Tag: monaco

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Jo Salter

Jo Salter never set out to be a jet fighter pilot. Nor could she ever have imagined one day being named one of the 50 Most Inspiring Women in the World, and by two media outlets, the BBC and Harpers & Queen (now Harper’s Bazaar).  

No siree. In 1981, 13-year-old Jo Salter wanted to be a hairdresser and hung out at her local salon in Croydon. Why would she dream of flying 25 tonnes of screaming metal at 800 miles an hour at the height of a tree when legally women were not allowed to fly in the military at the time?

Speaking to the Air League of Monaco on April 4 at the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation HQ, the British pilot said she never set out to become the first operational female Royal Air Force combat fighter pilot. It was her mom who encouraged her to study chemistry, physics and biology, and French “because it will buy you opportunity”.

Jo loved math and entertained the idea of becoming an accountant until the day a WISE (Women in Science and Education) Bus stopped by her school. One of the visitors told her,   

“If you study accountancy, you can just be an account. If you study engineering, you can be whatever you want in the world.”

As Jo described it, “I went home and told mom I wanted to be whatever I could in the world. She said I needed to find sponsorship.”

Guest speaker Jo Salter with Monaco Air League president Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou on April 4, 2024.

Jo did not come from a military background but that year was the first time the Royal Air Force (RAF) was offering scholarships to women, and it was worth more than the others she applied for. At 18 she joined the RAF and embarked on a 3-year Electronic Systems Engineering degree.

“The year I graduated in 1989 was the first year the British government allowed women to fly in the military but not fast jets,” she stated. Was that the moment she chose to become a pilot? She laughs and says she chose to do the required aptitude tests because “they were close to where my mom lived.” As a result, she was relaxed for the tests, and having fenced from the age of seven, she had highly developed hand-eye coordination and scored well.

21-year-old Jo, who is 163 cm (5’ 3”) tall, was offered the chance to become a pilot. She started in a De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk – a 2-seat, single engine primary trainer aircraft. “People said I was too short but airplanes have been designed around men not human beings. In the Chipmunk, I sat on a few cushions.” And it was love at first flight. “That first flight I fell in love with the peace I get up high up above the earth.”

After 66 hours and 5 minutes controlling the Chipmunk, she moved on to the side-by-side trainer aircraft, the Jet Provost (JP5) with injection seat. She waited in line to practice the manoeuvre on a rig but when her turn arrived, she was told she couldn’t go on it. “We don’t know what might happen to you,” she was told. “You do realise your womb might pop up.”

Jo recalled, “When you are trying to be similar, you end up being set apart when they don’t allow you to do what all the guys are doing.”

Half way through the year, the RAF trainees are streamlined into fast jet, multi-engine or rotary (helicopter) flying training. If Jo had been a man, she would have been a fighter pilot with her scores but instead she was pointed toward multi-engine. Her flight commander stepped and challenged the decision. “What if I covered her face? Where would you send a pilot with these scores?” The response from the decision makers was: “Okay, as long as she promises not to make any trouble.”

Her fighter pilot training is in the Hawk T2 – “a transonic, 2-seat training aircraft used by the RAF to train pilots to fly fast jet combat aircraft.” Her first flight was at 420 knots low level (below 500 feet) around Wales but she also remembers flying at 45,000 feet. “I saw the curvature of the earth for the first time and it was most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

By the time Jo’s pilot training comes to an end in 1993, the Royal Navy had allowed women on ships. This again changed the law for women’s rights in the military and she can now go on to be a fast jet pilot flying the Tornado Panavia. (At that point she was one of only five women fighter pilots in the world). “Flying is easy – you go left, right, up, down and forward. But a fast jet pilot is all about capacity to think and situational awareness. It is the only thing harder than being an F1 driver.”

Flight Lieutenant Salter is posted to Squadron 617, “The Dambusters,” (known for their precision bombing of German dams during the Second World War). Seven out of eight squadrons said no when asked if the would take a woman. No. 617 asked, “Is she a good pilot?”

“I was 24 years old, and nervous. When I arrived, a senior navigator meets me to say, ‘Jo you are not welcome here and we are going to get rid of you.’ He enabled me to do the job.”

As part of crew cooperation, the co-pilots are taught to do have a capture conversation about what they’d do if they get shot down. The senior navigator informed Jo, “Whichever way you go, I will be going the opposite direction.”

As Jo described, “Why are you saying that? What was it about the dynamic that wasn’t working. I needed to be the best crew that we could be while we were making decisions together. You’ve got burning jet crashing down beside you, you have a parachute landing in hostiles … You are not going to leave the only person you know.”

Jo found the only way she could connect with him was to offer to caddy for him during a golf game, which he readily accepted. She admits this is not something she would do today.

You can become a member of the Air League of Monaco for an annual fee of €150. Founded in November 2013 with a mission to promote “air-mindedness in the young”, today the Monaco charity counts 230 members including 135 junior members.

“There are difficulties being the first in anything. You feel like you are being watched all the time.” Jo cited the expression, “There are old pilots, bold pilots but not old bold pilots.” And admits that she, like all fighter pilots with heathy egos, became over-confident at times and made mistakes. But she always took responsibility.

Jo completed several NATO exercises in a “no-fly zone” over Iraq and went on to become an Honorary Group Captain training thousands of air cadets. “I believe in service and for 12 years have been flying air cadets,” said the author of two books, Energy – 52 ways to fire up your life and Become an Energy Angel”and Energize: Spring Clean Your Mind And Body To Get Your Bounce Back Today And Every Day.

