are treated inthe right way, respecting the re-gulations and laws in the diffe-rent countries. You rarely seeperformances with monkeys orbears nowadays. But wild animalperformances are the most po-pular, even more so than artistryand comedy. Prince Rainier andPrincess Stéphanie are certainlyright by saying, the circus wi-thout animals is not the circus.

And who controls that?

Official veterinarians in the coun-try that hosts the circuses areresponsible. They need to makesure circus owners stick to na-tional animal welfare laws. Un-

fortunately, this does not workeverywhere. In Monaco we onlyaccept animals that are monito-red by the states where they per-form. That works quite well.

I’m close to tears when I see magnifi-cent tigers in a circus ring or a cage...

I understand that but it is notright. These animals have neverknown the wild and could notsurvive there. Wild cats - espe-cially lions - barely move in thewild. With professional animal ta-mers like my son-in-law MartinLacey Jr, they find affection,food, and become part of a fa-mily. They are downright spoiled.

But isn’t circus life unnatural forwild animals?

Unnatural? This is getting out ofhand. Just think of horses, birds,dogs… No, the animals do notsuffer - they lead a peaceful life.They are also cared for whenthey are older.

How do you see the future of the cir-cus?

The spirit of the times meansthat certain animal perfor-mances will no longer exist inthe future. But in other disci-plines, artists are more and morestriving for perfection at the hi-ghest level. Nowadays, the circusis the only form of live entertain-ment for the whole family. That iswhy we look ahead with greatconfidence, with regards to thecircus based on the three pillars:artistic performances, comedyand animals.

CIRCUS ANIMALS:IS IT CRUELTY?

An interview with artistic direc-tor, Urs Pilz

46 MONACORIVIERA


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Baby and Népal: the elephants’ fatemoved the public in 2012. They were to beput to sleep due to suspected tuberculo-sis. In the end, Princess Stéphanie savedtheir lives by repatriating them to RocAgel, the Grimaldi family’s 50 hectare es-tate near Monaco. The princess loves ele-phants - both in the wild and the circus,given they are held appropriately. © Charly Gallo, Centre de Presse



vice. Prince Rainier hired the Swiss as a neutral ad-visor to keep him in the loop about everything (seeinterview in the box).Today, the Festival International du Cirque deMonte-Carlo is the most renowned in the worldwith televised shows being broadcast to 50 coun-tries. The fiercely contested Golden Clowns havebecome the circus equivalent of the Oscars. Per-forming here is the highest honour for top interna-tional artists. The festival was cancelled only twice:in 1982, when Princess Grace Patricia died in a caraccident and in 1991, when the Gulf War was ra-ging.This year, the Monte-Carlo Circus Festival will beheld in Fontvieille Chapiteau from 14th to 24th ofJanuary. There will be no jury and no competition.Instead, in keeping with its motto “The Best Of -The Best Artists of the Last Years”, the 30 best per-formances so far are set to put on a truly uniqueshow. Golden Clown winners such as Alexis Grussand Flavio Togni and their horses, the Casselly fa-mily and their elephants or Martin Lacey jr. and hislions are bound to captivate the audience. And theperformance featuring cows, pigs, geese and goatspresented by clown Bello Nock will provide a circusexperience out of the ordinary.A first: the Golden Gala will see artists from diffe-rent disciplines perform simultaneously on the19th of January. For instance sixteen Chinese ‘dia-bolo girls’ will share the circus ring with the world’sbest juggler, Kris Kremo; Alexis Gruss and ItalianFlavio Togni will come together with their magnifi-cent troops of horses, 30 from different breeds, forthe grand finale at the gala performance on Tues-day 20th January.On the 16th of January from 2.30pm, a colourfulparade will take to the streets of Monaco. It willhead to Palace Square, where artists and animalswill put on a show to remember.

50 MONACORIVIERA


ince the fairy tale union of PrinceRainier III and Princess Grace Kelly,Ireland and Monaco have had aspecial connection. PrincessGrace’s Irish heritage permanentlylinked the two countries and to this

day, Monaco supports Irish culture and organisa-tions. The Ireland Fund of Monaco (IFM) is one ofthese organisations. Part of the larger WorldwideIreland Fund (a Non-Governmental Organisation thatsupports Irish endeavours throughout the world),the Monaco chapter is one of the largest privatefunding sources for the entire organisation. The first Ireland Fund was founded in 1976, by Sir An-thony O’Riley, Irish Ambassador to the United States.He had three goals: to further Irish peace, cultureand charity. Today, The Ireland Fund has grown toinclude chapters in 12 countries and has raised over

S

THE IRELANDFUND OF MONACOSupporting the Principality’s Irishheritage By NICOLE RUSKELL

$500 million for Irish programmes throughout theworld. One of The Ireland Fund’s own programmes,‘Music Generation,’ ensures children across Irelandhave access to music education, no matter wherethey live. The programme is close to the heart ofIrish rock band U2, who generously donated €3 mil-lion to ensure its success. Locally, the IFM supports the work of the PrincessGrace Irish Library and funds one month residencygrants for visiting Irish writers. But their biggestevents are the glamorous charity galas, which haveraised millions of euros for Irish philanthropic en-deavours. Working closely with Prince Albert II, IFMsupports the Princess Grace Humanitarian Award,which acknowledges outstanding achievement inthe field of human rights, social justice, educationand humanitarian action. Prince Albert II said of theaward: “In creating the Humanitarian Award in thename of Princess Grace, the Ireland Fund of Monaconot only perpetuates the memory of my mother, italso pays tribute to her Irish ancestry, of which shewas so proud. Throughout her life, my mother careddeeply about the needy and the underprivileged.This award is a reminder of her profound concernfor others.”Bono, the lead singer of U2, is an active supporterof The Ireland Fund. He was recently in Monaco atthe IFM’s charity gala, honouring the humanitarianwork of the woman behind Chernobyl Children In-ternational (CCI), an Irish charity helping the victimsof the Chernobyl disaster. The founder of CCI, Adi Roche, has been dedicatedto helping sick children since the Chernobyl disasterin 1986. She founded CCI in 1991, with programmesto house and care for sick children and families inthe affected areas. Bono’s wife, Ali Hewson, joinedCCI in 1993. She and Adi Roche produced the criti-cally acclaimed Black Wind, White Land—the firstdocumentary that exposed the world to the detri-mental effects of nuclear fallout. Through their ef-forts, CCI has raised over €100 million, providinghomes and life-saving surgeries for children in theUkraine. Both women were presented with the Prin-cess Grace Humanitarian Award.Prince Albert II usually presents the award, but dueto the terrible storms of 3 October, he was unableto attend. In his absence, Bono had the pleasure ofpresenting the award himself. In her acceptance speech, Adi Roche said: “We areeternally grateful to The Ireland Fund of Monaco, toPrince Albert and to so many people who have sup-ported us here tonight. We accept the award in thename of the Children of Chernobyl who are so oftenforgotten and relegated to history but who are stillvery much a part of the unfolding tragedy that isChernobyl.”The lavish gala, which included traditional Irish dan-cers and musical performance by Imelda May, rai-sed €300,000 for the charity. According to CCI, thefunds will go towards building new houses and payfor life-saving surgeries for children.

Photo, aboveALI HEWSON BONO; ADI ROCHE; BRIAN LONG;OLIVIA GAYNOR-LONGPRESIDENT OF CCI;PRESIDENT OF THE IRELAND FUND OF MONACO; IMELDA MAY

51MONACORIVIERA


PEaCE and sPoRtintERnational foRuM

GIVING HOPE FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE

he Eighth international forumPeace and sport was held inMonaco in the presence of

Prince albert ii of Monaco. three daysof thought-provoking debate helpedPeace and sport participants draw upan action plan for the future and openup new, constructive lines of debatewhere everyone - from sportsmen andwomen to political leaders, associa-tions and foundations - were able tomake their contributions.

the atrocities in Paris that took place indecember were on everyone’s mindsas the forum began.

"when it comes to those who want todestroy what brings us together, ourbest response is to unite. this is whatwe have done during these past threedays; emotionally and sometimes witha heavy heart, but also in a fighting spi-rit,” said Joel bouzou, President andfounder of Peace and sport. “like witha family that has just gone through ablow, we had to find our way, and canbe proud of having made progress to-gether once again, for through our ex-changes, our testimonies and ourcommitments, the idea that sport cancontribute to sustainable peace, evenin this context, prevails”.

the 2015 forum was marked by aMarch for Peace attended by Prince al-bert ii of Monaco, many politicians andinternational leaders, sports cham-pions such as Chris froome, Paula Rad-cliffe, sergei bubka, Pernilla wiberg andaround a thousand members of thepublic.

Partnerships signed with the interna-tional school sport federation anduEfa foundation for Children will workin depth on concepts discussed at theevent, held in november.

17th MontE CaRlo "ZERoEMission - no noisE"

Rally

A FUTURISTICCHALLENGE!

oin the fia and the Prin-cipality of Monaco's ex-citing programme of

events from 13 to 16 october 2016for the 17th Monte Carlo“ZEnn”Rally (Zero Emissions - nonoise). this bold and innovativeevent demonstrates a true “pio-neer spirit”, whilst showcasingfuture technologies – and let’snot forget it’s also an incredibleopportunity for adventure.the concept of the rally wasfounded back in January 1911,when the first edition of the Ral-lye automobile Monte-Carlo wasorganized with the aim of de-monstrating how we could crossEurope with a car using fourwheels, rather than being towedby horses!

roud parents Prince al-bert ii of Monaco andhis wife Princess Char-

lene celebrated the first birth-day of their twins, PrinceJacques and Princess Gabriella,on 10 december. Reflecting thecolours of the national flag, theadorable twins were deckedout smartly; Gabriella in a redand white striped skirt, andJacques in a cute red andwhite waistcoat. their motherwas as resplendent as ever, in awhite lace top and white trou-sers, accented by somefashionable red lipstick and abeaming smile. Meanwhile thedevoted father, Prince albert ii,was dressed in a white shirtand trousers, complemented bya red tie and navy blazer. thecolour-coordinated family hap-pily posed for photos at the pu-

blic celebration, but were care-ful to ensure they also enjoyedsome private family time. “it was wonderful. we had a lit-tle bit of a public celebrationwith some school children andsome people from Monaco atthe marketplace and we alsohad, of course, a private cele-bration…they're wonderful,wonderful babies. they're doingvery well and we're very, veryproud of them,” said the Prince,who made time out of his busyschedule to also enjoy a privatefamily birthday with the twins. speaking to People magazine inadvance of the celebrations, hesaid: “i’ve set the day aside, i'veno other appointments, we justwant the family time. i want totake some pictures, some mo-vies of them, so it's just goingto be a family day.”

Royal twins’ fiRst biRthday

PRIVATE ‘FAMILY’ CELEBRATIONFOLLOWS PUBLIC FESTIVITIES

PT

J

52

© Copyright ACM/Jo Liluni

MONACORIVIERA


escribing drawing as an addiction, it was some-thing Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, betterknown as Le Corbusier, did regularly throughouthis life. Stating in 1962 “The drawing itself is animpartial witness and the driving force of thecreator,” drawing was described as a game. Taking

one form and making it into another, making up the rules of trans-formation as he went along, inviting the viewer to try and unders-tand them. It is wonderfully reassuring to see how hard the young Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris worked. Some of the early works are painful. One can almost feel his frustration in his attempts to getthe lines right in his early drawings. He developed slowly and clarityand confidence arrived in an idealistic collaboration with AmédéeOzenfant. Cubism was rejected and Purism was born. Le Corbusier began tounderstand and master both drawing and composition. Workingintensely on the interrelationship between objects, overlapping out-lines and layering shapes upon shapes. Playing with transparency,colour, shadow, collage, void and texture. These devices were usedto transform still life objects into new, curious, clean, almost sys-tematic compositions. This was a formative period that would in-fluence his work for the rest of his life.

D

THE GENIUS OF LE CORBUSIER Exploring the fascinating world of the artist, architect, writer and urban planner By SARAH HYDE

53ART & CULTURERIVIERA

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54 ART & CULTURERIVIERA

Le Corbusier engaged passionately with the artistic movements ofhis day and his works are littered with the visual clichés of thistime, pipes, guitars and spectacles. However, within the works, youfind flashes of Le Corbusier’s own genius and this is where the realpleasure in this exhibition lies. Relating one shape to another, fin-ding new forms within forms. Working on them again and againuntil perfection was achieved. Search carefully and you will find thesame elements of awe inspiring beauty that define his buildingsand furniture. As the work becomes more figurative, the influenceof Picasso is clear. Corbusier adored the female form, creating aperky, stylized representation of women, made of compositeshapes and outlines. He continued to create works at the height ofhis success. This intimate exhibition of drawings at the Musée Pi-casso Antibes explores the private side of his work, providing a rareinsight into the development of the genius architect. During his li-fetime these drawings were kept in two watch chests in his studio,rarely shown in public, and it is only since his death that they havebeen fully explored. Taken entirely from Le Corbusier Fondation, thisshow marks 50 years since Le Corbusier’s unfortunate death in Ro-quebrune-Cap-Martin in 1965.Towards the end of the exhibition, the series of six works createdin Chandigarh, using white on white collage, radiate the lightheartedand playful joy of a man who has finally become an undisputedmaster. Closed on Mondays. Opening hours are from 10.00am12.00 noon and 2pm to 6pm

The Belgian collector, Wunder-man, was a huge aficionado ofthe late French writer, directorand painter (1889 - 1963). Assuch, throughout his life he col-lected a series of works by, andinformation about, his idol.These include several portraitsof the genius from the pen ofother iconic figures includingAndy Warhol. This current exhi-bition brings into focus, in animpressive way, the special re-

lationship between the artistand his collector. An exhibition running until 3April about Rudy Ricciotti, thearchitect of the new CocteauMuseum – is showing in the"Bastion" at the Museum ofMenton, which was dedicatedto the most famous newco-mers the town since 1967. Alsoon display there are works thatCocteau bequeathed to thecity.

