The โordinaryโ Kretz family has charmed Netflix viewers with its series The Parisian Agency (LโAgence) while showing exclusive multimillion-dollar properties in the most extraordinary locations across France, including a mind-blowing โฌ120 million listing outside of Cannes. With three seasons on the streaming giant, they have opened their first physical office, Kretz Family Real Estate Monaco.
To mark the occasion, a cocktail party at the Palais de la Scala location kicked off the launch on Wednesday, April 5. Parisian Power couple Olivier and Sandrine Kretz, who founded the agency in 2007, were on hand with son Valentin.
WATCH VIDEO: Valentin Kretz of The Parisian Agency on Netflix talks about how the family ended up opening an office in Monaco.
Also at the meet and greet were the two dynamic women who will run the Monaco office, Elodie Stienlet and Elisabeth Kozulina, both partners of Kretz Family Real Estate Monaco.
Before Netflix, the Kretz Agency dealt mostly in and around Paris, and Montpellier, where Martin studied at university. Netflix picked up โThe Parisian Agencyโ reality show from cobuyers TMC and TF1 and now distribute it in 190 countries with subtitles in 35 languages. After two seasons on the streaming giant, the family business started developing more in the international property market, which led to the Monaco office.
โWe now get requests from owners to put their properties on the show because they understand that the top luxury estates are very hard to sell and this is an amazing new way to reach people,โ says Valentin Kretz, who worked in investment finance before turning to commercial real estate in New York. When he joined the family business in 2014, older brother Martin was already onboard and younger brother Louis then started in 2017. The youngest of the boys, Raphael, graduated from high school last year and is now doing an internship with the family agency. (Even grandma Majo is a regular on the show.) They work out of their 1930s home office in Boulogne Billancourt and all the sales commissions go into one pot to be divided equally amongst the family.
WATCH VIDEO: Olivier and Sandrine Kretz at Monaco launch reminiscing about the early years.
Not being a franchise is a โhuge advantageโ and in sixteen years, the Kretz family now counts more than 30 people in their network from Normandy and the Mediterranean to the mountains (Annecy, Courcheval…) and islands (St Baths, Martinique…). They are big in London, Portugal and the US. โWe have an extended family through our agency. We work with others who share the same values and there is no fighting, no competition. We follow our clients, and they have expanded everywhere,โ says Valentin. Read more about the Kretz family.
WATCH VIDEO: Former BBC producer Rebecca McVeigh weighs in the popularity of The Parisian Agency at Kretz Monaco party.
Ruby Soames wrote her first book at the age of seven but it wasnโt until 2011 that she had her first novel in print, thus fulfilling a lifelong ambition to be both a teacher and published author. The opportunity presented itself when Ruby won the Hookline and Thinker Novel contest which she had heard about while studying for her MA in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University.
โNovels are judged by reading groups from all over the UK. I submitted three chapters in January 2010. After three months I was in the top five and invited to submit the rest of the novel. After nearly a year, readers voted my novel,Seven Days to Tell You, as their favourite.โ
The book has been described as โMcEwanish sophistication of style and structure with lots of flashbacks, skilfully handledโ. Yet, as Ruby points out, โMy novelโs characters get to do all the fun stuff, and Iโm stuck at home tapping away! And because Seven Days to Tell You was written from a first-person narrator, readers often assume it was my story โ a heart surgeon marries a wild, sexy Frenchman who disappears for three years โฆ people often ask me about surgical procedures or why I didnโt change the locks when my husband left!โ
It’s easy to understand the confusion. Rubyโs ability to create raw and believable characters leads the reader to believe her fast-paced plots must come from firsthand experience. Her second novel, Mothers, Fathers & Lovers, which came out in 2024, is an engrossing story about family, friendship and finding your way. And her latest book, Homewrecked, dives into a love rediscovered and a family destroyed.
The long-time resident of Nice says she draws her stories from people, articles and conversations. โOr just random ideas that pop into my head, although only a very small percentage will burrow in and start spinning their own world.โ
Having abandoned a multitude of ideas over the years, Ruby realises that itโs the stories that move her but also resonate with the ridiculousness of our lives which stick most of all. โI need to really want to spend time with the characters because my novels can take up to ten years to write. Jack and Elizabethโs story in Homewrecked was born after reading how the pandemic was adversely affecting so many relationships with people hitting social media to start up or rekindle old relationships. What intrigued me most was how different people can present themselves in a virtual world โ maybe our best selves? โ but then, in reality, how can those promises hold up?โ
This is her first title by Zedkin Books, a publishing house she founded. โIt felt a good time to be part of all the decision making and creative process of writing and selling a book. It has been a tough learning experience but the joy I get from small wins makes it worth it. Now that Homewrecked is out, I have several other projects, my own and other writersโ, so widening my capabilities as a writer makes sense at this point.โ
Rubyโs road to the Riviera began when she was a student at the Lycรฉe Franรงais in South Kensington, London. โHaving started at the Lycรฉe at an early age and devouring 19th-century French literature since the time I could read, I felt an affinity with France. For the French, nothing is too trivial to be turned into an art form โ from walking into a shop to setting a table to designing a mini roundabout.โ
Her mother was a model from Portland, Oregon, while her London-born father worked in film. For Ruby, the school year was spent in England but each summer she crossed the pond to her momโs hometown. During those visits, she found American technology impressive. Gadgets like the Walkman would hit the market before they came to Britain and so she would return to school feeling ahead of the trend. She grew up loving โ and defending โ both countries equally.
In October 2002, the new mom to a baby girl and her travel writer husband Jon Bryant moved from the UK to the Var and then to Aix-en-Provence. โIt was beautiful but our whole life was spent in the car. I just didnโt get the point,โ Ruby explains.
Aix marked some significant changes, including the birth of their son and a teaching job at the Institute of American Universities but after eight years, the family relocated to Nice in 2010. โWe came here to escape commercialism and big city life. We love living near the sea, the mountains and being connected to Europe โ especially Italy where we shop for food regularly. Jon and I had both chosen transportable jobs because we always love to discover new things and have adventures,โ explains Ruby who holds an MSc in Psychologyfrom the University of Liverpool.
