Riviera Insider - March/April 2020

REAL ESTATE SPECIAL New developments that will change the Côte d’Azur

TRAVEL The perfect city for a long weekend in Italy

ART & CULTURE Cannes rolls out the pink carpet

MONACO A look inside the Centre Scientifique de Monaco

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28055 – 188 – F : 4.90 €

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The bright yellow Mimosas are fading and little white blossoms are popping out on bare branches. While I write this, the streets of Nice and Menton are filled with colourful floats for the Carnival parade. Spring is just around the corner, the season of change that’s anticipated everywhere in the world for the return of the warm sun, and here in the Riviera, the start of the new tourist season. But change isn’t just for the seasons change is everywhere. The beginning of the new decade brought with it a significant change with the exit of Britain from the EU (read a letter from the French Ministry on page 13) and the upcoming municipal elections could bring changes to some of our cities (page 14). But there are lots of little changes that slowly accumulate right under our noses, often without notice. We often go about our day, too busy to notice a new shop here or a new building there, until one day we look up and see a completely new skyline.

For me, the last few months have been dominated by new city developments, grand openings and inaugurations. So it is only fitting that this Real Estate special (starting page 26) is focused on the biggest changes coming to the area - the massive developments that will change the South of France forever.

On the residential side, 2019 numbers show the market is holding steady but after you read this special, you may want to double-down on your local investment.

Between Monaco, Nice and Cannes, there are some mega plans in the works, already approved and some even half-way built. The cover features the most ambitious and complicated construction project the Principality has ever undertaken (page 36) - even more than the current ‘most ambitious’ land extension project. By 2030, the Cote d’Azur will be an internationally recognised centre for creative arts, technology and advanced medicine. These changes are real, they are coming and I’m telling you now, get ready for it. ● NICOLE RUSKELL

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Editor-in-cheif nicOle RUskell discovered her passion for journalism and its ability to connect people while working as the editorial director for academic journals. She has a Masters degree in journalism and over 10 years’ experience in publishing. The California native has worked throughout the French Riviera and Liguria, and is committed to well-being and organic principles. ●

Managing director

Art Director

bich lecOURt

vincent aRtUs

was born in Antibes. Since completing her PhD in Economics, she has worked in Sophia Antipolis so is wellacquainted with the business ecosystem and atmosphere of the French Riviera. From architecture to interior design and décor, Bich likes discovering new parts of the region and enjoying the quintessential Côte d’Azur lifestyle. ●

has a gift for transforming visions and ideas into reality.

The Niçois creative takes care of all our communication design from photos to videos to magazines to branding. He has as a penchant for clean lines and playing with white space and has brought a fresh, stylish look to our publication. Vincent is a skilled photographer and videographer. ●

o u r

Sales & marketing fRanÇOise MUlleR is originally from Dijon, but has been living and working on the Côte d'Azur since 1993. For 14 years, she has thrived on her work in the communications and marketing industry, and is now an enthusiastic member of our team. Her hobbies include literature and sports. ●

Founder PetRa hall established the newspaper Riviera-Côte d’Azur Zeitung (now RivieraZeit) in German 26 years ago. It was followed by The Riviera Times, a magazine that has blossomed into Riviera Insider, in 2003. Her goal was always to provide readers with exciting, informative and unique insights written by professional mother-tongue journalists. She has become an institution in the south of France and Monaco's media landscape in her own right. ●

t e a m

Events & distribution

Secretary

DOMiniqUe fReUlOn

caROle hébeRt

who was born in Paris and has been living on the Côte d'Azur for 15 years, puts maximum energy and dynamism into working in our marketing department.

She is a true 'people person' and has always been an admirer of our magazines.

Her hobbies are travelling in faraway countries and literature. ●

is the heart and soul of the team. Besides dealing with accounting, subscription management and reader concerns, this native of northern France has a knack with numbers and always ensures everything in the office is ticking over perfectly. ●

Sales & marketing PatRice saint-légeR has been working in the communications sector for more than ten years. After studying business administration and entrepreneurship, our Cannesborn publicist discovered his passion in the advertising business. During his free time, his interests lie in sports and nature. ●

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CONTENTS

Gourmet Healthy, con amore: Balzi Rossi

42 The Hotlist

Issue #188

SEE MoRE, Do MoRE, kNow MoRE

7 - 13 Local elections

14 - 15 Monaco

Cover CHPG: This is what the new hospital will look in 2030 ©AIA Below A view of Riomaggiore in the Cinque Terre. Read the Travel section on page 22 ©Shutterstock

Can Monaco save the oceans? Insided the CSM

16 - 18 News from the Principality

20 - 21

United Flavours of Food

43 2020 Michelin Guide: A Sweet & Sour result

The new Riviera Airport in Albenga

22 - 24 SPECIAL: REAL ESTATE A 17-page dossier

26-41

La Spezi: The Golf of Poets

53 - 55 Business & Finance Native Spaces: The innovative event booking site

44

56

Lifestyle

60

UCA: New president, new university

Life Lessons

45 To your Health: Hayfever

46 Cap Roux: Hiking the Esterels

Liguria

Travel

48 - 49 Sport kids for kids: Mimosa fun run

50 Changing of the guard: Rolex Masters

51

Art & Culture The Agenda

62 Villa Paloma: Eugéne Frey Variations

63 Manifesta 13: Exclusive interview with director

64 Eternal love: The sculptures of Lena Dettervik

65 The Cultural Agenda

72 - 73

Teeing off: Golf du Claux Amic

50

Events

74 - 75 Riviera Press Event

72 - 75 Community News from around the region

76 - 82

Riviera Insider is partners with #CotedAzurFrance

MaRch / aPRil 2020

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SNOWday CHaLLENgE! The 7th of March will be marked by a sporting competition in aid of "La Ligue Contre le Cancer" (an organisation tha helps cancer patients and their family). There will be a "Trail de Neiges", a 9.2 km run through the snowy winter landscape (10 am) and two guided snowshoe hikes (10 am and 2 pm). The day is rounded off by numerous other activities. www.snowdaychallenge.com

© Robert Palombe

Auron – The Pearl of Winter sports End of the season specials! By AILA STöCKMANN

Throughout April, a children's pass (up to 11 years old) is free of charge for every adult who buys a ski pass.

For beginners there are attractive offers all winter long: New this season is the free use of the Nabines chair lift and the Eterlou plate lift. Tickets can be picked up at the ticket office (1.50€).

If you don't want to explore the whole ski area in one day, you can buy a "forfait découverte" (21.20€), which gives access to the lifts in the "Las Donnas" area: Télériou, Nabines, Eterlous, Riou, Ubac, Blainon, Las Donnas, Les Prés, and Les Abris. 

Barely one and a half hours to the north of Nice, snow covered peaks rise up into the sky until deep into Spring.

One of the top ski areas in the Maritime alps is auron, where, in addition to the magic of the slopes, the village atmosphere is just right.

© Robert Palombe

uron offers 135 km of pistes, a colourful mix of beginner's pistes, steep runs and sporty slopes, which are a joy for any level of skier or snowboarder.

After the rainy late autumn, the snow conditions are ideal this season: even if - as is typical for the south - the sunny days dominate by far, the white ground should last until the

a

end of the season on 19 April. After all, the village is 1,600 metres above sea level and the highest peak reaches 2,450 metres!

Auron’s welcoming village atmosphere also attracts many overnight guests, where cosy restaurants and bars provide the perfect end to a day of sports. In addition, the varied ski area on the edge of the Mercantour National Park regularly offers events that are not only about fun on the slopes.

Every February, top chefs from the region invite you to the village. In March, the Snow Day Challenge is held, and in April, the "Festival du bien-être en montagne" is held for four days of wellness and relaxation.

By the way: even those who have been longing for the sunbathing season should not yet put away their skis and poles! A sunny day in the glistening snow is at least as beneficial for body and soul as relaxing hours by the sea.

The end of the seaon is also a great time to go becuse Auron offers special family prices!

MOuNTaIN WELLNESS FESTIvaL From 10 to 13 april, the Salle rovery will be all about relaxation and alternative medicine. Topics of workshops and lectures will include Shiatsu, homeopathy, essential oils, sophrology, autohypnosis as well as sports activities such as snowshoeing, moonlight walks with meditation, Pilates, yoga, Qi Gong and more.

Day entrance fee: 10 € www.auron.com

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Just… wow!

THE NEW METROPOLITAN FITNESS CLUB

After an hour massage and 30 minutes of alternating between the indoor pool and cedar sauna with floor to ceiling windows, you step out onto the sun-drenched terrace with 180 degree views of the Mediterranean Sea. Lounge chairs abound and tables are filled with people eating salads from the organic restaurant. It feels like a 5-star spa, but it’s actually your gym.

The Metropolitan is a new luxury fitness centre and spa occupying the ‘penthouse’ of the newly revamped Cap 3000. The respected Spanish brand has brought a state-of-the-art, beautiful gym to the Nice area, a place that “makes you want to come work out,” says Director, Sergio Pellon. He explained the club’s objective during an inaugural tour with journalists: Providing a stress-free haven where you don’t have to worry about parking or whether you brought your gym bag, your towel or your toiletries. That means easy parking, a tower of clean towels when you walk in, designated lockers for you to keep your things there and even a laundry service for your sweaty clothes– all included in the membership. “we provide everything,” he says.

If you’re a fan of spinning, their massive cycling room features the top spinning bikes, all connected to other Metropolitan clubs so that you can race other members in Spain in real time. “we may not create a Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona level of rivalry, but it will get you going,” joked Pellon.

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There are stunning views from nearly every angle and ‘smart’ machines that open your personal account to log all your activity, monitor your pulse rate through your membership bracelet and charge your phone on contact. But perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of the club (for those who hate having to endure an hour of stench to stay fit at their local gym) is the pristine cleanliness.

The entire space is made of wood and stone and washable surfaces - so no sweat-soaked carpet in sight. Plus, there is a dedicated team of cleaners constantly disinfecting the machines and locker rooms. It is pure bliss.

Membership prices range from €75 (youth) to €135 per month.

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Welcome to Italy!

Now you can take a trip to Italy without even leaving home! The new concept restaurant, IT Villaggio in Cap 3000 is bright and fun and serves every kind of Italian food you can think of, made on the premisis for all to see.

Gio and Renato (pictured below) are two brothers who grew up in France with Italian parents. Their lives were instilled with a yearning for ‘the old country’ and a taste for its fresh, authentic dishes. IT Villaggio is their way of sharing the best of Italy, without compromising anything – especially the ‘Made in Italy’ seal.

Their promise: nothing frozen, no preservatives, no added flavours, nothing fake. Everything is made from scratch on the premises (using only Italian ingredients), from the fresh pasta to the pizzas, to the desserts – all separated into little stations that you can watch while they work.

Fresh fruit and veg are delivered daily for their salad station and fresh juice bar, and don’t miss the mozzarella station at the entrance – it’s the only place in France that makes the fresh cheese right before your eyes!

The rest is just pleasure – another cherished Italian export. The open space eatery is dominated by the expansive aperitivo bar where fun and sunshine are poured into glasses for never-ending Spritzes to be enjoyed on the expansive terrace with a live DJ and a BBQ in the summer.

NEW CONCEPT EATERY IT VILLAGGIO

People had been queuing for an hour to get in at their grand opening in February. when the time finally came, mammamia what an opening! ‘Bella Ciao’ was blasted through the speakers, all the staff gathered together with the owners, and they sang their hearts out as they ushered in their hungry guests.

Ingeniously designed by Costa Group (who also did the Gare du Sud), you literally feel transported to Italy from the moment you approach the hand painted Fiat 500. Escalators take you up through a classic scene of colourful buildings, green shutters and even laundry hanging overhead. Benvenuti in Italia! 

