The indoor go-karting and entertainment centre, Box 98, will finally open its doors in Monaco on April 1.
Located in the former location of the Prince’s Car Collection at 25 avenue Albert II in Fontvieille, the 4,700-sqm-space offers a “range of activities for young and old”, from six driving simulators to 30 electric go-karts, as well as four (short) bowling lanes; three billiards tables and several arcade games, like precision shooting and basketball, as well as a karaoke room.
While Prince Albert, Princess Charlene and F1 drivers like Monaco’s David Coulthard attended the inauguration Friday evening, F1 journalist and author of EternelSenna Daniel Ortelli popped into the hot spot on Friday morning for a sneak preview to share with Good News Monaco. He spoke to the man behind this ambitious project, former racing driver and Monegasque Clivio Piccione, and his business partner, the founder of PKG Design, Paolo Gagliardini, who designed the above-ground 400-metre electric go-karting circuit, with tight hairpins, climbs and descents.
Open from April 1, 2025: Tuesday to Thursday (11.30am-11pm); Friday (11.30am-midnight); Saturday (10am-midnight); Sunday (10am-7pm). Closed Monday. The cost for an 8-minute electric go-kart session is €23 (under-8) and €25 for over-14 . For a taste of Grand Prix mode, the price is €75 with 1 free trial session, 1 qualifying session and an 11-lap race.
WATCH VIDEO BELOW: Entrepreneur Clivio Piccione gives the scoop to Daniel Ortelli about Box 98.
WATCH VIDEO BELOW: Paolo Gagliardini tells Daniel Ortelli about the Box 98 circuit.
Test driving electric karts.Circuit overviewThe circuit.The karts.Stars’n”Bars memorabilia BilliardsSimulatorsBowlingBasketballMotorbikes
Article first published March 28, 2025. All photos and videos copyright Daniel Ortelli.
It’s been nearly six years since Antoine Bahri launched Carlo, Monaco’s first mobile app that rewards consumers for buying goods and services locally. The Monaco resident wanted to create “a smart currency for Monaco” through an incentive program that offered a 5% cashback from purchases at one of the Carlo-affiliated shops in Monaco.
The engineer-turned-entrepreneur has always been motivated to build bridges for small and traditional businesses to digitally integrate and grow. Before Carlo, Antoine co-founded a payment application for the restaurant sector in Barcelona. “Entrepreneurship is a journey filled with ups and downs. It requires resilience and unwavering belief in the value you’re creating.”
Launched in July 2019, Carlo now works with 680 businesses, about 80% of all merchants in Monaco, according to Antoine, and can be downloaded from the App store. “We’ve also built a thriving community of approximately 80,000 users, including residents and those who interact regularly with Monaco. Over time, Carlo has evolved into a full-fledged payment solution for the principality, distinguished by its innovative closed-loop cashback program.”
Antoine admits one of the most meaningful moments of his career came when he onboarded merchants in Monaco he used to visit as a child. “Seeing those businesses join Carlo made me feel we were truly making an impact. Another unforgettable moment was the first time overhearing someone at a nearby table at the restaurant ask to pay with Carlo. Hearing them talk about it made me realise that the app had become part of daily life for many people.”
Antoine Bahri (front row, right) launched the Carlo App in July 2019. The company has grown to 16 people, including the development team as well as the teams in Bordeaux and Aix-en-Provence.
Antoine says the growth of the free Carlo App has been fuelled in large part by a strong partnership with the government of Monaco, which began after the Covid pandemic to support local merchants. “This collaboration has continued because Carlo has proven to be an effective tool for the government to boost local commerce and generate TVA.”
The government has argued recently that it is impossible to quantify how much TVA is generated by Carlo purchases that would not have occurred otherwise. “While it’s challenging to calculate the exact amount of TVA Carlo generates, we have several strong indicators,” Antoine highlights. “For instance, a survey we conducted with over 4,000 responses revealed that 50% of users’ shopping and 35% of their dining through Carlo would have taken place elsewhere – online or outside Monaco – if Carlo didn’t exist. Using these insights, we can estimate the new TVA Carlo has helped generate in Monaco, and the results indicate that the more likely scenario is a net positive outcome for the government.”
He also emphasises that the government’s support is directed at merchants, not Carlo. “We are the service provider delivering a payment and loyalty solution under the terms of a contract designed to benefit the local economy.”
The government of Monaco is currently debating whether to change the way in which the 8.6% Carlo platform fee is shared. At present, 1% is paid by the affiliated retailer while the State covers 7.6%, for a reported total of €10 million a year. It envisions that in 2025, the cost to retailers could rise to 3.6% with a possible cap on monthly spending.
Antoine remains confident in the government’s commitment to this partnership. “The collaboration has been a clear success, uniting merchants and consumers on one platform and fostering a vibrant local economy. That said, this is a new government, and it’s natural to review ongoing projects and explore ways to optimize them. On our side, we’re fully committed to working hand-in-hand with the government to find solutions that enhance the project while keeping the mission’s core values intact for the benefit of local merchants.”
For Antoine, the biggest challenge has been navigating the company through different phases of growth and external changes. “Challenges are also what drive us forward. They push us to learn, adapt, and create new features and solutions that keep Carlo innovative and relevant.”
Recently, Carlo introduced a new payment opportunity in Monaco for users to make donations directly to associations. “With thousands of users already accustomed to using the app for payments, this was a natural extension of our platform’s functionality,” Antoine states.