So where does the author consider home? โHome is where I have my coffee in the mornings and a place to write. I used to say home was where my family was but as time has moved on, I have to go visit them in their homes!โ
Meet Ruby Soames Ruby at Librairie Massena, Around The World (58 rue Gioffredo in Nice) on Saturday, September 27 from 5pm to 7pm.
Article first published September 25, 2025. Photos: copyright Ruby Soames.
Dominik Drygas has fond memories of his childhood in Czฤstochowa, some 200km southwest of Warsaw.
โI grew up in the Catholic capital of Poland. I can remember when I was 5 years old, sitting on the balcony and looking out at the clouds for hours. I imagined they were mountain peaks and how I wanted to be up there. I wanted to be a hero, a knight who would save the princess and defend the kingdom. Maybe that is why I have always stood up for those in need.โ
As an only child, Dominik played with his imagination. โI had one box of mixed Lego that I was constantly building various constructions. In the winter, I would pack food and a blanket and go off alone on a sled for expeditions to the nearby fields. And in the summer, Iโd build huts from forest branches and sleep in them alone. When I was a little older, I explored all the caves in the Polish mountains and climbed all the peaks.โ
Unlike other children at that age, Dominik did not go to kindergarten. While his mother ran her own flower shop, he was taken care of by an elderly Jewish woman who would talk to him about the art and antiques in her apartment. Art and design played a pivotal role in his early years. Together with his mom, they would read newspapers about interior design. His grandfather was a famous jeweller and his grandparentsโ house was full of paintings by acclaimed Polish artists.
โI can remember seeing my grandfatherโs perfect workshop and his focus and concentration as he set diamonds in gold. Maybe thatโs why I was obsessed about keeping my room tidy and often moving the furniture around,โ says the 48-year-old.
Dominik felt different from other kids. He describes himself as very emotionally sensitive, creating his own path and rebelling against the norm. โI am an artist first, itโs in my genes. My grandfather drew beautifully, my mother drew beautifully, and she designed interiors and organised the first fashion shows.โ
He was drawn to architecture. โI wanted to create and build, whether it was a house made of Lego or arranging a room. It was about putting order to space.โ
He adds, โYou could say that I studied art from the age of five. My parents were well off and often built new houses which they decorated exquisitely. I consolidated this knowledge by studying architecture in Krakรณw, Polandโs artistic centre.โ
Dominik says he mixes all styles โ from acrylic and oil paints to graphics and collage โ to create his own style where assemblage is dominant. โWhat I create is not the result of any planning. I flow in the energy and create, never really sure of what will be the final outcome.โ
With his architectural studio in Poland, he developed a strong fan base of the countryโs wealthiest people, famous artists and top athletes. โI was very well-known, and sometimes clients waited a year for an available date โ even though my rates were two times higher than everyone else.โ During that time, every one of his projects was featured in Polandโs most prominent interior design magazines. โWhat characterised the work was colour, which was ahead of the trend. Also, I had brave solutions and functionality and visual effects, as well as the perfect design of lightning in any interior.โ
Dominik moved here about six years ago. โIn Poland, I always felt as if I were a foreigner. In Monaco, with the vibrations, energy, light, I immediately felt this was my place on earth, like I was finally home.โ
In April, his portrait of Princess Grace was included in an art charity auction by the association Femmes Leaders Mondiales Monaco at the Monaco Yacht Club, with proceeds donated to the Princess Grace Hospital and the Monaco Cardio-Thoracic Centre.
Yet despite being regularly approached by art galleries to exhibit his work, Dominik has shied away from the prospect. Until now. โIt was not the time and place. Now I feel ready.โ His exhibition โRenaissanceโ takes place Thursday, July 4 at Marius Monaco in the port.
โIt shows the first cycle of my work created over the last six years. Itโs a reflection of cutting off Poland mentally and my fight to survive here. It is also a story about love, trust and faith. My next exhibitions will be only about the future and my work will change as I do as a painter and architect.โ
Visit โRenaissanceโ by Dominik Drygas July 4 from 7 to 9 pm at Marius Monaco (ex-StarsโnโBars), 6 Quai Antoine Ire.
PinkWave Monaco was founded in March 2019 by what member Femke Doeksen describes as โa bunch of crazy Dutch-speaking womenโ. As the Monaco resident explains, โLike nowadays, there was hardly any female participation at the annual Primo Cup. Out of fifty or sixty participating teams, only two were female. So, the conclusion was that if their sailing boat could make it from Start to Finish, they would automatically end up on the podium in the Ladiesโ ranking.โ
Initiated by the energetic Anne Schouten, PinkWave Monaco was born. Today the sailing team consists of 45 women ages 24 to 76 ranging in levels from absolute beginner to high-profile regatta expert. And typical of Monaco, members come from all different backgrounds and nationalities.
British Olympic gold medallist Saskia Clark moved to the Principality last year and has been racing regularly since then. Saskia is supporting the PinkWave idea as an outstanding initiative for Monaco and the efforts to create a solid team to get more women racing regularly. โShe is positive that she can guide the decision-making process during the racing and support PinkWave in developing its strong team,โ says Anne.
From March 25 to 26, 2023, the Monaco Yacht Club will host their first-ever Ladies Sailing Cup. โPinkWave is not only about being a female sailing team amongst the highly successful predominately male Monaco crews. Itโs also a statement we wanted to make, that everything, no matter which age or level, is possible if you keep on pursuing a dream. Needless to say, we are looking tremendously forward to such an event at our club,โ Anne enthuses.