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CANyONINg

PAddlE BOARdINg

ROCk ClIMBINg

SlACklINE

HIkINg THE MERCANTOUR

Get out in nature!

Outdoor Festival 06 offers free sports for all

MOUNTAIN BIkINg

No other region offers sports enthusiasts as much fun and variety of the great outdoors as the alpes-Maritimes. Take advantage with the first "Outdoor Festival 06".

By AILA STöCKMANN

ountain biking, rock climbing, canyoning, slacklining, paragliding, paddle boarding, diving... the list of outdoor sports offered in the Alpes-Maritimes is long. what began with the first French skijump in Beuil has reached a new high point in the Vésubia Mountain Park in Saint-MartinVésubie. whether on the 3,000 metres peaks of the Mercantour, along the 80 kilometre coastline or in the mountainous countryside in between, the 06 offers plenty of ways to

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OuTdOOr FESTIvaL 06 30 April to 3 May For the full program: www.departement06.fr MaRch / aPRil 2020

engage in nature and have a lot of fun.

For four days, from 30 April to 3 May, various providers and guides will be presenting their activities for experts and newbies to try out.

More than 50 activities can be tested free of charge throughout the region. what a great opportunity to try something new with family or friends.

In the future, the "outdoor Festival 06" will take place every two years - alternating with the Garden Festival, which will be skipped this year and back in 2021. 

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2020 changes to French Law

You win some, you lose some…

L ower income tax, exemption from housing tax (taxe d'habitation) for 80 per cent of all households, but withholding tax for privately employed childminders and domestic helpers. we list the some important legislative changes in France as of 1 January 2020: tax, employment, public transport, health care, housing and environmental protection.

salaries, companies

 The hourly rate of the minimum wage (SMIC) will increase by 1.2 per cent from 10.03 to 10.15 euros gross (from 1,204 to 1,219 euros net per month). For the 2.3 million SMIC recipients, this means an additional 15 euros per month on their account.  Companies with more than eleven employees are obliged to set up economic and social councils (conseils économiques et sociaux, CSE). According to the Ministry of Labour, 50,000 CSE have been set up since the reform of the Labour Code was adopted in 2017.

taxes

 President Macron keeps his word to the "yellow vests": he grants income tax cuts of 5 billion euros. The 12 million households in the first tranche will pay an average of 350 euros less per year in the future; the five million households in the second tranche will pay 180 euros less.  Housing tax: 80 per cent of households (first residences) were completely exempted from the housing tax (taxe d'habitation)

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a bonus paid by the National Housing Agency (Agence nationale de l'habitat, ANAH) when they carry out renovation work that saves energy.

tobacco

 The price for a pack of 20 cigarettes increases to 9.10 or 9.20 euros, depending on the brand.

stamps

on January 1st. For the rest, the tax will be abolished in 2023.  Child minders (assistantes maternelles) and domestic helpers are now subject to withholding tax. The employer (private household) must pay them via the website monprelevementalasource.urssaf.fr.  The geothermal energy levy (redevance géothermie), a solidarity surcharge for wheat and barley plus 18 low-income taxes such as these will be abolished in 2020.

 The price of the stamp for a lettre prioritaire (a red stamp) and a lettre verte (green stamp) - each weighing up to 20 grams rose on 1 January. The green stamp (delivery within 48 hours within France) now costs 97 cents, up from 88 cents. The red stamp for delivery within 24 hours within France now costs 1.16 euros, up from 1.05 euros. Registered mail and other shipping methods have also become more expensive.

sncf railway company:

 The end of an era: newcomers to the SNCF will no longer benefit from the status of ‘railwayman’ (cheminot). It will continue to apply to the 131,000 people who currently benefit from it.

environment: Plastic ban

health

Justice

 Homeopathic products will only be reimbursed by the French social security (Sécu) at 10 to 15 per cent (previously: 25 to 30 per cent). From next year on, not at all.  "Angina tests" can now also be carried out by pharmacists and no longer only by doctors. The tests determine whether angina is caused by a virus or a bacterium. In the case of a virus, the then pointless prescription of an antibiotic can be avoided.  Full reimbursement for certain glasses, dentures and hearing aids have been added.

housing

 Energy-efficient renovation of buildings: Low-income households can benefit from

 Plastic cotton swabs and other disposable plastic products, including plates and cups, may no longer be sold. Plastic water bottles are prohibited in school canteens, provided that the tap water is potable.  This is one of the most important measures of the judicial reform adopted last March: the controversial merger of tribunaux d'instance (TI, roughly equivalent to the district court) and tribunaux de grande instance (TGI, roughly equivalent to the regional court) comes into force.

The courts dealing with small everyday disputes will disappear and will either be merged with the TGI to form "tribunaux judiciaires" (courts of justice) or separate chambers (tribunaux de proximité) of these courts. Against the resistance of the judges' unions and lawyers' unions, this reorganisation aims to create a "single gateway to justice". 

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Brexit initiated French Ministry addresses British citizens

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n hour before the Uk’s historic European withdrawal, the French Ministry of the Interior issued a press release addressing British citizens residing in France. It provides dates and websites relevant to permit and visa requirements and immediate changes to things like voting rights. Clearly, the French government was aware that thousands of Britons in France would be in a state of disbelief and concern for their future. The tone of the letter was re-assuring, highlighting the grace period for residency status.

The translation of the official letter: ‘Following the ratification of the withdrawal agreement concluded between the United kingdom and the European Union, the exit of the United kingdom from the European Union will be effective as of 31 January 2020 at midnight.

The withdrawal agreement provides for a transition period until 31 December 2020.

The deadline of Brexit tonight will, therefore, have only a limited direct impact: The right of entry and residence of British nationals and their family members after Brexit The withdrawal agreement specifies the conditions of residence of British nationals in France.

It provides that during the transitional period until 31 December 2020, all British nationals will be entitled to stay in France until 31 December 2020.

Rights of British nationals acquired as EU nationals are maintained.

The provisions of the withdrawal agreement will apply to British nationals and members of their families already settled in France or

coming to settle in France before 31 December 2020.

In the application of the agreement, British nationals will have to be issued residence permits marked "Accord de retrait" which they will only be required to hold from 1 July 2021. Before that date, they will not be required to hold a French residence permit.

In order to enable British nationals to submit their applications in advance of the residence permit online, the website contacts-demarches.interieur.gouv.fr, adapted to the provisions of the withdrawal agreement, will be available from July 2020.

British nationals and their family members who have already undergone an application for a residence permit on the website provided for the hypothesis of a Brexit without agreement will not need to re-apply online.

Their application has been taken and will be processed by the prefecture before the obligation to hold a permit is imposed.

Police checks at the Franco-British border Border Police (BFP) checks at the FrancoBritish border crossing points will remain unchanged during the transition period until 31 December 2020, both in the direction of entry into and exit from the Schengen area.

No additional delays are therefore to be expected and the current fluidity of passenger flows will be preserved.

Right to vote and to stand as a candidate in local and European elections in France for British nationals The withdrawal agreement between the European Union and the United kingdom does not contain any transitional provisions concerning the electoral rights of British citizens in the Member States. on the

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contrary, the agreement specifies that the provisions of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union which provide for the right of European citizens to vote and to stand as candidates in European and municipal elections, and the acts adopted on the basis of those provisions, are not applicable to the United kingdom during the transitional period provided for in the agreement.

Furthermore, in France, the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in elections presupposes holding French nationality or, for municipal and European elections, the nationality of another Member State of the European Union.

Consequently, from Saturday 1 February, British nationals will cease to enjoy, in France, the electoral rights which were linked to their European citizenship, which will result in their automatic removal from the electoral rolls.

British nationals will, therefore, be unable to vote or stand as candidates in the municipal and Community elections of 15 and 22 March 2020. on the other hand, British local councillors elected before 1 February will remain in office until their term of office expires, as there is no legal provision for their automatic resignation.

For more information, visit the government information site www.brexit.gouv.fr 

CHaNgES aT duTy FrEE after the transitional period endson 31 December, duty limits will apply. it is worth noting now that when you return to France from the UK, these are the following limits*:

Tobacco

Cigarettes ............................................ 200 units Cigarillos .............................................. 100 units Cigars ........................................................ 50 units Loose tobacco .............................. 250 g

alcohol

alcoholic beverages over 22° ........ 1 litre alcoholic beverages under 22°.... 2 litres Wine (non sparkling).................................. 4 litres Beer .......................................................................................... 16 litres * Tobacco and alcoholic beverages may be assorted within the limits of the quantities allowed dutyfree. For example: if you buy only 100 cigarettes, you use only half of the duty-free allowance granted for this category of tobacco: you can then divide the remaining half into half the threshold of cigarillos (50 units), cigars (25 units) or smoking tobacco (125g).

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ELECTIONS

Jean-Claude Guibal aims for his sixth mandate in Menton © D.R.

L Local elections Will there be any new faces in our town halls?

By PETER BAUSCh

ocal elections will be held in France on 15 and 22 March. Here in the South of France, there are mostly longstanding candidates, most notably, Georges Rosso, running for an eighth mandate. The communist mayor has been running the small town of Le Rove in the west of Marseille since 1981. Now at 90, he wants to bring the 5,000 residents on his side once again: "My mission for Le Rove is not over yet."

Many Mairies are planning on keeping longterm faces, but will there be anyone new?

Menton Jean-Claude Guibal is aiming for his sixth mandate in Menton. The politician of the Conservative Republicans celebrated his 79th birthday in January and has ruled uninterruptedly since 1989 in the border town of almost 30,000 inhabitants. For the first 20 years he relied on his wife, Senator Colette Giudicelli, who was also first deputy in the

town hall. The couple, unique in France, ended their collaboration in 2009 after the new law against accumulation of offices.

In 2020, Mayor Guibal is probably facing the toughest election campaign in his career.

Menton, in the immediate vicinity of the Italian city of Ventimiglia, has become a sluice for migrants from Africa, some of whom even attempt the life-threatening crossing of the Maritime Alps in the Roya Valley to get to France. A rival candidate is olivier Bettati, who ran on the list of the farright Front National in 2015 and is now supported by the party that Marine Le Pen renamed ‘Rassemblement National’ (RN).

aix-en-Provence Younger than Georges Rosso or Jean-Claude Guibal is Maryse Joissains-Masini, who has run Aix-en-Provence since 2001, when she dethroned the socialist incumbent JeanFrançois Picheral. However, the conservative

Jean-Claude Gaudin leaves Marseille city hall after 25 years © D.R.

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Pen's party now governs Fréjus in the Var, its largest city in France, where David Rachline seeks a second mandate.

Marseille

ATTENTION voting rights have changed for UK nationals.

See page 13 for details.

politician has a problem: in May 2019 she was sentenced to six months in prison and one year of ineligibility for election for misappropriation of public funds, and is therefore not allowed to run for a fourth mandate.

However; the 77-year-old lawyer is challenging the sentence at the Court of Cassation and is nevertheless campaigning. She has a trump card up her sleeve in the fight for the Provençal town hall: Her 50-year-old daughter Sophie, as Senator, is also anchored in local politics and could take over her mother’s' legacy. Mayor Joissains-Masini’s father, Alain Joissains, was also mayor of Aix-en-Provence from 1978 to 1983, but had to leave the town hall after being convicted for having financed his father-in-law's villa partly with tax money. Tragically, he committed suicide shortly afterwards.

But in March 2020, the ‘dynasty’ mayor faces new opponents. In the last election in 2014, the Greens did not yet play a role, Macron’s successful "La République en Marche" did not even exist and now the Left Party in Aix has drawn up a list with university professor, Marc Pena. It will be an interesting race.