After leaving the military, Jo went to become “an advocate for women in the military, inspiring female pilots around the world to continue to obliterate glass ceilings.” But it has only been in the last seven years or so that the RAF has truly embraced her as a spokesperson. She is now a sought-after public speaker and Director of Global Transformative Leadership at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

She met Queen Elizabeth in October 2018 when she showed Her Majesty, who was Patron of the Royal Air Force Club, a new stained-glass window commemorating the role of women in the RAF. Jo was awarded an MBE for services to aviation in the 2022 New Year Honours, the final New Year’s Honours appointed by the Queen.

In June of that same year, she met Tom Cruise on the red carpet for the premier of Top Gun: Maverick in London’s West End. “Tom Cruise asked to meet me,” Jo told me. “We discussed G-force and flying. He then spent the day at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford and I hosted him for the day.” (While Jo has flown 7-G, Tom has flown 9-G, the highest the human body is able to withstand.) By the way, Jo’s pet peeve is watching movies with fast jet pilots when their oxygen masks are hanging down and they are speaking. “Just crazy!”

Looking back to those early years of training, Jo Salter emphasised that there were good people in the RAF. “I was told it must have been my sense of humour but they didn’t see me go to the officer’s mess and calling my mom up and crying my heart out saying, ‘It doesn’t matter that I am a good pilot, they are not ready for me to do that.’

“But they are now,” she smiled.

The latest UK Armed Forces Biannual Diversity Statistics reports women make up 11.7% of  UK Regular Forces and are best represented in the RAF, where they make up 15% of regular personnel. A 2021 study by the International Society of Women Airline Pilots revealed less than 6% of pilots worldwide are women. In France, according to the Association of Female Pilots the proportion of licensed female aviators is 10%.

Article first published on April 7, 2024.

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Roquebrune road closed due to accident, passengers flee scene

Sunday morning around 7 am in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, the driver of a silver Clio lost control of the vehicle and smashed into a wall on Notre Dame de Bon Voyage. The car was heading towards Monaco having just passed the 4 Chemins roundabout.

After initial impact, one person escaped through the passenger side window. He immediately tried to help the other passenger out of the smashed wreckage. The second passenger exited the car, either through the same window or the hatchback, where he lay on the ground for a few seconds before the two made a run for it on foot.

The two young men wearing shorts and short sleeve shirts ran up the road 200 meters before escaping down the stairs “Escaliers de Bon Voyage” which lead to avenue Jean Jaurès. They are at the moment at large.

The road reopened to traffic at 9:15 am after emergency services investigated the scene and removed the debris.

Article published April 21, 2024.

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Pink Ribbon Monaco Gala & Walk

Watch the interview with Natasha Frost-Savio. The founder of Pink Ribbon Monaco gives the inside scoop on the upcoming charity gala and 5K walk.

Breaking news out of the Pink Ribbon Monaco camp. After setting up the non-profit back in 2011, founder Natasha Frost-Savio has announced Princess Charlene has taken on the position of Honorary President in January 2024. This “cements her commitment to women’s health and the fight against breast cancer with the Principality’s most prominent association dedicated to the cause.”

The timing could not be better. Pink Ribbon Monaco’s two big fundraising events are around the corner. A swanky gala with award-winning musical guest Zhang Zhang on February 2 and the 12th edition of the 5K Walk on February 11. All proceeds go to support lobular breast cancer research at Monaco’s Princess Grace Hospital Center. 

The second edition of Pink Ribbon Monaco’s gala and charity auction, under the High Patronage of Prince Albert, will take place on Friday, February 2, in the elegant and exclusive Salle Médecin, in the heart of the Monte Carlo Casino.

This is a James Bond moment. Each guest will receive a game chip to participate in pre-dinner French Roulette and blackjack. Additional chips can be purchased for €100, and although no cash jackpots can be won, lucky winners will take home sought-after prizes.

As a private event, and thanks to the support of Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, this is a rare opportunity to take stunning photos in the historical venue and capture the special moments at the roulette and blackjack tables.

The live charity auction will include a variety of luxury fashion and interior design lots, jewellery and art work, generously provided by Chanel, Versace, Vitale 1913, Boghossian, Zegg & Cerlatti and Rinck. A Grand Prix weekend experience valued around €10,000 will also be open for bidding.

It’s not just the venue that makes this “one of the season’s most select and sought-after events”. The evening will be set to the tune of the award-winning musician Zhang Zhang. This is a rare occasion to see the first violin of the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra with her 7-piece orchestra up close bringing the house down with classics “from Mancini to Morricone and from Sinatra to Fitzgerald.”

Gala tickets can be purchased online.

The following weekend is Monaco’s favourite 5K – and for the first time the date does not fall on a school break. The 12th Pink Ribbon Monaco charity walk is on Sunday February 11. As with the gala, funds raised will contribute to a breast cancer study in the Principality.

The event is part of Monaco Run and starts at 10:15 am at Port Hercules and the circuit gently climbs up the Rock to pass in front of the Palace, the Cathedral and the Oceanographic Museum before winding back down to the terraces of the Monte-Carlo Casino. Children and dogs are welcome but pushchairs or wheelchairs may need assistance in some areas.

Online registration is €30 and free for under-13s. Participants will get a commemorative t-shirt that can be picked up on Saturday, February 10, at the Pink Ribbon Monaco stand at the esplanade of Port Hercule from 10 am to 5 pm. Raffle tickets (€10 for 5 tickets) will be on sale, too.