PinkWave member Kathrin Hoyos recently bought a pre-owned J/70, to be more independent and to be able to take part in regattas at the teamโs discretion. This is the only female-owned J/70 on the YCM. โHopefully, there are many more to come. The level of sailing on the Monaco Sportsboat Winter series organised by the Monaco Yacht Club is highly competitive and entirely dominated by professional male sailors. Most J/70 sailors of the PinkWave team are between 30 and 60 years, and most of us are, yet, far away from performing on a highly professional level. Our focus is less on the final results at the end of the races but more on the progress of adapting to the conditions and, most importantly, on succeeding as a team. The motto of Pink Wave remains: Progress, Fun, and Freedom.โ
PinkWave Monaco competes in a wide range of regattas and various social activities already in the Monaco Yacht Club (YCM). In 2022, PinkWave participated for the first time at the regatta โDames des Saint Tropezโ with the YCM Flagship TUIGA. Much of TUIGAโs crew consists of PinkWave ladies, participating in an entire circuit of Classical Sailing regattas.
At the J/70 World Championships, which took place last October 14-22 at the Yacht Club Monaco, PinkWave Monaco had one boat at the start helmed by Anne Rodelato. โThree years of preparation went into this,โ shares Kathrin. โThe team ended up ranking first amongst the Ladiesโ Teams. One of our PinkWave members, Axelle Foucaud, is on the Monaco team that became Vice-World Champions.โ
Additionally, each year several PinkWave members participate in the Monaco Sportboat Winter Series and for two years in a row, PinkWave Monaco has participated in the Helga Cup in Hamburg, the biggest Womenโs regatta in the world.
โWorldwide, the number of female sailors and female regattas is increasing rapidly. Only a handful of European countries organised Ladies-only Regattas two years ago. Since then, this number has more than doubled. The worldโs biggest annual women-only regatta in Germany hosts over 70 teams โ some 300 women. In France, the Ladiesโ Sailing Circuit consists of seven races,โ Anne says.
She adds, โAlthough we are quite competitive, our main objective remains to have fun, the love of sailing and after-sailing. We show constant perseverance, believe in ourselves and support amongst each other. Solidarity amongst women overcomes the harshest criticism by men. All in all, we are always considered the underdogs or outsiders, which pushes us to be the best version of ourselves on water and land.โ
PinkWave believes supporting women in sport is essential. โWe connect and reach out to other female sailors worldwide โ so easy via social media โ and we actively maintain dialogues with like-minded women worldwide, striving to create a true movement of support and understanding and an environment which feels safe and non-judgmentalโ
In addition to the 2023 sailing calendar (see โPinkWave 2023โ below) an upcoming highlight of the year will be the participation of PinkWave in the โLady Liberty Regattaโ in New York from September 8 to 9 on J/24 class, an 8 m long boat with a crew of five. The race is organised by the Manhattan Yacht Club. โA dream coming true,โ reveals Anne. โA Monaco womenโs only team with a huge Monaco flag on the spinnaker sailing racing around the Statue of Liberty. We are very excited that we were invited to this extraordinary event and look forward to representing the spirit of the women of the Principality of Monaco with pride.โ
Want to support PinkWave? โSpread the word,โ says Anne. โWe are also open to accepting sponsorships to support us in pursuing our various activities and participation with regattas.
โSailing is a very cool sport, hugely beneficial physically and mentally, and accessible right here in the Principality. Those interested are invited to contact the Section Sportive of the Yacht Club Monaco or at pinkwave@monaco.mc. We are looking forward to welcoming more female sailors within the Principality!โ
Over the past two years, PinkWave Monaco (PWM) has built strong bonds with female sailors from Germany, Holland, Belgium, the UK, the US, Switzerland, Italy, Ireland, Brazil, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Dubai. From March 25-26, the YCM will organise its first Ladiesโ Sailing Regatta. Several PinkWave Monaco members will take part in 2023 in the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series, which always ends with the famous Credit Suisse Primo Cup on the first weekend in March.
After the success of 2022, PinkWave Monaco will again participate in May in the Dames de St Tropez regatta, hopefully with two ships and 30 female sailors in total. As in the last three years, PWM will participate in the Helga Cup in Hamburg and possibly at some of the French Female Regattas organized by the Federation Francais de Voile. PinkWave members will again join in the Mediterranean Classical Regatta circuit, such as Les Voiles dโAntibes, Les Voiles de Saint Tropez, and other famous regattas like the Palermo-Monte Carlo, the Rolex Giraglia or the SNIM in Marseille. โThe advantage of the diversity and the spread of our team is that in any given race in the Mediterranean, most of the time there is a PinkWave member participating!โ says Anne Schouten.
Born and raised in Monaco. Anais Berruti knew as a teenager she was gay. โI never had any problems with my family, friends, school, or workplace. I always accepted how I was and the most important thing for me was that my family accepted it. So, I have always been open about it. The fact that it was Monaco made no difference,โ says Anais.
โBut I know for my friends, who are Monegasque, it is more complicated because they feel that they are regarded negatively. I never had that feeling.โ
Anais is one of four women who have co-founded MonโArc en Ciel, the countryโs first LGBTQIA+ association. They will โdefend and promote the individual and collective rights and freedoms of LGBT people in the Principalityโ, which is why they chose May 17 โ International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia โ to launch their website.
MonโArc en Ciel was created last month by Anais and her wife Isabelle, and Laure Bernardi and her wife, Cynthia Salvanhac. The two couples each have a child less than a year old. As Anais explains, โWe discovered as we were doing the paperwork to register our child at the crรจche. On the one hand we are considered as a family in terms of our joint income, but on the other hand they say that my wife had no legal parental authority. I had to sign an authorisation for her to be able to pick up our child.โ
Isabelle and Anais Berutti, Cynthia Salvanhac and Laure Bernardi at PrideMonaco 2024.