New perspectives on CocteauA new exhibition in Menton at theCocteau Museum’s Séverin Wunderman Collection reveals a fresh insight into the artist.


m ruined. Over the last ten years offrequent international travel, I’vegotten used to 6am flights, 15kgbag limits (including weighing mybag to the gram and taking out an

extra shirt to avoid stern reprimand and accompa-nying fees), packing a lunch to ensure decent foodand learned to tune out incessant on-board salespitches. And don’t get me started on flying home tothe US, with tight connection times, running throughairports and spending hours in the customs line. Then I flew Delta One, which has ruined me forever.I can never go back to that cattle herding way of tra-vel. To begin with, Delta’s direct flight from Nice toNew York JFK is a breeze. In only eight hours and 39minutes, I landed in New York with time to check-into my hotel and make dinner reservations. No

connections, no layovers, no running. The Nice-New York route has been in service for de-cades, almost seven, in fact. But previously, the ser-vice had only been available during the summerseason. So if you had a business meeting in January,or you wanted to jet over for New Years Eve in TimesSquare, you used to have to go through Paris. Butthis year, Delta has extended the service year-round,with four flights to New York a week from Nice in thewinter and daily flights in the summer. Delta One is their all-encompassing, premium pro-gramme that takes care of you from start to finish.And it starts before even arriving at the airport.Considering the traveller every step of the way,Delta makes sure they schedule comfortable flighttimes. Which means there’s no need to arrive at theairport at 4am. Big plus. And after arrival, there is aseparate, priority check-in desk, where luggage al-lowances are generous and the service is friendly.But its gets better. Access to Delta’s airport loungeis included with all Delta One tickets. So getting tothe airport hours in advance becomes a pleasure.Excellent coffee, fresh juices, pastries, or carefullyselected wines and savoury snacks can easily fillyou up as you check your emails with their compli-mentary Wi-Fi. The highlight of the trip to NY is definitely the flightitself. Welcomed with priority boarding, a private co-coon awaits with a fully flat massaging seat, luxu-rious Westin Heavenly© bedding and a Tumi travel

FLYING IN STYLETO NEW YORK

After nearly70 years of

summer ser-vice between

Nice and NewYork, Delta has

extended theroute year

round and in-vested billions

of dollars intheir New York

terminal.There’s neverbeen a bettertime to jet off

the the Bigapple!

I’

55LIFESTYLE riviera


MY FAVOURITEAMENITY, HOWE-VER, IS THE BIG,BEAUTIFUL PRI-

VATE BATHROOMS.

kit. The second I was settled, a glass of champagnewas in my hand to accompany me before take-off,and moments after reaching altitude, I was offereda delicious meal, prepared by a chef and paired withwines hand-selected by Delta’s very own sommelier. Personally, I didn’t sleep a wink on my flight over —I was too busy enjoying every minute. From the de-licious, five course meal, leisurely served withoutrush (including a dessert cart with a selection ofcheese, petit fours, port and Sauternes; the mid-flight ice cream cart with chocolate or caramelsauce, raspberry puree, and fresh nuts; and thecontinuous service of coffee and tea), to the en-dless offering of on-demand entertainment, I wasactually disappointed when we landed! Upon arriving in NY, Delta has streamlined the cus-toms process by investing in new passport scanningmachines. But if you hate that room filled with hun-dreds of people like I do, you will love Delta’s VIP Se-lect service. I was greeted at the gate by Leslie, thesuper suave VIP Select agent. He met me at thegate and escorted me straight through to customsand right past all those people in line. Nothing makesyou feel more like a VIP than having the ropes ope-ned and being led to the head of a very long line. Andjust like that, my most dreaded part of flying to theUS was a non-issue. Like I said, I’m ruined. Delta Airlines has invested over $2 billion in NewYork in the past few years - yes, billion. $1.2 billionat JFK alone. Chuck Imhof, Delta’s Staff Vice Presi-dent of New York Sales has made it his mission to‘win New York.’ And he has accomplished that goal.Today, Delta is New York’s #1 airline, with one in fourflights being Delta run or partnered. Mr Imhoff main-tains that Delta is an “employee centric company.”He told me: “If you take care of the employees, theemployees will take care of the customers.” And itreally shows. All of the Delta employees I met with,from corporate level to the service level seem ge-

nuinely happy to be with Delta. Something thatmakes all the difference in a service industry.Delta offers their unique VIP Select Service at JFK,a not-so-well-known add-on specialising in elevatedpersonal service, which by-passes queues and givesyou the star treatment. They give personal attentionevery step of the way, with private escort fromcheck-in to the Sky Lounge and then to the gate. Andthey don’t drive you through the airport in those lit-tle carts — no, they drive you across the tarmac ina Porsche (I was offered the choice of a Cayenne orPanamera). And the best part? I’ll let you in on a little secret —VIP Select Service is available to anyone. Whetheryou’re flying Delta One or regular coach, you can pur-chase the service. So whether you have a tightconnection that requires being driven to your gate,or you prefer to breeze past the 400 people in linefor passport checks, or you just want to feel like a‘baller’, you have the option. On the return to Nice, make sure to plan plenty oftime at the airport. Not because of long securitylines, but because Delta’s new Terminal 4 lounge isa place to stay a while. With all the investment thathas gone into to making Terminal 4 a state of the artenvironment with the top shops, restaurants andamenities, the Delta Sky Club lounge is their crow-ning glory. Unique to the JFK Skyclub is their outdoor terrace.The first for an airline lounge, the space is an invitingchange, with comfy sofas and an up-close view ofthe runways. One of the largest airline lounges in theUS, it offers something for everyone. Free wi-fi, andnumerous charging stations, a full-service restau-rant, full bar, free snack buffet and a selection of in-ternational newspapers and magazines. My favourite amenity, however, is the big, beautifulprivate bathrooms. After checking out of my hotel inthe morning and spending the entire day runningaround the city, I enjoyed a nice, hot shower. By sim-ply giving my name to the attendant, I reserved afull, private bathroom with a rain shower all to my-self. They provide everything needed, from thick to-wels to high-end toiletries. I cannot recommend thisenough — I’ve never felt so relaxed and refreshedbefore a flight. Delta’s NY - Nice flights depart at 9:10pm, makingsleep much easier on the return. I was ready to putthat flat-bed seat and the Westin Heavenly pillowand duvet to the test. One of the best things whensleep is your main goal, is the ‘eat and sleep’ option.I love to eat, and the words ‘skipping a meal’ are notwords I like to put together. Fortunately, this optionbrings all your courses together on one platter, soyou can eat up and get to sleep before the otherseven make it to the second course. And again, I wasdisappointed when we landed. If you’ve been considering a trip to New York, oranywhere in the world (they offer 64 connectionsfrom JFK), Delta has made it easier and more en-joyable than ever.

Photo, left‘DELTA SKYDECK AT THE T4LOUNGE AT JFK AIRPORT

Photo, belowCHUCK IMHOFF, VICE PRESI-DENT OF NEW YORK SALESWITH BEATRICE DEROTALIER,SALES MANAGER FORFRANCE’

56 LIFESTYLEriviera


alking along the plushly carpetedcorridor to my room, jet-lag is in-ching up my spine and starting toweigh on my shoulders. My drowsi-ness is making everything slow and

I double check my key with the number on the door,not trusting my own mental capacity. Fortunately,the light turns green and I open the door to the mostspectacular view of midtown Manhattan’s skyline. Drawn to the windows like a kid to a candy store, theiconic New York skyline is displayed like a three-di-mensional postcard. The excitement of standing onthe 44th floor, amongst famous skyscrapers fromBurberry to 30 Rock, whisks away my jet lag. I’m notin Cagnes, anymore...I’m in New York! At the intersection of 50th and Madison Avenue, theLotte New York Palace is one of the most exclusive

With fourflights a week

from Nice, jet-ting off to the

Big Apple iseasier than ever.

Nicole Ruskellshares her

experience ofstaying in the

new Lotte NewYork Palace

Hotel.

W

FROM NICE TOTHE CITY THATNEVER SLEEPS

57LIFESTYLERIVIERA


ACCORDING TOTHE MANAGING DI-RECTOR, JOHN C.TOLBERT, THE

HOTEL WANTS TOAPPEAL TO EVERYTYPE OF TRAVEL-LER, FROM BUSI-NESS TRAVELLERSTO HOLIDAY MA-KERS, TO HIGH-END VIPS.

locations in the city. Just around the corner fromSaks Fifth Avenue, a few minutes’ walk from Rocke-feller Center and Radio City Music Hall, the city reallyis at your fingertips. Entering through the courtyard,it feels as if you are walking back in time. The turnof the century brownstone has been meticulouslyrestored, preserving the details of the Italian villa itwas modelled after. The opulent lobby harks back tothe days when columns and gold leaf were themainstays of architecture. But once you get to therooms, it’s all modern luxury.The Lotte Palace offers some of the most spaciousrooms in New York. After the initial overwhelm of theview, I notice my beautiful surroundings, includingthe large luxurious bed, covered in over-stuffedpillows. A personalised welcome letter, a plate offresh cookies and two plush terrycloth robes werethe finishing touches. Last year, the19th century Villard Mansion was pur-chased by the Lotte Group, a South Korean hotelcompany for a record $805 million. The Palace is theluxury group’s first property in the United States,with over 900 rooms, a 7,000 square foot fitness cen-tre and over 30,000 square feet of flexible meetingspace. The ‘Towers,’ which rise 55 stories above theoriginal building, offer spectacular views, stunningsuites and exclusive amenities (including a separatelobby and check-in desk).According to the managing director, John C. Tolbert,the hotel wants to appeal to every type of traveller,from business travellers to holiday makers, to high-end VIPs. He believes a hotel filled with a wide rangeof clientele makes for a better environment. Andconnecting with each customer is a top priority. “Ourgoal is to have our guests fall in love in with one ofour staff. If we can have one of them fall in love, theywill keep coming back,” he told me. Despite this all-encompassing goal, it doesn’t takelong to see they specialise in elite VIP services. They

have numerous suites, but their four ‘signaturesuites’ give the ultimate ‘wow factor’. The appropria-tely named ‘Jewel Suite’ (which runs a price tag of$25,000 per night), occupies 5,000 square feet overthree levels. It’s a favourite of a Saudi princess. Themodern deco apartment was designed with MarvinKatz (a well-known New York jewellery designer). Ithas floor to ceiling windows, a cascading crystalchandelier and over a million dollars worth of MrKatz’s most recent collection. But the highlight of thesuite is their 55th floor roof-top terrace. Completewith luxury seating and a Jacuzzi, the wrap-aroundskyline gives the space a magical feel. Perhaps the most exclusive specialty of the NewYork Palace is the Rarities room. A richly appointedsalon in the main mansion, Rarities is only open toinvited guests and private members. It offers rare li-quors, pre-prohibition spirits, exceptional cham-pagnes, and a ‘connoisseur’s wine cellar’. However,the room is available to book for private functions orto join their ‘curated experiences’ where they bringin master distillers and winemakers. But the Lotte New York Palace is still an affordablehotel (rates start at $250), so whether opting for asuite or one of the standard, spacious rooms, viewsare breath-taking all around. The upside of my jet-lag was awaking at dawn and seeing the rising sunshimmer across the skyscrapers. And a trip to NewYork isn’t the same without that iconic view!

PhotosCOURTESY OF LOTTE PALACEHOTEL.

58 LIFESTYLERIVIERA


jeudi25 Février

20h30

PROGRAMMESAISON2015/2016

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verything is more romantic in Italy.‘That’s Amore,’ the song made fa-mous by Dean Martin, captures theway Italy can enrapture you in itsbeauty and seduce you with the or-

dinary. Simple things like a plate of pasta with beans(when your mouth starts to drool, just like pastafazul) is just more romantic when served by a cutewaiter in a piazza. Vernazza, in particular, seems to have a certainmagia for stealing the hearts of those who visit. Ishould know, it happened to me. Breath-takingviews, delicious food, endless glasses of wine, thesound of the sea lapping on the shore and relentlessattention from Italian men...who wouldn’t fall in love? Just a three and a half hours’ drive from Nice, thefive villages of the Cinque Terre dazzle and delight

60 LIFESTYLErIVIera

Expats of theItalian

Riviera revealhow it stole

their hearts…The Italian vil-

lage of Vernazzahas a long tra-

dition of foreign partner-ships. Since the

outside worldfirst discovered

this ‘Pearl’ ofthe Cinque

Terre, womenfrom all over

have fallen inlove with Ver-

nazza - and itsmen.

ETHAT’S AMORE!ByNICOLE RUSKELL


VERNAzzA, IN PARTICuLAR,

SEEMS TO HAVE ACERTAIN MAgIA

FOR STEALINg THEHEARTS OF THOSE

WHO VISIT.

with their colourful buildings clinging to seasidecliffs. The steep mountains are terraced with vi-neyards, growing the well-suited vermentino, or rolle,as it is known in France. Vernazza, called the ‘Pearl’of the Cinque Terre, is one of the villages. This speciallittle place has stolen the hearts of thousands of vi-sitors. Many have come. Many have gone. And manyhave followed their hearts, leaving behind ‘normal’lives to be with the man they love, and the villagethey love. It was hot summer evening and the breeze comingfrom the sea was a welcome relief from the heat-wave. I was having dinner with my husband andfriends in Piazza Marconi, the main (and only) squarein Vernazza. Our evening progressed as most Ver-nazza dinners do…long into the night. Multiplecourses ensued: antipasti of white anchovies in

lemon, octopus salad, and stuffed mussels; troffiepasta with fresh pesto, a Ligurian specialty, and awhole baked sea bass, filleted at the table. Eachcourse, or portata, was a reason to top up ourglasses with the local Vermentino. The only thing as good as the food was the company.We were a mix of locals and expat spouses. Karen,a previous resident of Vernazza, was visiting fromNorway with her family. When they were seated atthe next table, it was like a family reunion. She lea-ned over her chair to join our table, spending timewith old friends and briefly reliving her life in Ver-nazza.

"So Nicole, where did you and Leomeet?"I pointed to a spot a few feet behind her. "Rightthere," I replied.Simultaneously, my husband pointed to a differentspot a few feet behind us and said: "Right over there."We looked at each other incredulously, as if to say,‘how can you not remember?’ “Well, we met in this general area,” I said, gesturingin a circular motion. We were both convinced in ourown recollection of the event, but I conceded tocompromise, something that ten years of marriagehas taught me well. But how could I be wrong? Thenight I met Leo is a scene that has replayed in mymind for years - and I’ve been asked to tell the storymore times than I care to remember. To be fair, it is a story to make anyone swoon. Whilestudying in Aix-en-Provence in 2002, I took a last-mi-nute trip to Italy with friends, and met Leo by chancein Vernazza’s dimly lit square. He was 24 and didn’tspeak English. I was 21 and didn’t speak Italian. Butwe spent the rest of the night laughing and partyingwith the locals in an old man’s wine cellar. We drankthick wine that turned our teeth purple, ate salamihanging from the rafters and had a genuinely funtime.The next day, I didn’t go back with my friends. I didn’tmake it back to my hotel, either. I wound up droppingout of school and commuting to the Italian Rivieraevery week. We stayed together, madly in love, andgot married with all the fanfare that an Italian wed-ding can provide.Yes, yes, it’s all very romantic and if I had a dollar forevery time I’ve heard: "That only happens in fairytales," I could retire. The truth is, it doesn’t only hap-pen in fairy tales. In this little seaside village, mystory is one of many. In fact, the only clichè that fitsis ‘a dime a dozen’.