Watch Natasha’s video above about Saturday’s crazy surprise guest.

Natasha is grateful for her Pink Ribbon Monaco walk sponsors (SBM Offshore, Crazy Pizza and Striped Sportswear) and points out that unlike other sporting events, participants will not have numbers on their bibs. “Instead, they can write messages of support or tribute to the victims of breast cancer instead.

“The aim is not to complete the course in record time, but it is a moving show of support for women, sisters, daughters, mothers and friends,” says Natasha.

And, of course, a reminder for women to get themselves checked.

Natasha’s campaigning efforts were recognised in 2022 when she was knighted the Order of Saint Charles by Prince Albert. Read more here.

Article first published January 23, 2024. All photos/videos copyright Nancy Heslin.

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Martina Brodie

Martina Brodie would sum up her childhood in one word: books. “My first memory is of my mom and dad both reading. Always. I was convinced that everybody reads all the time.”

Martina and her two younger brothers were born in the eastern part of Slovakia, in a small town called Sečovce. Growing up under Communism meant a life full of restrictions, including travel outside of the Eastern Bloc. “But I did travel,” insists Martina. “In fact, I travelled Around the World in 80 Days with Jules Verne. For me, our local library was a Treasure Island. It was only later on that I realised these books were carefully checked and censored for any praise of the West and that many authors were banned.”

There was no freedom of religion. “We had to learn Russian at elementary school and, to prevent us from going to church on Sunday mornings, the school organised ‘Sitting by the Samovar’. This was a competitive quiz about Soviet culture.”

Western music was also a no-go. “Once my father brought home the Beatles’ album, Help! Someone had smuggled in the LP and it was so exciting. We were breaking the rules! We couldn’t play it loud, but my brother and I must have listened to this record a million times – dancing and repeating the strange words which we learned by heart not knowing what they meant. Years later, when I met Ringo Starr in Monaco, I was starstruck and left speechless from a flood of memories.”

Martina moved to Monaco in 2010 with her husband, Ian, founder of NEWS.mc. The couple first laid eyes on each other just before Christmas 1996 in Bratislava, Slovakia. Journalism major Martina had started her weekend job at the country’s first Irish pub, Dubliners. Ian, who was publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Central European Business Weekly, which he founded in Prague in 1992, was at the bar on opening night. They didn’t speak that first time.

The Dubliners became a distribution point for Ian’s weekly newspaper. As Martina recalls, “My Irish friend at the pub saw me laugh out loud reading its tongue-and-cheek column Central European Diary and made sure that I met this guy when he next came to visit.” 

Martina was in the process of breaking up with her boyfriend when she was formally introduced to Ian at the pub. “Our chat turned out to be a night-long discussion. And it must have been interesting because I stayed up talking to Ian until early morning. I remember leaving the underground bar and there was daylight. I was about to hop on one of the first trams of the day when Ian asked for my number. There were no mobile phones back then and I couldn’t afford a landline so I made up six digits on the spot, which he duly noted down. I knew I would never see this guy again. What I failed to tell him was that I was leaving town to finish my thesis and be with my family. A few days later I quit my job at the pub and left the capital for a long time.”

Martina heard from friends that Ian had been relentlessly calling the fictious number. “He would come from Prague to the pub in Bratislava most weekends, asking everyone about my whereabouts. When I returned a year later, people were coming up to me with Ian’s number saying they had had enough of this guy looking for me. I was like, Which guy? … Don’t tell Ian!”

Martina called Ian. The next day he once again took the five-hour train from Prague. “Lunch turned into dinner and the rest is history, well with a twist. I was aware of the nearly 30-year age difference so I travelled around the world to make up my mind. Ian followed me. To Mexico. To California. To Canada. He really is the most tenacious person I know!”

Except for when Martina went to Japan for three months with an international group – Up With People – and lived with host families in nine places. “My Japanese host mothers were very supportive of my dilemma. They told me, ‘Martina, many people do not experience what love is. You seem to have found it, don’t throw it away. Even if he is much older – go for it – and when he dies, you will find another!’”

Accepting the advice, by age 30 Martina and Ian were living back in Bratislava and had two children. She worked as a freelance television and radio journalist, and also helped Ian start a monthly bilingual magazine, Business Slovakia.

When Ian’s mother had health issues, the family moved to Wellington in the UK. Martina looked for work. “It was 2007 and you couldn’t find a good cup of coffee. This was long before the big chains discovered this pleasant town in southwest England. So together with a friend – and on a very tight budget – we opened the Chocolate Box, a continental café selling Belgian pralines and ten types of hot chocolates,” Martina shares.

“It was no ordinary café. It very chocolatey and magical, and even though I had no previous experience running a café, it was a success from day one. The boys were small and I worked 24/7 baking most of the goods we were selling. After four years I was exhausted.”

It was time to sell the coffee shop and use the money to return to Slovakia. Ian had already gone ahead to prepare the family cottage when Martina picked up a copy of the Sunday Times. “I read this wonderful article about Monaco written by Evelyne Genta, the Monaco ambassador to the UK. The piece mentioned how Monaco is full of opportunities for young entrepreneurs with good ideas, that it is a great place to live as well as a safe place for families. I called my husband to say: ‘Stop whatever you are doing. We are going to live in Monaco.’ Ian agreed and that is how crazy we are. We did it.”

They packed up the hired van and drove with the kids from the UK for Monaco. Ian started a job as Editor-in-Chief at the Riviera Times, the boys were enrolled in local schools, and Martina? “I was desperate to learn French and explore life on the Riviera. Except nothing worked out. The boys had a terrible time at school. They didn’t speak French and the whole system was brutally different from the UK. They say you can only be as happy as your least-happy child. Well, they were both depressed and it was hard for me as a mom.”