The 35-year-old describes how she was โshocked and upsetโ about having to sign an authorisation for her wife. โShe was there with me and I felt bad. I know that it wasnโt the fault of the director who was just passing on the information from her superiors. Legally, she had to do it. So I signed the authorisation.โ
Immediately after, Anais sent an email to the crรจche management to explain what had happened but the result wasnโt what she had hoped. โThey called me and apologised, and said they would take a look at our file and put me as a single mother. Which wasnโt the idea at all. I had hoped that things had progressed, but in fact I was considered as a single mother and my wife doesnโt figure on the crรจche documents.โ
Anais and Isabelle discovered their friends were encountering the same situation. โThis is what made us react, to change this, for us and for our children. Our goal is to have our family situation recognised.โ
The idea of creating an association had been in discussion before Anais was pregnant. We thought it would be important for the future. But it was this issue with the crรจche that made us actually do something.โ
Itโs not only the inequality at the nursery that Anais and Isabelle are facing. โMy wife and I are resident and we work in Monaco and covered by the CCSS [Monacoโs social security] who take into account both of our incomes as a single household. When I was pregnant, I made an appointment with the CCSS to see if my wife was entitled to parental leave, in the same way that fathers have paternal leave when a child is born. And she is not. So, again, on the one hand they take our incomes into account but on the other hand we donโt have all the entitlements of a family. Even with the CCSS, in some services we are considered as a couple, but in others Iโm considered as a single mother. Itโs absurd.โ
Anais says she feels well looked after in Monaco and doesnโt โfeel any discrimination or judgementโ when social services say that their hands are tied by the government, by the law, and that they canโt do anything. According to ILGAโs Rainbow Map, Monaco is the least developed among Western European countries in terms of LGBTQ+ equality and out of 49 European and Central Asian countries, only five rank lower than the Principality โ Belarus, Russia, Armenia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. The countryโs low placement on the LGBTQ+ ladder is not helped by its failure to recognize legally binding marriages from other countries, which impacts civil and economic rights of couples.
And although Monaco rebuts that its hands are tied as its Constitution establishes Catholicism as the state religion, Malta, whose population is 96% Catholic, is ranked number on the Rainbow Map for equal rights for same-sex couples.
โThere are a lot of people who live and work in Monaco who are paranoid. They think there is a risk because they have a false image of Monaco. I do not agree that there is any risk. Monaco depends on a certain image for its economy but the people who live and work in Monaco are very welcoming and there is not the danger that people believe. But people are afraid that it might affect their job. I donโt know anyone who has been thrown out of Monaco for being gay.โ
Anais says, โMonaco is small, people talk. I have never been uncomfortable saying that Iโm in a couple with a woman. But we are young. We are not the same generation as older people who have maybe had different experiences.
โSome individuals feel thereโs a risk of being regarded negatively, so they keep quiet. We understand, and thatโs also why we created this association. To tell these people that, even if they donโt want to speak out, the association will do it for them.โ
You can become a member of MonโArc en Ciel, donate time and skills to their association or support their cause. See their website for more. Contact: 07 80 98 00 03 ormonarcenciel@monaco.mc.
Article first published on May 17, 2024. Photos: Good News Monaco.
MonโArc en Ciel will be tackling social, economic and family rights.
Same-sex couples in Monaco are denied spousal rights under the retirement system and are subject to pay inheritance tax which heterosexual couples are not.
For gay couples with children in Monaco, it is not legal to adopt the stepchild from a previous marriage leaving the childโs welfare and placement up in the air should the biological parent die.
Monegasques who have a civil union (PACS) can neither adopt nor use IVF because neither option is permitted in Monaco for same-sex parents. Legally married gay couples are denied family allowance benefits for their child.
If a gay couple is legally married in France but lives in Monaco, and one of the partners is taken to CHPG hospital, the spouse will have no legal right to visit or to decide on any elements of treatment, including resuscitation.
Looks Whoโs Talking LGBTQIA+
Marina Ceyssac, High Commission for the Protection of Rights
Bรฉatrice Fresko-Rolfo, National Council and General Rapporteur on the rights of (LGBTI) people: Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination, at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
The 2nd Monaco edition of โMaman Va Danserโ is happening this Thursday, September 18, at Neptune Plage in Monaco.
Inspired by a Berlin concept, the unique aspect of โMaman Va Danserโ lies in its 100% female focus, creating a safe and energetic space where women can dance, socialize, and reclaim a part of themselves away from their daily responsibilities.
The event has quickly gained momentum across France since early 2025 as an alternative to conventional nightlife.
โWeโre excited about this upcoming edition and have already sold over 120 tickets,โ says Johanna Damar Flores, president and co-founder of entreparents. โThe first โMaman Va Danserโ took place in May and was a resounding success. It brought together a vibrant community of more than 100 mothers and women who were eager to unwind and enjoy a night out.โ
From 7pm to midnight, the beach party with a serious emphasis on dancing, drinks, DJs, and fun, can be accessed at an affordable entry fee.
And mark your calendar for the 4th edition of โLet’s Play Halloweenโ which will take place on Friday, October 17, again on the Larvotto Promenade at beach level.โ
Although Johanna remains tight-lipped about this yearโs theme โ โIt will be revealed soon!โ โ the celebration will feature the famous candy hunt, in partnership with the shops and restaurants along Larvotto, a mini-Halloween dance party, a cooking workshop, games, a baby-friendly area, a face painting station, and, of course, the presence of Halloween mascots. โTicket sales will open very soon, so stay tuned!โ
Johanna co-founded entreparents with รmilie Sabatiรฉ, Anna Campbell, and Clรฉmence Perrin back in May 2021. There has been a significant evolution since it became an official association, with an expanding member base (their Instagram community is approaching 2,500 followers) and enhanced offerings, like the โFamily Friendly Wednesdaysโ gatherings to better meet parentsโ needs in spaces designed for them to connect.
โWe still believe strongly in the power of collaboration,โ says Johanna, โand we had the pleasure of co-organising the โLet’s Play, Carnavalโ event this year with the Mairie de Monaco โ a first โ that brought together numerous families at the Place d’Armes.