“Associations have been requesting an easy and digital payment solution for some time, and we’re thrilled to now provide one. Users can select their preferred association from a list of participating organisations and donate seamlessly without using or earning cashback, which remains exclusively dedicated to supporting local commerce.”
This initiative is already off to a great start. “We’re proud to have partnered with the Princess Charlene Foundation and the Rotary Club of Monaco for this launch, and we look forward to helping more associations streamline their fundraising efforts.”
Antoine also took the model beyond Monaco in 2023. “We successfully launched Carlo in Aix-en-Provence, where we now partner with more than 200 merchants. Most recently, in October 2024, we expanded to Bordeaux, where we’ve already onboarded 50 merchants. We’re excited to replicate and adapt this Monaco-born innovation in new markets.”
Now a team of 16 people, the company is also launching a white-label version of its payment solution, opening up opportunities for other industries like hotel groups, ski resorts, or any organization with a closed-loop network. “This is an exciting step as it allows us to extend the impact of Carlo’s technology to new sectors and geographies.”
In parallel to developing Carlo, Antoine has co-founded Maliz.ai, an AI solution focused on data sovereignty that allows companies to deploy AI tools on their own servers, giving them full control and protection over their data. “With Maliz.ai, organisations can create chatbots or other AI-powered solutions hosted within their own environment, ensuring security and transparency,” Antoine explains.
“We’re particularly focused on serving Monaco, where there’s a clear need for independent AI solutions that align with the principality’s emphasis on privacy and trust. Our mission is to empower companies in Monaco with cutting-edge, locally hosted AI tools that combine innovation with data security.”
Article first published on February 16, 2025. Feature photo by Nancy Heslin. Article photos courtesy of Carlo App.
The English Osteopath was 28 when she broke her back while playing tennis, an accident that resulted in temporary paralysis in both legs for six months. It was thanks to an osteopath that she began to walk again and found herself on a life-changing road to recovery.
“Lying in bed thinking I’d never walk, work, or love again, I had to make a decision to thrive. I turned off my emotions and got on with it,” Rachael describes.
She quit her job with the Daily Mail Group, where she was the youngest commercial publisher at the time, and spent the next five years training at the British School of Osteopathy.
Speaking French since the age of 7 and having studied at the Institut de Français in Villefranche, Rachael moved to Antibes in 2001 and set up her first English Osteopath clinic at 4 rue Vauban. She has since become the only clinic in Antibes to be approved by the Norwegian Government to issue Seafarer Medical certificates required by all yacht crew.
With a large portion of clients driving from Monaco, the ever-energetic brunette opened a second clinic in 2010 at 11 bis avenue Generale de Gaulle in bordering Beausoleil. She then initiated the Frozen Shoulder and Chronic Fatigue clinics and set up an association for those with limited income to have access to free osteo healthcare for their children and babies (all her osteopaths are trained in paediatric osteopathy).
With a bilingual team of 16 between the two locations, Rachael was heavy-hearted having to shut down the two locations during the first Covid confinement that began in March. “It was tough on my business and tough on the patients having their treatment programmes disrupted. I spent a lot of time on Zoom walking patients through their pain, which worked surprisingly well, and some were even cracking their own backs! Luckily the pharmacists were open and I could arrange with our clinic doctor to get them the right medication.”
In round two of confinement in France, which started October 30, the clinics are allowed to remain open. Thy are busier now than ever and are seeing a type of pain that the therapists describe as a physical manifestation of constant low-grade stress and anxiety, the result of poor at home office work stations or the result of looking at screens more than usual, as all other healthy physical activities have been curtailed.
In Monaco, with people travelling less, patient frequency has increased while in Antibes, where the yachting industry is at a standstill, there has been a slight drop in appointments.
Still, across the board, the intuitive Rachael has noticed a change in recent weeks. “I see a rise in stress. You know, the expat community is already isolated and I think the reality has just sunk in that people can’t go home for Christmas to see their families. Our ability to cope with pain is different when we are sympathetically aroused, like we are now. This means we are gearing up to face an attacker, and Covid is one that we can’t see, so it’s fight-or-flight.”
In Antibes, where cafés and restaurants are closed, Rachael has opened the Waiting Room Café at the clinic. “People need to connect so while a patient is waiting, there’s a Nespresso machine, cookies and even beer, and a table for one – we are hoping for TripAdvisor reviews! – and if someone needs to talk, we’ll sit and have a chat and a coffee.”
In addition to running to the two English Osteopath clinics and doing call outs (even on weekends), Rachael is the lead medic for Supporting Wounded Veterans, a U.K. charity that supports 26 veterans a year through Skiing with Heroes – a “skibilitation” week – and also providing each veteran with a mentor and treatment at the only Wounded Veterans’ Pain Management Programme in Britain. “This program gives veterans confidence and a chance to start new lives,” she says, something she knows first hand.
Over the last five years, she has raised €100,000 for Supporting Wounded Veterans through a 5-day “Mountains to Monaco” bike ride and two quiz nights in Monaco, one held at Stars’n’Bars where Gilly Norton, founder of the founder charity, told me, “Some 87% of those who participate in our Pain Clinic and/or Skiing with Heroes programme return to work or training.”