Young LoveIt happened to Karen, who was leaning over her chairto join us. She was only 17 when she came to Ver-nazza with her parents in 2006. She didn’t know Et-tore, but he didn’t miss her walking by the Blu MarlinBar. When he shouted ‘Hello’ to her, she didn’t thinkthat ‘incredibly good-looking guy’ could be talking toher. But that night, in the very same dimly lit square,

61LIFESTYLErIVIera


he asked her out.Karen didn’t go back to Norway with her parents.Instead, she and Ettore fell "crazy in love" and shestayed nearly three months. The following year, shemoved in with Ettore and lived in Vernazza for seve-ral years. Now 28, this is her first visit since theirbreak-up in 2013. Despite ending the relationshipwith Ettore, she hasn’t ended her relationship withVernazza. "I’m going to keep coming back," Karensaid.It also happened to Brittany. Intelligent and cheerful,this blue-eyed blonde from Texas was fresh out ofuniversity and on track to get her doctorate whenshe visited Vernazza in 2008. Then she met Alessan-dro in the very same square, and they were imme-diately attracted to one another. She fell ‘desperatelyin love’ and walked away from an academic futurefor Italian love and village life. Brittany married Ales-sandro in 2010. Now 29, Brittany runs her own bou-tique on via Roma.

Leaving it all behindMichele, 49, is a fit, no-nonsense woman from Cali-fornia. She fell in love with Vernazza when she firstarrived in 1999. Working in film and television for 12years, she frequently holidayed in Vernazza to es-cape the traffic and city life of Southern California. "Ihated LA. I was tired. The film business wears youdown pretty quickly—it was great money—but Ididn’t have any quality of life." After meeting Antonio,she realised Vernazza was the only place she wan-ted to be. "I decided I had to move, and I left it allbehind. Happily."

Now she runs two art galleries with Antonio’s art-work and she loves her life in Vernazza. She revels inthe fact that she no longer has a car. She said: "I canwalk out my door, walk to work, or walk down to thebeach and take a swim. Where else can you do that?There aren’t many places. This lifestyle is a prettygood way of life."Susie agrees. An artist from the uK, Susie arrived in2001 and instantly knew she had to move to Ver-nazza to paint. It was her second visit when she metFilippo, another free-spirited artist. The two of themconnected immediately. She packed up her life inBrighton, and moved to Vernazza in 2002, the sameyear I met Leo.She reminisced on her early days: "When I firstcame, it was a bit dreamy. It was like this idyllic life.I would be painting, and then Filippo and I would goout on the boat. He would fish and I would get ins-piration just watching. And then I would go out in theboat and paint at night and it was just lovely." Sheand Filippo split up over a year ago, but she neverconsidered leaving Vernazza. She continues to paint,loves her gallery and thinks fondly on the ‘chapter’of her life with him.Eve, 34, is Vernazza’s newest resident. A professional

Photo, leftMICHELLE, 49, ‘HAPPILY’ LEFTL.A. FAR BEHIND

Photo, rightBRITTANY, 28, FELL ‘DESPE-RATELY IN LOVE’ AND NOWRUNS HER OWN BOUTIQUE

IN VIA ROMA

62 LIFESTYLErIVIera


dancer from Byron Bay, Australia, she has danced onstages from the West End to Broadway. She has just‘retired’ from her dancing career to start a family inVernazza. She met Raffaele in 2010, when he was herwaiter at Piva’s Restaurant, the same place Michelemet her husband. For five years they fought to spendtime together, battling visa restrictions, her tourschedule and Vernazza’s tourist season. Now severalmonths pregnant and able to stay, she is adjustingto village life and happy to be with the man she loves.“Together we feel really free. I couldn’t imagine notbeing with him."

The exception to the ruleJeff, 37, was sitting across from me at the table. Afellow Californian, he breaks the rule of foreign wiveswith Italian husbands. His wife Michela is a feisty,voluptuous Italian. Never one to play by the rules,she is the only Vernazzan woman who married anAmerican. Jeff first visited Vernazza in 2006, butafter he got together with Michela, he was hooked.He travelled back and forth a few times from Cali-fornia, until one time, he just didn’t leave. With ahearty laugh, Michela shared their story: “The firsttime we met, we didn’t even talk to each other.” Jeffsmiled and noded. “We were both sitting in the backof a car, going to a discothèque in Sarzana, and for45 minutes, we didn’t say one word to each other.”“So how did you get together?” Karen asked.Michela responded with a mischievous grin: “Thenext time I saw him, I devoured him!”. They marriedin Vernazza in 2008.I have known eighteen women, from Canada to Ka-zakhstan, who dropped everything to live in this vil-lage. Some of them have left. But those who havestayed, share a love of Vernazza as deep as the lovefor their partner. That’s Amore...

Country: Italyregion: LiguriaCommune: La Spezia

VernazzaJust three and a halfhours’ drive from Nicelie the five villages of theCinque Terre. Famousfor its beautiful hikingtrails and colourfulbuildings perched onsteep cliffs, the CinqueTerre is a UNeSCOWorld Heritage site andhas become a top desti-nation on the Italianriviera. Vernazza, a vil-lage of about 500 resi-dents, lies betweenMonterosso andCorniglia. The steepmountains that sur-round the villages areterraced with vineyards,growing the well-suitedvermentino, or rolle, as itis known in France.Wine has been an exportof the region for cen-turies. Vernazza’s touristseason runs from Marchto November. If youplan to visit during theoff season, many restau-rants will be closed, butone or two remain openin the piazza.

Where to stay:You won’t find any five-star hotels in Vernazza.In fact, you won’t findany hotels. accommoda-tion is limited to roomand apartment rentalsthat vary in style andamenities. airbnb listsmost of the available ac-comodation. Gian-niFranzi.it is a localinstitution with arestaurant in the piazzaand beautiful breakfastterrace for guests. Cin-queTerreriviera.com is awebsite in english withmany options for placesto stay, as well as localactivities and day trips.

Where to eat:For breakfast, lunch or acasual dinner, the BluMarlin Bar serves fullenglish breakfasts, sand-wiches and a daily dinnermenu. via Roma, 43Tel. +39 (0) 187 821149Piazza Marconi is filledwith great restaurantswith a scenic view of Ver-nazza and the sea. Have adrink at Bar Ananaso foraperitivo with the settingsun. In the wintermonths, you will onlyfind Gianni Franzi andGambero rosso open.exquisite food with ex-quisite views, RistoranteBelforte is inside the oldfortress walls. Specialis-ing in fresh seafood, thecatalan or the mixedseafood pasta is a must.The owner, MichelaBasso has also wonawards for her pesto.With a view of the seafrom nearly every table,make sure a mealat Belforte is on youritinerary. During highseason, they fill upquickly, so make reserva-tions a few days in ad-vance! Via G. Guidoni, 42 Tel. +39 0187 812222 www.ristorantebelforte.it/en

Typical dishes:Fresh white anchovies inlemon; focaccia; andpesto. Most restaurantsoffer a mixed seafood ap-petizer which includes aselection of stuffed mus-sels, fresh anchovies andoctopus salad.Sciachetrà is a thick,sweet wine made fromsun-dried grapes. You’llonly find it in the CinqueTerre!

Photo, leftJEFF, 37, IS ‘THE EXCEPTIONTO THE RULE’ WHEN ITCOMES TO VENAZZA RO-MANCES

The next time I sawhim, I devouredhim!

63LIFESTYLErIVIera


ITALY’S YOUNGESTMICHELIN STARREDCHEF IS COOKINGIN IMPERIA…• … but it looks like he is about to spread his wings • Comparedto the close-by Côte d’Azur, Liguria does not boast a great numberof Michelin starred cooks: 49 Michelin restaurants (ten with twoand one with three stars) on the French side stand against only 11between San Remo and Ameglia - all with only one star. Petra Hallpaid a visit to Augusto Valcelli, head chef in Imperia’s Agrodolce.

64 GOURMETRIVIERA

Photos FABIEN PRAUSS


cross the whole of Liguria, thereare only 11 Michelin starred res-taurants. A number which makesAugusto Valcelli’s success storyeven more remarkable. When he

was 23, the ambitious Brescian received his firstMichelin star and became Italy’s and - accordingto him - the whole world’s - youngest star cook.But where you can taste the culinary whizzkid’screations? Simply pop into Agrodolce, a restaurantin one of the pastel-coloured, medieval fisherman’shouses along Imperia’s Oneglia port. But time is ofthe essence. The chef wants to fly high - Dubai’sArmani restaurant has just made him an offer.One year before he won his first star, he had al-ready become head chef at Agrodolce - despite hisyoung age. But Valcelli does not think much of Im-peria, and claims he would never open his own res-taurant in the provincial capital. “People here arenarrow-minded and don’t understand my cuisine.Generally, Italy is very difficult when it comes tohigh-level gastronomy. There’s no continuity andcosts are too high,” Valcelli concedes. The world iscalling.In June 2013 - when he was 22 - he started wor-king for star cook Andrea Sarri, who was runningthe Agrodolce at the time. A former employer hadwhole-heartedly recommended him. His parentshave a house in Diano Marina, so Valcelli movedfrom Brescia to Liguria. In December 2013 - just sixmonths into the new job - the owner of Agrodolceasked him to take over as head chef. “A sign ofgreat trust,” Valcelli says casually. “And a great op-portunity to express my creativity.”His first week as fledgling head chef certainly wasone to remember. “It was a Thursday night -usually those weren’t very busy,” he remembers.“A couple came in and ordered a dégustationmenu. After they’d had their dinner, my waitercame to me and said: ‘This gentleman wants to talkto you.’ It turned out he was the Michelin inspector,who had brought his wife - completely unusual. ‘Iwant to pay you a compliment,’ he said. ‘Excellentchoice of products and superb technique. I think

A

you’ll get your first Michelin star.’ What a wonderfulfeeling that must have been! “Yes; I want to sur-prise my guests like this and give to make themfeel something,” Valcelli continued.Culinary ‘emotions’ appear in his dreams, just likebeautiful women appear in other young men’sdreams. He then makes them become reality in thekitchen. For example, the Il Gambero Rosso e ilKiwi, which comes in three varieties and can befound on his menu as an appetizer for 18 Euros. Therecipe for the sauce? Valcelli smiles and gives aknowing look. Well, what kind of innovator wouldhe be if he gave all his secrets away anyway! “Thecontrast between the sweet San Remo king craband the sour Kiwi is poetry - I love contrasts,” thehead chef continues. Another favourite is his car-paccio made from red tuna or the local palamita.It is paired with a sweet-sour sauce, whichcontains celery, carrot, onion, red pepper, pine nuts(not Chinese ones), raisins, sugar and white vinegar.And there you go - he did give away a recipe afterall. “Yes, because it’s an easy one,” Augusto sayswith a cheeky smile. Considering the Agrodolce isa Michelin starred restaurant, the prices are not atall excessive. Risotto and pasta ranges from 16 to20 Euros; meat and fish dishes, such as Trionfo diPesci e Verdure in Fritto Croccante, cost 18 Euros.And on hot summer days, guests can cool down inthe shade of the arcade and enjoy their meal over-looking the sea and the yachts.

Alassio: Palma

Albissola Marina: Ristorante 21.9.

Ameglia: Mauro Ricciardi allaLocanda dell’Angelo

Arma di Taggia: La Conchiglia

Bergeggi: Claudio Cervo:

San Giorgio Genua-Nervi: The Cook

Millesimo: Locanda dell’Angelo

Noli: Il Vescovado

Sanremo: Paolo e Barbara

OTHER MICHELIN STARRED

RESTAURANTS IN LIGURIA:

65GOURMETRIVIERA


Fjord trout on ‘Tour de France’ The Norwegian specialty arrives in restaurants in January

Vivanova Gala Exclusive black tie event

THESENICE RESTAURANTS

ARE SERVING FJORDTROUT

IN JANUARY

Flaveur Le Millésime Les 2 Canailles L'Atelier Nicert Bistro

orwegian fjord trout hasconquered France! Throu-ghout January the fish is

being introduced to the French pu-blic by means of a “Tour de France”:Several small fine dining restau-rants in five major cities across thecountry are offering from January11 to 24 special fjord trout menus,including some in Nice."The chefs create their own dishes,where they combine local productsin a surprising way with the Norwe-

gian specialty" explains MatthiasBugge. The Norwegian chef is ta-king his "Flying Culinary Circus"around the world go on a culinarymission. In Nice, he recruited chefsin the participating restaurants,held a product workshop andspread the news amongst the in-dustry, where trout is still some-thing of a rarity. His message:Whether raw, marinated, steamed,fried or grilled - fjord trout is notonly cheaper, finer in taste and less

fatty than about salmon, but alsoprovides plenty of opportunities forcreativity. And hey presto, delica-cies like’fjord trout ravioli with smo-ked bacon’ have been whipped upby the chefs. On the Côte d'Azur, some smallerrelatives of trout can be found inthe Vésubie River. Therefore, theNorwegian fjord trout is consideredsomething of a speciality, becausethey grow large in the icy waters ofthe fjords. The best water has a

high oxygen content, and in Nor-way's fjords you’ll find the perfectcombination of sweet and saltyseawater and glacial water.In the future, however, it’s yet to beseen if fjord trout will become astaple dish; much of it depends onthe success of the event in Ja-nuary, as Aurélien Nourry, headchef at Millésime, said: “…But atleast on special occasions I willorder it again.”

Song Qi is a fusion of Asian fla-vours. Opened last year, it is closeto the Grimaldi Forum and thesixth restaurant for the GiraudiRiccardo group in Monaco. At thesite of the Italian restaurant Lo-renzo, the interior design agencyHumbert & Poyet has designed anultra-chic decor, giving a nod to1930s Shanghai with green-bronzetones, lacquer panels, marble ta-bles, and velvet armchairs. AlanYau, from Hong Kong, is a starchef in England and oversees thekitchen. He has pitched Asianconcepts such as Wagamama inBritain. With a brilliant menu inclu-ding crispy duck salad; hand-made Lamian noodles and caviarserved with steamed prawns andblack beans; wok chicken with

scallop sauce, Rose Imperial; ras-pberry and lychee sorbet. Amongthe 'signatures' dishes: glazedShanghai duck - cut tableside –with cucumber and spring onionsand the Wagyu grilled beef withsoy sauce is perfumed and mean.A flamboyant wine list with somereal gems, including some classygrand cru Bordeaux. An attractiveand accessible approach to thelunch menu (€ 45), which changesevery fortnight (crispy squid salad,ravioli with grilled chicken, DimSum, Chinese cabbage, andshrimp.