On top of that, Ian’s job didn’t work out and he quit. “I was furious! However, it was 2010 and we both knew Monaco would benefit from an English-language news service as nothing else existed at the time. That’s how Monaco Life started – first as a print magazine, later as online daily news. It was exciting and growth was rapid.”

The British Association of Monaco, led by Vanessa Ilsley, and Anette Anderson at MonacoUSA supported Martina and Ian from day one. “They may be our most favourite people in Monaco,” Martina admits. “It is never easy to come to a new country and try to connect with like-minded people and I will never forget how welcoming they were. When life wasn’t easy, they were always there. In fact, I think it was Annette who took the ‘famous’ photo of us dancing at Stars’n’Bars around 2012 or so.”

The other point bookish Martina remembers from those early days is her need to join a book club – any book club. “I wanted to get to know people but clubs were not accepting new members … so I started my own, the Monte Carlo Reading Society. We had some good laughs and the six women who joined are my closest friends to this day.”

Still, Monaco’s promise of “a great place to live” was not all it cracked up to be. “They say you have to give a new place at least two years before you make a decision to stay or to move on. I gave it three. I had to make a hard decision to take the boys back to finish their education in Wellington. Ian stayed a bit longer and sold Monaco Life before moving back with us.”

They stayed in the UK for four years but in July 2019 Ian returned to Monaco to start Monaco Daily News – aka NEWS.mc. “The boys wanted to return to the Riviera. I was hesitant because I truly love the UK. I had a great job working for the 250-year-old Fox Brothers and it doesn’t happen often that you have the best colleagues, the best management and inspiring owners. I worked in the best company in the world really, truly. It was a hard decision to follow my family.

“I could say coming back to Monaco this time was much easier than before. Maybe. The boys had finished school so that was easier. Ian now has two wonderful partners and our boys Max, 19, and Jack, 23, are very much part of the business, too, so my role is more a supportive one. Although, I must say, the written interview will always be my favourite type of journalism. I love people’s stories and Monaco is so rich in this department.”

Although Martina studied journalism, as a child she wanted to be a teacher. “My mom was a history teacher and although she was very strict, her lessons were so imprinted on the students they didn’t need to write one single thing down. She had a gift of storytelling that stayed with you. I know this first hand because as a small child she would sneak me into her afternoon classes.”

Martina adds, “They say when the student is ready, the right teacher arrives. And I was ready when the Face Yoga Method came to my life at the best possible moment. After a six-month Face Yoga Method Teachers Training, I became certified on November 1st and am starting my online classes from January 2024.

The name Face Yoga Method was coined by Fumiko Takatsu, a Japanese woman who created the concept of a holistic approach to looking after the face. As Martina puts it, “At first it was pure vanity for me. I wanted to get rid of wrinkles and get that bulging double chin under control, but what I found was a whole new dimension of tension release. Quite frankly, our face doesn’t start at our chin, but at our feet.

“Just like we exercise and tone our body muscles, we can do the same with our facial muscles. And as we do we increase the blood circulation which results in more oxygen bringing more nutrients to our skin. It’s a non-invasive, all-natural way to achieve a more youthful appearance and improve our skin’s texture with no special equipment needed. Just a little bit of diligence and perseverance.”

The more Martina learned about Face Yoga, the more it resonated from within. “I wanted to learn how to teach it and share the excitement. Little by little, we can wake up the muscles on our face and start a fully facial workout, aligning our bodies, our skin and ourselves. It’s all interconnected and consistency is paramount here.”

The classes will run on a monthly subscription basis at a very reasonable cost and even though this self-care is a never-ending journey, Martina’s students will be able to practice certain poses and continue their inspired Face Yoga journey on their own. “As my teacher Fumiko says, ‘Change your face, change your life’. I like to say: Every face tells a story, let yours be uplifting.”

To say this has been a tough year for Martina is an understatement. She lost both her parents, unexpectedly and suddenly. “My Face Yoga daily practice helped me tremendously to deal with this emotional trauma keeping me grounded, focused and calm.”

Part of that focus is remembering her folks with gratitude. “When Communism collapsed and my father started his private dentistry practice, it didn’t do so well and he simply couldn’t cope with the new rules of capitalism. My mom was the breadwinner. When his business collapsed, they both went to America and washed cars at petrol stations for five years to pay my father’s debts and to save their house. They paid every single penny back. And kept their house, for us.”

She thinks back to that Help! album her father snuck into the family home when she was a young girl, and singing and dancing with her brother to The Beatles. Martina wishes she could go back to that day she met Ringo Starr to say: ‘You have no idea what you mean to me. You opened a whole new window to my future when I first heard and spoke English, the language I now speak, write … and will use to teach.’”

Email Martina Brodie about her Face Yoga Method classes or contact her via Facebook.

Article first published December 18, 2023.

What is Martina reading?

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Child Car Monaco Ladies Vintage Rally 2023

The 10th edition of the Ladies Vintage Car Rally took place on Sunday, September 10th, with nearly a hundred women – and for the first time – men stepping out to support Child Care Monaco. This year’s dress code: “The Charleston”, a nod to Prince Rainier as 2023 marks the centenary of his birth.