Rachael says that the charity is currently fundraising “to take part in very exciting research” using psychedelic drugs, such as MDMA, as part of a therapeutic approach to treat PTSD. “If this trial continues to produce results, it will be a game-changing breakthrough in helping those suffering with this terrible mental health condition and who haven’t responded to other Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapies currently available.”
Article first published July 2024. Photos: Nancy Heslin
Valerie Closier may have grown up in Lésigny, some 50 kilometres southeast of Paris in the Seine-et-Marne department, yet she could not be more deeply rooted in Monaco’s car culture.
Valerie Closier with Prince Albert February 6, 2024. Photo: Facebook Automobile Club de Monaco
A model child in school who was “a bit of a tomboy”, Valerie played on the tennis team and was coached by the first trainer of Guy Forget (he helped France win the Davis Cup in both 1991 and 1996). Her dark hair and eyes earned her the nickname Gabriella as she resembled Gabriella Sabatini, the former world No. 3 who played from the mid-80s to mid-90s.
Yet it was her love of dance – classical, modern jazz and tap – that earned Valerie her first win at a national level with her dance class in 1989.
It was thirteen years before she won another French national title, but this time it would be as a rally co-driver.
“I first became interested in rallies with my dad, Michel. He drove an Alpine A110 Berlinette co-piloted by a childhood friend. I would take photos and videos because I was passionate about video editing at the time,” recalls Valerie, Director of the Prince’s Car Collection since December 2019.
One day, as she explains, a friend of her father, none other than Jean Charles Rédélé – son of Jean, the creator of the Alpine automotive brand – was racing in the French Véhicule Historique de Compétition (VHC) when he put a helmet on young Valerie’s head and snapped a picture. “A few weeks later, my dad received the photo in the mail with a note on the back scribbled, ‘She’s ready.’ My dad asked if I wanted to try a rally and off I went to co-drive with him in the Berlinette. We did this for about 10 years.”
Valerie’s first rally memory is the Grand Caunet, a special stage of the Sainte Baume Rallycircuit in Marseille, where, unfortunately, at the arrival check point the head gasket prevented the daughter-dad duo from continuing.
“I was left hungry. Motor racing and speed provide adrenaline and such exceptional and exhilarating emotions. That’s when I finally understood the expression voir la route par les portières [seeing the road through the doors].”
The year after the Rallycircuit, in 2002, Valerie and her dad took part in the VHC rally championship and she became the French national VHC co-driver champion. “When the car works well, and the pace notes for speed and distance fall into place and the driver is confident, it is though the car is flying, and it is an extraordinary feeling. A total osmosis between the driver, the co-driver and the car.
“And teaming up with my dad in the car and my mom at the refuelling station was great. It was a fabulous few weeks of racing but returning to reality on Sunday evening was much less exciting.”
The accomplished rally competitor was also co-driver for Jean-Claude Andruet in a Porsche 3l in the 2010 VHC rally cup final in La Rochelle. The pair made all the scratches and won the rally ahead of Dominique Depons and Jean Ragnotti. They teamed up again at the 2023 Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique in an Alpine A110 Group 4 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Andruet’s 1973 victory in Monte-Carlo with Alpine.
This year, Valerie will be participating in a special capacity for ACM’s 2024 Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique, which officially kicks off February 1. Unlike last week’s 2024 Rallye Monte-Carlo, the historic version features cars driven in the Monte Carlo Rally between 1911 and 1983.
“The historic rally is for the fastest but, above all, it’s about a passion for cars, conviviality, helping each other, good humour and meeting like-minded people. I like the whole atmosphere.”
For Valerie, this passion for automobiles “has contributed to Monaco’s international prestige” as proven by the legendary Rallye Monte-Carlo created in 1911 by Prince Albert I. “At the time, it was a way to attract the European jet-set to Monaco. This was followed by the Monaco Grand Prix in 1929 inaugurated by Prince Louis II.”
She adds, “At the beginning of the 1970s, the rally took place according to a schedule that would endure nearly 25 years: first a course of concentration where crews would drive day and night to arrive towards the city of Monaco before then leaving for a second course, which was timed and used by all drivers in the regions of Isère, Drôme and Alpes-Maritimes.
“Nowadays, the historic rally starts in cities like Reims, Bad Homburg, Milan or Glasgow, and competitors converge towards Monaco and then head onto mountain roads, often snow-covered, where they have to know how to control the climb to stay on the road to get back to the Principality on the finishing podium.”
Although the rally runs until February 7, Valerie will co-pilot a special car on February 6 at 8 pm. “HSH Prince Albert II will have the honour of taking the wheel of a Deutsch-Bonnet Frua Coupe during the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique . And I will have the privilege of being beside the Prince to take a tour of the Principality. We will then return to the closed rally car park so that the Sovereign can give the start to official competitors of the 2024 historic’s last stage: the night of Turini.”
This exceptional event is part of the commemorations for Prince Rainier III’s centenary of his birth. In 1953, and under his real name “Louis Carladès,” Prince Rainier and his mechanic Mr. Benit entered the Tour de France automobile at the wheel of a Deutsch-Bonnet Frua Coupe. A few years ago, the Car Collection acquired an old Deutsch-Bonnet to restore for the occasion.