โAdditionally, we co-organised a conference on digital parenting with the British School, Action Innocence Monaco, and the Digital Services Department of the Government. This is an important topic that we will continue to address alongside the mentioned entities.โ
Looking ahead to 2026, entreparents plan to extend the their network beyond the age of three (details to come). โWe also want to offer more get-togethers for the English-speaking communities. And, furthermore, we are working on the Parenting Support Committee and are in the process of creating a wonderful event for our 5th anniversary in June 2026.โ
Johanna admits the entreparents app, still in โVersion 1โ, needs to evolve to meet the changing needs of the parents in our community since the networkโs creation. โWe are considering conducting a testing phase with users to introduce new features and optimise usability. Currently, users can find live discussion groups, an event calendar, and a step-by-step guide covering the journey from baby to three years old, complete with key information.โ
Johanna, รmilie, Anna and Clรฉmence remain a dedicated team, and continue to work collaboratively to best support the families in our community. โWeโve also brought together some amazing mums who have initiated wonderful projects for the network, such as the Pre-loved Clothing Swap and Sharing Circles.โ
Johanna adds, โOne might think that the size of the Principality facilitates mutual support and the creation of networks for expectant and young parents. However, with over 180 nationalities coexisting at different social levels, we find that feelings of isolation are very real in every parentโs story at some point.
โThis is where we come in: we strive to ensure that no parent feels alone. Our mission is to foster connections within our community, value everyoneโs role, restore confidence, listen, inform, support, and harmonize the existing ecosystem. Our ultimate goal is to make parenting support a priority topic.โ
An entreparents membership is a one-time payment of โฌ50 per family. Email hello@entreparents.mc for more.
UPDATE: Coming September 15th, 2025: It’s A Dog’s Life Monaco! Pre-orders now open.
Compassion for canines is a part of Jessica Fryโs genetic code. โMy parents rescued their first dog together on their honeymoon in Bali in the Seventies and flew her back to the UK where she became my Protector-in-Chief when I was born,โ says Jessica.
The freelance business developer grew up in the countryside โsurrounded by old or damaged or ugly dogs. My parents would adopt the ones no one wanted and they would live out their days with us in a pack of ten or so at a time.โ
Little wonder then that Jessica (pictured above with Strawberry) would not think twice in risking her own life to protect her four-legged friends. In February 2017, the Monaco resident needed a change. Cornwall-born Jessica had been working for over a decade in hospitality and events for Amber Lounge, Sonia Irvineโs Formula One VIP party. โIt was sort of in the blood. In the Sixties and Seventies, my father had been a racing driver alongside Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss and Jackie Stewart. And his family before him had kept a house in Cap Ferrat, and a boat in Monaco, so spending time in and around the Principality was very much a family thing.โ
Then her first rescue dog, Squeaky, died. She decided to head to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands to work with her old friend Chris Smith of Coldwell Banker in their rental department. She was tasked with finding homes for the turnover of office staff from the offshore services sector.
Looking back, the dog lover recalls, โThis move represented a whole new life for me. Chris collected me from the airport and the first thing we did, before I even saw my new house in Cane Garden Bay, was visit Brutus, a guard dog that needed to have an eye kept on him. The second thing I did was pop down to the Humane Society Rescue Shelter and see what they needed.โ
Jessica knew all too well the animal shelter. During a previous stint in Tortola in 2004 Squeaky had eaten poisoned meat and so when she walked in again thirteen years later, the manager recognised her. He was holding a tiny Squeaky lookalike puppy who had just been found in a trash bag on the road to the incinerator. โObviously, Strawberry came home with me and we unpacked our new life together.โ
Strawberry and Jessica went about their business until early September. โWe watched a tropical storm building in the Atlantic. These are a thing in the islands, but usually they veer northwards while still far out at sea and all that happens is a bit of rain. Hurricane Irma, however, refused to budge, she just got bigger and bigger. At work we made the usual hurricane preparations โ boarding up the fabulous villas, clearing outside spaces, bulk buying water โฆ and then people started to leave. The international trusts and banks sent chartered planes down from the US mandatorily evacuating their staff and families.โ
With her pilot neighbour, they observed their little beach shacks and looked at the radar images. โThe eye of this monster storm was already much bigger than our tiny island, and it was still on the path for a direct hit. Not really knowing what to expect, but knowing it wasnโt going to be good, and that we didnโt have much time, we piled Strawberry and her dog Moby plus whatever else we could fit into the cars and zoomed off to a friendโs holiday villa up the mountain which had a basement.โ Meanwhile phones were pinging with hurricane updates, evacuation warnings and urgent messages from friends trying to leave.
Curfew was announced as they arrived at the villa in a blizzard of falling leaves and tropical flowers. Island power was deliberately cut as trees started bending sideways. โThen I remembered Brutus, knew his people would have left and I jumped back in the car. Probably one of the more stupid and best things I have ever done in my life. I bombed down dark deserted country lanes with small trees starting to snap around me, and there he was alone at the top of the drive, absolutely thrilled someone had come for him. I threw him in โ all 56 kilos of panicky Ridgeback โ and bombed back down the lanes with trees falling, threw him in the house and promptly forgot about him.โ
On September 6th, the โmost powerful hurricane on recordโ with 250 km/h winds struck the Caribbean Island chain. Irma would have been Category 7 had military equipment not been smashed while recording windspeed.
The largest of the British Virgin Islands was not spared. โIt sat on us for 74 hours and obliterated the island,โ Jessica describes. โWhile we were hiding in the basement, 28 people died. Not one tree remained and 90% of buildings simply disappeared. Tornadoes had spiralled off the main walls of the storm and carved trails through the hills. Dead things โ human and animal โ lay where they had been thrown, along with vehicles, shipping containers, boats. It was carnage.โ
Jessica and her pilot friend helped rescue humans from the debris and hiked bodies to the hospital. Animals started appearing. She remembered the pleading messages from friends as theyโd been evacuated:
โJess, please, please find Susie. They wouldnโt let her on the plane so I let her out of the car at the airport, please find her!โ
โJess, I left Noodle at the house with a bag of dog food. Could you please check heโs ok if you get a chance?โ
She started hiking all over the island to where homes had once been. One by one, she found the dogs and bought them back to the basement. By the time the Humane Society Disaster Relief crew arrived a few weeks later, Jess had about 30 dogs.