Monaco7 ave Princesse GraceTel. +377 99 99 33 33Dienstags geschlossen

TABLE D’EXCEPTION

Coming up in March is Club Viva-nova’s Luxury Lifestyle Gala Dinner,in association with the Foundationof Prince Albert II of Monaco andVIP partners including Riviera Insi-der. Join an eclectic group of distin-guished international business

leaders for the black-tie charity din-ner at one of Monte Carlo’s leadingluxury hotels, the Fairmont Monte-Carlo. The gala will showcase selec-ted luxury partners along with acontemporary art exhibition ofworks by local and international ar-tists and sculptors, followed by twohaute-couture fashion shows and ajewellery and diamond presentation.The luxury car partner will present asupercar at the Fairmont lobby,where 220 VIPs and guests will beescorted across the red carpet en-trance (after a professional photo-call) to the 'Salle de la Mer' Ballroom,which offers a breath-taking viewover the Mediterranean Sea (uniquein the Principality). An exceptionalMeilleur Ouvrier de France four-course dinner will be paired with aselection of five internationally-ac-claimed wines selected by chiefsommelier, Massimo Sacco. Later inthe evening, a charity auction willbe held with donations from part-ners, in aid of the Foundation ofPrince Albert II of Monaco. As a fi-nale, the Club Vivanova 2016 AwardsOf Excellence will be presented, fol-lowed by a Vitamin Vodka after-party. Guests wanting to make a specialweekend of it can book a preferen-tial room rate at the Fairmont MonteCarlo, with limousine pick-up service. www.clubvivanova.com

N

Jacques Gantié isthe author of theonly regional restau-rant guide, GuideGantié, which is avai-lable in French inhard copy and elec-tronically in English.It contains hundredsof great insider tips..

GRANDE TABLE

TABLE DE QUALITÉ

COUP DE CŒUR

SONG QI

Jacques Gantié’sRESTAURANT

RECOMMANDANTIONS

66 WE RECOMMENDRIVIERA


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Located next to Hercules Harbour inMonaco, Caprice du Chef is a locallyowned and operated purveyor offine goods. Whether supplyingyachts or villas, they ensure theircustomers get the finest food and

drink the world has to offer, at competitive prices.The helpful staff, who are fluent in French, English,Italian and Spanish, deliver fresh vegetables fromProvence, top-quality meat from France and Italy,fresh seafood, artisan pasta, fine spirits and muchmore. They have a comprehensive selection of finewines from all over the world and an array of caviarto match. In addition to their supply shop, they offercatering for a variety of needs, from a simple day atsea to a grand gala. Caprice du Chef takes orders 24 hours a day, sevendays a week and they strive to deliver within 24hours. ‘Emergency’ beverages can delivered within afew hours of ordering at no extra cost, if the itemsare in their warehouse. The expert staff take pride inmaking their customers happy. If you have needsbeyond their offerings, from banking to restaurants,clothes and jewellery, they are more than willing tohelp. Don’t leave the most important details to justanyone, leave them to the experts!.

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67PUBLI-INFORIVIERA


ENCOURAGINGCROSS-CULTURAL HARMONY

f course, every parent wants thevery best for their child, and when itcomes to education, choosing theright school where they will behappy and flourish, as well as en-couraged to develop academically,

is of paramount importance. When it comes to living in a foreign country, oftennew expats lack the local knowledge about schoolsand the education system that people who have beenliving there for generations have, especially if they arevery new to the area. and then there are further is-sues to take into consideration when choosing aschool, such as how well will the child be able to in-tegrate as a foreigner. needless to say, this meansexpat parents tend to thoroughly research institutionsand seek out those with the best reputations. recently, the issue of bullying has been highlighted inthe french media. a unicef investigation revealedthat one in ten children in france suffer harassmentor bullying at school, which encouraged french mi-nisters to take action. at the end of 2015, the ministerof education, najat vallaud-Belkacem, rolled out plansfor an anti-bullying campaign; the third in four years.it’s always the same story: children deemed as ‘dif-ferent’ or ‘weak’ in some way is typically the target.according to a report on expatica (expat news web-site) citing Spain and germany as examples, expatchildren could be easier targets for bullies for exactlythose reasons – they are ‘different’ and they willusually arrive at a new school without knowinganyone. however, here’s the good news: our investigation re-vealed that the general consensus appears to be thatbullying is a fairly rare occurrence in schools on themulticultural riviera, so rates may be lower than inother parts of france. at the various internationalschools, which have a particular emphasis on promo-ting cohesion and tolerance, bolstered by pro-activeanti-bullying initiatives, it appears that bullying is evenrarer than at the public schools, however, naturally,no institution can claim to be entirely immune to theissue. one British parent we spoke to, from thegrasse area, told us that her son was bullied atschool, which led her to relocate him to an interna-tional school. the mother, who declined to be named,said: “my eldest has had problems at school. he wasbeing bullied, and kept moving away from the childbothering him. But as he can't speak enough frenchyet to say what the matter was, he was the one get-ting shouted at by the teacher. he was in floods oftears every morning, dreading going to school. “the headmistress was totally ineffectual. nothingchanged until a new teacher who spoke english tookover. now in class its better, but in the playground itreally is like lord of the flies. they are expected to tou-ghen up to survive. that's why i'm moving them to aninternational school. if there are problems they will atleast be understood and the culture is more nurturing.” however, the majority of expat parents onthe riviera told us their experiences of schools in the

region have been positive, whether public or private.a Swedish couple from valbonne told us: “our boyshave been to french state school since they were lit-tle and i think they are well integrated. most of theirfriends are french and i think that their language levelis quite good.” henrik, plate, a german father of two added: “lennie(now 10) was never bullied by his classmates becauseof his german nationality - even in the early yearswhen his french was not that good. it was rather theopposite: classmates and teachers showed interestin german culture, he was even asked by his teacherto give a german lesson during regular school time,where he could teach a couple of words and germanhabits. in fact, i always found that the teachers down-played the skills of kids with maghrebian background- they also speak two languages, but i felt that wasnot as much appreciated as lennie's bilingualism. “i guess that one reason for not having any such pro-blem is that the schools are already pretty heteroge-neous (with backgrounds from domincan republicand other french overseas territories, and other partsof europe) - at least in nice, it may be different in thehinterland.Several schools in the area told us their fundamentalprinciples place great emphasis on students suppor-ting each other. for example, mr di mauro, assistanthead of international Studies at international Bilin-gual School of provence (iBS), said: “the very first in-ternational schools were founded in the aftermath ofWWi under the simple, altruistic, and perhaps naïvely

O

SeveralSchoolS in thearea told uStheir funda-mental princi-pleS placegreat emphaSiSon StudentSSupportingeach other

Where education and integrationmeet By SARAH HARVEY

68 EDUCATIONRIVIERA


hopeful guiding principal that if students of diversebackgrounds live, learn, and grow together, theywould be less likely to ever see one another as en-emies. any discussion of advantages must begin withan acknowledgement of objectives. the objectives offrench schools are to nurture responsible french ci-tizens who can live together harmoniously under thebanner of french republican values. the objectives ofinternational schools such as iBS of provence are toprepare young people to be citizens of the world whoare open-minded, tolerant, well-rounded, multi-lin-gual, flexible and independent.“iBS aims to prepare young people to become glo-bally-minded, locally responsible, tolerant, knowled-geable, congenial, multilingual, self-reliant citizens ofan increasingly interconnected world. With over 60nationalities represented at iBS, cultural and religioustolerance and respect are a fundamental part of ourphilosophy. these values are the tools to creating amore peaceful world in the future.”head of iBS’ lower School, christine Balandier, explai-ned that although of course every school everywherehas incidences of bullying, the rate at iBS is very low– approximately four pupils per year out of the 200 inthe lower School which equates to about 2%, com-pared to the national average of 10%. “When a pupilarrives at an international school they’re all from el-sewhere, so in some ways they are almost like an un-derdog, which means they are less likely to attack

others,” she explained. “obviously there is bullying atevery school, everywhere. But we have over 500 pu-pils in this school, and it’s very rare. i look after about200 pupils and would only see about 4 cases per year,and even then, it’s never about great big things. ho-wever, we have a very big chain of commitment todeal with it.”She explained that the most effective solution theyuse is bringing the bully and victim together so thechild being bullied can explain how it makes themfeel. “We sit them down with us, with us showing thebullied child that they are being supported by us, andwe discuss it with them. Sometimes it is done via theinternet – for instance, someone calls someone elsefat or stupid, but they don’t see the reaction so theydon’t know how much it upsets them. We find thatwhen we show the bully the impact of their actions,it usually never happens again. and we then follow upto check the child is okay, several times afterwards. “in addition, we recently had an assembly on theissue of saying things on the internet and socialmedia, giving examples, and then had discussionsabout the way it made the pupils feel about it. We feelthis is the most effective way of dealing with theissue.”no doubt it will reassure many parents that as wellas pursuing high levels of academic achievementhere, schools have the happiness of the pupils atheart, too.

6969EDUCATIONRIVIERA


MOUGINSSCHOOL: MOVING INTOTHE FUTURE

015 has witnessed some dramaticevents across the world and, inthese troubled and uncertain times,reassurance and stability are impor-tant factors that contribute towardsthe wellbeing of young people. Mou-

gins School provides a caring environment which fo-cuses not only on the academic performance of itsstudents, but also on nurturing individuals and givingthem access to a wide spectrum of both curricularand extra-curricular activities such as sport, music,art and theatre. These are areas which encourageconfidence building and teamwork, qualities that areessential to the students for preparing them to facethe challenges ahead. The school campus is excep-tional; custom-built buildings clad in wood, blendinginto the forested area which is its backdrop. Superb

facilities with state-of-the-art equipment and nume-rous outdoor areas, catering to the different agegroups, all contribute to the wellbeing of both stu-dents and staff.The Parent Teacher Association has an important rolewithin the school, both in the organisation of socialactivities, and assisting with fund-raising and the sup-port of local and international charities. For those pa-rents who are new to the area, the PTA provides aplatform for social interaction and, together with theschool administration, offers reassuring pastoral care,helping with integration into a new community. Theschool’s caring philosophy reaches out to those lessfortunate and in need. Both the enthusiasm of stu-dents and the generosity of parents permits theschool to organise a number of fund-raising activitiesthroughout the year, as well as clothing collectionsfor refugees, food for the needy, and toys for sick chil-dren. A sensitive awareness of the needs of others isdeeply embedded in the school’s values.An international school, catering to over forty natio-nalities, breaks down the barriers of race and religionand emphasises the value of the individuals workingin harmony within a diverse group. Their very diffe-rences combine to cultivate their strengths. MouginsSchool, with over 500 students aged 3 to 18 has, overthe fifty years of its existence, created a welcoming,family atmosphere which facilitates the students’transition into a new school and, very often, a newcountry. An international education, based on the Bri-tish curriculum, exposes children to many cultures,thus teaching them that our differences are enriching,and should never be an obstacle. This, surely, is oneof the best lessons a child can receive.

2

Photo MOUGINS SCHOOL HASCREATED A WELCOMING FA-MILY ATMOSPHERE WHICHFACILITATES THE STUDENTS’TRANSITION INTO A NEWSCHOOL.

Preparing for tomorrow’s worldwith an education worthy oftoday

70 ADVERTORIALRIVIERA


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• Modern, spacious facilities including a new Early Years building, a dedicated Science Centreand exceptional library/media resources.

To learn what ISM can do for your child, please contact THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF MONACO


TT HH EE EE VV EE NN TT SS II NN JJ AA NN UU AA RR YY 22 00 11 66

Monday 4 at 8pm and Sunday 3 January at 4pm, Grimaldi Forum Monaco: Dance: "CasseNoisette Compagnie" by JeanChristophe Maillot with the Balletsde MonteCarlo company and two stars from the Bolshoi Theatre Ballet, OlgaSmirnova and Artem Ovcharenko, the Princess Grace Academy and MonteCarloPhilharmonic Orchestra conducted by Nicolas Brochot.Information: +377 99 99 30 00

Thursday 7, Friday 8 at 8.30pm, Saturday 9 at 9pm and Sunday 10 January at4.30pm:Théâtre des Muses: "Nuit gravement au Salut" comedy by HenriFrédéric Blanc. Information: +377 97 98 10 93

Thursday 7 January at 6.30pm, Auditorium Rainier III Troparium: Musical Happy Hour – Chamber music concert by the Archetis Quintet with Morgan Bodinaud & Claude Costa, violins, Sofia Sperry, alto, Delphine Perrone, celloand Patrick Barbato, double bass. On the programme: Johannes Brahms, FritzKreisler and Anton Dvorak. Information: +377 98 06 28 28

Saturday 9 January at 8pm, Théâtre des Variétés: Dance show by the Monaco Rock et Danses association. Information: 06 122 123 84

Sunday 10 January at 6pm, Auditorium Rainier III Salle Yakov Kreizberg: Grande Saison series Symphony concert by the MonteCarlo Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Alexander Sladkovsky with Vadim Gluzman, violin. On theprogramme: Elmir Nizamov, Johannes Brahms and Anton Dvorak. Information: +377 98 06 28 28

Monday 11 January at 7pm, Saint Nicolas Church – in the church hall: CinéClub: screening of the film "La parade de printemps" by Charles Walters followed by a debate. Information: 06 80 86 21 93

Tuesday 12 January at 8.30pm, Théâtre des Variétés: Tout l'Art du Cinéma "Les films de notre vie" series: Screening of "America America" by Elia Kazan, organised by the Archives Audiovisuelles de Monaco. Information: +377 97 98 43 26

Wednesday 13 January at 8pm, Théâtre des Variétés: Concert by Bettina Aust, clarinet with Robert Aust, piano organised by the Association Ars Antonina. Information: 06 03 44 20 66.