Valerie Closier with Prince Albert February 6, 2024. Photo: Facebook Automobile Club de Monaco
“Prince Rainier built up a large personal collection of vintage cars, depending on opportunities and his favourites,” informs Valerie. “He collected and restored some 100 vehicles, a large sample of models built by the most famous European and American carmakers. He said, and I quote, ‘It’s not a car museum but a personal collection of cars of all ages and from all countries. Popular or prestigious, they marked their era and I liked them.’”
In July 2022, the Prince’s Car Collection moved from Fontvieille to its new home at 54 route de la Piscine along Port Hercules. The space offers “an unforgettable historical journey” of the princely family through private and unpublished photos and videos. The relocation gave “a new lease of life and a more modern scenography” and Valerie’s goal is to bring “this magnificent place to life and make it shine not only in Monaco but also in France and abroad.” Last year visitors numbers increased by more than 80% compared to 2022.
The first Monegasque Formula One driver for Ferrari, Charles Leclerc, donated his single-seater in which he won Spa and Monza in 2019 to the Collection. It is in pole position on the mezzanine’s F1 zone. Valerie shares, “It’s the ‘WOW! factor for visitors when they first enter and are surprised to see Formula One single-seaters on the wall. People are fascinated by the incredible size of these F1 cars when they see them up close.”
In 2023, the Car Collection held several exhibitions, from cars (the 75th anniversary of Porsche and a mini Bugatti expo) to art (by former rugby player Jean-Pierre Rives), and served as a runway for Monte Carlo Fashion Week in May.
The cars are also lent out for charity rallies (Child CARE Monacovintage rally), or on display at concours d’elegance competitions and car shows, like Top Marques Monaco or Rétromobile in Paris. Valerie also develops the Collection’s private capacity, with exclusive dinners and cocktail receptions, such as the launch of The Monegasque magazine last December.
Valerie, who can be found sipping un café or deux at the Café de Paris in the winter months (or at Larvotto’s La Note Bleue when warmer), is known by everyone for her positive, dynamic and enthusiastic personality. “When I have an idea, a desire, a proposal, I go for it, with audacity and determination. And often it pays off.”
She draws her motto “nothing attempted, nothing gained” from her family. Her parents lived in Monaco (“My mom worked at Radio Monte-Carlo as an assistant to Bernard Spindler and my dad was a diver in Cousteau’s team. He was even the diver on duty during the F1 Grand Prix in 1959 at the tobacconist”) and her aunt owned the Monte-Carlo Bar at Place d’Armes.
“Without passion, life has no flavour,” she insists. “And it is thanks to this drive for motorsport that I meet incredible people. These are genuine emotions and precious moments of sharing and joy.”
The Aquarius talks about how in recent years there have been more and more initiatives to support women and girls to get a foot in motorsport. “It’s not easy to move the lines because it’s a very male-dominated field. I am delighted that women like Susie Wolff with the F1 Academy and Deborah Mayer at the head of Iron Dames are raising their voices to open new paths for women in this field.”
Then there is the More Than Equal initiative co-founded by 13-time F1 winner David Coulthard and entrepreneur Karel Komarek to finance an ambitious program aimed at giving women drivers the means to access Formula One. “This is real progress which, I hope, will gradually succeed in changing the somewhat archaic mentalities of motorsport.
“I’d like to think we are on the right track but there are still a few turns and speed bumps to cross.”
Paula Farquharson with chalice for Irish Mass at the Palatine Chapel. Photo: Courtesy of PGIL/Michaël Alesi/Palais Princier
Recently discovered in a cardboard box and auctioned in the UK, the chalice will be the subject of a lecture at the Princess Grace Irish Library by Dr Krasnodębska-D’Aughton, University College Cork (UCC), on Wednesday January 22, at 7pm.
Meet old and new friends at the library and discover the mystery behind one of the few remaining chalices from the 15th century.
Earlier in January, the Ó Learghusa Chalice was used to celebrate mass in the private chapel of the Prince’s Palace in Monaco in the presence of Prince Albert II and the Princess of Hanover. And, as Paula Farquharson, director of the Princess Grace Irish Library, points out, it was the first time that mass was celebrated in Europe with the chalice for centuries.
“Before King Henry VIII’s divorce led to the reformation and forced the Catholic Church in Ireland to go underground, this medieval chalice was used in friaries and monasteries in Ireland,” explains Paula.
“Later such religious items were either hidden or sent to mainland Europe for safekeeping. Many didn’t survive and were melted down for their silver and gold. This lecture has all the excitement of a turbulent era in history and the audience will have the unique opportunity to see this rare chalice for one evening only before it goes to Ireland for permanent display at Kylemore Abbey.”
Since its purchase in 2021, the chalice has featured in articles and on television in the United States, where it has also gone on exhibition at top universities.
Dr D’Aughton is a Senior Lecturer in the School of History, UCC, who specialises in the cultural and religious history of the Middle Ages. She has published internationally on the Irish mendicant orders, liturgical silver, Irish illuminated manuscripts as well as on manuscripts in Polish libraries.
Tickets €10 (includes a drink after the 45-minute talk) available at the door or online.
While at the library, make sure you check out 40th Anniversary Princess Grace Irish Library: A Tribute To Princess Grace of Monaco (2024; Éditions Des Archives Du Palais De Monaco. The 128-page limited-edition commemorative book will take you on a journey of discovery about Princess Grace from Ireland to America and to Monaco.
It was presented to Prince Albert II and the Princess of Hanover on November 20, 2024, exactly 40 years to the day they inaugurated the Princess Grace Irish Library in the presence of their father Prince Rainier III.