Now, usually, I would write about how unique this fundraiser is, how it shines a very bright light on women in Monaco and how wonderfully they can come together for a humanitarian cause. I would probably say that Martine Ackermann founded Child Care Monaco in 2012 with a mission to “promote and help the education of disadvantaged children in the world”, and has on-the-ground projects in India, Guatemala and South Africa. And, surely, I would add that Martine not only pours her heart into organising this vintage car rally for women (with the help of Bernhard, Theo, Carla, Annie, Dominque and David Golland), but she also finds the time to support each and every one of us for our events across the year.

Instead, I want to share other rally driver’s experiences. Throughout the day, I spoke with familiar faces and new faces to the Ladies Vintage Car Rally.

Here are the day’s highlights:
8:15am: Breakfast at the Café du Paris. I met up with Olive and Maria, and Tracy. (Scroll down for lots of photos.)

9:45am: Departure of 39 classic cars, including a 1947 Delahaye 135 MS and 1962 1500 Giulia Spider Alfa Romeo, courtesy of the Prince’s Car Collection and its director, Valérie Closier.  (WATCH VIDEO TOP OF ARTICLE).

12pm: The group made their way west past Nice and up to Opio to the secluded (this was a speakeasy, after all) Le Mas des Geraniums, where lunch was followed by roulette, a tombola and dancing, and not necessarily in that order. Here is Béatrice Bordier and Magali Jacquet-Lagreze from CFM-Indosuez Monaco,

12pm: The group made their way west past Nice and up to Opio to the secluded (this was a speakeasy, after all) Le Mas des Geraniums, where lunch was followed by roulette, a tombola and dancing, and not necessarily in that order. Here is Béatrice Bordier and Magali Jacquet-Lagreze from CFM-Indosuez Monaco, which donated the use of six cars.

5 pm: The post-lunch route led to afternoon tea at l’Antre Potes in Eze. Newcomers Simone and Audrey share their thoughts.

7pm: The day comes to an end with a prize giving in the presence of Princess Stephanie at Castelroc, next to the Palace.

Breakfast shots from the Café du Paris.

Valérie Closier, Director of the Prince’s Car Collection.
Bernhard Ackermann leads the way.

Article first published September 11, 2023. All photos and videos copyright Nancy Heslin.

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Pourquoi je fais mes courses dans le supermarché le plus cher de France

Au petit matin du 17 avril 2020, je promenais mon chien lorsque j’ai aperçu deux chiens sauvages errer au milieu de la route. Nos yeux se croisèrent juste assez longtemps pour que je sache ce qui allait se passer. J’ai pris mon chien dans mes bras et je me suis mis en position de renfort.

Un cri aigu m’a ramené dans mon corps, et quand j’ai ouvert les yeux, j’ai réalisé que c’était moi qui réagissais aux séries de dents perçant ma peau. «Ils vont te tuer», m’a alerté la voix dans ma tête. D’une manière ou d’une autre, j’ai commencé à courir, mon chien serré dans les bras. J’ai traversé la rue en courant, les deux bêtes me poursuivant sans relâche tandis que le sang coulait sur mes jambes.

C’était à mi-chemin du premier confinement covid, donc il y avait peu de véhicules qui passaient à 5h30 du matin. L’un d’eux est passé à côté de moi sciemment, mais la voiture à 5 portes derrière s’est arrêtée. J’ai sauté sur la banquette arrière. Les chiens ont bondi dans la voiture tandis que le conducteur tentait de les effrayer en klaxonnant. Finalement, les deux chiens (comme je l’ai appris plus tard) de garde dressés malinois évadés ont continué vers Monaco et le jeune couple dans la voiture m’a déposé à la maison où j’ai appelé la police (le conducteur les avait déjà contactés) qui m’a mis en contact avec une ambulance.

Ce n’est qu’après être rentré chez moi après avoir subi des points de suture et déposé plainte (les chiens ont ensuite attaqué trois autres victimes à Monaco) que j’ai réalisé que je n’avais aucun moyen de remercier les inconnus qui, littéralement, ont sauvés moi et mon chien de la mutilation à mort.

Quelques jours plus tard, un ami du quartier m’a appelé pour lui dire que le couple dans la voiture travaillait dans notre épicerie locale, le Casino Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.

Lorsque je les ai retrouvés pour leur exprimer ma gratitude, le chauffeur m’a raconté une histoire remarquable. Le matin même de l’attaque, sa voiture à deux portes ne démarrait pas, alors il a emprunté la berline de sa petite amie pour se rendre au travail à l’heure. Il a dit que c’était le destin car avec son collègue comme passager, il n’y aurait pas eu de place pour moi dans sa voiture.

Depuis ce moment, je suis un client fidèle du Casino Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. Et je m’en voudrais donc de ne pas répondre au titre de cette semaine qui le qualifie de « supermarché le plus cher de France ».

Oui, c’est cher. Ce n’est un secret pour personne. Le personnel en parle, les locaux en parlent. C’est comme dire que les gens vivent à Monaco pour éviter de payer de l’impôt.

Pourtant le magasin limitrophe de Monaco, avec des frais mensuels de 25 000 euros pour le loyer et de 10 000 euros pour l’électricité, a ses avantages. Il ouvre en semaine à 7h30, vous pouvez donc faire vos achats avant d’aller travailler. Pour les personnes sensibles au budget comme moi, il existe l’application CasinoMax qui vous offre une remise de 10 % sur chaque article. Et contrairement au très grand Carrefour Monaco rempli de clients, ce Casino a une surface au sol gérable avec moins de monde qui accapare les allées.