The extreme right, the strongest party in the south of France in the 2019 European elections, also sees its chance in Marseille. There Jean-Claude Gaudin, at the age of 80, is throwing in the towel after 25 years in city hall and 198 city council meetings. The conservative politician, who in 1995 conquered city hall through the old Port, leaves behind a controversial legacy: there are the successes, such as the reconstruction of the port or the new museums for the European Capital of Culture 2013, but the death of eight people in two collapsed houses in old Town at the end of 2018 and the catastrophic situation in some residential areas cast dark shadows on his term of office.

In mid-January, the first polls saw his designated successor, Martine Vassal (57), just ahead of Stéphane Ravier of the RN. It remains to be seen how the Left Union, led by the Green Party leader, Michèle Rubirola, or the former university rector, Yvon Berland, for Macron's party LREM, will fare. The conservative senator Bruno Gilles or the former socialist Samia Ghali, who is a lone fighter, may also cause surprises.

Martine Vassal has been head of the metropolitan region of Aix-Marseille-Provence since 2018 and President of the Conseil Départemental of Bouches-du-Rhône since 2015. She is on her way to becoming the most powerful woman in south-eastern France.

The socialist Cécile Helle in Avignon, the conservative Michelle Salucki in Vallauris and Guilaine Debras in Biot also want to defend their town halls. 

Christian Estrosi is sure to keep Nice © D.R.

Will Martine Vassal take Marseille? © D.R.

nice The much younger Christian Estrosi, who will celebrate his 65th birthday this July, is running again as Mayor of Nice. The former motorcycle racer and conservative politician conquered city hall in 2008 from Jacques Peyrat, who never denied his closeness to the extreme right-wing Front National. Christian Estrosi, temporarily a minister in Paris, took the reins in 2016 and took over the presidency of the regional parliament in Marseille - but gave up this job in 2017 to return to his beloved Nice. with his proposals to demolish the National Theatre and the Acropolis Congress Centre in order to extend the green space above the Paillon River, Mayor Estrosi is focusing on ecology. His re-election is regarded as certain. President Macron's LREM does not have a rival candidate at all, the socialist, Patrick Allemand, has regularly lost to the conservatives, Philippe Vardon of the extreme rightwing Rassemblement National (RN) seems to be the main rival candidate. Marine Le

FrENCH ELECTIONS in France, the town hall government (mayors, their deputies and councillors) is elected every six years. The members of the municipal councils (conseillers municipaux) are elected by the people in two rounds of voting - first on 15 and then 22 March. if there is no absolute majority in the first round of voting, the second round takes place.

The number of council members to be elected depends on the size of the municipality. it can range from seven members for communes with fewer than 100 inhabitants to 163 members for the city of Paris. after the election, the conseillers municipaux elect the mayor of the municipality from among their number. The mayor is responsible for chairing the municipal council (conseil municipal).

Bleibt Maryse Joissains in Aix? © D.R.

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Can Monaco save the oceans?

Aquarium room © Eric Béraud (CSM)

Studying coral at the Centre Scientifique de Monaco inside an office building in Port Hercule is one of the most important environmental research facilities in the world.

But what does Monaco have to with coral? riviera insider visits their impressive facility to find out.

By NICOLE RUSKELL

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W

hen you think of coral, Monaco is certainly not one of the first places to come to mind. In fact, there is very little coral in the waters off the coast of the Principality. But for coral habitats across the planet, Monaco is one of the most important places on Earth.

The Centre Scientifique de Monaco (CSM) was the first research centre to devote itself to the study of coral physiology. It was also the first to have a live coral aquarium. Even today, their coral collection is one of the oldest and most varied in the world.

Founded in 1960 by Prince Rainier III, the CSM was established to study man’s affect on the environment, specifically the oceans. Long before climate change was a household term and long before plastic was a common sea pollutant, the sovereign had the foresight to know our destructive tendencies would have consequences on our planet.

Professor Denis Allemand, a coral specialist who joined CSM thirty years age, is the Scientific Director of the centre. At the time he joined, scientists knew nothing about coral physiology. “There were just two of us back then,” he says, recounting his arrival in Monaco. Today, CSM has around 60 researchers, 30 in coral studies alone.

Continuing on from his father’s dedication to the environment, Prince Albert II is a strong supporter of CSM. After taking over as sovereign, he helped develop the centre’s research focus to two additional departments: Polar Biology was started in 2010, a topic very close to the Prince; and in 2013 the Medical Biology department which is studying a wide range of medical topics from paediatric cancer to immunity and sickle cell disease. “we are very unique in Monaco, with a government and a Prince that supports us very much,” says Dir Allemand. He’s not kidding—unlike most research laboratories, the CSM doesn’t have to propose new projects for funding each year. The Monegasque government provides a set amount of the yearly budget to the centre, guaranteed. This allows the teams to not only continue long-term projects, but also get creative and follow leads they may otherwise be constricted on.

Researchers still do apply for grants for particular projects, as the state funding covers about 80% of their budget, but it is a substantial advantage for the centre.

Another ace up their sleeve is a resident economist. Perhaps an unlikely association for most biological research centres, but the idea was brilliant. No matter what the scientists

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find, not much can be done at policy level without getting government backing. And at the government level, policy makers usually don’t understand the impact of a document saying the oceans have become 0.1 more acidic, or that 1° more could cause the loss of our coral reefs. It’s abstract. But getting an economist to crunch numbers and present to the UN that 500 million people survive directly from coral helps puts things into perspective.

studying coral when Director Allemand started in the late 1980s, he studied the native red Mediterranean coral (Corallium rubrum) that so often adorned the necks of wealthy women. In fact, at the time, the biggest threat to this precious coral was not environmental, but over-fishing for fine pieces of jewellery.

Their tropical cousins, however, were being threatened by a changing environment, even back in the 80s. “we didn’t know anything about coral physiology back then,” he admits. “we wanted to better understand the coral so we could better manage the environment.”

Thanks to CSM, scientists now understand coral physiology - how they are nourished and how they die. what they don’t know: how long coral lives. “we can’t really say,” revels Allemand. “The oldest coral we know of is 4,000 years old. In fact, we don’t really know if coral has mortality.” Like succulent plants, coral can regenerate itself from broken pieces. To explain this better, he takes two pieces of coral in hand and says, “if you break a piece, you will have two pieces that keep growing. If you

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break those pieces, you’ll have even more.

Plant them back and they will keep regenerating and growing new branches indefinitely.

It’s the same genome - it’s the same coral family.” The secret to coral’s longevity, however, is a very important relationship with algae.

coral and algae: the perfect marriage Beautiful coral reefs can be described a bit like a love story. Coral skeletons have lots of porous surface area, making an excellent home for algae to attach and build a home.

From this sturdy base they can feast off the micro-nutrients flowing by, growing in rich, beautiful colours and nourishing the coral to grow. The happy couple flourishes together, being equally important partners in the relationship (although coral is co-dependent). when they are happy, everyone is happy.

Healthy coral reefs create abundant habitats for just about every creature in the ocean which, in turn, creates a healthy planet. Referred to as the ‘rainforests’ of the ocean, the whole world is healthier when there are happy coral reefs.

But just like any marriage, a stressful atmosphere can be taxing on the relationship. The warming of the ocean is one of the biggest stressors leading to what is known as ‘blea-

dr FaNçOIS SENECa

Molecular Ecologist

Coral reefs cover only 0.2% of the seabed but are home to about a third of all known marine life. Here are some fact on these ‘undersea rainforests:

 40% of coral reefs are located in the Pacific Ocean.  More than 500 million people worldwide depend directly on the survival of coral reefs in the form of tourism and fishing.  Studies say that a 2° increase in average global temperature will kill 99 percent of the world's corals.  By 2055, scientists say, 90% of coral reefs will experience lethal ‘bleaching’ and will take 10 to 15 years for the surviving corals to recover.  Coral bleaching is also only one reason reefs die. Overfishing, environmental pollution, coastal development, tourism and acidification of the oceans have all led to about 40% of the world's coral reef deaths since 1990.

Sources: Tara's Blue Book for the Pacific; Time Online

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iviera insider spoke with Dr Seneca, who is a senior researcher on the ecosystems and immunity team. He has studied coral most of his life, in Hawaii, australia and the California coast. at the CSM, he is currently studying the microbiome and its interaction with immune response.

Once the scientists decoded the genome, they discovered that sea anemones are incredibly similar to human

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ching’. The term refers to the whitening phenomena that is happening more and more in some of our most important reefs worldwide. Dir. Allemand explains this phenomena more as a ‘divorce’ than bleaching because it is actually the result of algae detaching from the coral, taking its vibrant colour with it - and also it’s food. without the algae, coral quickly starves to death. It’s a dramatic outcome for a couple that was once so perfect together; and it’s leaving large swaths of barren, white coral skeletons across the world.

So it’s this ‘divorce’ that scientists are still trying to understand. The warmer temperature “stresses out the algae” and makes it excrete toxic compounds, explains Dr Francois Seneca, a Molecular Ecologist and senior researcher at CSM. “we don’t know whether the coral is expelling the algae [because of this toxin], or if the toxins are killing the attachment cells. we’ve seen evidence of both.” what scientists do know, is that coral can only last 15 days without their algae: if it comes back, it returns to health - if not, it dies.

the aquariums Director Allemand gives us a tour of the coral aquarium - the only one like it in the world with coral that has been with the CSM for 50 years. The maze of glass cases filled with

benings. “We discovered genes that we were not expecting to be there,” he reveals. “Some genes we thought were only human or only vertebrate genes. and we found them in there!”

The digestive system is an excellent model for quickly studying the affects of bacteria and intrusive invaders. “Sea anemones have been evolving in the ocean for 500 million years,” he says. “Humans have only been around for about 65 million years - so we’re new compared to these little anemones…they have evolved innate immune responses and there are genes in there that we could definitely learn from.” algae plays a big role in the little sea creature’s life - both for its nourishment and its immunity. Dr Seneca explained the ‘endosymbiosis,’ or the amazing ability of algae to be taken in to the anemone’s cells and continue to live, producing energy for the anemone. “it’s

extraordinary. it’s still an algae cell, because if it gets out it still behaves like algae. But they have developed some kind of signal that says, ‘hey, don’t digest me, i’m your friend.’”

They are studying this communication, but he describes it as “tricky” to decipher.

We discuss bacteria and how we are now learning the important ‘gut-brain connection’, or how the different bacteria in the digestive system affect mood and thinking. anemones are aiding this research because theyhave a very similar digestive system, including a thin mucosal lining to the protect, filter and assimilate what they eat. Scientists can study the different strains of bacteria present, like the one behind common gastroenteritis. “This research is changing how we think about gene families,” and their findings could help with human immunity. 

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The CSM UCA Family

THE POLar BIOLOgy dEParTMENT

A cross-border collaboration

The Polar team studies the ecology and evolution of antarctic populations. The centre has microchipped nearly 20,000 penguins to study their migratory patterns and individual responses to environmental changes in a nonintrusive way.

From left to right: Patrick Rampal, Patrice Cellario, Denis Allemand, Jeanick Brisswalter, h.E. Laurent Stefanini © Director of Communication - Michael Alesi

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colourful and, more importantly, living coral, twists around the room. The tanks are filled with numerous cnidarians (from the Red Sea) and reef-forming sun corals, sea anemones and colourful fish of all kinds. They have about 50 coral species (not all in these tanks) but there are about 1,500 known species worldwide.

The tanks are kept at a constant temperature of 26°C and full-spectrum lights are kept on 12-hour cycles of light and dark.

This is utopia for the coral, shown particularly by its growth: 30 cm per year. In the wild, coral averages 10 cm per, but these happy cnidarians grow so much the centre has to continually ‘prune’ them. But don’t worry, they go to scientific research.