The book is not available to purchase but a copy can be viewed at the library, or download a digital version at http://www.pgil.mc. QR codes lead readers to emotive performances by musicians and students from the Académie Rainier III in Monaco and Technological University Dublin, conservatoire, as well as a special music piece composed by Michael Flatley, titled The Princess Grace Set.
“I have a 100-year plan,” admits Father Hugh of St. Paul’s Monte Carlo. “How does this church serve the community in a hundred years’ time when I’m dead?”
WATCH VIDEO: Father Hugh talks about the Warmies® Prayer Bear Centenary campaign.
As the Oxford native explains, “You create a structure which sustains itself, which is outlooking, confident in its own identity” he explains. “And that confident position allows me to go out and do what I do.”
And he certainly has a gift to “do what I do”. Anyone who’s been to the Anglican church at 22 avenue de Grande-Bretagne since Hugh Bearn arrived in April 2023 would agree.
Under his direction over the past 18 months, all the memorials that were previously sitting on the church floor have been restored and hung by using panels of reclaimed wood from skips. “We are very conscious of not wasting and chucking things away,” he says, adding, “The icon was restored anonymously; all the furnishings were put in anonymously.” Additionally, the 60 x 8-metre church pew cushions were replaced, anonymously, with the previously-loved ones being donated to the SPA (Société Protectrice des Animaux) Monaco.
The three stained-glass altar windows are each being restored, with the third and find panel to be completed in January. “A woman and her half-Scottish husband in Castillon are really superb artists. They restored the windows of Mary Magdalene’s cave up the road [in Sainte-Baume].”
As Father Hugh says, “Slowly slowly, lots of little changes make a big difference.”
It’s not just the aesthetics that are getting all the attention. Father Hugh has put his efforts equally on boosting the calendar of church events. There was the Exeter College Oxford Alumni choir and the Danish Boys choir, a visit from Prince Edward, and Prince Albert, and the Churchill family who attended the inauguration of a memorial, funded by the International Churchill Society, installed in September to mark 150 years since Winston Churchill’s birth. “I think people understand it’s about the church serving the Principality and getting the community together.”
He adds, “When people are focused not on themselves, they can see the goodness of what’s going on.”
Which leads to the Warmies® Prayer Centenary Bear and “a little idea I had”. First, St Paul’s is gearing up for its 100th anniversary – it was built on avenue des Fleurs and dedicated by the Bishop of Gibraltar on February 19, 1925, when the street was re-named avenue de Grande-Bretagne for the occasion. Second, created in 1995, Warmies® is a heatable plush toy that provides a soothing and therapeutic warmth. Warmies® are popular with all ages and were named in February 2024 as GiftBeat’s Best-Selling Toy in the USA for the second consecutive year. And thanks to a member of the congregation, 600 Warmies® were generously donated to the Prayer Bear Centenary Campaign.
“The bear has lavender inside and you stick them in the microwave for maybe 15 seconds,” says Father Hugh. “They’re really good for kids with autism, kids who can’t sleep, adults who can’t sleep.”
The words God is Love in English and Dieu est Amour in French are written on the bear’s chest, with St. Paul’s Church Carlo on the its paw.
For Father Hugh, the Prayer Bear is a way of engaging with the community, engaging with young people and old people. “Who doesn’t want a teddy bear? And with a message of a prayer that says you are never alone. A lot of people are really lonely.”
The church will give the bears to women’s refuges and “people who have real needs, where where they have a really unpleasant existence”.
“The idea is that there’s a 6-year-old kid who gets this teddy bear in La Trinité in Nice. Fast forward 10 years and he’s getting into sex, drugs and rock and roll and he looks at this teddy bear and thinks, ‘Why did someone give me this bear that has God is Love on its paw?’ It’s that sense of sowing a seed of which we will never see the results.”
The bears can be adopted for a donation of €30. The funds raised will go to the St. Vincent de Paul association in Monaco, to help with their homeless and refugee projects. “The teddy bear is a gift that parents can give knowing where the money is going so it’s a win-win good-good situation.”
Father Hugh is most excited about selling the Prayer Bear not online or through social media, but “people having to come and collect them. That physical connection is really important.”
With a laugh, he adds, “If you go into my vicarage, you may open the cupboard and find a bear staring at you.”
Article first published December 15, 2024.
Wednesday December 18 at 5:15 pm: Sunday School Christingle.
Christmas Eve at 7:30 pm: Holy Communion and Carols with refreshments afterwards in St Paul’s House.
Christmas Day at 8 am: Holy Communion.
Christmas Day at 10: 30 am: Holy Communion and Carols with refreshments afterwards in St Paul’s House.
For animal behaviourist and trainer Victoria Morris: “Often, we can get caught up in the excitement of getting a pet that we sometimes forget to be realistic. A pet is not only for Christmas but is your companion and dear family member for a very long time.” Victoria suggests 20 questions for potential owners to consider before choosing a pet.
1. What pet would you like to offer a home to? Have you had experience of this species before? Perhaps you want to first consult a professional, such as vet, and maybe a behaviourist for some tips, perhaps purchase a book or research on the internet.
2. Perhaps you would like a dog or cat? Have you considered if it would be appropriate to choose a puppy/kitten or adult dog or cat? Would you like to offer a home to one that has been rescued?