Wednesday 13 January at 8.30pm, Princess Grace Theatre: "The Servant" by Robin Maugham with Maxime d’Aboville, Roxane Bret, XavierLafitte, Adrien Melin and Alexies Ribes. Information: +377 93 25 32 27

Thursday 14, Friday 15 at 8.30pm, Saturday 16 at 9pm and Sunday 17 Januaryat 4.30pm, Théâtre des Muses: "Victor Hugo mon Amour" by Anthéa Sogno. Possible performance: Saturday 16January at 6.30pm. Information: +377 97 98 10 93

Saturday 16 January, from 12 noon to 11pm, Espace Léo Ferré: Dance competition organised by A.S.M. Danse Sportive. Information: +377 06 122 123 84

Saturday 16 January at 8pm, Théâtre des Variétés: Music show in aid of the Association Monégasque des Amis de l’Arche Jean Vanier. Information: +377 98 98 83 47

Monday 18 January at 9pm, Princess Grace Theatre: David Larible in his play "Le Clown des Clowns" in aid of the Baby & Nepal Association. Information: +377 93 25 32 27

Tuesday 19 January at 7pm, Théâtre des Variétés: To mark the 750th anniversary of the birth of Dante, conversation in Italianabout the character of Ulysses in the Divine Comedy with Moni Ovadia on thetheme "Le courage d’assumer son propre destin: XXVIe Chant de L’Enfer" withMaurizio Dehò, violin and Nadio Marenco, accordion, organised by the SocietàDante Alighieri de Monaco. Information: +377 97 70 89 47

Wednesday 20 January at 4pm, Auditorium Rainier III Salle Yakov Kreizberg: Concert for young people by the MonteCarlo Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Philippe Béran with Jo Bullitt, narrator and Marina Sosnina, sand painting.On the programme: "Pinocchio" by Sergio Rendine. Information: +377 98 06 28 28

Thursday 21 January (gala), Wednesday 27 and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday24 January at 3pm, MonteCarlo Opera Salle Garnier: "La Wally" by Alfredo Catalani with EvaMaria Westbroek, InSung Sim, LucioGallo, Jorge De León, Olivia Doray, Marie Kalinine, Bernard Imbert, the MonteCarlo Opera Choir and MonteCarlo Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Maurizio Benini, organised by the MonteCarlo Opera. Information: +377 98 06 28 28

Thursday 21, Friday 22 at 8.30pm, Saturday 23 at 9pm and Sunday 24 Januaryat 4.30pm, Théâtre des Muses: "Fabrice Luchini et Moi" by Olivier Sauton. Information: +377 97 98 10 93

Thursday 21 January at 8.30pm, Princess Grace Theatre: "Colorature" by Stephen Temperley with Agnès Bove, Grégori Baquet and SarahColas. Information: +377 93 25 32 27

Saturday 23 January at 8pm, Théâtre des Variétés: Concert organised by the Monaco Christian Fellowship. Information: +377 93 25 67 83

Tuesday 26 January at 8.30pm, Théâtre des Variétés: Tout l'Art du Cinéma "Les films de notre vie" series: Screening of "WeekEnd"by JeanLuc Godard, organised by the Archives Audiovisuelles de Monaco. Information: +377 97 98 43 26

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Oceanographic Museum: Exhibition: “Requins, l’expo sensation” / Sharks, a sensational exhibition. Information: + 377 93 15 36 00

Until Sunday 20 March, NMNM, Villa Sauber: "LAB: behind the scenes of Monaco’s art musuem". Information: +377 98 98 91 26

Until Friday 8 January, MonacoVille: "Le Chemin des Crèches", (nativity scenes of the world exhibition). Information: +377 92 16 61 16

Friday 15 January at 6pm, Nouveau Musée National (Villa Sauber): As part of the "Lab" exhibition: meeting/conversation on the theme"59 sorties" with Celia Pym, artist. Information: +377 98 98 91 26

Thursday 21 January at 6pm, Nouveau Musée National (Villa Sauber): As part of the "Lab" exhibition: meeting/conversation on the theme"The museum in the age of climate change" with Philippe Rahm, architect. Information: +377 98 98 91 26

Thursday 28 January at 6pm, Nouveau Musée National (Villa Sauber): As part of the "Lab" exhibition: meeting/conversation on the theme"Residency Unlimited, an alternative view on artists’ residences" withNathalie Anglès, founder of Residency Unlimited, NYC. Information: +377 98 98 91 26

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Wednesday 27 January at 4pm, SainteDévote Church: International organ Festival "In Tempore Organi": Concert by Jan Willem Jansen.Information: 01 84 22 98 88

Thursday 28, Friday 29 at 8.30pm, Saturday 30 at 9pm and Sunday 31 Januaryat 4.30pm, Théâtre des Muses: "Des Cailloux plein les Poches" show by Marie Jones. Possible performance: Saturday 30 at 6.30pm. Information: +377 97 98 10 93

Saturday 30 at 8pm and Sunday 31 January at 6pm, Grimaldi Forum Monaco : Show with Véronic Dicaire. Information: +377 99 99 30 00

Saturday 30 January at 8.30pm, Princess Grace Theatre: "Un Dîner d'Adieu" by Alexandre de la Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte withEric Elmosnino, Guillaume de Tonquédec and Lysiane Meys. Information: +377 93 25 32 27

Sunday 31 January at 6pm, Auditorium Rainier III Salle Yakov Kreizberg: Grande Saison series Symphony concert by the MonteCarlo Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by JeanClaude Casadesus with Fanny Clamagirand, violin. Onthe programme: Dominique Probst, Jean Sibelius, Claude Debussy and Igor Stravinsky. Information: +377 98 06 28 28

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Saturday 9 January, Louis II Stadium: French Football Championship Ligue 1: Monaco Ajaccio. Information: +377 92 05 74 73

Saturday 16 January at 8pm, Louis II Stadium Salle Omnisports: PRO A Basketball Championship: Monaco – Limoges. Information: +377 92 05 40 10

From Monday 18 to Sunday 24 January: 84th MonteCarlo Rally. Information: +377 93 15 26 00

Saturday 23 January, Louis II Stadium: French Football Championship Ligue 1: Monaco Toulouse. Information: +377 92 05 74 73

Saturday 23 January at 8pm, Louis II Stadium Salle Omnisports: France Cup basketball: Monaco Elan. Information: +377 92 05 40 10

From Wednesday 27 January to Wednesday 3 February: 19th MonteCarlo Historic Rally. Information: +377 93 15 26 00

Friday 8 January at 6.30pm, Théâtre des Variétés: Talk on the theme "L’éclipse du soleil, l’apparat funèbre et le mythe duRoi éternel" by Fabrice Conan, art historian, organised by the Association Monégasque pour la Connaissance des Arts. Information: +377 97 70 65 27

Monday 11 January at 6.30pm, Salle Belle Epoque in the HôtelHermitage:"Le ProcheOrient dans la tourmente", talk organised by the MonacoMéditerranée Fondation with guest speaker Antoine Sfeir, French journalist and professor, editor of French journal, Cahiers de l’Orient.Information: +377 97 77 61 10

Monday 11 January at 6.30pm, Théâtre des Variétés: Guy Martin "De la Savoie au Palais Royal, mon chemin de passion", talkorganised by the Fondation Prince Pierre.Information: +377 98 98 85 15

Tuesday 12 January, from 7.30pm to 10pm, Auditorium Rainier III: Conferencedebate "Enjeux et Société" on the theme "Les défis écologiques : après la parution de l’encyclique Laudato Si et la COP21, comment les relever ?" by JeanClaude Escaffit, journalist with ProfessorWolfgang Cramer, GIEC expert, François Fouchier, PACA Regional Manager of the Conservatoire du Littoral, Philippe Mondielli, Chief ScientificOfficer at the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and Professor Fabien Revol from the Catholic University of Lyon. Information: 06 80 86 21 93

Thursday 14 January at 7pm, Princess Grace Academy: Les Rencontres Philosophiques de Monaco present, in collaborationwith the Ballets de MonteCarlo, a meetingdebate on the theme"Amour narcissique et amour de l'autre" with Anne Dufourmantelle,philosopher and psychoanalyst and Patrick Pharo, sociologist. Information: +377 97 70 65 20

Thursday 14 January, from 8.30pm to 10.30pm, Saint Nicolas Church –in the foyer: "Spécial famille" talk on the theme "Père et mère, chacun sa parole…"by Doctor Bernard Duméril, former President of the CLER Amour et Famille. Information: 06 80 86 21 93

Monday 18 January at 6.30pm, Théâtre des Variétés: Talk on the theme "Marche vers Compostelle : une passion contemporaine ?" by JeanChristophe Rufin organised by the Fondation PrincePierre de Monaco. Information: +377 98 98 85 15

Monday 25 January at 6.30pm, Théâtre des Variétés: Talk on the theme "Concertcauserie L'Art de l'improvisation" by JeanFrançois Zygel organised by the Fondation Prince Pierre de Monaco. Information: +377 98 98 85 15

Thursday 28 January, from 8pm to 10pm, Saint Charles Church –church hall: As part of the "Au fil de la Bible…" journey, talk on the theme "Le livrede la Sagesse : éternité et histoire" by Abbot Pierre Dumoulin, PhD intheology and graduate of the Bible Institute. Information: 06 80 86 21 93

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Why did Prince Rainier III decide to create an International Festival in Monaco thatyou have been involved with since the first edition? Prince Rainier III had always been passionate about the circus. He loved hosting allthe great French circuses in the Principality and with Princess Grace he always madea point of bringing his three children to the show. In the seventies, he was very movedto hear about the serious financial problems that some circuses were having. PrinceRainier III expressed his wish to create an event in the Principality that would celebratethe circus, and so it was in the 25th year of his reign that he founded the circus festival.In the introduction to the first programme in 1974 he said: “This International CircusFestival has been created with the circus world in mind, this unappreciated family, sothat you the audience, mindful of all their efforts and hard work, will come to knowand love them more and wish to celebrate them.”

What major changes have you been involved with over the years? Of all the types of spectacles on offer, the circus is one that has evolved the most.Today it is a temple of unimaginable feats, as former artistic and rhythmic gymnastchampions retrain for the circus. For example, Anna Rodion, the former BelarussianEuropean Champion was the first ever to perform the perilous quadruple somersault

on the bar at the 29th Festival in 2005, for which she won a Gold Clown. The circusworld also boasts some of the finest directors who are behind very original choreography. For example, at the 38th Festival the talented Russian director Alexandre Grimaïlo conceived a superb tableau entitled Amadeus in honour of Mozart, performedby the Sokolov Troup which won the Gold Clown, so the circus became opera!

What are the highlights for this 40th Festival? As requested by the Festival’s President, HSH Princess Stéphanie, there are severalhighlights for the Festival’s 40th anniversary. So for example, three of the great wildcat trainers who have won a Gold Clown the Russian Nicolaï Pavlenko, the ItalianMassimiliano Nones and Englishman Martin Lacey will be together in the samecage to work with 11 lionesses, six of which are white, and the imposing male lionKassenga. A unique feat in the history of the circus. Then we have two of the greathorsemen of this era, Frenchman Alexis Gruss and the Italian Flavio Togni comingtogether with their magnificent troops of horses, 40 from different breeds, for thegrand finale at the gala performance on Tuesday 20th January. And then of coursewe have the Grand Parade that will leave from the big tent in Fontvieille to go to thesquare in front of the palace at 2.30pm.

Dr Alain Frère, Technical Advisor for the International Circus Festival

Until Sunday 28 February, Monaco Port: Outdoor ice skating rink and gokarting on ice. Information: +377 93 15 06 09

Sunday 10 January, from 8am to 12 noon, Monaco Port: Remote controlled cars on the ice rink in partnership with the FédérationMonégasque de Modélisme and MC Clic. Information: +377 93 15 06 09

Sunday 24 January, from 8am to 12 noon, Monaco Port: Remote controlled cars on the ice rink in partnership with the FédérationMonégasque de Modélisme and MC Clic. Information: +377 93 15 06 09

Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 January: Festivities to celebrate SainteDévote, Patron Saint of the Princely Family andPrincipality of Monaco and the Diocese of Monaco. Information: +377 93 30 87 70

Tuesday 26 January, at 10.30am, SainteDévote Church: Festivities to celebrate SainteDévote: Traditional Mass. Information: +377 93 30 87 70

Tuesday 26 January at 6.30pm, Port Hercule: Festivities to celebrate SainteDévote: Homage to SainteDévote – arrival ofsymbolic boat followed by a procession of from Avenue Président J. F. Kennedy, at 6.30pm. Information: +377 93 30 87 70

Tuesday 26 January at 7pm, SainteDévote Church: Festivities to celebrate SainteDévote: Traditional burning of the boat ceremony in front of SainteDévote Church, at 7.45pm. Fireworks. Information: +377 93 30 87 70

Wednesday 27 January at 9.45am, Monaco Cathedral: Festivities to celebrate SainteDévote: Relics received by clergy members andthe Vénérable Archiconfrérie de la Miséricorde followed by a Pontifical mass,at 10am with procession in the streets of MonacoVille on the Rock. Information: +377 93 30 87 70

Saturday 30, from 2pm to 6.30pm and Sunday 31 January at 3pm, EspaceFontvieille (circus tent): "New Generation" 5th competition for young circus artists presented by theInternational MonteCarlo Circus Festival. Information: +377 92 05 23 45

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MonteCarlo Circus FestivalFrom Saturday 9 to Sunday 17 January (Saturday, Monday and Friday at 5pm, Wednesday and Sunday at 4m) Monaco Port: Cirque Piedon: the smallest circus in France, invited by the greatestinternational circus festival in the world! Information: +377 06 09 17 21 35

From Monday 11 January to Saturday 13 February, from Monday toSaturday, from 10am to 7.30pm, Métropole Shopping Centre: Exhibition of photographs by Alain Hanel on a circus theme. Information: +377 93 50 15 36

From Thursday 14 to Sunday 24 January, Espace Fontvieille : 40th International MonteCarlo Circus Festival: The best of the prizewinning artists from the last few years. Information: +377 92 05 23 45

From Thursday 14 to Sunday 24 January, Riviera Marriott Hotel: Exhibition by artists Claude Gauthier, Thierry Mordant and RobertoRosello on a circus theme. Information: 04 92 10 67 67

From Thursday 14 to Sunday 24 January, Columbus Hotel: Exhibition by artists Igor Akimov, Dominique Avigdor, Pierre Assemat,Toly Castors, Nathalie Chabrier and Petit Gougou on a circus theme.Information: +377 92 05 90 00

From Thursday 14 to Sunday 24 January, Fairmont hotel: Exhibition by artists Jacques Cinquin, Rolf Knie, Quirin Mayer, Nall,Jacques Reboutier, Martin Stommel and Elena Zaika on a circustheme. Information: +377 93 50 65 00

Thursday 14 and Saturday 16 January at 8pm, Espace Fontvieille : 40th International MonteCarlo Circus Festival: Golden Show (1st programme). Information: +377 92 05 23 45

Friday 15 at 8pm and Sunday 17 January, at 10.30am and 8pm, Espace Fontvieille :40th International MonteCarlo Circus Festival: Golden Show (2ndprogramme). Information: +377 92 05 23 45

Saturday 16 January at 2.30pm, Espace Fontvieille : To mark the 40th International MonteCarlo Circus Festival, Grand Parade and Open Air Circus Show, departs at 3pm from the square infront of the Palace on the Rock. Information: +377 92 05 23 45

Tuesday 19 January at 8pm, Espace Fontvieille): Golden Gala for the 40th International MonteCarlo Circus Festival.Information: +377 92 05 23 45

Wednesday 20, Saturday 23 January at 2.30pm and 8pm, EspaceFontvieille: 40th International MonteCarlo Circus Festival: Golden Show. Information: +377 92 05 23 45