As you would expect from a scientist who has devoted his life to the research of coral, Dir Allemand is thrilled to show us his coral collection. Being in the room with thriving, vibrant coral, the professor is in his element and excited to show the different species, including the one that creates air bubbles to increase its surface area for photosynthesis. This is the ‘happy’ room, with happy coral, happy fish and happy scientists. The next rooms are not quite so happy.

means that the oceans have become 30% more acidic. we're testing whether the coral can adapt to the ongoing process.” other rooms include smaller tanks with lone branches of coral hanging upsidedown from strings. Here they are studying coral nourishment. Another room is kept much colder and darker - we pop in quickly to get a peek but don’t stay to affect to the environment. These rare pieces are from the deep depths of the ocean, some up to a 1,000m below the surface, brought to them by research submarines.

the labs Numerous small rooms also have coral tanks. However, these tanks are for research experiments and that’s where the reality of our environmental crises comes to the forefront. The first room we peek into is the study on acidification. A series of small tanks have small corals sitting on a pedestal. Each tank is numbered with a pH of 7.8 to 7.2.

The pH or our oceans has lowered 0.1 in the last 100 years. That sounds like a negligible number, so Dr Allemand clarifies: “this MaRch / aPRil 2020

Medical research The newest department for CSM is the medical biology research centre. Several different teams are working on a wide range of Medical applications, from tumor hypoxia and metabolism to neuromuscular diseases. They also work with Monacord for sickle-cell disease observations. Read the insert with Dr Seneca about their microbiome and mmunity research. www.centrescientifique.mc 

n Monday 3 February, H.E. Mr Laurent Stefanini, Ambassador of France to the Principality and Patrice Cellario, Government Counsellor-Minister of the Interior, Professor Patrick Rampal, President of the Centre Scientifique de Monaco (CSM) and Jeanick Brisswalter, President of Université Côte d’Azur (UCA), signed a partnership agreement in the main hall of the Ministry of State. The two institutions have joined to create the Associated International Laboratory (LIA) entitled, "Response of organisms and populations to environmental stress".

This new laboratory, bringing together a number of teams from both establishments, will enable the creation of a strengthened collaboration between the UCA and the CSM in the field of scientific research, innovation and training. It will foster collaboration in research areas attractive to future researchers and will set up collaboration in the field of climate change impact.

Historically, the CSM has developed numerous relationships with the Université de NiceSophia Antipolis, which recently became the Université Côte d'Azur. A number of professorresearchers from this University have been involved in the work of the CSM since the end of the 1960s, including Professor Raymond Vaissière and Professor Jean Jaubert. The Scientific Director of the CSM, Professor Denis Allemand, was himself Professor of Animal Biology at this university.

The scientific objectives of this collaboration will be to create innovative interdisciplinary research in the fields of marine, polar and medical biology, by integrating the approach of human and social sciences.

Recently, several research agreements have been established between these two institutions, in particular for the Université Côte d'Azur, with IRCAN (Institut de Recherche Cancer et Vieillissement de Nice) or the C3M laboratory (Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire). Doctors Gilles Pagès and Jacques Pouysségur, Research Directors at IRCAN, work closely with the Medical Biology teams at the CSM. 

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Monaco fights plastic More single-use items banned n 1st January 2020, plastic cotton buds, cups, cutlery and disposable plastic plates were banned in the Principality. This follows the ban on single-use plastic bags in 2016 and plastic straws and stirrers in 2019. Marie-Pierre Gramaglia, Government Counsellor and Minister for Public works, the Environment and Urban Planning emphasises: "In the Principality, we are resolutely committed to an approach that aims to ban the use of all single-use plastics. This is obvious in view of the impacts and dangers that plastics represent for the environment, in particular for marine fauna, given that the vast majority of plastic micro-waste winds up at sea".

Faced with the urgent need to act, the Government established, in 2016, a waste Prevention and Management Plan for Monaco, for the implementation of a "Zero single-use plastic waste by 2030" policy.

This year, for the first time, the Principality took part in the European week for waste Reduction: 60 people were mobilised to carry out awareness-raising actions aimed at their employees,

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Extended Monaco The first assessment after 9 months n 30th April 2019, the Princely Government presented the Extended Monaco programme to the Yacht Club in the presence of H.S.H. Prince Albert II. The priorities of this programme for the digital transformation of the Principality were set: serving the quality of life, offering a new cycle of economic prosperity and increasing the value of public service. After the announcement of the various as-

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customers, children or the general public.

As major players in these changes, retailers and restaurant owners will benefit from specific support.

From 2020, the "Commerce Engagé" label will be doubled by a "Restaurant Engagé" label, which will help restaurateurs find substitutes for prohibited items and adapt their practices.

This new label focuses on 3 priority themes: - The reduction of dishes and disposable packaging - Food waste - Local and ethical issues Among the support measures, data sheets on straws and disposable dishes were distributed at the beginning of the year, shedding light on authorized materials and recommended practices. These sheets will be extended to singleuse items for which there are not yet any restrictions, such as plastic bottles and food containers.

The Principality is adopting an ambitious and coherent policy on single-use plastics, by carrying out, in parallel with this action plan, measures such as strengthening the team of sorting ambassadors and extending and simplifying sorting instructions.

Similarly, disposable plastic cups have been replaced by reusable and returnable alternatives that can be washed on short circuits during major events in the country.

Valérie Davenet, Director of the Environment specifies, "our concern is to act quickly while accompanying the people and proposing alternatives, primarily reusable. IPCC and IPBES scientists are alerting us to the risks involved if

pects of this programme implemented by Frédéric Genta, Interministerial Delegate in charge of the Digital Transition, and his teams, 2019 was rich in the implementation of some thirty actions, whether in smart mobility, e-Education or e-Administration.

This was the subject of a Februrary press lunch at the Yacht Club de Monaco with Frédéric Genta. #ExtendedMonaco, 9 months on: - A stimulated economy - Renovated online services - Increase of +100 places in the UN ranking of connected States - A digital economy in Monaco which represents a turnover of 826 million euros - Strong growth of +27% between 2013 and 2018.

- 33% increase of online procedures deployed to facilitate user relations with the administration - 1st digital fundraising operation (ICo) using Blockchain technology - 3 laws allowing digital techno-

we do not change our behaviour and lifestyles without delay". 

OMg, PLaSTIC! it is estimated that nearly 1,800 billion pieces of plastic waste pollute the oceans. What is called the 7th continent (made entirely of floating plastic waste) continues to expand in the Pacific Ocean and has a surface area equivalent to three times that of France. according to the WWF, 600,000 tonnes of plastics are dumped into the Mediterranean Sea every year. in Monaco, the incineration of plastic waste represents about 15% of the tonnage and 88% of the GHG emissions from their incineration.

Frédéric Genta, Interministerial Delegate in charge of the Digital Transition © Direction de la Communication/Stéphane Danna

logy to enter our daily lives (value of digital technology, dematerialization, digital identity, etc.)

A connected city : - + 1,500 soft mobility route calculations per day carried out via the City Mapper application: + 1,000 requests for information per day on digital tablets (air qua-

lity, cultural programme, etc.) via +30 connected traveller shelters. + 2000 journeys per day on electric bikes via the MonaBike application. Finally, 60 m2 dedicated to sport via the Monamove program with connected equipment and free coaching accessible through the application. 

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SIAM 2020

See the most advanced cars in Monaco he Principality welcomes the 4th Salon International de l’Automobile et Mobilité from 5 to 8 March, when more than 70 luxury and supercar brands such as Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Lotus and Bentley will present their latest models, prototypes and one-offs. Special attention is given

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to electric and hybrid concepts, certainly led by Monaco-based Venturi. A highlight will be the unveiling of Porsche’s new Taycan. The event will also feature an E-sport competition, live entertainment and, of course, the possibility to buy these amazing cars! Held at the Quai Albert Ier in the port.  www.salonautomonaco.com

5G EMISSIONS

Real-time electromagnetic wave mapping

ollowing on from the launch of the 5G network in the Principality last July, and in the interests of transparency, the Monegasque Government has created a website to publish information on the public electronic communications networks in the Principality. This website, cartoradio.mc, reports real-time readings on all 32 radio sites (broadcasting and mobile telephony) in the territory.

This site also makes it possible to find out about the latest electromagnetic field measurements carried out by the Department for the Development of Digital Uses (DDUN), which are regularly updated and highlight compliance with the exposure limits defined by the Principality.

Cartoradio.mc is complimented by an electromagnetic cadastre on public roads. Christophe Pierre, Director of the Development of Digital Uses (DDUN) explains: "3800 measurements have been taken every 10 seconds by an ‘exposimeter,’ which is equivalent to every 10 metres for a pedestrian walking at a speed of 5 km/hour. All pedestrian and road traffic routes in the Principality are marked out. All the measurements are geolocalised and time-stamped." He adds: "we're not going to stop there!”

Before the end of the first half of 2020, this cadastre will be enhanced by measurements from probes continuously monitoring the electromagnetic field for real-time visualisation. "we are going to deploy 17 probes in order to cover the entire Monegasque territory. These new probes will enable us to carry out constant measurements of the electromagnetic fields (mobile and global) 24 hours a day, recorded every 6 minutes. These tools allow the measurements to be made public almost live," continues Christophe Pierre.

The probes are installed primarily on the roofs of the Principality's schools (Charles III, Les Carmes, Saint Charles, etc.) and the Princess Grace Hospital. Powered by solar panels, they are fully autonomous. with this tool, the Government reaffirms its commitment to the regulations imposed in 2010, which has been the most precautionary with regard to other international regulations, and to the transparency of information regarding the health of its citizens.  www.cartoradio.mc

36TH PRIMO CUP

Trophée Credit Suisse sailing regatta

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© CarloBorlenghi

he Primo-Cup Trophée Credit Suisse is one of those classic winter events that keep up with tradition while always adding something new. A breath of fresh air for this 36th edition which delighted Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) General Secretary Bernard d’Alessandri: “Alongside loyal regulars we welcomed two classes new to the event, L30 and onefly. Every year, the Primo kicks off the season in the Mediterranean and we always aim for something new.”

It’s a successful format that attracted 450 sailors on almost 100 boats, divided into six classes. with 20 nations represented in the regatta, it lived up to its already solid reputation and clothing from Slam was awarded to the top three in each class.

From day one, the Russians on Elf took three 2nd places and a 6th in the four races completed by the 65-strong fleet, ensuring them victory. But Cer Aprotec – Ville de Genève clinched 2nd and the YCM’s Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio (G-Spottino) took 3rd. In the Corinthian (amateur) category, the British team on Brutus took 1st, equal on points with Cesare Gabasio (Tinnj70), followed by Stefano Roberti (Piccinina), both YCM members.

Making their debut in Monaco was a fleet of onefly dinghies, a winged and foiled one-design that aroused the curiosity of spectators and competitors.

These marine dragonflies can take off and quickly get up to speeds of 8 knots and more, even in light wind. Although not officially competing in the Primo Cup, the ten boats put on a show at the foot of the Rock, alternating displays and races. The fifth and final Act of the Monaco Sportsboat winter Series will be from 5 - 8 March. 

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An amphitheatre as an airport The Riviera Airport near Albenga to compete with the Côte d'Azur

Clemens Toussaint © OBR 2018

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an exclusive, noncommercial airfield. That is the vision of Clemens Toussaint from Cologne, which has already been partially realised.

Petra Hall visited the nearly 100-year-old Aeroporto with him, which is now well on the way to becoming a viable alternative for private jets on the riviera.

The project, which covers around 100 hectares, should be completed by 2022.

By PETRA hALL

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iguria and the Côte d'Azur: two different worlds and yet so close to each other: by helicopter, a flight from Albenga to Monaco takes approximately 20 minutes, by car it takes almost an hour. This can lead to a fantastic business idea, at least if you are called Clemens Toussaint and have vision, intelligence, willingness to take risks and sensitivity. And, of course, also the necessary means. This man, who is one of the most impressive people I have met in my long career, can shout "Here!

For decades, the Cologne-born art historian, who lives in Monaco, made international headlines as an art investigator. At that time he was intensively engaged in post-war history and returning lost works of art to their owners. "As a German, I felt obliged to do this," he says thoughtfully.