3. Do you have existing cats/existing dogs or other pets already in the house? Is it your feeling they will get on? It’s always good to ask a professional on how best you can introduce a new member of the family, especially if you don’t know how your cat will get on with the dog you would like to introduce or if you already have a cat, what’s the best way to introduce a new cat to a multi cat household? How can you successfully introduce your rabbit to your dog if you’d like them to get on? What dog breed is best suited to be around your rabbit? A hunting breed, for example, with a high prey drive wouldn’t be advisable. What breeds of rabbit are also suited to be with a dog? It is always a good idea to use the appropriate approach to introduce new pets to a household and to employ some good techniques to nurture a good relationship with those pets where possible (of course being always aware of safety, being responsible and not leaving pets unobserved/unattended or pairing pets together that are not best suited to be together or it may be dangerous to pair together). The objective may not be to develop a strong bond between the pets concerned but that they respect each other’s presence and know how to behave. You also need to think about the neutering/spaying of both rabbit and dog as hormonal levels need to be in check before introducing them to each other, you can speak to your vet regarding this.
4. A good question to ask is: Are you able to offer this pet a home? Do your work hours suit the needs of this pet? What contingency will there be if you travel? Do you travel a lot that would make choosing this pet unadvisable?
5. If welcoming a rescue pet into the home, are you willing to work with any existing behavioural problems/issues if there are any? do you have the time to dedicate to this? If it is a rescue dog for example, have you visited many times to observe the dog? Have you walked the dog before to become familiar with them? Have you had the dog stay with you for some time to gradually introduce them to your home and again become familiar with them? Have you a strategy for introducing the new dog to existing pets?
6. If you are choosing a young pet like a puppy or kitten, are you available to provide that vital early learning and socialisation? Will you have time for training? Are you ready to go through that ‘naughty teenager age’ where young pets can test you?
7. Do you have children? Is the pet if a rescue pet already well socialised with children? Or would you be welcoming children into the family later? Are the whole family willing to participate?
8. Is the whole family in agreement to offer a home to a pet?
9. Whose responsibility is it to look after the pet? Are all the family prepared to help?
10. Do you have a veterinary professional in mind to care for the health of your pet and can you commit to veterinary costs?
11. Am I able to dedicate finances to purchase all the housing, food, bedding, enrichment (toys) etc that that pet needs.
12. Am I able to dedicate finances to purchase all the housing, food, bedding, enrichment (toys) etc that that pet needs. How should you house that pet? Does that species benefit from being with others? Is the housing the right size to meet the welfare needs of that pet? How can you provide an enriching enclosure to prevent issues with stereotyped behaviour? Parrots, for example, can suffer behavioural issues such as feather plucking if they are stressed and not stimulated.
13. If you are visiting a dog breeder for example, have you seen the parents? How does the breeder appear to you? Are they asking you lots of questions about your home environment that suggests they are a responsible breeder? Are they giving you the puppy at the appropriate age e.g. (at least 8 weeks for a puppy)? Do they have breed papers and are they registered? Have hip scores/eye scores been done and are they attending to the appropriate veterinary care at the appropriate time before you collect the puppy? Is the breeder introducing experience with early socialisation e.g., desensitisation to noise/movement using toys and additions to the enclosure etc? Is the breeder abiding by correct animal welfare legislation and acting ethically? Note: Tail Docking and Ear clipping is illegal in most countries including most European Countries. This is not acceptable and is contrary to animal welfare. These procedures generally involve surgeries without anaesthetic, they are barbaric, and these incidences need to be reported. This procedure also has profound behavioural effects in dogs, interfering with their ability to communicate and can negatively impact behaviour.
14. If your choice is a dog, for example, what type of exercise can you offer? Are you able to exercise the dog regularly? How active are you and what type of activity would you be able to offer that dog? Can you have a significant enough presence and feel able to direct the behaviour of a larger dog?
15. Is the breed of dog you are choosing a hunting breed that requires a lot of exercise and has a strong pre-disposition to follow scent?
16. Is the breed you would like very active; can you provide the exposure and opportunities for exercise.
17. Does the breed you are choosing require a great deal of grooming? Can you commit to this? Does budget allow trips to the groomers? What type of grooming will there be? will my dogs’ hair need trimming regularly? Will my parrot’s beak and nails need trimming?
18. Are you versed in what vaccinations are needed for your chosen pet? For example, for your rabbit will usually need vaccines for Rabbit haemorrhagic disease 1 and 2 and myxomatosis. Your cat will usually need vaccines for feline infectious enteritis and feline leukaemia virus and some parrots may need a polyomavirus vaccination. You may need to think about regular flea treatment, worm treatment and may need to consider the pros and cons of sterilisation/castration for your dog/cat.
19. What about diet? Will you feed your dog dry food or wet? What are the pros and cons for example giving a raw diet? Does my new pet require special vitamins for example for coat health or feather health? Am I prepared to give live food to feed my reptile?
20. What kind of veterinary products are good to keep in the house?
Illness and disease Depending on the species you choose, animals can be very good at hiding disease, from an evolutionary point of view, it’s what we call adaptive. If you think about it, it is never good going around advertising your illness to potential predators or animals within your group. As a result, you need to have a certain knowledge so you can prevent illness as far as possible and prevent behavioural problems. Sometimes behavioural problems can cause physical illness such as your cat or dog constantly licking areas, tail chasing or biting etc causing injury to the skin.