Thursday 21 and Friday 22 January at 8pm, Espace Fontvieille : 40th International MonteCarlo Circus Festival: Golden Show. Information: +377 92 05 23 45

Sunday 24 January at 10.30am, 2.30pm and 7pm, Espace Fontvieille: 40th International MonteCarlo Circus Festival: Golden Show. Information: +377 92 05 23 45


FrenchEvents7th JanuaryCANNESFIDDLER ON THE ROOFThe musical comedy Fiddler on theroof’ has a great cast, bringing togethersinging and dancing. Starts at 8:30pmat the Palais des Festivals et desCongrès. Tickets start are €10 for chil-dren and €55 for adults. www.palaisdesfestivals.com. Tel.04 92 98 62 77

9th JanuaryGRASSETRUFFLE MARKETThe 20th anniversary of the Grassetruffle market, it will feature fresh truf-fles direct from the producers, de-monstrations of truffle dogs and plentyof gourmet items on offer. From9:30am – 5:30pm, in the Bastide Saint-Antoine. www.grasse.fr

10th JanuaryNICEPROM’CLASSICDeemed the most beautiful 10K inFrance, the quarter-marathon is thefirst of the year and runs along theNice Promenade. Begins at 10am onthe Promenade des Anglais.www.promclassic.com

10th JanuaryLE ROURETTRUFFLE MARKETThe annual truffle market kicks off onthe 10th of January and will repeatevery Friday. From 9am – 5pm in thePlace du village. www.mairie-lerouret.fr

13th JanuaryMONACOCLARINETTE RECITALThe young virtuoso, Bettina Aust, willbe playing works from Schumann, Liszt,Français and more. Bettina won theGerman National Competition “Deut-scher Musikwettbewerb” in 2015. Shewill be accompanied by her father, onpiano. Starts 8pm at the Théâtre desVariétés. Tickets €20. www.ars-antonina.com

14th JanuaryCAGNES-SUR-MERPRIX DE LA CÔTE D’AZURAn international trot race reserved forhorses between five and ten years ofage. The race starts at 1:15pm at theHippodrome de la Côte d’Azur. Entrance€4.50, free parking. www.hippodrome-cotedazur.com

14th JanuaryNICEROYAL OPERA The Arts Alliance brings performancesfrom the Royal Opera House to thea-tres around the world. This perfor-mance will be ‘CavalleriaRustican/Pagliacci’. Two showings, 2pmand 7:30pm, at the Cinema Variétés, 5Blvd Victor Hugo. www.artsal-liance.com

14th – 24th JanuaryMONTE CARLOINTERNATIONAL CIRCUS FESTI-VALThe largest and most prestigious circusfestival in the world! Located at theChapiteau de Fontvieille, the festivalbrings together the best circus actsfrom around the world. There will be aparade through the streets of Monacoon the 16th at 2:30pm. Tickets start at €25. www.montecarlofestivals.mc

16th JanuaryCANNESOTELLOVerdi’s opera in four acts will be perfor-med with a modern set emphasizingits melodic drama. Starts at 7:30pm atthe Palais des Festivals et des Congrès.Tickets €10/€55. www.palaisdesfestivals.com

18th – 24th JanuaryMONACOFIA RALLY CHAMPIONSHIPThe 84th Rally of Monaco will racethrough the hills surrounding the prin-cipality. Hairpin turns and rough roadconditions make this race a heart-pounding spectacle! www.acm.mc

19th – 24th JanuaryNICEDISNEY ON ICE‘A Magical World’ features four classicDisney stories will be told in an un-in-terrupted performance on ice. At thePalais Nikaïa, 163, Boulevard du Mercan-tour. Tickets start at €25.50. www.nikaia.fr

27th January - 3rd FebruaryMONACOHISTORIC MONTE-CARLO RALLYOver 300 cars are expected to partici-pate in the Historique of Monaco. Onlyopen to cars that participated in theMonte-Carlo Rally between 1955 and 1980. www.acm.mc

28th JanuaryMONACOTRADITIONAL PIEMONTE DINNERClub Vivanova and AngloInfo are hos-ting a traditional Piemonte gourmet

wine dinner with special guest som-melier and winemaker Regula Stama-tiadis from Casa Constanti in Asti. Thedinner will highlight four boutique andregional wines from one of Italy's mostwonderful and inspiring wine growingregions. At the restaurant CasaConstantin. Resevations required. www.clubvivanova.com

30th JanuaryMONACOLIGURIA WINE EXPERIENCE Club Vivanova presents a winery, oliveoil & gourmet lunch tour in Liguria.Meeting at the Fairmont Monte Carloand travelling to one of the steepest vi-neyards in Liguria with 120 year-oldvines. Followed by an olive oil tasting, afive-course wine paired lunch and eve-ning aperitivo. 10am – 7pm. Early reser-vations recommended. Information:www.clubvivanova.com

Every TuesdayMOUGINSCOUNTRY LINE DANCINGThe Riviera Rebels Line Dancing clubholds lessons every Tuesday evening atMougins School for English and French.All levels welcome from beginner toadvanced dancers. From 8pm –10:30pm at Mougins InternationalSchool, 605, avenue Maurice Donat Tel.04 93 70 36 01

5th FebruaryCANNES‘A PRINCE AMONG US’Concert by the Orchestre RégionalPACA Cannes under the guest directionof Günter Neuhold. On the programme:Bach, Ravel, Saint-Saëns, and Mozart.Starts at 8:30pm at the Théâtre Croi-sette. www.orchestre-cannes.com

5th & 6th FrebruaryNICEPHILHARMONIC CONCERTThe symphony will be playing SergueïRachmaninov and Dmitri Chostako-vitch. At Nice Opéra, Friday, 5th Fe-bruary at 8pm and Saturday, 6thFebruary at 4pm. More information atwww.philharmonique-nice.org

5TH – 7TH FebruaryMONACOCREDIT SUISSE PRIMO CUP The 32nd year of the sailing trophy, therace takes place in the Bay of Monaco.Organised by the Monaco Yacht Club.

13th February – 2nd MarchMENTONLEMON FESTIVALThe 83rd annual festival transforms thetown of Menton with gardens of flo-wers, oranges and lemons. This years’theme is ‘Cinecittà’, an elegant andnostalgic ode to the golden age of Ita-

lian cinema. Rediscover the films ofFellini, Visconti, Sergio Leone and more.www.menton.fr

14th FebruaryCAGNES-SUR-MERGRAND PRIX DE LA RIVIERA The Hippodrome Côte d’Azur hosts theprestigious horse race for the FrenchRiviera. All welcome, with free enter-tainment for children. Tickets €4.50,free parking. www.hippodrome-cotedazur.com

17th – 24th FebruaryMANDELIEU LA NAPOULEMIMOSA FESTIVALThe annual festival lasts for 8 days withparades, marching bands and beautifulflower processions. This year’s themeis "La Mimosa Festival celebrates JulesVerne." Visitors can enjoy the hills inbloom mimosa during its flowering pe-riod from mid-January to early March.www.ot-mandelieu.fr

25th FebruaryNICEROYAL BALLET The Arts Alliance brings performancesfrom the Royal Opera House to thea-tres around the world. This perfor-mance will be ‘Rhapsodie/Les DeuxPigeons’. Two showings, 2pm and7:30pm, at Cinema Variétés, 5 Blvd Vic-tor Hugo. www.artsalliance.com

27th FebruaryCAGNES-SUR-MERDÉFI DU GALOPThe Hippodrome in Cagnes-sur-Mer isthe first leg in the Défi du Galop, theprestigious challenge for 14 racingchampions in France and abroad. Thisday is festive for the whole family, withplenty of entertainment for childrenwith a circus theme. There will be jug-glers, clowns, circus schools, and more.Starts at 1:30pm, tickets €4.50 and freeparking.

Exhibitions

Until 24th JanuaryANTIBES‘LE CORBUSIER, LE JEU DU DES-SIN’The Picasso Museum is featuring anabundant and varied exhibition of leCorbusier and the different periods ofhis work spanning six decades. OpenTue - Sun from 10am - 12pm and 2pm -6pm. Tickets €6.

Until 24th JanuaryNICE

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HENRI CARTIER-BRESSONAn exhibition of the photos of HenriCartier-Bresson at the Théâtre de laPhotographie et de l’Image. Open Tue -Sun from 10am - 6pm. www.tpi-nice.org

Until 30th JanuaryMENTONMICHEL ISNARDThe exhibit, ‘1975-2015, 40 years of free-style painting,’ is a retrospective of theartist’s varied work, from dancing fi-gures to olive trees to religious sub-jects. At the Galerie du Palais del’Europe, open Tue - Sat from 10am -12pm and 2 - 6pm. Free entry. Tel. 0492 41 76 73

Until 14th FebruaryCANNESSALVADOR DALÍ‘Salvador Dalí, on the borders of reality’is part of "Les Rencontres de Cannes,"devoted to the theme of borders. Theexhibition offers an approach to realborders that Dalí was able to stretch inhis work by blurring the lines betweendream and reality. At Espace Miramar,open Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 1pmand 2 – 6pm. Tickets €6/€3 reduced.www.cannes-destination.fr

Until 29th FebruaryNICE‘UN BIOGRAPHE DE MATISSE’Featuring the biographic work of Ma-tisse by Gaston Diehl, who worked withMatisse from 1947. The exhibit featuresletters between the two men, picturesand many more mementos from theircollaboration. At the Musée Matisse.Open every day (except Tuesday) from10am - 6pm. Tel. 04 93 81 08 08

Until 21st MarchNICEASIAN ARTS MUSEUM"Du Nô à Mata Hari" celebrates 2000years of theatre in Asia. At the Muséedépartemental des Arts Asiatiques, 405,Promenade des Anglais. Free entry. Tél.04 92 29 37 00 www.arts-asiatiques.com

Until 31st MarchGRASSE‘ANCIENT PERFUMES’This exhibit looks at the processes ofancient perfumers through an excitinginvestigation that led to the rediscoveryof forgotten knowledge. At the Interna-tional Perfume Museum, open everyday (except Tuesday) from 10:30am –5:30pm. Tickets €4.www.museesdegrasse.com

Until 4th AprilMENTONPOETRY AND ARCHITECTUREA study of the architect Rudy Ricciotti.Covering over 34 of his works, this

exhibit looks at his emotional and poe-tic designs and how he has alwayspushed the limits of his technique. Atthe Musée Jean Cocteau. Open 10am –6pm, every day (except Tue). More information: www.museecocteaumenton.fr

Until 8th JuneLE CANNET‘LE COLLECTIONS’With each new exhibit, Musée Bonnarddoes a complete facelift, offering visi-tors a redeveloped space and a newdesign to discover. This exhibit offersthree previously unpublished paintingsfrom private collections. Open Tuesdaythrough Sunday 10am – 6pm. Tickets€5/€3 for children. 16 Boulevard SadiCarnot.www.museebonnard.fr

ItalianEventsEvery SundayGENOA‘MUSIC APERITIVO’ CONCERTSERIES 'Music Aperitivo' is a popular event atthe Carlo Felice Theatre in Genoa. Ithosts a performance and refreshmentevery Sunday morning. Performancesinclude classical music, opera, soloistrecitals or poetry readings. The eventstarts at 11am and is followed by lightrefreshments. Tickets €6 and includesrefreshments.www.carlofelicegenova.it

Until 24th JanuaryGENOVABRASSAÏ, POUR L’AMOUR DEPARIS250 vintage photographs of secretplaces and hidden corners of nocturnalParis. Brassaï captured the underworldof Paris unlike any other. At Palazzo Du-cale, open Tue-Sun 11am - 7pm. Tickets€9/€7. www.palazzoducale.genova.it

Until 10th AprilGENOVAFROM THE IMPRESSIONISTS TOPICASSOAn immense collection of art, includingworks by Van Gogh, Gauguin, Monet,Cézanne, Degas, Renoir, Matisse, Modi-gliani, Kandinsky, and Picasso. PalazzoDucale, open Tue-Sun 11am - 7pm.Tickets €13/€5. www.palazzodu-cale.genova.it

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Nita Ker and Laure Hatchuel-Beckerhave art in the blood. The two artists,who are based on the Côte d'Azur butoperate internationally, recently dis-played a sample of their creations atCFM Monaco. They also both each do-nated one of their works to supportthe work of the AMADE Children'sFund. The Association nationale Monégasquedes Amis De l'Enfance (AMADE) wasfounded in 1966 on the explicit wish ofPrincess Grace, who had already initia-ted in 1963 AMADE Mondiale (a federa-tion of national AMADEs), in order tocreate the first true national AMADE inthe world. The current Présidentd’Honneur is her son, Prince Albert IIof Monaco.

Local author Melissa Roen’s twobook series, Last Call for Caviarand its sequel, Maya Rising, have re-cently been released. Roen has livedin Cap d'Ail and St Jean-Cap-Ferrat formore than 28 years, and the settingfor these fiction novels is the Coted'Azur and Monaco. What first brought you to France:My father brought me to France whenI was a small child, and instilled inme his love of France, the language,people and all things French. Wespent a holiday visiting the charmingtowns from Saint Tropez to Monaco.My father owned hotels and casinosin Las Vegas, the Desert Inn and Star-dust. In collaboration with the Clericobrothers, and their artistic director,Pierre-Louis Guerin, he brought theLido de Paris to Las Vegas to beshowcased at the Stardust Hotel. Mymother had been a professional dan-cer and was a friend of MadameBluebell. My family owned, for twentyyears, a villa, in Saint Jean Cap Ferrat;an old property which we completelyrenovated. I have so many wonderfulmemories of living amidst the naturalbeauty and tranquility of Cap Ferrat;truly one of the most beautiful set-tings in the south of France. It will al-ways hold a special place in my heartas my first home in France.What are your favorite places inthe region?The most spectacular setting for aswimming pool and beach club: ClubDauphin at the Grand Hotel de Cap

Ferrat - our villa was just down theroad. Favorite seaside restaurant: LePinede in Cap d’Ail. Country Club inMonaco, where I’ve been a memberand played tennis for 26 years. TheRolex Masters Men’s Tennis tourna-ment in April. Monaco Art and Danse,where I take dance class weekly.Plage Mala in Cap d’Ail. I’m a long dis-tance swimmer and particularly ap-preciate this protected and magicalcove for the clarity of the water andabundance of sea life flourishingthere. It is one of the settings that Iuse in my book. The Sancutaire deNotre Dame de Laghet; a spiritualplace that has existed for more than400 years. Local legends say that mi-racles are granted here by NotreDame de Laghet. It is also one of thesettings in my book. Finally, hikingfrom Cap d’Ail up the old Roman SaltRoads to the Tete de Chien and themedieval village of La Turbie. Anothersetting in my books.