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Then a new chapter in his life began: in 2016, local authorities gave Albenga Airport the goahead for privatization - the first in Italy.

Clemens Toussaint struck a blow, because he clearly saw the opportunity and the considerable development potential to create an alternative to Nice and Cannes-Mandelieu airports for private jets - under the name "Riviera Airport". After all, the airports are bursting at the seams as far as parking space is concerned.

"Now I want to create something for the future," says the 58-year-old father of four.

So, with determination, Toussaint, whose name goes back to French ancestors, contacted Nice airport to propose a collaboration. Logical, really.

But they didn’t agreewith his idea. For almost three years now, he has been litigating with the "Aéroport Nice Côte d'Azur". The object of dispute is the name. It doesn't scare him, he just follows his strategy. After all, Albenga's airport, which until recently was officially called Aeroporto Internazionale Clemente Panero and will celebrate its centenary in 2022, has always been known as the "Riviera Airport" because of its location eight kilometres from the sea.

Clemente Panero (the resemblance to Clemens is purely coincidental) was a famous fighter pilot of the First world war, the runway at Villanova d'Albenga has been used successively over the years for military, industrial and civil purposes. Today, the Riviera Airport is the headquarters of Piaggio Aerospace, the only remaining aircraft manufacturer in Italy. otherwise, the airport exclusively handles private and business air traffic.

Toussaint loves Liguria: "From Monaco, we went more and more with the family towards Italy, I feel at home there". His airport project is based on the charming contrast to the Côte d'Azur and the owners of private jets should feel this in every detail: no frenzy like at the French airports, the wonderful view of the unspoiled landscape and the authentic life in a region which, according to Clemens Toussaint, "is still today as the Côte was 40 years ago - in short, a place of contemplation. we want an exclusive noncommercial airport with an emphasis on

Noble ambience to feel good. © Open Building Research

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Contemporary architecture at its best © Open Building Research

leisure, typical food, music and art - far away from the same anonymous shopping boulevards. we sat on the runway with the Genoese architect Paolo Brescia, student of Renzo Piano and founder of open Building Research, and said to ourselves: "Unbelievable, we are in an amphitheatre between two rivers. we are following nature. And we will take ourselves back."

Toussaint's partially realised visions are consistent: Building materials and colors that harmonise with the area's history, a view of the airport defined by aesthetics. And there he appears again, the passionate art lover. He is thinking of turning the lounge into an exclusive gallery.

Contemporary works by famous artists will decorate the walls, the unobstructed view will sweep into nature, high-quality parquet floors will provide a noble ambience - unmistakably inspired by the Swiss Fondation Beyerler, "one of the most beautiful museums in Europe when it comes to architecture. knowledge and culture earn respect", says the airport owner, "this is the only way to impress your customers today".

In 1980, he spent a year studying in Nice. "The once provincial city has changed completely since then. The social development has Europeanized the Côte and this is due to the golden decision to develop the airport into the second largest in France. The region has become an international centre from which people from all over the world work - not just the so-called rich and beautiful. Nice airport now has almost 15 million passengers a year and the number is set to rise to 30 million! Genoa, on the other hand, speaks of one million passengers". with such a rapid development, Clemens Toussaint says, there will be limited slots left for private jets on the Côte d'Azur. And there is a great opportunity for his project on the Italian side again. Although no Airbuses can land on the 1,459-metre-long and 45-metre-wide runway - almost as large as the runway in London

City - it is ideal for private jets up to 60 tons. "we offer Riviera Airport as a destination airport for those who need to travel between Nice and Genoa," explains Toussaint. "It's a completely different feeling to fly privately.

That means: no mass processing, security checks are carried out by Carabinieri, and passenger schedules are checked in advance. You don't have to take off your shoes with us, the guests can also go by car directly to the jet and the checks are carried out at the gangway in this case". New hangars, protected from the salty air of the sea, and modern VIP services will complete the range of services in future.

According to Toussaint, more private jet owners live in Monaco than in all of Italy put

Meeting room © Riviera Airport

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together. That's why Nice is so crowded. The new marinas in Liguria are also a good example. There are already more yachts there than in Monaco. The saturated industry on the other side of the border is shifting to Italy: more space, better service, cheaper rates.

"Riviera Airport is tailor-made for the French and international market, but brings a lot of positive energy to Liguria. we plan to create about 200 jobs here. Passengers like to combine their arrival with visits to typical restaurants, it is not unusual for them to fall in love with this most beautiful corner of the Riviera Ponente and look for a property."

So far, about ten private jets use the Riviera Airport as their home base. This year the number is expected to double. There are about 2,000 aircraft movements per year. For comparison: Cannes has 20,000 ("That's where we want to get to," says Toussaint) and Nice 60,000.

The German entrepreneur gets nostalgic as we drive across the airport grounds and stop at the old retro style control tower: "A typical restaurant will be built here. while eating, you can watch the planes like when I was a child in Cologne-wahn". His eyes are shining: "The concession will run until 2034, when all planned investments have been made, it will of course be extended. More and more people are flying; but more and more airports are in deficit, as Albenga used to be. In Italy there are 100 airports, but fewer than ten are profitable.

The others are financed by the taxpayers. The balance sheet of the Riviera Airport will be balanced for the first time next year," says the current sole owner.

In the long term, according to Clemens Toussaint's plans, Albenga is planned to become the airport of Monaco. "That's why I still live in the principality, otherwise I would have moved to Italy long ago". 

WWW.CHAMPAGNE-PORGEON.FR | 03 26 50 29 46

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S P E C I a L r E a L E STaT E

S P E C I a L r E a L E STaT E

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Contents: 2019 real estate market data

28 Whether on the market for a first home, holiday residence or a rental investment, the French Riviera property market is always a good investment.

Data for 2019 shows that the residential market picked up since the 2018 lull and shows no signs of pulling back. with

Century 21 Lafage Transactions Q&a with Benjamin Mondou

29 real estate auctions a judicial auction can be good business

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mortgage rates at almost rock bottom, that investment.

Mipim 2020 international Property Market

on a grander scale, cities along the

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there is no time like the present to make

coast have been investing heavily in new development projects. we spotlight some the biggest and boldest from Monaco to Cannes and even Grasse.

Sustainability has been a buzzword for a few years, but never has it been so

a stellar year The 2019 commercial real estate market

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central in city developments as it is now. we have some very forward-thinking mayors in our midst and they have made sure that environmental sustainability was a foundation.

New Developments: Monaco

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Another buzzword is ‘mixed-use’, bringing innovative solutions to meet multiple city needs. A number of large

Nice

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city projects, funded in cooperation with city, region, state and private investors

antibes

are providing housing, retail, co-working

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space and leisure activities within one project. we take a look at the many ground-breaking designs and that have

Cannes

been approved in the Côte d’Azur and

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how our landscape will be transforming in the next few years.

Grasse & aix-en-Provence

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S P E C I a L r E a L E STaT E

Ups and downs The 2019 residential housing market By JöRG LANGER

New Builds: Alpes-Maritimes - Number of properties

New builds: Alpes-Maritimes - Evolution of price per sector

Evolution

Listed

Evolution

Average price m2/prop over 10 yrs

Listed Sold Sold Available

Available

Source : observatoire Immobilier d’Habitat

Source : observatoire Immobilier d’Habitat

H

ousing construction on the Côte d'Azur is difficult: there is no lack of goodwill, forward-looking projects or competent companies, but land is scarce and expensive. while the Var valley on the outskirts of Nice was still being built on a grand scale due to the rapid development, the big slump came in 2019. As the observatoire Immobilier d'Habitat of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry CCI Nice Côte d'Azur and the various trade associations of the construction and real estate industry announced at a press conference on 10 February, the supply of new buildings fell by 30% in 2019. In contrast, effective sales over the last two years have remained more or less the same, with just under 5,000 residential sales each year. of these, 54% are accounted for by "free" housing, 34% by social

housing and 6% each by specialised units.

Average prices in the "free" sector: 6,525 euros per square metre in four-room and multiroom flats or houses, 5,923 euros for studios, 5,589 euros for all other housing units. overall, prices have fallen slightly (0.5%) compared with the previous year.

In view of the scarce supply of new buildings, the market for older buildings (marché de la revente) is flourishing.

According to the CCI and the professional associations, the 2019 market for old buildings in the Alpes Maritimes grew by a remarkable 12%. There were 15,323 changes of ownership. of these, 83% were apartments, 14% houses and 3% building plots. The average price is naturally below that of new builds: 4,102 euros per square metre. Studios are the most

Existing market : Alpes-Maritimes - Evolution of price quarterly* Minimum price Maximum price

expensive, followed by four and multiroom units (4,464€). In contrast to the new building market, prices increased slightly, by 2% compared to the previous year.

As expected, the average prices achieved in the different regions vary considerably: they rose from 4,355 euros in Nice to 4,524 euros in Antibes and 4,752 euros in Menton to almost 5,000 euros (4,964 euros to be exact) in Cannes.

Lastly, a look at the population of the AlpesMaritimes in comparison with the whole of France: contrary to popular belief, the number of inhabitants in our sunny département is not growing, but has fallen by 0.3% over the last thirteen years, to 1,079,396.

The PACA region has an increase of 3.9%, while the whole of France has an increase of 5%. 

Population : evolution of the population Metropolitan France PACA Region Alpes-Maritimes

PACA Evolution 2020/2007 +3,9% France Evolution 2020/2007 +5%

AM Evolution 2020/2007 -0,3%

*Per square metre

MaRch / aPRil 2020

Source INSEE : evolution of the population - base 100 in 1990

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Century 21 lafage Transactions What is the real estate market looking like in 2020?

It’s still early in the year, but given the very low interest rates right now and the appeal for foreigners to settle in the region, the market is very active. However, prices are holding stable.

the côte d'azur is investing heavily in new projects. Where do you think the best investment for the future is?

I think we really need to invest in Nice, this city is in full development and real estate prices will inevitably rise.

buying in france can be a complicated process. Does lafage transactions offer services for clients who don't understand french?

Q&A with Benjamin Mondou

Yes of course, we accompany all our clients through the entire buying process. we provide them with legal, tax and banking support and all our employees are multilingual. we ensure the

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post-sale follow-up, administrative follow-up, and connect our clients with trusted service providers. we can also manage the renovation work of a home. For us, the client is at the heart of our focus.

if someone is interested in buying in the côte d’azur, but not sure where, can your agents offer expertise to find the right town for their needs?

The Century 21 Lafage Transactions Group has been on the Côte d'Azur for more than 30 years. we have eight agencies between Nice and Monaco, including Nice, Villlefranche, Beaulieu, St Jean and Eze. Above all, it is a question of defining our client’s needs and desires in concrete terms. our role is to give them all the information they need about the RE market and the buying process.

The purchase of a property is a life project, it is important to think about it objectively, and we are here to help.

Do you recommend your clients purchasing from abroad spend some time locally before purchasing?

Yes. 70% of our clients are foreigners, so we always invite them to get to know the city and the area before buying a property. our role is also to help our customers discover our beautiful region so they can make a fully informed investment decision. 

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Real estate auctions a judicial auction is tricky but can be a good business

very Thursday morning, foreclosures of real estate take place in the Regional Courts of Nice and Grasse. Properties from bankruptcy proceedings, division proceedings or after seizure by banks are put up for sale. The price is generally set very low to motivate many interested parties.

The price is often up to 50 percent below the market value.

It can therefore be very interesting to purchase a property at a court auction, because the investors who buy the majority of such properties at auction will only bid up to a certain point, which includes a comfortable profit margin.

The real estate offered for auction is advertised, but there is also a notice board at court. It is important to inspect the property in advance (appointments are offered for this, but often at very short notice). Interested parties should also view the "cahier des charges", the specification of the exact conditions of the sale, which is filed with the court. This

e

document contains the description as well as the diagnostics, square meter measurements, price and costs.