โThe crew had bought tents and planned to camp on the beach. But as the island is tectonic, the only place for cemeteries was along sea level which the storm surge had excavated. The crew came back to our basement and we set up the animal rescue control centre. I knew roughly where the dogs might be and they knew how to get them out and match them back with their owners or send them to no kill adoption shelters in the States.โ
As soon as the Royal Marines cleared the airport โenough to landโ, her boss got his US-based million-dollar clients to send their private jets down with emergency medical supplies and leave with animals. As Jessica remembers, โOne stunning cream leather upholstered Falcon jet arrived full of hay bales for the surviving race horses.โ
Within the year, Jessica returned to the Principality with her beloved Strawberry and Brutus. The self-described โabsolute nut for helping to rescue dogsโ now has four rescues at home. โI suppose itโs fair to say that most of us who live here in Monaco are fairly fortunate humans, and in this situation, I think itโs natural to want to give back. Dog lovers are wonderful people usually obsessed with their animals and itโs a relatively easy thing to arrange a channel for the good that they want to do.โ
Which is where her charity book Itโs A Dogโs Life Monaco comes in. โAll dogs are unique, as are their humans. Monaco is also unique. Join these together and you have something quite fascinating. There are highly pampered handbag pooches and also real canine rags to riches stories here. Iโve met and photographed two abused and abandoned rescue dogs in the past week who only ever fly first class these days.โ
Itโs A Dogโs Life Monaco is a Made-in-Monaco luxury coffee table book designed to support the Sociรฉtรฉ Protectrice des Animaux (S.P.A.) Monaco and its new president, Princess Charlene. The official launch on September 15, 2025, coincide’s with the one-year anniversary of the SPA animal shelter in Peille opening its doors on September 16, 2024.
โPrincess Antoinette created the original SPA in Eze over forty years ago and now Princess Charlene and Prince Albert are teaching the new generation, their 8-year-old twins Jacques and Gabriella, what it is to love and rescue animals,โ says the highly connected author and contributing photographer, Jessica Fry.
The 340-page hardcover artfully blends high society with heartfelt storytelling. From cobblestone alleys and sun-drenched promenades to hidden gardens and grand residences, Itโs Dogโs Life Monaco artfully captures the soul of the Principality through its most pampered poochesโand their doting humans. Each image is a testament to the joy, loyalty, and unconditional love that dogs bring into our lives.
The opening of the book is dedicated to the Princely Familyโs long love of dogs, from Prince Albert I with his hunting dog on his shoulders to Grace Kelly stepping off the boat with her poodle under her arm to marry Prince Rainier. (Prince Rainierโs faithful dog followed his funeral cortege as Mourner-in-Chief.)
The book reads like a love letter to Monte Carloโs four-legged residents from those who most cherish them, with hundreds of photos of people and their dogs going about their daily business in Monaco. โLoving dogs transcends social barriers, and itโs a happy thing to be able to show this in action. Thereโs a homeless man who devotes everything he has to his beautifully looked after dog, โordinary peopleโ like you and me, famous people, millionaires, young and old, recognised and not.โ
Whether a dog lover, a Princely Family enthusiast, or a fan of fine photography with purpose, Itโs a Dogโs Life Monaco offers an unprecedented insiderโs view of the Principality, uniting all nationalities for a charitable cause.
Several dog-friendly VIP sponsors got behind the project, including Sir Stelios, the founder of easyPet, which safely drives animals between Monaco, France and the UK. โStelios has a rescue dog himself and is a big part of making this project possible with his kind support and belief in what weโre doing. I can honestly say easyPet is a genius idea and a huge help to those of us with dogs too big to go under the seat in front.โ
Additional sponsors include Lunajets, JV Pastorโs The Maya Collection, Quai des Artistes, la Petite Clinique Vรฉtรฉrinaire, AnimaFitโAzur, Edmiston, Andreas & Vanessa Evans, Romina Manchot, Yana Aintabi, Club Suisse, Westrope Immobilier, Cookaโs Cookies, Cullinan Diamonds, Co2ral Consulting, Gale Force Computing, the Government of the Principality and private individuals.
As Jessica says, โThereโs a reason the title is Itโs a Dogโs Life. Yes, the book celebrates the joy all dogs bring into our lives but ultimately we are trying to help save the life of a dog, in Monaco and around the world, one adoption at a time.โ
Taylor Viale passed away yesterday on Wednesday, August 20, surrounded by family, including mom Juanita, dad Nicolas, big sister Isabella, grandma Sonia, and her grand aunt Helene.
The family is enormously grateful to the Lenval Hospital Reanimation team in Nice, who did everything possible for a peaceful transition.
They also extend their gratitude and thanks to the Fondation Lenvalโs EEAP Henri Germain (Establishment for Children and Adolescents with Multiple Disabilities), under the direction of Mme Drigny, for the years of tender care they gave Taylor. Some of the nurses and caregivers came to the hospital say goodbye to Taylor.
As Juanita posted: โTaylor blessed our lives for 18 years, always smiling, even with a mountain of challenges. She touched so many lives with her pure presence and joy of being.โ
The religious ceremony takes place on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at 10 am at the Eglise du Voeux in Nice (2 rue Alfred Mortier). โAll those who knew her, loved her, or simply crossed paths are welcome to say their farewells with kindness and light.โ
Flowers can be placed on Wednesday morning starting at 8 am at the Athanรฉe de Nice, or directly at the church before 10 am. At the end of the ceremony, a offering box will be circulated. All of its contents will be donated to the Lenval Foundation, to benefit children with disabilities. For messages on Taylorโs tribute space: https://www.espace-hommage.fr/mon-espace/4102b9a0
With the familyโs permission, I am resharing the mother and daughterโs inspirational story, which was first published during the Covid pandemic.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: We have spent the better part of this year staring at Covid figures and graphs, and hearing about how care homes have been particularly vulnerable to the virus. It is easy to forget that it is not just the elderly living in assisted accommodation. The story of Juanita Viale and her disabled daughter Taylor is one of hope.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Juanita Viale was working for a Stanford-funded startup in San Francisco when her dad passed away. She decided to relocate to Costa Rica and settled in Tamarindo on the Pacific Coast, known for surfing thanks to the 1966 Robert August documentary classic, Endless Summer.