Training You need to be able to train your pet so you can handle them effectively and regularly check health and pet enclosures/environments need to be stimulating so to prevent behavioural issues.
Training is also a great way to provide enrichment. Obviously, this all depends on the requirements of the species and how complex their needs are; however, I am a strong advocate for training and good enrichment schedules for all pet species. It cannot emphasis this enough! A lot of people don’t think they can train their kitten/cat or rabbit, but you can and there are so many positive reasons for doing so.
Choosing a breed I am asked many times by clients who have chosen certain breeds of dog or are amid choosing a breed, did I make the right choice? Or what breed would be best? Yes, the breed is important, certain breeds have certain activity levels, are predisposed to behave in certain ways and have certain drives, this must always be understood and taken into consideration, this is very true, but on occasion it can be a limiting factor. For example, many think Jack Russell’s are aggressive and never get on well with other dogs, that they have a “little dog-big dog” thing going on. It then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and people think that’s the way they are, and little attempt is made to prevent this behavioural pattern, so everyone continues to think of the breed in this way when it doesn’t have to be this way with appropriate shaping and training.
Yes, certain breeds are renowned for being better with children, but this is not always a forgone conclusion. We not only have a responsibility to shape a dogs’ behaviour, so they are desensitised to children and know how to behave with them but that the child also knows how to respectfully interact with that dog.
At the end of the day the environment must be right and depending on when you get that dog and its behavioural history, social ability can be successfully shaped. It is important to think what commitment we can make and if we can provide that dogs’ needs in terms of exercise and attention.
Having a pet is an extremely rewarding experience and I highly recommend it. I certainly find the owners who decide to get a puppy find my Puppy Programmes extremely helpful as I help the client get everything in place to start in the best possible way with their puppy from the point of choosing their puppy to bringing their puppy home and the exciting journey that follows!
This iconic salon de thé at 27 Boulevard des Moulins has been un point de reference. in Monaco since 1955.
Owners Alexander Seleznev (aka Chef Alex) and Nicolai Zhur took over in 2015 having opened Pâtisserie Seleznyoff in their native Moscow in 2004.
Chef Alex studied at the Moscow Culinary Institute and has written several books on Russian cuisine. A famous face is his homeland, he also had his own TV show and made appearances as a celebrity chef on other programs including at La Maison du Chocolat.
Caterina Reviglio Sonnino, Nicolai Zhur and Alexander Seleznev
At Patisserie Riviera everything is made from scratch and on the premises. Nicolai says that their hottest seller (after the viennoiseries, bien sûr) is their line of gluten-free products—cakes, chocolates (also lactose- and sugar-free) and their Jordan almonds (les dragées).
Along with Caterina Reviglio Sonnino who works at the café and is helping to develop their brand, English, French, Italian and Russian are spoken. During Covid, lunch service has stopped but pop by for a super creamy café crème (€3.50) and croissant (€1.50) in the ornately green tea room or outside terrace. The caviar fridge is still running just fine, too, if you need a snack to go.
Open daily from 8 am to 1 pm. & 3 pm to 7 pm (except Sunday afternoons).
Patisserie Riviera 27 Boulevard des Moulins, Monaco
Article first published November 1, 2020.
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Geologist Philippe Verdier first came to Monaco in July 1995 to develop Gramaglia Assurances, which specialises in corporate risk.
Over the past 25 years, Philippe has become a widely admired personality in Monaco for creating the popular fundraising event, No Finish Line. For each kilometre a participant runs or walks over the 8-day event, his non-profit association Children and Future donates one euro to support disadvantaged and sick children through various projects.
For 58-year-old Philippe (who shares his birthday on Halloween with his twin sister), benevolence has played a part of his life since junior high when for seven years he was a Sea Scout in Rouen. “Being a scout taught me to show solidarity and how to set up projects for groups of five or six friends.”
And although his family wasn’t particularly sporty, in school he did everything from ping-pong and handball to windsurfing and sailing, becoming an instructor in the latter in St Vaast la Hougue (Normandy). In fact, growing up Philippe dreamt of sailing and being a skipper of a boat from his hometown of Rouen in the Tour de France.
At the age of 30, he did his first marathon and finished with a time of 2:49. This would launch his passion for mythical ultras – UTMB (6th,), Marathon des Sables (15th), Badwater USA (4th), 100km Ventoux (1st) – completing around 60 with 80% podium finishes by scratch or category.
Combining the two elements of sport and solidarity, Philippe put on the first No Finish Line (NFL) in Monaco in 1999. His original idea was to have one person at all times on the 1-kilometre circuit over eight days. But in 2002, a bank sponsored the event for €20,000 and 18,000 km were completed, which lead to the concept of a sponsor donating one euro for every kilometre. This has been the formula since NFL 2004.
“The NFL concept is simple and can bring together all types of personalities – runners, walkers, athletes or not, children, elderly, pets – all for the soul purpose of helping sick or disadvantaged kids. Even those who are not athletic walk 400 km, with some taking a week off work or others hitting the circuit every night.”
Philippe says he is most pleased when he sees groups of friends or business associates coming together every day on the course, chatting while walking or running, while they help to change the world.
In the year of Covid, it would be impossible to maintain social distancing for the hundreds of participants on the 1.3-km circuit in Fontvieille. So the 21st edition from November 14 to 22 will be virtual. “The show must go on! For this first connected NFL Monaco, I would be happy with 4,000 registrants and 200,000 km. In post-containment Paris in June, we had 3,000 registrants who completed 123,000 km.”