In fact, the costs of an auction are often much higher than those of an ordinary property purchase, which are about 7.5 percent, because the total costs of the proceedings are added to this.

Accordingly, one must assume 10 to 15 percent (and sometimes more). often the real estate is inhabited by the debtor and a forced eviction must then be arranged, this must also be checked in the specifications. Then it can take some time before the buyer can use the property, because an eviction in France takes several months and cannot take place between 1st November and 31st March.

In order to bid, a lawyer must be appointed and a deposit of 10 per cent of the maximum price up to which the price is to be increased must be made. After the highest bidder has been accepted, a period of ten days begins during which an overbid of 10 percent can be made. only after this period is the acceptance of the bid final and incontestable. There is then again a two-month period to pay the price and all costs.

Basically, buying a property through a judicial auction is a good deal, because even if the costs are higher than for a normal purchase, the price is generally much lower and the

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MaRch / aPRil 2020

brokerage fees (6 percent) are saved. However, it is necessary to have the financing or at least a binding commitment from your bank, because the two-month period is very short and if payment is not made within this period, the property will be auctioned again and the 10 per cent deposit will be lost.

Anyone wishing to purchase a property at a court auction should be available to systematically view the advertisements, to take advantage of the viewing appointments, which are often held very shortly before the auction date, and to be able to make a decision at very short notice. If these conditions are fulfilled, it is worthwhile to try to buy your dream house at auction!

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NOMINEE: BEST hOTEL AND TOURISM RESORT - TWA hotel New York, USA © MCR

NOMINEE: BEST CULTURAL AND SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE - Tottenham hotspur Stadium - London, UK © Edward Hill - Tottenham Hotspu

NOMINEE: BEST CULTURAL AND SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE – Irina Viner-Usmanova Rhythmic Gymnastics Palace - Moscow, Russia ©USM Development NOMINEE: BEST REFURBIShED BUILDING - hotel Lutetia - Paris, France © Wilmotte & Associés Architectes - © Amit Geron

MIPIM 2020 The world’s most important property market

O

ne of the world’s most important Real Estate and development shows takes place at the Palais des Festivals each March, heralding the start of the new festival season in Cannes. From 10 to 13 March, around 30,000 participants are expected from over one hundred countries, filling the hotels, restaurants and breaking in the newly redone beaches on the Croisette.

It’s certainly a jolt back into action after the winter lull.

MIPIM has been held in Cannes since 1991, each year focusing on a particular theme.

This year, it’s the environment taking centre stage with that word that is popping up everywhere: sustainability. And thank goodness because it’s time we get used to thinking about the planet in everything we do.

“There is no planet B” - This was the opening sentence on the 2020 MIPIM press release.

“The twin themes of people and planet will come under scrutiny,” it continued. Numerous conferences are planned throughout the three days, looking at global sustainability from several different sectors from hospitality and hotel construction to urban design and even building ‘empathic cities.’

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Mayors and government officials from many countries will also be present for a political leader’s summit.

In the 22,000 square metres of exhibition space, Real estate projects of every kind from all over the world will be presented in elaborately crafted models. It’s also prime location for investors and project developers to look for lucrative opportunities and for architects and urban planners to find inspiration. Special attention will be paid to hotels and the broad theme of "hospitality and tourism". Designer icon, Philippe Starck, is part of a group of experts who will speak about the global trend towards investing in hotels, with an interesting look at hospitality of the future. Hybrid and modular hotels like Mama Shelter, okko and citizenM are redefining modern accommodation.

The highlight of the three days is the Mipim Awards on Thursday, 12 March (6.30 pm, Grand Auditorium).

Innavative and sustainable projects from around the globe have been nominated in different categories like sports arena, hotels and tourism, hospitals, tech and more. Good luck to the nominees!

KEyNOTE: STEvE WOzNIaK another high-profile speaker at MiPiM will be apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak.

What is the pioneer of the personal computer doing at a fair for real estate professionals?

For organiser reed Midem, it is obvious: "To shape the future, those responsible in the real estate industry must anticipate the rapidly changing needs of users and develop new ideas. ‘Thinking differently’ to provide innovative solutions is the DNa of visionary entrepreneurs, like Steve Wozniak, who have revolutionized the world of technology". Throughout his career, Wozniak has shown how a company changes and thrives through its ability to innovate. More than ever, technology is an integral part of our lives, and the real estate industry is no exception.

Here him speak on 11 March at 10 a.m.

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dEMOgraPHIC TrENdS : The Var is growing rapidly

a rate of

+ 0.7%

Commercial Real Estate 2019 a stellar year

By JEAN-PIERRE LARGILLET

F

or commercial property, the 2019 vintage is proving to be excellent. This is what emerged from the major annual meeting that Nicea Conseil (Savills Group) held in Februarary at the Nice Côte d'Azur Airport in the presence of around a hundred real estate professionals. A good year on a national level as confirmed by Boris Cappelle, CEo of Savills France, and on a regional level as detailed by Grégory Renault, President of Nicea Conseil.

And all this despite 2019 lagging behind 2018, which was a truly exceptional year for the real estate sector. on the Côte d’Azur, the difference was felt, even though sales volumes were higher than in the previous ten years outside 2018. with nearly 65,000 m2 of office space sold in 2019 (in 152 transactions), the office market in Nice - Sophia Antipolis is down from the exceptional level of 2018. It is true that in 2018, the market had risen to an astonishing 72,500 m2.

Even more than in other years, Sophia Antipolis (38,000 m2 placed) and Nice Metropole (26,500 m2) share the bulk of the market (only a small 1,277 m2 for "other sectors"). In 2019, the small drop in demand came from Sophia Antipolis.

The technology park had risen to 46,160 m2 in 2018 (nearly double the typical annual rhythm of 25,000 m2) and suffered in 2019 from fewer new programs for sale.

Nice, for its part, notably with the rise of the Eco Vallée, has grown extensively: 23,200 m2 in 2018 and 26,500 m2 in 2019.

Renavations heating up Grégory Renault, in his presentation at the airport conference, also mentioned a new trend for both Sophia and Nice - local real estate companies making new things out of old.

This was seen in Nice with old buildings with character, renovated from top to bottom, like Gare du Sud, for example, as well as in SophiaAntipolis where Courtin Real Estate has made a speciality of transforming old and dilapidated office buildings to bring them up to the highest standards.

This repurposing trend has been a great success, as can be seen in the 650 m2 (6,000 sq.m) reservation already booked with orsys for the Centrium program (formerly the company's corporate village), which has already begun its major renovation work with delivery in early 2022. 

New information is available concerning the demographic situation in Provence-alpes-Côte d'azur. according to the study of the Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (iNSee), the region had exactly 5,030,890 inhabitants in 2017, which means an average annual growth rate of 0.3% since 2012. However, this increase affects large cities less and is in any case below the national average of 0.5%. What stands out in PaCa, however, is the population density of 159 inhabitants per square kilometre, 55 more people per km2 than in the national comparison. if we now compare the alpesMaritimes and the var, the former gap of 60,345 inhabitants from 2012 shrinks. Five years on, the difference in population was only 24,570. This is because, while the population growth in alpes-Maritimes remained more or less stable during this period, the region only received 1,296 new Bas-alpins, while the number of varois increased by 37,071. The population increase in the var is therefore above the national average, at a rate of 0.7%. 

MaRch / aPRil 2020

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Monaco

Master of might

By AILA STöCKMANN Photo 1 ChPG: This is what the new hospital will look in 2030 © AIA

Photo 2 Land Extension: This is what the new L'Anse du Portier district should look like in 2025 © Valode et Pistre Architectes

1

T

he Principality without Cranes? Unimaginable. Monaco is constantly being rebuilt, upgraded and even enlarged.

The country, just two square kilometres in size, is pierced by tunnels like a Swiss cheese, which doesn't exactly make construction projects any easier, as the most complex project at the moment shows: the new Princess Grace hospital building.

The project with the greatest external impact, however, is a different one: the land expansion.

Since the beginning of the year, the Principality has a new contour. Between the Rainier III Auditorium and the Grimaldi Forum, a new sixhectare district, ‘L'Anse du Portier,’ juts out into the sea. Plans have been underway since 2013, but now the foundations have progressed so far that they only need to be compacted before construction can begin at the end of 2020. one sixth of this new district will be green. For the rest, a mixed-use plan of apartment buildings and villas, shops and a small marina. By 2025, the district should be ready for occupancy. we have been coverinng the land extension as it progresses and while it is currently Europe’s most ambitious (read expnsive) construction project, one could almost describe it as "peanuts" compared to the architectural feat of the new Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace (CHPG). The current hospital, which is more than 100 years old, will not be able to meet the future requirements - neither the technological progress nor its capacities. Therefore, about five years ago, work began on a new modern building with 394 beds (almost all with sea view) and all the usual wards in the MaRch / aPRil 2020

immediate vicinity of the old building. Better said: the preparatory work, appropriately called "Phase 0". “we are currently two and a half years behind schedule,” says Jean-Luc Nguyen, Director of Public works, speaking to Riviera Insider.

The reason is the complexity of the construction site. on the one hand, hospital operations in the old building must continue without any interruptions. Above all, however, the work on the earthquake-proof substructure of the new

building was more difficult than expected because of the new Albert II tunnel, which runs through it. To make matters worse, the site is located in the middle of a narrow, completely built-up area.

Nevertheless, the project is moving forward and an important new bridge will facilitate the flow of traffic from next June. In spring 2021, phase 0 should finally be completed. Then construction of the multi-storey car park (534 spaces) will begin, on which the hospital will be based.

In 2025, the car park and the first half (with 60 percent of the rooms) of the new CHPG should be ready for occupancy and the second half by 2030. According to Nguyen, the move alone will take over a year. "The hospital will not close at any time, the surgery, for example, must function at all times."

In addition to all the challenges mentioned above in the construction of the new CHPG, there is another. The planners must be able to look to the future, explains Jean-Luc Nguyen: "The new hospital complex is designed to remain adaptable over the coming decades and to be able to adapt to the advancing technology".  2

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Nice

More modern, more green!

Iconic, the new extension of the Nice Thiers station © Ville de Nice

A

t the end of January, Mayor Christian Estrosi invited visitors to view the city’s most impressive construction project at present, "Iconic." The apply named building is slowly taking shape, located right next to Thiers central station, as a link between train and tram, connecting the Nice Ville rail station and Avenue Jean Médecin.

Designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, the striking 19,000 square meter glass and metal palace will house a hotel, five restaurants (one on the top floor with a spectacular view), shops, offices and more.

The foundations for the structure and its 600 seat underground theatre hall have already been laid. over the coming months, the loadbearing metal structure of the building will gradually grow into the sky. The Iconic is scheduled to open in early 2021.

Full speed ahead Shortly before the start of his election campaign, Mayor Estrosi announced his plans to extend the city's green space, ‘la coulée verte’ or ‘Promenade du Paillon.’ The continuous green park above the underground river Paillon is already Estrosis' trademark and has been enhancing the city centre enormously for around seven years now.

So far, the Promenade du Paillon extends from the Promenade des Anglais to just before the MaRch / aPRil 2020

MAMAC Museum. In the event of his re-election, Estrosi intends to demolish the aging Theâtre National de Nice (TNN) adjacent to the museum and, on the other side, the ugly Acropolis exhibition centre in favour of a city forest.

The theatre is to move, and the exhibition centre is to get a new bigger building near the airport. A total of eight hectares of greenery are to be created by 2025 on the freed-up area over a total length of about one kilometre.