By 2007, she was living in San Josรฉ when her youngest daughter Taylor suffered a brain hemorrhage at birth leaving her permanently disabled. Juanita and her husband decided to move Taylor and her older sister Isabella to France the following year. โMy now ex-husbandโs grandfather welcomed us with open arms to his 30-hectare vineyard, Coteaux de Bellet, behind Nice, and I stayed there for the next nine years.โ
Taking care of the girls, especially with Taylorโs needs, was a full-time job but after a four-year hiatus from the work force, Juanita managed to land a gig in her field of communications and marketing. โOn my second day of work I was already in Monaco on the air at Riviera Radio giving weekly property reports, a vast contrast to being a stay-at-home-mom.โ
While her marketing consulting and coaching business grew, her marriage, unfortunately, did not. By the autumn of 2019, Taylor moved into a center for severely disabled children in Saint Antoine Ginestiere, in Nice, operated by the Lenval Foundation, coming home on the weekends. During this same period, Juanita moved around 40 kilometers behind Nice to live in a forest.
โI found my French version of Costa Rica! As I live on a 7-hectare forest my lifestyle is pretty isolated, so when the first lockdown happened, nothing really changed for me since I live and run my business Marketing & Mindset Coaching from home anyway.
โHowever, the challenge was with Taylor. Under strict confinement restrictions she was not allowed to leave the center since they were all vulnerable. I didnโt see Taylor for two months with the exception of daily Facetime calls. She held out fine for the first month, but showed signs of depression the second month, which is when Facetime calls became a lifesaver.โ
While this weighed enormously on Juanitaโs heart, the good news was that it was clear that her daughter Taylor was more aware of her surroundings than the family realized.
A few days prior to France’s second lockdown announcement, Taylor was hospitalized during the weekend for fatigue and no appetite. She was tested immediately for Covid with a negative result.
Juanita wasnโt allowed to visit because she hadnโt had a Covid test. Rapid testing is reserved for the patients only so when the hospital offered to give her a regular test, the results wouldnโt be ready before 48 hours. By that time Taylor would already be out of the hospital.
While Juanita โcompletely understoodโ the situation, this was the first time Taylor had to be alone in the hospital. โEven though I have full confidence in the nurses to be with her, knowing she was alone did not sit well with me. However I had no other choice but to surrender that worrying thought and replace it with the gratitude I have for all those doctors and nurses who take such great care of the children at Lenval.โ
With this second lockdown that took effect October 30, Taylor is able to come home on the weekends. โSuch relief! But for Isabella, 18, who is going to school and doing her internship in Nice, it will be her first lockdown alone. Facetime it is!โ
If there is any lesson Juanita Viale has learned from “The Year of Staying at Homeโ it is to be adaptable.
โThe more willing we are to live out of our comfort zone, we strengthen our adaptability skills. It is imperative to keep working on ourselves, challenging ourselves, checking in with ourselves, loving ourselves and developing a positive mindset that will serve as your anchor in a sea of uncertainty.โ
Article first published November 3, 2020. Photos courtesy of Juanita Viale.
Vรฉronique Liesse is a French-speaking Belgian who came to Monaco five years ago with her husband who was developing his business in the Principality.
Vรฉronique, who also speaks fluent Dutch and English, splits her time between consultations in nutrition and micronutrients at Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo, teaching nutrition to health professionals and providing in-house training for companies to improve wellbeing and quality of life at work. Even with 20 years of professional experience and a company in Belgium, she admits, โIt was a new challenge to start my work here in Monaco.โ
She understates her credibility. Vรฉronique is also an accomplished writer, having penned four books tackling health โ on weight-loss mistakes, hormonal issues, energy foods and immunity boosters โ all published by Brochรฉ and available on Amazon.fr. Her fifth release โMa bible pourย perdre du poids sans rรฉgimesโ (My Bible For Losing Weight Without Dieting) came out in March 2021.
“The book is a summary of all the factors that can lead to becoming overweight โ and it is not a question of calories. The plate is key but it is much more a qualitative aspect than a quantitative one. Other things that can block a weight loss program include hormones, microbiota, chrono-nutrition, way of life, stress, sleep โฆ and I offer concrete steps to take along with a hundred recipes.โ
Growing up, Vรฉronique says that nutrition didnโt play a big role in her life although her mother paid attention to what the family ate. โNutrition has been a reconversion for me,โ she says. โOnce I finished my studies as a dietician, I quickly felt that I was missing something and so I trained more in depth in micronutrients, nutrition for athletes, children and adolescents, and in gut microbiota.โ
Vรฉronique points out the different nutritional requirements for kids. โThey are not just little men and women. Today we know the importance of adopting good habits from a young age because it increases the chances of success and good health in adulthood.โ
She says the same goes for elite athletes. โThere are so many different sports, with different constraints and objectives, and it is important to know what we are talking about.โ
Photo: Bettina D.
In Monaco and the French Riviera, people are fortunate to have access to a Mediterranean-style diet, which is synonymous with health and quality and with an abundance of choice in local produce. โMarrying health and the art of living is the ultimate goal for Monegasques who are very aware of their health and that precious link that exists between them and their plate,โ she describes.