The 10th Anniversary of the “Bal deNoël” took place on 12 December underthe patronage of Albert II of Monaco.The sparkling event in the Salle Empireat the Hotel de Paris launched the startof the winter season in Monte-Carlo.This year the theme was Monte-CarloNew York, which evoked a fabulouslyglamorous Christmas atmosphere. Mi-chaela Schwarzenberg presented thegala dinner this year, and the raffle waspresented by Swedish personality, Vic-toria Silvsted. During the evening therewas also a unique auction sale by So-theby’s in aid of the charity “Les Enfantsde Frankie”.

OPENING OF THE

WINTER PARTY

SEASON.

ART IN THEBLOOD

PHOTO: LAURE HAT-CHUEL-BECKER, CFMCHIEF EXECUTIVEGILLES MARTINENGOAND JÉRÔME FROIS-SART, SECRETARY-GE-NERAL OF AMADEMONDIALE, BEFOREONE OF THE DONATEDWORKS (FROM LEFT).PHOTO: OLIVIERWARTER

(FROM RIGHT TO LEFT)ELIZABETH WESSEL,INNA MAIER, SANDRINE GARBAGNATI-KNOELL(FOUNDER OF FIVESTARS EVENTS, ORGANIZER OF THEBAL DE NOEL), CÉLINALAFUENTE DE LAVOTHA, MARQUISEROBERTA GILARDI-SESTITOAND DONATELLACAMPIONI

76 SOCIETYRIVIERA


egional elections barelycause such a commotionas they did this Decem-

ber, when for an instant it appea-red as though the National Fronthad a legitimate shot at succee-ding in Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur(PACA). In the first round of voting,the far-right party was leading insix metropolitan regions out ofthirteen in France. Many outsiderslooked on in amazement, wonde-ring how French politics had rea-ched this watershed. But supportfor the party didn’t come out ofthe blue, in fact since the 1990sthe National Front has been stea-dily growing in popularity in France. “Its flagship themes - immigration,insecurity, unemployment andnow 'Europeanization' - find a reso-nance in this region, where wavesof immigration have always exis-ted,” Marie-Ange Gregory PHD, alecturer in Political Science at Uni-versity of Nice-Sophia-Antipolis,and part of the ERMES researchteam which documents changesin Europe, explained to us. And so, with 40.55% (nearly 720,000votes) in the first round of regionalelections and 45.22% (more than885,000 votes in the second round),the National Front recently obtai-ned unprecedented levels of sup-port in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. “This demonstrates that it now hasa solid electoral base,” continuedProfessor Gregory. “Since 2012, therise of the extreme right party hasbeen indisputable; the increase isnot so ‘sudden’. Nevertheless, theregional dynamics of the resultscan be explained by the accessionof Marine Le Pen at the head of theparty in 2011, but also in thecontext of France; bereaved by theattacks of November 13 in Paris.After these tragic events, the elec-tion campaigns were stopped, butthen resumed on national themesconducive to the National Front:security and immigration. “In PACA, the National Front’s goodresults can also be explained bythe personality of Marion Maré-

chal-Le Penal Le Pen. With a knownfamily name; the youngest in theNational Assembly; she representsthe return of a very well knownname but with a more liberal eco-nomic position than other NationalFront candidates, and she also dis-plays a strong Catholic culture; soshe carried much weight thatcould entice some of the conser-vative electorate”.So what might have been the im-plications for expats living on theRiviera if Le Pen had been success-ful in her regional election bid.We’re all familiar with the anti-im-migration rhetoric, but what mightthat have meant for foreigners al-ready living and working here? It’s difficult to predict at this stage,says Professor Gregory. “For now,there is a sort of glass ceiling forthe National Front, both at PACAand at national politics level,” sheconcedes. “The main weakness ofthis party lies in its inability toform alliances and hence to makegains via a two-round voting sys-tem, let alone in the face of a re-publican campaign. That said, if theNational Front comes to power atnational or local level, some mea-sures envisaged by the party, suchas the closure of borders, couldgive a less welcoming image ofFrance to expatriates…”And what about expatriates whoare entrepreneurs, with well-esta-blished businesses here? “Theparty is historically well-establi-shed amongst small traders andartisans, but is seeking to convincethe bosses and executives, inclu-

ding through the structures ‘Au-dace-Jeunes actifs patriotes’ and‘Eco Cap’ (Presidential ActionCommittee for the Economy, ledby Bernard Monot). But its positionin the abandonment of the Euro,and economic patriotism, is of par-ticular concern to French and fo-reign entrepreneurs; even ifrealistically they seem difficult toimplement. If the return to theFrench Franc can persuade popularcircles; entrepreneurs, open to theworld are much more reluctant.We have seen for example duringthe campaign Pierre Gattaz, presi-dent of MEDEF (Le Mouvement desentreprises de France), who saidthe National Front initiative ‘is noteconomically responsible. It is tur-ning neither to the future nor tocompetitiveness’. The question re-mains whether the reputation ofthe National Front would succeedif it has an impact on foreign in-vestment”.Republican Christian Estrosi even-tually swept to victory in PACAwith 54% of the votes. At one pointhe had been lagging some 14points behind. Maréchal-Le Pen.However, he finally won, almost 10points ahead. Doubtless, Estrosi re-ceived a boost from the withdrawlof several candidates from theLeft, who said Estrosi was the besthope of defeating the NationalFront, urging their voters to supportthe Republican. TheRepublicans/UDI/MoDem won 81seats. The remaining 42 seats weretaken by the National Front, led byMarion Maréchal-Le Pen.

Regional elections: EXPLAINING THE RISE OF THE NATIONAL FRONT

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NEW MINISTER OF STATE SELECTED THE MINISTER OF STATE, MichelRoger, is to step down from hisrole on 1 February, the Palais Prin-cier de Monaco has announced.He will be succeeded by SergeTelle, who was Consul Generaland Ambassador of Monaco toFrance before being appointedInter-ministerial Delegate for theMediterranean.It was announced in December2015 that Mr Roger, who has heldthe role since March 2010, hadbeen suffering from ill health. Inthe interim, Gilles Tonelli, Govern-ment Counsellor for External Re-lations and Cooperation, took thehelm as Acting Minister of Stateafter Mr Roger was taken to hos-pital but Mr Telle has been ap-pointed to take over theresponsibilities from 1 Februaryonwards.Prince Albert II of Monaco hasreiterated his best wishes for aspeedy recovery to Mr MichelRoger.

'FAIRY GODMOTHER'FOR THE NEEDYON 16 DECEMBER, Mougins Pri-mary School students welcomedan old friend and ‘fairy godmo-ther’, Madame Gentil. For severalyears the School has collaboratedwith this wonderful lady who de-votes her energies to providinghelp to people in need.At Christmas the students bringin brand new toys which are des-tined for the children who will bein the Lenval Hospital in Nice du-ring the festive season. MadameGentil was welcomed by the stu-dents who then sang to her inFrench and English, much to herdelight. A touching and emotionalmoment with many hugs for awonderful grandmother figure.

77NEWS HEADLINESRIVIERA


gunman who killed a poli-ceman and wounded ano-ther on December 7 in

Cavalaire-sur-Mer took his own lifethe following day as he was on theverge of being arrested in Rayol-Canadel. It followed a large man-hunt involving 100 hundred menincluding the Gendarmerie’s elitePI2G division, underwater searchand rescue, the dog team, and ahelicopter equipped with a thermalcamera.Police eventually located the sus-pect the evening after the attackon the police officers. He openedfire on them before turning the gunon himself. The 65-year-old, aFrench national who has beennamed in the local media, shot twoMunicipal Police officers after theywere called to a domestic distur-bance at his home. He then fled tothe surrounding hills on a quadbike. Two Municipal Police officers werehit by bullets from an automaticrifle. Christophe Bouissou was hitthree times and taken to HospitalPasteur in Nice with serious inju-ries, but died later. The married 43-year-old, who didn’t have anychildren, was from Mauriac. The gunman is said to have been acoral diver, who was well known in

Cavalaire. According to the Munici-pal Police Union, he “knew thoseon whom he opened fire; it couldeven be said he was on familiarterms with them”.According to Frenchnewspaper, Nice-Matin, the manmay have had a history of violentepisodes and mental health issues.It quotes the prosecutor of Dragui-gnan saying: “We often forget thatmost of the weapons in circulationin France are registered weapons,hunting guns, sports rifles etc. Onecould perhaps question why an in-dividual with a history of violenceand mental health issues was allo-wed to be in possession of an M16rifle.”The Municipal Police Union took theopportunity to insist that their col-leagues should all be armed. “Alter-cations are commonplace in theeveryday life of a police officer, butthey are sometimes exposed toextremely grave dangers. There isno more time to procrastinate andhide behind a part of our Constitu-tion which is regularly bypassed,when we can no longer guaranteethe safety of the municipal police.All the municipal police should bearmed, with weapons appropriatefor the situations they may en-counter,” said the spokesman.

S" banners and instruc-tions for making explo-sives were found by

investigators in the apartment be-longing to a young woman fromNice. The 20-year-old is said tohave planned an attack on Frenchsoil because she was unable toleave for Syria to join ISIS.The woman has been arrested bypolice in mid December on suspi-cion of planning an attack inFrance. Flags of the Islamic Stateand instructions for making explo-sives were found in her apart-

ment.The 20-year-old confessed whilein custody to being in contactwith terrorist organizations, andthat her plan to go on "jihad" inSyria had failed, which is why shebegan planning assassinations onFrench soil. The reason why shewas unable to depart for Syria isnot yet known.In mid-November a friend of thewoman, this time from Marseille,was arrested in Tunisia, on suspi-cion of being on his way to join an“IS” training camp.

Shooting suspecttakes his own lifeGunman "had history of violentepisodes"

YOUNG WOMAN FROM NICE ‘PLANNEDFUTURE TERROR ATTACKS’20-year-old admits contact withterrorist organizations

FIRE CONSUMES STTROPEZ HOLIDAY PARKBungalows at popular holidayspot go up in flames

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“I

devastating fire broke outat the 'Kon Tiki' holidaypark. Fire crews spent

most of the morning of 30 No-vember battling the blaze, whichwas spread by high winds. The firestarted before dawn, and by7.30am it is believed that morethan 50 of site’s exotic-lookingthatched bungalows had burneddown.The Pompiers du Var, SDis83 pos-ted pictures on social media thismorning showing the absolutedevastation of the fire. The bunga-lows are built from palm leaves

and coconut thatch, with woodenverandas, in the style of traditio-nal Asian or South Pacific islandhuts. Located in Ramatuelle, five kilo-metres from St Tropez, Kon Tiki isa holiday park consisting of oneand two bedroom huts on thebeach. The blaze quickly consu-med the wood structures, aidedby strong gusts of wind. The firecould be seen for miles aroundthe St Tropez bay.There were no reports of victims;the park was open but occupancywas low due to the time of year.

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Lemons from Menton have been awarded 'indication géographiqueprotégée (IGP) status, based on a rigorous set of specifications de-veloped by APCM chamber of trade and crafts with the assistance

of the INAO (National Institute for Origin and Quality).The protected geographical indication (PGI) is an identifying sign in Europewhich guarantees the origin and quality of a product, and helps preservegeographical names – Champagne is a famous example. To obtain the rightto use the mark, guarantee of reliability and quality, producers in Mentonwill have to comply with certain standards and specifications which in-clude tree pruning, maintenance and irrigation of fields, tree planting, culti-vation techniques, soil certification and of course the certification of theplants (via an INRA course). True "Menton Lemons" are recognized by lea-ding chefs for their quality, taste and unique softness. The move comes ten years after the creation of the APCM (Association forthe Promotion of Menton Lemons).

ichel Roger, Minister ofState, Patrice Cellario,Government Counsellor

for the Interior, Stéphane Valeri,Government Counsellor for SocialAffairs and Health, Régis Asso,Director of Public Safety, andLieutenant Colonel Tony Varo,Chief Fireman, has officially laun-ched an Alert Service for Monaco.The purpose of this service is towarn the public of an impendingmajor risk or situation affectingeveryday life, which can rangefrom wind and storms to floods

or even natural health disasters,and inform them of precautionsor measures to be taken. Themessages will reach the inhabi-tants of the Principality via SMSand email, after registration onthe page www.clever.fr/formu-laire/alerte-sms/monaco/inscrip-tion. Registration is free. The concept allows you to subs-cribe to receive alerts related tothe following areas: weatherwarnings, marine pollution, tech-nological hazards, seismic infor-mation and health alerts..

FRANCIS BACON, NEW EXHIBITION SETTO OPEN THIS SUMMER

The Grimaldi Forum Monaco willdedicate its summer exhibitionin 2016 (from July 2 to Septem-ber 4) to Francis Bacon, Monacoand the French culture. The exhi-bition is organized with the as-sistance of Francis Bacon estatein London and Francis Bacon MBArt Foundation in Monaco. It willfeature more than sixty works,and is one of the most ambitiousprojects that has been dedicatedto this artist for a long time.The Grimaldi Forum will invitesthe public to discover the workof Francis Bacon (who was bornin Dublin in 1909 and died in Ma-drid in 1992, having lived in Lon-don, Paris and Monaco) from anew angle: the influence ofFrench culture and the Monacoperiod. Major triptychs and pain-tings will be presented alongsidelesser known works, grouped bytheme and referring directly orindirectly to France and Monaco.A special feature of this exhibi-tion is to offer a fresh perspec-tive on some of the major worksof the great masters that inspi-red Francis Bacon: Giacometti,Léger, Lurçat, Michaux, Soutine,Toulouse-Lautrec, etc.Tate Britain in London, Arts Coun-cil Collection, the Art Gallery ofNew South Wales, the CentrePompidou, as well as many pri-vate collections have loanedworks to the exhibition.