Just south of the Paillon, in old Town, the new Cours Jacques Chirac has just been inaugurated along with a new a larger-than-life statue of the president who passed away last autumn. The the previously inconspicuous little street between the flower market on Cours Saleya and the Quai des États Unis has been

The new Ikea complex near the stadium © Ville de Nice

redone with palm trees and clean passages to the sea. Restaurant terraces will soon be built on both sides.

In the city centre’s Notre-Dame district, the Totem building, headquarters of the French Tech Côte d'Azur initiative, was inaugurated in early February. This is where start-ups and incubator programmes are to be located, offering local companies support in innovation, digitalisation and expansion.

Already in January, the Parc du Ray was inaugurated in the residential area of Nice Nord with political celebrities (among others ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy), where until a few years ago Nice's old football stadium stood (today oGC Nice plays in the new Allianz stadium in Nice ouest). The three-hectare park includes a large meadow area, a waterfall, sports field, high ropes course and water games. on an additional hectare, residential buildings with shops will also be built. Planned completion: beginning of 2021.

IKEA is coming No article about building projects in Nice would be complete without the topic of Ikea (pictured below). The Swedish furniture market will be opening in the west of the city, near the Allianz Riviera stadium and connected to tram line 3.

Another mixed-use complex of residential and retail, the project includes 7,000 square meters of solar cells and 10,000 square meters of green roof area. It is scheduled to open at the end of next year.

The neighbouring Eco Vallée is also being built in the west of the city, between the airport and the stadium. In the heart of this district, Nice Méridia, the Institut Méditerranéen du Risque, de l'Environnement et du Développement Durable (IMREDD), will open this spring for 100 researchers, 50 doctoral students and 500 students who are working on issues relating to green technologies and Smart Cities. 

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Antibes espace Mer et littoral Today, injured turtles are nursed back to life at this seaside centre that is largely unnoticed by the public. But this is soon to change: the Espace Mer & Littoral, beautifully situated on the south-western part of the Cap, will become an educational facility for the public. on 2.2 hectares that belong to the Conservatoire du Littoral (responsible for coastal protection), new aquariums, a nature trail, an exhibition space, a boutique and much more will be created. The characteristic round tower, built in 1704, will be renovated and offer, among other things, the possibility of virtual diving.

Estimated at 2.6 million euros, the project will start this year and is scheduled to open at the end of 2021. The environmental space will then remain open all year round as an educational facility. This summer, the facility will remain open to the public only from June to August. www.antibes-juanlespins.com

The new Marenda-Lacan district, with a cineplex © Ville d’Antibes

A shiny new neighbourhood

A

ntibes-Juan-les-Pin has put all its energy into urban planning in recent years: a new theatre, a new congress centre and a new sports palace. In 2020, the city’s growth will slow a bit but there are a few pleasant new projects are still on the horizon.

eco-quarter Marenda-lacan Antibes city centre will have the addition of a completely modern cinema, and the Espace Mer & Littoral maritime centre on Cap d'Antibes will get a much needed renovation.

Like neighbouring cities Cagnes-sur-Mer, Cannes and Grasse, Antibes also gets a brand new multiplex cinema. The middle of the city centre with the large pedestrian zone, dubbed the new "eco-quarter Marenda-Lacan" is getting a new multi-use complex on a total area of two hectares between Rue Lacan, Rue de la République and Rue Championnet - with space for art, a playground, various trees and seating.

The adjoining 4,100 m2 modern Cineplex will have eight state-of-the-art theatres with a total of around 1,100 seats. In addition, around 200 apartments and a commercial space of around 4,600 square metres are planned, replacing the previously unattractive area used mainly as parking spaces.

Cinema terrace with sea view © © Ville d'Antibes

Seen on the front left, the Espace Mer & Littoral © Ville d’Antibes

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Cannes

Bastide Rouge in the foreground with Cineum Cannes behind. View from Roundabout Françis Tonner © Christophe Gulizzi Architect

The change is real

By NICOLE RUSKELL

R

iviera Insider has been covering the Bastide Rouge project for over a year, keeping you up to date with the exciting plans to make Cannes a world destination for all creative arts. working together with the newly formed Université Côte d’Azur (see page 60), the complex is the home of a state-of-theart creative technopole.

There are several projects running with the Bastide Rouge development, including Cannes on Air, which specialises in all forms of audiovisual production, and writing. CréaCannes, a co-working space for students and young companies fitted with sound stages and postproduction suites. And Cineum Cannes, a 12theatre Cineplex expected this summer.

Considered the tail-end of the Bastide Rouge project, where the student’s final projects will be screened, the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès will also be getting some work done.

More than 61 million euros will be invested in its renovation and extension. At 80,000 square metres plus an additional cinema with 500 seats on the roof, the Palais will be the largest congress centre in France outside Paris. work set to be completed for the 2024 film festival.

The inauguration Marking a major step forward in this massive project, the main Bastide Rouge building was

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inaugurated on 14 February to cinematic fanfare. with dramatic music and the cue: “Il est temp!” the white sheet covering the entrance was ceremonially pulled down by Cannes Mayor David Lisnard, the new UCA president, Jeanick Brisswalter and the French Minister of Higher Education, Frédérique Vidal.

During the press conference, Mayor Lisnard gave a moving speech for those who have followed his tireless efforts to realise this innovative project. It will not only transform the previously undesirable area of La Bocca, but it will make the region a global destination for

learning.

To mark the date of the inauguration, Moyor Lisnard began his speech by saying: “Saint Valentine’s day we celebrate love and here, we celebrate love for creativity. It’s going to change Cannes.”

After thanking an exhaustive list of partners, investors and co-investors who made such a monumental project possible, he said: “we believe in connecting the University, the territory and our geography with creativity. we can be a great destination for the 21st Century in creativity and also science… we are building a student city, not just around film, but writing– everything around writing. Films, series, shorts, journalism, songs, games, etc. Nurturing talent and offering a real Masters of Art.” He closed his speech by letting some of his swelling pride show: “In Cannes La Bocca.

Cannes La Bocca! what pride, what an accomplishment. Vive Cannes!”

The Mayor was followed by UCA President Brisswalter. Dedicated to making UCA an internationally respected university for tech and creativity, he discussed the goal of the university to bring together students and teachers with government, companies and start-ups.

“This is the idea of UCA. A new school; a new university; a new system of teaching.” He also revealed the future project of building a space and satellite technology campus in conjunction with neighbouring Thales Alena Space. will La Bocca be the future home of a space camp? we will have to wait to find out. 

Cannes Mayor David Lisnard unveils the Bastide Rouge with UCA President Brisswalter and Education Minister Vidal. © GC Agglo Cannes

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the Médiathèque Approved twelve years ago, it is finally set to be opened in 2020: the media library "La Source Charles Nègre" in the eastern part of the old town of Grasse is a 3,663 m2, architecturally spectacular complex. Designed as a bridge between different levels of the city on a hillside, the 27-million-euro project has three entrances and five floors, which are intended for the public and will gradually be filled with books and modern media. The urban planners are concerned with much more than just a place to borrow media – the most important aspect of this project is to make the media library becomes a place of meeting and sharing for the community. Access will be free of charge.

which has been in the works for years, is so far hardly visible. The population has been surveyed, archaeologists have given the go-ahead for large-scale conversion work and nothing now stands in the way of building a multiplex cinema.

There are plans for a complete renewal of the hitherto inhospitable eastern part of the old town (Place du Patti, Place de la Buanderie,

Allée du 8 Mai), with modern residential buildings, squares for strolling with cafés and boutiques, of course parking facilities and the aforementioned cinema with 1,000 seats. It looks as if work can now begin in earnest, but when the new Grasse will be ready is still up to the stars. It is said that the first construction phase will be completed in 2024 and the second phase in 2026. - AS

the Martelly update In winter and in the evening, Grasse is as good as dead. The summer rescues the ancient city thanks to its perfumery industry. The old town of Grasse has plenty of potential but the struggle to revive it and gain acceptance as a place for locals to spend their evenings has been a struggle for years.

The "Martelly" urban redevelopment project,

The new media library will open soon © Ville de Grasse

Aix-en-Provence constant construction Anyone who has passed through Aix in recent months has experienced the city as a single construction site - both in terms of road construction and the creation of new buildings.

The main reason for the construction site landscape was the new electrically operated Aixpress inner-city bus, for which separate bus lanes and a new traffic management system were created. The streetscape has been significantly improved and public transport has been improved towards the newly created suburban car parks. over a distance of 7.2 km, the city can now be crossed at 7-minute intervals from northwest to southeast via the city center.

As part of the construction work for the Aixpress, the square around the Rotonde was also renovated - and benches were added on one side.

The long-awaited renovation of the Bastide du Jas de Bouffan, former home of the Cézanne family and temporary residence of the painter Paul Cézanne, is scheduled for completion in 2021. In addition to the living quarters in the style of the painter's time, his studio and exhibition rooms on the upper floor will be open to the public.

The renovation of the building and park of the

Fondation Vasarely has now been completed, and some of the major works permanently exhibited are still being worked on.

To the west of the city, a whole new district called ‘La Constance’ is currently being developed. over the next ten years, 3,600 apartments, pedestrian zones and parks will be built.

Next summer, the long-awaited Pôle Numérique will open here on an area of sixteen hectares, with the new headquarters of the Aixoise online travel company Voyages Privés and an adjacent incubator for start-ups in the field of e-tourism. on the same site, the base

camp of the Aixoise rugby club Provence Rugby Club, which plays in the second highest league, is being built.

Also under discussion is a new building in the west of the city with an adjoining Garden of Sciences for the currently homeless Natural History Museum. The museum houses the largest collection of dinosaur eggs in Europe: on the slopes of the steep Mount Sainte-Victoire, there is one of the world's most important sites for the discovery of dinosaur eggs, which were created 74 million years ago when the mountain did not even exist. -Ch

The newly redone Rotonde with benches © D.R.

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To get to know the restaurant, we decide on the well-composed 5-course menu. Chef Giuseppina Beglia gives some more explanations and inquires if there is anything we did not want to eat. This is not the case, because it is a light and healthy looking composition, a lot of vegetarian food, and as a main course we are offered the "Pesce del giorno", codfish with capers, olives and pea pods. we enjoy each course quietly and happily. It should be called a seven course meal because of small in-between treats. Each one is a work of art to the eye, which one hardly dares to touch. In the mouth, an extraordinary taste experience unfolds. I search in my memory for when I was last so fabulously spoiled. The cuisine is light as a feather, suits the sea, neither the climate nor our menu contains a single calorie bomb.

After the meal, Signora Beglia joins us and is happy to provide information. She was born in Sanremo, but her family originally comes from Istria. Through her husband she got into gastronomy. As a cook, she is self-taught, she says with a laugh. For many years she has been cooking, experimenting and evaluating the results of her numerous trips to the USA, Japan, Manila and Hong kong.

Two cornerstones are her guarantee for consistently good food: local products and her mother's recipes. Her Istrian influence was initially foreign to the Ligurians, and so she adapted her cuisine. "Piano, piano", she adds. Today she trusts her 27-year-old souschef Riccardo Marcenaro. on the basis of her ideas, he develops the recipes further with

youthful creativity. This is how they understand each other perfectly.

"Food must be healthy," she says, "varied and above all, prepared con amore." The full taste of the individual ingredients should unfold, she does not think much of exotic compositions. "Chocolate has no place on meat."

All this has tradition. In the thirties, a casino was originally built in this picturesque place, which was later converted into a restaurant.

It has been in the hands of the family for 55 years now. Although it was sold briefly to Russians, who in turn leased it to Neapolitans. Unfortunately, the ambience and quality deteriorated very quickly. when it was up for sale again, the family decided to take the jewel back and it has since been in the hands of Giuseppina’s family. Three years ago they did a complete renovation, modernisation and added the large terrace.

Giuseppina is an open person, a radiant, wellgroomed and ageless appearance. Her guests come for her kitchen, of course, but also for her. with some she has been friends for a quarter of a century. And many who have known her longer call her "Mamma".