C’est un magasin de proximité pour la communauté de Saint Roman de tous âges qui fait ses courses sans voiture et préfère transporter ses caddies et sacs recyclés avec ses provisions du jour plutôt que de faire ses achats en ligne.

Le couple qui tient les lieux se met en quatre pour me dire bonjour ; lorsque mon Canada natal fait la une des journaux, ils posent des questions sur ma famille. Je ne défends en aucun cas les propriétaires ou leur stratégie de prix de détail. Le sondage (voir vidéo ci-dessous) n’a pas révélé le détail de leurs dépenses de fonctionnement. Peut-être qu’ils pourraient baisser les prix, je ne sais pas.

Ce que je sais, c’est qu’ils ont un personnel exceptionnel. Chaque fois que j’entre dans le supermarché, j’ai un sentiment de famille. Je suis accueilli par un bonjour amical et quelques bavardages. Ces travailleurs sont pour la plupart des trentenaires qui tentent de vivre leur vie comme tout le monde. Certains sont des parents seuls; d’autres ont subi une perte tragique. Certains sont fanatiques de Noël et de la pâtisserie; d’autres ont perdu 20 kg et sont désormais passionnés de sport. Ils sont tous accommodants dans leur rôle et je ne suis pas toujours le client le plus patient.

Ces liens humains comptent pour moi plus que le résultat net. Et je pense que nous oublions que derrière chaque gros titre, des vies sont touchées. Je continuerai à soutenir le supermarché le plus cher de France parce que quelqu’un qui travaille là a fait ce qu’il fallait pour m’aider. Et faire ce qu’il faut n’a pas de prix.

MISE À JOUR SEPTEMBRE 2024 : Le Casino Roquebrune-Cap-Martin devient un Carrefour Market le 16 septembre 2024. Cette opération s’inscrit dans le cadre d’un rachat par Carrefour, Auchan et Intermarché de 288 magasins Casino.

Article publié pour la première fois le 7 septembre 2023.

Article publié pour la première fois le 7 septembre 2023. Read article in English:

https://goodnewsmonaco.com/2023/09/07/why-i-shop-at-frances-most-expensive-supermarket-roquebrune-cap-martin
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Top Marques Monaco 2023

This year’s Avant-Premier at Top Marques Monaco was legendary. Some 1,500 car enthusiasts attended the VIP preview on Wednesday, June 7 and, according to insiders, “at least half a dozen classic cars and motorbikes sold on the first night”.

Ticket sales for the 18th edition are up by 35% on last year as auto aficionados pour into the Grimaldi Forum to check out six global launches, 100 exhibitors and 150 supercars, classic cars, motorbikes and super boats. There is no shortage of Instagram stories #topmarques starring shiny McLarens, Bugattis and Aston Martins, all vying for attention amongst Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Porsche and Ferrari.

Sure, the usual supercar suspects are pretty to look at but dig a little deeper at Top Marques and you’ll find some awe-inspiring nuggets from Monaco residents. The Ineos Grenadier is an “uncompromising 4×4” inspired by INEOS Chairman, Jim Ratcliffe, and nanoFlowcell founder and CTO Nunzio La Vecchia introduces the world’s first 100% EV that is battery-free and can drive up to 2,000 kilometres before refuelling. 

Nunzio presented the E-roadster QUANTiNO twentyfive (VIDEO ABOVE) to a group from the Monaco Women in Motorsport Commission (Commission des Femmes dans le sport automobile, pictured). Explaining how the car is not charged like conventional electric cars, he had the undivided attention of 30 women, no easy feat. “Our water-treatment system turns saltwater, brackish water or wastewater into carrier liquids for our specially nano-structured molecules – the actual bi-ION charge carriers.”

The electric car alternative, which can be refuelled with electrolytes sourced from 90% salt water, has been in development over eight years with over 500,000 test kilometres.

Nunzio studied quantum mechanics and quantum physics, and worked in R&D in the field of alternative energy technologies before he founded nanoFlowcell AG in 2013 (originally registered as JUNO Technology Products AG). The following year, he introduced the QUANT E, the world’s first electric car powered by his nanoFlowcell drive which had its premiere at the Geneva International Motor Show.

Ever since, the trademarked proprietary energy and n-AI technologies have become uniquely synonymous with the company’s “disruptive innovation power”. NanoFlowcell has registered offices in Kilchberg (Switzerland) and London (UK) and went public in 2021. Nunzio, who has been a Monaco resident for five years, hopes the nanoFlowcell Holdings plc subsidiary which opened in New York in December 2022 will help take the technology beyond the automobile sector, toward the aerospace and transport industries, and smart city development.

As for the QUANTiNO twentyfive, which you can visit at Stand C6 at Top Marques Monaco until Sunday, Nunzio hints the E-roadster could be brought to market by the end of the year … for sale in Monaco.

Top Marques Monaco is open Saturday, June 10 (10am-7pm) and Sunday, June 11 (10am-6pm). Tickets can be purchased online or at the Grimaldi Forum – €45/adult and €25/children 8-16, with free admission for under-8s. This weekend there is a Lego workshop by Bricks 4 Kidz. €2 for every regular ticket sold will be donated to the Monaco non-profit association Monaco Disease Power.

Videographer Martine Ackermann.

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Monaco Pride

2023 Monaco Pride at Novotel. Photo: Fight Aids Monaco/Frederic Nebinger

“Diversity, inclusion and equal civil rights.” This was the positive message from the 120 people invited to celebrate Monaco Pride at Novotel on Thursday. Guests included government and National Council representatives, businesses, members of the LGBTQIA+ community and those who support them.