ZEST FOR QUALITY: Menton lemons officially recognized

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fter devastating floods andthree months of closure,the Verrerie de Biot has

reopened its doors to the public,and restarted production of theirworld famous glass. Another steptowards Biot regaining normality.The floods of 3 October, 2015 de-vasted the town of Biot, one of thehardest hit in the region. The Verre-rie was no exception, with muddyfloodwaters destroying the works-hop and breaking a great deal ofmerchandise.The force of the water was sostrong it lifted several-ton kilns as itravaged through the workshop. Theflood also ruined the warehouse(they lost about 60% of their inven-tory), the museum, and the bou-tique. Damages were estimated at€3 million, and it was expected totake six months before the factorywould be back to work.But Monday 28 December, the Ver-rerie officially restarted production,three months ahead of schedule.Anne Lechaczynski, the familyowner of the factory, described thereopening as "an emotional time",but she is proud of the work thathas been done by so many people.The employees of the glass factory,unable to make glass, insisted onshowing up to clean and get the

Verrerie back to work. Despite thedevastation to their workplace andthe entire town as well, they havebeen working non-stop to reopen.Their shop welcomed the public totheir shop on 21 December, just intime for some last-minute Christ-mas gifts. But being able to wel-come the public back into theworkshop and make their famousbubbled glass, is their true delight.Guests can once again watch theartisan glass blowers create beau-tiful products before their eyes. The Verrerie de Biot is open Mon-day through Saturday from9:30am to 6 pm. Sundays and holi-days from 10am to 1:30pm and2:30pm to 6pm. Free admission.Closed January 1.

wo men stormed into ajewellery store on Christ-mas Eve, robbing precious

jewellery and striking the owner.Nearby municipal police pursuedthe robbers, leading to a chasethrough town.At 10am on Christmas Eve, twomasked robbers entered the Jean-Michel Chibaeff jewellery boutiqueon avenue de la gare, brandishingweapons.They obtained an undisclosed

amount of jewellery before hittingthe shopkeeper and fleeing theboutique. Nearby municipal police arrived atthe scene as the robbers werefleeing the store and gave chase,pursuing them through town. Onegun-shot was reportedly fired, al-though no details of who fired theshot were given.The police managed to catch therobbers quickly and both menwere arrested.

PACA, ‘LUCKIEST’ REGIONFOR THE LOTTERYIT sEEMs IT PAys to play My Millionin Paca! In 2015, France counted146 game winners in the draw, in-cluding 17 in the region of Pro-vence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.since the game launched in Fe-bruary 2014, 27 people in the regionhave become millionaires.Technically, Ile-de-France has themost winners (31 millionaires) butProvence Alpes Côte d’Azur scoopsfirst place as the luckiest region inall of France, when measuring thevolume of winners to populationratio. (3.45 winners per million inha-bitants).

ALL STATIONS GO!SKI SEASON IS NOW is full swing,following the opening on 5 Decem-ber of the Blanc Azur ski stations(Auron and Isola 2000).The resort of Auron offers fivepistes in the Las Donnas area andhas four lifts or access points, atTélériou, Cable Las Donnas, Blainonchairlift and Nabines chairlift. Isola2000 has seven pistes in the Lom-bard and Pélevos sectors, and twolifts (Mercantour cable car andGrosse Combe chairlift).A spokesman said: “Thanks tomany years of investment in deve-lopments made by the syndicatMixte des stations du Mercantour,chaired by Christian Estrosi, theBlanc Azur resorts are pleased toannounce their opening on satur-day, December 5, 2015. They will beopen continuously until 17 April2016.” For more informationvisit www.stationsdumercan-tour.com

ESTROSI’S ‘LAVISH’PARTY CRITICIZEDPATRICK ALLEMAND, SOCIALISTCOUNCILLOR, and Olivier Bettati,National Front representative, havelambasted the amount of moneyspent by recent PACA election win-ner and Mayor of Nice, ChristianEstrosi (Republican), on his staff athis staff and agents party held atthe Palais Nikaia during the firstweek of January. Allemand, who was invited by theMayor to attend, walked out of theentertainment laid on for guestsbefore the Flashdance show, sche-duled amongst the evening’s high-lights, began. Guests at the free

event included some 12,000 ticke-ting agents who work with the mu-nicipality-operated venue, PalaceNikai. “I condemn in the strongestpossible terms all this publicmoney being squandered on twonights of entertainment while life isbecoming more and more difficultfor many of our citizens”, he said.Olivier Bettati declined to attendthe event but had this to say aboutthe matter: “The Mayor of Nicewould have been well advised tocancel his extravagant and expen-sive ceremony, as did Eric Ciotti,President of the County Counciland a prudent manager of publicfunds.” Allemand and Bettati bothwrote to Estrosi demanding toknow the exact price of the cere-mony, which Allemand suggestedcould be €150,000 while Bettatipegged his guess at €250,000.The actual cost of the two nightsof municipal events? €95,000. “Wehave always communicated withtransparency regarding the bud-gets of our ceremonies,” a TownHall spokesman said. “This year it is10% lower than in 2015. We chooseto focus on real quality shows,which then produce the Palais Ni-kaia, allowing us to improve thepurchasing power of all of ouragents by offering free access to agreat musical show”.

POLICE OFFICER ACQUITTED AFTER ‘ATTACK’THE CRIMINAL COURT of Grassehas acquitted a municipal policeofficer, aged 29, of Villeneuve-Lou-bet, who had been charged withattacking a civilian. The civilian hada swollen face, spent 21 days in anIntensive Care Unit and was sup-ported by a damning report by aforensic doctor. However, the indi-vidual, who was at passenger in acar at the time of the alleged at-tack, was found in contempt ofcourt and given a fine of €1,000,during the first week of 2016. On 14January 2015, routine alcohol testsof three car passengers led to abeating by the policeman, the vic-tim had claimed. Bertrand Dubois,a witness who spoke at the trial,said: “A real beating was given to ahandcuffed man, and he was teargassed…”. But Frédéric Hentz,counsel for the police, claimed thestory was fabrication and succee-ded in convincing the court of thepolice officer’s innocence.

THE VERRERIE DE BIOT IS BACK IN BUSINESS!

ARMED ROBBERY INGOLFE-JUAN

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new year begins and wedevelop laudable plans,good intentions and per-

haps even new perspectives. That'sa good thing to do because severalunpleasant events in 2015 made usfeel quite uneasy and our confi-dence in a general safety was to-tally shaken. At such times we tend to retreatfrom the world and seek happi-ness and well-being in our privatelives. A smart and beautiful oppor-tunity for a tranquil retreat is thecreation of a Japanese garden.Well, what makes this garden dif-ferent? Japanese gardens avoidovercrowding, are well structured,offer interesting vistas, work witha reduced number of plant speciesand are defined by two main re-quirements: simplicity and ba-lance. The principle of consciousreduction - avoiding all super-fluous and emphasizing what’s im-portant - can be applied for agarden as well. Flowers of all co-lors, untrimmed bushes and trees,weeds and excessive decorationmake a garden look cheap and un-kempt, while clearly defined areasproduce an aesthetic image.The culture of Japanese gardens isover 1,500 years old and had to un-dergo several stylistic changes du-ring this time and it hasn't alwaysbeen the silent Zen garden that weassociate with "Japanese" today.Excessive floral diversity, artificialvillages and versifying in the gar-den are only some examples. Today, combining different styles iscompletely normal. A Japanesepromenade garden usually offerssome beautiful ponds, these in-clude small islands, which are ac-cessible by bridges, which,incidentally, do not have to be red,but also look good in sage green,

creamy white or dark blue. On oneof these ponds a beautiful maplecould grow (eg Acer palmatum'Beni Komachi'), planted on a smallhill (first for aesthetic, second fordrainage reasons). In the autumnits scarlet leaves fall in the water,to be scrutinized by cheeky kois. Ifthere’s enough space, a pagoda orsummer house could be built,which can also be a tea house,studio or writing hut. They aredownright conducive to generatingcreativity and also to give privacywhile bringing ideas to paper orcanvas. Famous garden house fansare George Bernard Shaw, PaulKlee, Prince Charles and SnoopDogg. So you see, you would findyourself in interesting company,opting for more than a "shed" inyour garden. It can be protectedfrom prying eyes with a bambooplantation (please do not forgetrhizome barriers). Gently sculpted hills, windy sandypathways, spikey bonsais, Japa-nese white pine ('Pinus parviflora')and golden larch ('Pseudolarixamabili') can beautify the picture,and attractive bushes as ilex cre-nata, rhodendron and azaleas canround it off. Camellia should not beforgotten; some varieties are frosthardy for temperatures as low as -12 °. Avoid too many colours, acombination of orange rhododen-dron and pink camellias will jar onthe eyes. What else? Well-placed,very large stones, a water feature;falling from from bamboo and astone lantern are all at home in aJapanese garden. Such a garden isinviting, comforting and inspiringat the same time. Maybe it's an at-tractive prospect for your gardenfor the New Year?Sabine Sophy, Green Parrot Gardens

FOLLOWING THE JAPANESE PATH

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WHY OUR RESOLUTIONS ARERUBBISHBY PERSONAL DEVELOPMENTCOACH, THERESA DESTREBECQJanuary 1st always offers newpossibilities and new beginnings.We go into it with grand expec-tations, but for most of us, thoseresolutions fall by the wayside inthe first few weeks, with somelasting a little longer. This year,approach your resolution(s) a lit-tle differently.When feeling pushed, coerced orguilted into taking on somethingit is never going to end well. Ifyour resolution is guided by theword “should,” it is doomed tofailure. Instead, create a resolu-tion around something that youreally, truly want for yourself--not what someone else wantsfor you.Often times, when we commit toa change, we aren’t really com-mitting in the true sense of theword. True commitment comesfrom deep within us and doesn’thave an end date. Just like yourcommitment to your partner--you may fight, but then youmake up and start again. Youdon’t say, ‘Sorry, honey, but Ican’t make up until next year.”Sometimes our resolutions failbecause we are adding more toan already full plate. If you arealready stressed, and tired, andyour schedule is jam packed,don’t sacrifice sleep, rest or playto do more. Instead, create a re-solution that takes things offyour plate. Sometimes less ismore.Our resolutions also fail to mate-rialize because we don’t seek orcreate the proper support. Whe-never you are creating change, itis important to have social sup-port. Telling people your resolu-tions is one thing, but askingthem to be your champion,cheerleader, inspiration, or tea-cher is another. Theresa Destrebecq is a Perso-nal Development Coach/LifeCoach www.thrivewithin.com

LOOKING FOR A HOMESMALL, SENSIBLE,WELL-BEHAVED! IN ADDITION, HE IS ALSO VERYcuddly, affectionate and a realcouch potato. Dots is a Pinscheraged about 3-4 years old, whowants nothing more than a goodand loving new home. Who wantsto share their life with him?Tel: 04 94 96 89 19, 06 43 06 19 60,+49 (0) 172 45 55 033Info: www.joshi2.de.

ADOPTIONCORNERPrince Beberoux was a ratherspoilt cat until his mistress sud-denly had to go into a retirementhome. He is only 7, so retirementis in the far distance for him! Hewould therefore like to find a newfamily, preferably with no felinecompetition. At first he was shyand distressed but now he is acompletely different cat. Berberoux is a very friendly, so-cial and affectionate cat, and be-coming even more so every day.He’s a talkative cat and makescute chirping noises. Beberouxhas been tattooed, castrated, etc.Contact Leslie on 06 18 94 35 76or Serena on 06 31 54 20 93.Leschatsdumercantour.com/en


Beverley Holt,who has been aReiki Masterand teacher formore than 25years, origi-nally hailsfrom Wales. Shehas lived on theRiviera foreight years andcurrently re-sides in Mo-naco.

lease can you totell me a bit moreabout yourself

and your work:I was born in Wales and grew upthere. I trained as a RegisteredNurse then moved to Bermuda for4 years then Australia for 20 years.I have been a Reiki Master and tea-cher for more than 25 years. Since I was a small child I’ve al-ways been intuitive and sensitive topeople who are in pain and suffe-ring through illness or emotionaldrama. People come to me whenthey feel stressed and stuck, notsure of their life’s purpose, are in acrisis, or simply have no energy. Isee many people who are out ofalignment; terminally ill, or whohave various ailments, injuries anddiseases.I am a Traditional Dr.UsuiReiki Master and Teacher.

What first brought youto the Riviera?

My partner Brian and I got offereda job on a sailing yacht owned bySir Richard Branson.Brian sailed yachts since a childand later gave up his Engineeringjob to go sailing and raced Maxi

yachts professionally. I racedyachts for a hobby including 5 Syd-ney to Hobart Yacht Races.

What made you decideto stay…?

Everyone was asking me for Reiki.Each yacht I worked on, the ow-ners or guests asked for a ReikiHealing and eventually my partnersaid ‘I think you’re meant to start abusiness in France’. I started myReiki practice four years ago andbecame very busy straight away.My Bikram yoga teacher referredclients to me and came himself,and also his wife. My estate agentcame: She had fractured her wristand had seen many therapists andnothing was working. After onesession, she felt no pain and couldmove it at ease so sent many ofher family members and friends.My singing teacher had a car acci-dent where her car slid and washanging off the cliff and was res-cued after 30. For 2 weeks shedidn’t sleep properly and when shedid, she had nightmares. After onesession she called me to say shehad slept well and also confessedthat she was feeling suicidal beforeand now felt so good.

How did you begin wor-king in reiki and the ho-listic field?

Like many people, I initially thoughtReiki was “hokus pokus”. Then Ihad a bad break-up and was beingstalked by my ex. I wasn’t sleepingand lost loads of weight. I had a styon my eye which was huge. I wentto see a surgeon and he encoura-ged me to bathe my eyelid thenapply a cream twice a day. He saidif it didn’t heal he would cut it outin 2 weeks’ time. When I returnedthe sty was bigger and the othereye was infected. I arranged to goback again in a few days’ time andhe promised I wouldn’t have towait, which wasn’t the case. Afteran hour of waiting, a friend sugges-ted I try Reiki and if it didn’t work Icould have the operation in Wales…I reluctantly had the Reiki anddidn’t feel comfortable during thesession at all. However, a week

later someone visiting me askedwhere I had the operation: I hadn’trealized the sty was completelyhealed, and I could see again fromthat eye! I was so excited, I founda Reiki Master near my familyhome and started having sessions.My sleep improved and I felt like anew person. I then returned to Aus-tralia and did a Reiki 1 course, andit’s been part of my life ever since.

What kind of work doyou do on the Riviera?

For the past 4 years in Nice, I’vebeen organizing weekly holisticspeakers to give a workshop toeducate, motivate and inspire peo-ple. I started with showing films byDr. Wayne Dyer, Eckhart Tolle andsimilar people then encouragedlocal people to give workshops onpersonal development, health, well-being and spirituality . Throughword of mouth many great spea-kers/healers/authors have contac-ted me to promote them. Recently,I’ve started holding these events inMonaco, I also teach Reiki Level 1,2 and Master workshops.

How much interest isthere on the Riviera inspiritualism/holistichealing...?

Over the last five years I’ve noticeda huge growth. There’s many yoga/pilates/dance studios, personaltrainers, health coaches…More re-cently, juice and healthy salad barsand vegan restaurants. Raw foodclasses and dinner parties…

And are most of yourclients expats?

Yes, However I see many Frenchalso. There is a very large FrenchHolistic Community. Last summermost weekends there were spiri-tual fetes along the coast includingVillefranche and St-Jean-Cap-Fer-rat. There are also many spiritualartists and photographers. Francealso supports La Ligue, where Can-cer sufferers can go for relaxingtherapies in a centre during theirremission.

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82 COMMUNITYRIVIERA

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INTRODUCING A SERIES OF INFORMAL INTERVIEWS WITH PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY!

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