In fact, it is the plate that Vรฉronique examines during consultations. She looks at what people are eating to determine any missing nutrients that could help reduce inflammation and provide the immune system with what it needs to function at its best. โI also have clients who realise that diets simply do not work and in order to lose weight permanently, or for other reasons, they need to be supervised.โ
She adds, โOf course, maintaining immune system health at an optimal level is a key element in dealing with this Covid crisis. This can even help to b the effectiveness of the vaccine. Fortunately, specialists are starting to talk about the importance of taking vitamin D. It really could save lives and even for children who are not at risk of Covid, vitamin D is important.โ
Vรฉronique, who has her own YouTube channel L’Healthentiel, is adamant that the impact of Covid is largely underestimated. โBeyond the direct link with immunity, our mental and emotional health has also been strongly affected. I am afraid that the damage will not be noticeable until we come out of it all. Not to mention the people who have stopped exercising or who have gained weight โฆ
โSince the pandemic began, doing sports has seemed normal, partly because we have had more time, and partly because we were locked up. But the majority of the population doesnโt see it useful to eat better, mostly due of a lack of information.โ
Like everyone, Vรฉroniqueโs consultations and training came to a complete halt during the first confinement. โWe are lucky in Monaco to be supported by the government. Little by little, things have been put in place, even if the situation remains complicated. Obviously, face-to-face training is impossible and has to be done at a distance but learning to adapt and bounce back is always good,โ says Vรฉronique Liesse.
There are less than 400 people on the planet with a coveted โMasters of Wineโ certification. Considered the highest wine achievement in the world, Elizabeth Gabay is one of two people in the Alpes-Maritimes with the accreditation.
As a Provence specialist for the Wine Scholar Guild (formerly the French Wine Society), she is also the main South of France wine writer for Decanter magazine. Her second book, Rosรฉs of Southern France, was published earlier this month.
โI passed the Master of Wine exam in 1998 after four years of intensive study, three after the birth of my son Ben,โ says Elizabeth. โThe exams involve understanding and being able to analyse viticulture, vinification, commercial business, the role of wine in society and, of course, being able to taste and evaluate wine. The pass rate is low โ around 10% โ and we do have an amazing global network.โ
Back in 2018, Elizabeth wrote the definitive book on rosรฉ, Rosรฉ: Understanding the Pink Wine Revolution. โI had originally thought of a book on the region of Provence, but with over 80% of production being rosรฉ, it made sense to focus on rosรฉ. As I studied the market, history and different styles the book grew into being a global reach and a realisation that there really was a global revolution happening as rosรฉs were growing in volume โ now well over 10% of global consumption.โ
When Elizabeth started researching for the book in late 2016, the level of quality rosรฉ around the world was โerraticโ. And while quality has improved in the past six years โฆ โa lot of regional styles have disappeared as commercial competitiveness has pushed producers to make โProvence-style rosรฉโ. Quality is improving but at the price of losing tradition and individuality,โsays the Saint-Martin-Vรฉsubie resident.
Rosรฉs of Southern France is a collaborative cowrite with her son Ben Bernheim, who โhas spent his entire life in wine. As part of the wine tasting team at Edinburgh university he won the prize for the best white wine taster competing against Oxford, Cambridge and French students.โ After graduating in 2017, Ben helped his mom finish the original rosรฉ book and he worked in vineyards and as a sommelier.
โWorking with a 25-year-old is exhausting. He has so much energy,โ Elizabeth shares. โI was in my comfy niche of writing and lecturing and he has pushed the boundaries.โ In addition to last yearโs e-guide and this yearโs book really, the mother-son duo also found the time to create their own rosรฉ, Sen, made with a winemaker in Slovakia.
Their book Rosรฉs of Southern France clearly establishes patterns for regionality and what makes the wines stand out, which is of interest to both buyers and consumers. โLast year Ben and I did an e-guide tasting 1000 Southern French rosรฉs and we realised that the best wines showed originality and we wanted to write more about these wines and estates.โ
Elizabeth and Ben sampled over 2,000 rosรฉs during the past year. โIncluding rosรฉs from elsewhere โ it is important to keep an international perspective.โ
The book aims to be a classic wine book. โIf you love rosรฉ, you can read it and understand the different styles, and how to look for other wines.โ At the same time, at the end of August, they are launching their website pink.wine which will be a modern and innovative approach to rosรฉ,โ the New Yorker explains.
โMost existing books on rosรฉ either give a list of wines or list estates to visit or are coffee table books with lovely photos. We wanted to treat rosรฉ as a serious wine. We have included maps showing the geology and geography, photos of the soils, grapes, regions. We have tried to show how and why the styles of wine have different styles. The elegance of Sainte Victoire, the robustness of Gigondas, the complexity of Tavel โฆโ
Rosรฉs of Southern France is for professionals, sommeliers, buyers and anyone who likes rosรฉ. โHopefully it will help consumers when they go into a shop and want to choose a wine. Recently someone mentioned they liked fuller bodied Les Baux rosรฉs and we were able to suggest which regions and appellations had similar styles.โ
Elizabeth has three recommendations to look out for this summer.
Les Schistes, Les Maรฎtres Vignerons de Gonfaron, Cรดtes de Provence (โฌ7.80): a delicate charming white peach, fresh citrus acidity and a lovely balance of restrained fruit and acidity.
Pierre Amadieu, Romane Machotte, Gigondas AOP 2021 (โฌ17): a juicy, slightly weightier rosรฉ with real Gigondas character filled with fresh cherries, strawberries and raspberry fruit โ but also a serious gastronomic wine.
Chateau de Selle, Domaine Ott (โฌ26): red fruit, floral, perfumed, orange blossom. Gorgeous citrus acidity, crisp, citrussy, vibrant well-made, elegant, direct, hint of leafiness on the Rather lovely.
And for those like me who know nothing about wine, Elizabeth says look for rosรฉ in a dark bottle. โI know that is counter-intuitive but colour is not important. Pale does not make it good. The bright sunlight can damage the wine and give it off vegetal flavours. Iโve seen people say they donโt like rosรฉ and then discover they are tasting wine which has been in the sun. An hour on the table in summer is enough to harm the wine.
โLook at the back label. If it says serve at 6ยฐC you know it is best drunk chilled by the pool. Serve at 10ยฐC and above with maybe some detail of the grapes suggests the producer is more serious.โ
Warning: Excessive consumption of alcohol is harmful to your health