The second edition of Monaco Pride was again sponsored by Barclays Private Bank and Fight Aids Monaco. The private cocktail shined a light on the “indispensable elements for a growing economy and healthy community.”

The event kicked off with Annette Anderson, who delivered a powerful welcome address in French and English. (WATCH VIDEO.) Annette highlighted how in 2022 the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance called on Monaco “to examine and eliminate unjustified differences in rights between same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples.” This led to a roundtable talk of recommendations in April between the Commission and representatives of Monaco’s government and community.

Annette also congratulated the ASM Football Club, whose players have worn jerseys with their names in rainbow colours on International Day Against Homophobia on May 17 over the past few years.

The conversation on inclusion continued with speakers Hervé Aeschbach, Coordinator of Fight Aids Association, and Guillaume Rapin, General Manager of Novotel Monaco, who told a touching story of one of the hotel’s gay employees. (WATCH VIDEOS.)

Gerald Mathieu, CEO of Barclays Private Bank Monaco, rounded off the conversation discussing Barclay’s ethos on social impact and encouraging diversity and inclusion in the workplace. (WATCH VIDEO.)

Barclays has always stated, “We want every one of our colleagues to feel comfortable being themselves at work. It’s central to our culture here at Barclays. We nurture it through activities and initiatives, and building networks for colleagues to connect. Our ongoing relationship with pride globally is just one of the ways in which we show our commitment to the LGBT + community.”

Since 2004, Fight Aids Monaco has been supporting LGBTQIA+ and those living with HIV, acknowledging each person’s sexual orientation and gender identity. The non-profit condemns any kind of inequality, discrimination, or violence against any person and believes that defending this principle “should be everybody’s concern.”

Monaco is listed 44th out of 49 European countries on the International Lesbian and Gay Association-Europe’s LGBT+ equality ranking. This is up one point from the 2022 list. The ILGA annual report said that Monaco’s historic first Pride event in 2022 was “a sign of positive progress for residents”. The association also wrote: “On 4 July, the Monaco Court granted a gender marker change to a transwoman, who medically transitioned in France. This is the first such court case. Monaco has no legislation in place on LGR.” Homosexual couples in the Principality do not have the right to adopt or have access to IVF and that discrimination based on sexual orientation is not protected by the Constitution.

Since June 27, 2020, Monaco has allowed same-sex couples to sign a cohabitation agreement (contrat de vie commune), but the law considers same-sex couples living together on par with siblings for inheritance taxes and they are not eligible for the same legal protection (healthcare, retirement, succession) available to married couples of the opposite sex.

For Monaco Pride, Barclays Private Bank Monaco gave free t-shirts to attendees and during the month of June, the bank’s façade will be illuminated in the colours of the rainbow in observance of Pride Month.

Barclays Private Bank Monaco in June.

The first edition of Monaco Pride at Stars’n’Bars in June 2022 brought together 80 people, including special guests Princess Stephanie, President of Fight Aids Monaco, and her youngest daughter Camille Gottlieb.

Feature image: Fight Aids Monaco Facebook.

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Rugby legend Rives opens art exhibit at Prince’s Car Collection

His long blond hair earned him the nicknamed “casque d’or” (golden helmet). The BBC called him a “cult figure” in France. Jean-Pierre Rives played for France’s rugby team from 1975 to 1984 and was the first captain to lead the team to victory against the All Blacks in New Zealand on July 14, 1979. The flanker was the country’s first truly international rugby star.

Yet despite a record-breaking career in rugby, as a child Jean-Pierre had always been fascinated by colour and form and dreamt of the Beaux-Arts. Born in 1952, in Toulouse, perusing art was not an option for his generation, especially as his grandfather was a cyclist and his father favoured tennis.

When Jean-Pierre retired in 1987, after winning 59 caps for France (34 as captain) and two Grand Slams in 1977 and 1981, he gave away his game jersey and trophies because for him, what mattered most, were the people: “Rugby is the story of a ball with friends around and when there is no more ball, friends remain.”

The soft-spoken artist reflects, “Both rugby and art both are based on emotions.” (Watch Video).

The studios may have come knocking – he appeared in three films: Qui sont mes juges? (1987); Connemara (1990); and Druids in 2001 – but after discovering the work of sculptor Albert Féraud, Jean-Pierre fulfilled his calling.

As a renowned sculptor who has lived in Mendocino, California, and has a home in Grimaud, Jean-Pierre’s art has been shown around the world, in New York, Paris, Moscow, Dubai and Shanghai. In 2007, the “Rives sur Berges” outdoor exhibition installed eight of his sculptures along the Rhone River in Lyon during the Rugby World Cup.

Jean-Pierre’s “Abstraction Géométrique” exhibit opened on Monday, April 3, at the Prince’s Car Collection in Monaco. Jean-Pierre and director Valérie Closier welcomed Prince Albert at 6pm and accompanied him along the main floor where paintings and cars came together in the form of art, including a Formula 3000 and Rolls Royce Silver Shadow.

Valérie enthuses, “The work is very colourful, a touch of pop art in the collection, that ties into two customised cars covered with his work. It is the link between cars and art.” (Watch Video.)