It’s only €12 to participate and individuals can register online until noon on November 22 but teams need to do so before November 11. You’ll need to then download the ZAPSPORTS app and register for “No Finish Line Virtuelle” and start the stopwatch. All the kilometres you run or walk 24/7 from November 14 at 3 pm to November 22 at 3 pm will be automatically saved.
Super important to note also is the NFL Toy Drive at Fontvieille Big Top from Saturday, November 14, to Saturday, November 21. This is to collect as-new condition toys for the kids affected by Storm Alex (some of the NFL proceeds will also support this cause.)
Since 1999, NFL Monaco participants have covered a total distance of nearly four million kilometres (3,799,042) to raise more than four million euro (€4,018,092) for various charities, including the Cardio-Thoracic Centre Monaco, Aviation sans frontiers/African Rencontres, the Chaîne de l’espoir, Maison de vie Carpentras, and the Monaco Red Cross.
From the get go, Philippe has said he would love to see one NFL event for every week of the year. “I know 52 NFLs is hard to imagine but it’s what gets me out of bed every morning.”
In addition to Monaco, there are five 5-day NFL fundraisers in Europe –Paris (2015), Oslo (2016), Athens (2017), Nice (2018) and Bratislava (2019, where a connected edition takes place this week with at least €30,000 donated) – which have raised a combined total of €874,259. Philippe hopes that 2021 will see new NFLs outside of Europe.
Children & Future was founded by Philippe in 2001 to promote the protection of children’s rights around the world, and to finance projects that improve their condition, education, health and lifestyle. In addition to NFL, “NFL Danse,” a friendly dance competition in Monaco, was launched to also support the cause.
For Philippe Verdier, the dedication of his association and all the volunteers who all give so much during the week of No Finish Line is well rewarded. “One year, a child who was operated on and recovered only a few days earlier at the Cardio-Thoracic Centre Monaco, came to the NFL start line and was then carried by the winner of the 8-day total distance during his last lap. Every one of us was crying seeing the smile on his face.”
Alexandra Rinaldi, who owns Les 5 Saveurs à Monaco on rue Basse, is no stranger to the Monaco business scene. The Monegasque took over her parents’ business, Rinaldi Ship Chandler, which opened in 1970 on Quai Antoine, and before that, in 2010, she ran Les Trésors de la Mer, a clothing and decoration shop on rue de Millo in La Condamine.
Having sold both businesses, she had the opportunity to open a boutique in Monaco Ville that could cater to both Monaco residents and tourists. “The community on the Rock is elderly but we have people who know our history and share their stories in the streets.”
In March 2019, Alexandra opened Les 5 Saveurs à Monaco with her dog Bella at her side, selling scents of Provence, food and cosmetics. But things were a bit tight. “I ended up having to add some souvenirs to make ends meet. Tourists love anything that says Monaco,” she says.
The first year for any business is never easy, but then Covid hit. Streets typically filled with the bustle of tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of the Prince were at a standstill. Shops and restaurants, some having to pay out €6,000 a month in rent, faced extinction. As one elderly Monegasque women summed it up: “Monaco Ville est mort.”
“It was very difficult. I closed on March 14 but had the right to deliver food — tapenade, artichokes, olive oil, jams, herbs de Provence — which wasn’t a huge amount but it helped to pay the rent.”
Alexandra, who has lived most of her life between La Condamine and Fontvieille, reopened post-confinement on May 4. “I was so surprised to see clients from Monaco come that first week to support us. They didn’t spend large amounts but it helped. But by July and August, locals stayed away from le Rocher as tourists slowly came back. From August, it became mandatory to wear a mask in all les ruelles of Monaco Ville. “You didn’t have to wear masks in other parts of Monaco so locals stopped coming altogether.”
Once again, Alexandra reverted to small deliveries to loyal clients. Then the French confinement Version 2.0 began on October 30, 2020.
Cleverly, she had started to develop her business by selling Italian sweaters and vests—for €29 to €35—from a supplier she has worked with for 15 years. “I tried to find something that you can’t find elsewhere in Monaco so to not be in competition with other businesses here and although it’s not same turnover, it helps. I am going to expand with clothes and handbags that will appeal to passers-by and people from cruise ships.” (In 2019, there were 182,436 cruise passengers in Monaco. From March 11, 2020 until 2021 cruise ships were banned from stopovers in the Principality).
Alexandra is forthcoming. She admits she doesn’t have the means to buy items in advance and can only sell clothing because it is on consignment.
“As commerce, we are stuck. We can’t buy stock in advance that we don’t know if we are going to sell. This is a huge problem for businesses in Monaco but especially in Monaco Ville with souvenir shops.”
Alexandra has resorted to putting her boutique up for sale — “I am a relatively optimistic person in life but it has become a hard battle” — but is continuing with business as usual.
Her line of Panier des Sens — natural cosmetics and scents of Provence hand creams, soaps and fragrances all made in Marseilles — is her top seller, for both clients in Monaco and tourists. “The products I love sell well.” The Colline de Provence products also a hit.
There is a scent for every budget here. And for Christmas, Alexandra will make up gift boxes from €10 to €150.
Open Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm or anytime by appointment on 06 40 61 80 28.