This is the first art show at the modernised Prince’s Car Collection in the new La Condamine location and the energy is contagious. Invited guests included Gareth Wittstock, secretary general of the Princess Charlene Foundation. One of Jean-Pierre’s paintings will be auctioned in the Principality later this year with proceeds going to Princess Charlene’s Foundation, which among other activities supports the Monegasque Rugby Federation in organising the Saint Devote Rugby Tournament for youth. This year it takes place on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

Also present were Jean-Francois “Jeff” Tordo (former captain of the French national rugby team and founder of the humanitarian association, Pachaamama), Tiffaney Perlino (president of Monaco’s Women in Motor Sport Commission), Brigitte Boccone-Pagès (president of Monaco’s National Council), and Martine Ackermann, founder of Child CARE Monaco and the Monte-Carlo Women’s Vintage Car Rally, this year on September 10).

Valérie hopes to bring in several exhibits every year to create a “living space” that will keep people coming back. (Breaking News: Monaco Fashion Week will have its catwalk to the backdrop of the cars and art in May.)

This is the first time Jean-Pierre Rives, 70, is sharing his “Abstraction Géométrique” with the public. The exhibit runs until the end of May at the Prince’s Car Collection at 54 route de la piscine. Admission is €10 or €5 for under 18. Open daily 10 am to 7 pm.

Prince Albert with artist Jean-Pierre Rives and Valerie Closier,, director of the Prince’s Car Collection.
Valerie Closier, Prince Albert and Jean-Pierre Rives .
Tiffaney Perlino, Valérie Closier, Jean-Pierre Rives, Martine Ackermann, Nancy Heslin and Jean-Jaques Bally. at “Abstraction Géométrique”vernissage.
Jean-Pierre Rives with Jeff Tordo.
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Batflex Monaco

March 15 is World Sleep Day and this year’s theme is “Sleep Equity for Global Health”. That’s a pretty big objective considering on average we spend a third of our lives in bed – 26 years sleeping plus seven years trying to fall asleep.

Maurizio Pace, the founder of Monaco’s only mattress brand Batflex, comments, “The key to getting proper sleep and waking up rested is to realise that we can’t entrust our bodies to a ‘static rectangle’ for 26 years. The rectangle must be ‘magical’ and that can only be achieved by trusting those who have studied how to make a mattress.”

Maurizio likens the difference between sleeping on a good mattress and sleeping on a high-quality mattress to fast fashion versus haute couture. “I believe the term ‘high quality’ is overused and reduces the real meaning. High quality at Batflex not only refers to the materials and workmanship involved, but also to the research that goes into our bespoke products.”

Born in Naples, Maurizio learned from the best. “I started through a natural traineeship with the family business. By my father’s side, I learned everything from consulting and mechanical construction to the marine and yachting sector,” he says.

For Maurizio, a well-managed family-run business facilitates and accelerates professional growth. “There are definitely advantages working with family but it should never be a competition. When everyone respects their roles, there is a mutual understanding that the goal is about building the company name and not the individual.”

The entrepreneur says his passion for the nautical industry “is in the blood of every Neapolitan because of the wonder that comes from even the simplest of sailing in the world’s most beautiful waters.” After university, he started out at an independent shipbuilder organising the emergency technical management of megayachts. This passion led to an appreciation of wood materials and the refitting of prestigious yachts like Cantieri di Pisa.

“Soon our company became a dealer for the main brands of yacht and megayacht components and after three years, with around 1,000 documented emergency interventions with 98% success, I moved to Monaco to expand our activity into the world of management and conciergerie services.”

As he explains it, “Each boat is a ‘small universe’ that combines the comfort of living with the complexity of cruising. Watching the sunrise or set from a yacht or cruising at night under starry skies are experiences that cannot be replicated onshore.”

In Monaco, Maurizio had an idea to transform “a static rectangle” into an art of living and sleeping. “It is all interlinked. The idea came after observing the lack of attention paid by yacht owners to a fundamental component of the on-board lifestyle. After looking into the methods used to construct mattresses, I threw down the gauntlet in an industry that is predominantly assembling low-quality products derived from chemicals. Their process is disrespectful of the environment and not part of a circular economy.”

Maurizio Pace and daughter Sofia run the family business.

Maurizio thoroughly studied the materials and construction methods to come up with quality and environmentally-friendly products and in 2019 he launched the family business Batflex Monaco. “We grew through customer testing by placing around 40,000 products on the market in three years and evaluating feedback and response at the 12-, 24- and 36-month markers.”

With his daughter Sofia at his side (pictured top), the design phase takes place in the Batflex offices at Palais de la Scala in Monaco. The mattresses are recognised for their all-round customisation and for the meticulous choice of materials. Production is outsourced to factories which are selected each year based on quality standards, innovation, ecology and technology, all under the supervision and testing of Batflex Monaco. “Production currently takes place in Italy at a leading company where we reserve exclusive production lines.”

There are two Batflex collections, each addressing slumber needs. One covers the most frequent requests—ergonomic and constant support, sleep independence and thermoregulation. The other collection is made-to-measure based on questions that identify the most suitable internal and external configurations to solve sleep issues. This technology starts at around €2,500. New product lines include ecological and natural mattresses.

“This is what living a high-quality sleeping experience means. Sleeping on a mattress that respects the alignment of your body’s structure relieves the right pressure points and ‘cuddles’ you with an extra feature that perfectly suits you. For example, a natural cover, magnetotherapy, essential oils and thermoregulation.”

The name Batflex comes from fantasy. “It is the superhero of mattresses. Like Batman, who acts at night to defeat crime, Batflex acts at night to defeat bad sleep. As a result, there is always well-being and peace of mind for the community.” The company’s logo is Kimbo the schnauzer, who was Maurizio’s faithful companion for 15 years. “I wanted to pay tribute to the one who gave his eternal loyalty without ever asking for anything in return. This is a symbol of my gratitude to him.”