They come from everywhere, from France, Monaco and Italy, but also from Japan and Germany. The word about quality spreads quickly; today it's particularly obvious, as the excellent ratings on the Internet show.

Since their restaurant is only a few meters away from the French border and is known to be home to particularly spoiled gourmets, I ask for the stars that one would expect with this quality. Modestly, she tells me that she was crowned with two stars in the 1980s. But she decided to give them up. "I wanted to do something new, offer high quality that everyone could share in. Fine dining for everyone."

They do this day after day, all year round, at noon and in the evening (except January). By the way, the service is just as perfect as the food. Her charming staff, including her daughter and granddaughter, are warm and unobtrusive. The distance between meals is perfect, you never wait any longer than your stomach is waiting in anticipation for the next course, but you are never rushed either. when I praise her perfection, Giuseppina modestly says: "Perfection does not exist, but we do our best to make the guest happy". 

Giuseppina Beglia (2nd from right) and staff © SAM

Codfish with pea pods © DR

The restaurant "Balzi Rossi" is located directly on the sea with a spectacular view of Menton © D.R.

Healthy, con amore Giuseppina Beglia’s delicacies at Balzi Rossi

By SUSANNE ALTWEGER-MINET

On the border between italy and France, just before the red rocks with prehistoric caves at Grimaldi di ventimiglia, guests are pampered year-round at Balzi rossi restaurant. rom the terrace of the Ristorante Balzi Rossi, named after the red rocks that surround it, visitors enjoy a wonderful view over the sea to Menton. The charm of the location is one thing, but the attraction of the place only fully unfolds when entering the restaurant; for many gourmets it is a place of pilgrimage.

Soft music and the tasteful elegance immediately captivates me. The room is bright and spacious, the furnishings tastefully modern, the description "clean chic" hits the mark. A flower arrangement attracts the eye. while we are still looking around, we are politely and formally welcomed and led to the table.

The sumptuous menu makes the selection difficult and the wine list offers something for every taste.

F

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United Flavours of Food What’s cooking with Theodora Hauzer?

Singapore-born private chef offers customized culinary experiences for any size event.

T

he youngest of three, Chef Theodora Hauzer was born in Singapore to a Dutch father and a Chinese mother, who was born in India. This multi-cultural childhood infused her palate with the flavours and blends of a rich and diverse world.

Chef Hauzer tells RI: “My mother had, amongst many others, an incredible talent to cook. She taught me the basics as well as to respect quality and natural ingredients.

Food is a way of life in Asia - whether in a food stall on the side of the street, or one of the many, many star studded restaurants.”

In 1974, Theodora arrived in the Netherlands to pursue her education which took her to The Hague and afterwards to Rotterdam, where she discovered another cultural melting pot, and happily started her career.

Theodora’s journey brought her to numerous restaurants, learning from great culinary masters. She has been recognised and awarded by Michelin, Gault and Millau, Collège Culinaire de France, the French Association Maîtres Restaurateurs and the Slow Food organisation. But it was the South of France that caused her to settle down after meeting her husband in Cannes.

Here in the Côte d’Azur, she is based in Villeneuve-Loubet, the birth place of the prodigious chef Auguste Escoffier, the ‘king of Chefs and the Chef of kings,’ where she has joined the International Escoffier's Disciples Association (over 30,000 members worldwide).

Very passionate about the quality of products as well as respect for the producers, Theodora is a member of Slow Food and the Collège Culinaire de France. Both organisations strive to restore and maintain local food cultures and traditions. She feels this is important to counteract the rise of our fast life and combat people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from and how our food choices affect our health and the world around us. with United Flavours of Food, her dream came true. Theodora has created a dynamic team of professionals who cater to private and corporate events all over the world. with a wide choice in venues and a vast repertoire of dishes, they offer something for everyone.

Chef Theodora hauzer © D.R.

“My cooking is based on French cuisine, honouring the great August Escoffier and Paul Bocuse as formidable examples. At the same time, I like to express my personality and multicultural origins. I like to play with colours and textures, blending flavours from all corners of the world – mixing modern techniques and Asian influence, fusing the East with the west. That is my passion, joy and challenge. Respecting seasonal and organic products, I get to work with exceptional suppliers and amazing ingredients.”

United Flavours of Food offers totally customized menus (gluten-free, allergies, kosher, halal, organic, etc.), adapted to any budget or

venue, ensuring an original and highly personal presentation. whether your event calls for a seated dinner, cocktails with live cooking, or her wellknown culinary workshops and tasting experiences, Chef Theodora will take you on a multi-cultural gastronomic voyage bursting with the united flavours of the world. 

uNITEd FLavOurS OF FOOd +33 (0)6 79 31 49 81 unitedflavoursoffood@gmail.com www.privatecheftheodorahauzer.com

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GUIDE MICHELIN

A sweet & sour result This year's Michelin Guide rating is something that many chefs in the south of France have to digest.

On the Côte d'azur, more awards for culinary delights were lost in 2020 than were added. a lot has happened around aix, but there, mostly for the better.

Eugénie Béziat brought a star to the Marina Baie-desAnges in Villeneuve-Loubet, for the new discovery "La Flibuste-Martin's" © D.R.

bouches-du-Rhône The Bouches-de-Rhône have a better record: five new stars are added to just one lost one.

A fabulous third star goes to "L'oustau de Baumanière" in Les Baux-de-Provence. And four restaurants have been newly awarded one star: Château de la Gaude in Aix-en-Provence, Maison Hache in Eygalière, La Magdeleine Mathias Dandine in Gémenos and Le Mas Bottero in Saint-Cannat.

Gone is the "Louison" of the Domaine de Château La Coste in Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade near Aix: The restaurant no longer exists under this name, but you can still eat in the wonderful domain, and probably well.

By AILA STöCKMANN Two years after opening his "Mas Bottero" in SaintCannat near Aix-en-Provence, Nicolas Bottero has earned himself a star with his "enthusiastic, tasty and fragrant cuisine", as the guide's testers judged.

Among his signature dishes is the Tartelette de légumes. © D.R.

alpes-Maritimes women's power: Two restaurants in the Alpes-Maritimes received their first star in the Guide Michelin this year - and both were launched into the star-studded sky by women: The recently opened "Pure & V" in Nice, whose owner and sommelière, Vanessa Massé and her Danish Chef, Mathias Silberbauer, are taking the concept of bistronomy to a new level.

And the restaurant "La Flibuste-Martin's" in the Marina Baie-des-Anges (Villeneuve-Loubet): 34-year-old Chef Eugénie Béziat impressed the guests with her enthusiasm and culinary artistry.

However, a total of six restaurants lost their only star, and the celebrated new head chef at the "Chantecler" (Negresco in Nice), Virginie Basselot, of all people, lost her second star.

From now on, the following restaurants will be without a star: "Les Bacchanales" in Vence, "Le Clos Saint-Pierre" in Le Rouret, "Lou Cigalon" in Valbonne, "L'oasis" in Mandelieu, "La Paloma" in Mougins and "L'Auberge Quintessence" in Roubion. Particularly harsh and unfair - according to the expert opinion behind the Michelin editorial staff: the withdrawal of the star of Pauline and Christophe Billau, freshly and courageously acquired only one year ago, for their "Auberge Quintessence" in Roubion, high up in the mountains, thus far away from the clientele with the purchasing power on the coast.

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The relationship between winners and losers in the Var region is not quite so desolate: Two new stars were awarded, but three were withdrawn.

The winners are: "La Voile", restaurant of the Hotel La Réserve in Ramatuelle with chef Eric Canino, now decorated with a second star, and "L'Arbre au Soleil" in Le Lavandou, where the chef at the helm, Yorann Vandriessche, is celebrating his first star alongside his wife Bénédicte.

The only stars lost are "La Rastègue" in Bormes-les-Mimosas, "Le Mas du Langoustier" on the island of Porquerolles and "L'olivier" in Saint-Tropez.

In Monaco's hôtel de Paris, four stars once again shine under one roof. Three of them are united as before at "Louis XV" and the other at "Le Grill" (photo). © MONTE-CARLO Société des Bains de Mer

The modern, healthy cuisine of Eric Canino at "La Voile" (hotel La Réserve) in Ramatuelle convinced the Michelin testers, who awarded the restaurant a second star this year. © D.R.

Monaco The red booklet generously includes the principality in the hexagon, but the testers there have obviously not experienced anything new.

As in the previous year, the small state unites a remarkable ten stars on two square kilometres. The Hôtel de Paris alone has four stars.

In total, there is one restaurant with three and one with two stars, as well as five restaurants that are allowed to carry one star. 

NEW STarS FOr 2020 Alpes-Maritimes Nice: Pure & V * villeneuve-Loubet: La Flibuste-Martin’s* Var ramatuelle: La Voile** Le Lavandou: L’Arbre au Soleil* Bouches-du-Rhône Les Baux-de-Provence: L’Oustau de Baumanière*** aix-en-Provence: Château de la Gaude* Eygalière: Maison Hache* Gémenos: La Magdeleine – Mathias Dandine* Saint-Cannat: Le Mas Bottero*

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Photo: Pau Oatway Text: Vivi O Andersen

riviera

Life Lessons Part of having a good life is learning from the lessons that it teaches us. riviera photographer Paul Oatway met up with chef antoine regnault for this edition of Life Lessons. Born in Madrid, antoine came to Paris when he was 4 years old. Later, he attended Ecole hôtlelière at Fontainebleu and trained at Hotel Plaza Athénée and George Vi. He came to Cannes when he was 20 years old, where for the last 17 years he has been the head chef at Vega Luna Beach in Cannes and takes extra shifts at the InterContinental Carlton. He is a proud member of the Les Toques Blanches - an organization that brings together head chefs who hold shared ideals.

1 2 3

spice up your life.

Don't be scared to use spices, both in your food and in your life.

Sometimes spices you didn't think would go together when cooking turn out to be a perfect match and you can translate that to your life as well.

Don’t overthink!

Decide and do! If you think or hesitate to much you will always be uncertain.

family first.

No matter what you do professionally, never let it define your value. Your family are the ones that will stay ‘til the end, no matter what.

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surround yourself with happy people.

The effects of one person´s happiness influences another person´s mood which boosts another person´s mood. ... So surround yourself with people that make you happy.

They pull you upwards and onwards.

live with gratitude.

Be thankful for the positive AND the negative. often the negative things teach you the most.

look and smell your best ;) Carry some perfume in your pocket.

The hugs lasts longer and the compliments are better.

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Make peace with your past.

If you make peace with your past, it doesn't screw up your present.

The only thing you should regret is the amount of alcohol you drank the night before.

let your faith be bigger than your fear.

So many times we run away from opportunities because we are scared of what the future holds or of what might be around the corner.

Yes, life can be scared at times, but with faith, challenge after challenge becomes just memories.

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L IFESTyLE

To your health Springtime allergies

S

What causes hay fever?

Pollen is easily absorbed into the blood through the lungs, the skin lining the mouth, nose, eyes and throat, and even the gut. They can trigger a series of reactions whereby protein molecules (called IgE antibodies) are stimulated in the blood. Antibodies travel the bloodstream and combine with a specific type of white blood cell containing histamine.

The combining of the antibody to the white cell causes the histamine to be released, free to produce the common hay fever symptoms.

As we’ve been seeing in these articles, it usually comes down to the gut. 70% or more of the immune system is located in the intestinal lining, so gut health must be supported to have a good immunity against “invaders” such as pollen.

Like the gut, the cells lining the lungs form the first line of defence against insults from the environment. Just as we’ve seen an increase in ‘leaky gut’, airborne pollution is making lung tissue more ‘leaky’ and susceptible to allergens such as pollen.

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common risk factors for allergies:

Genetic predisposition Diet Climate Pollutants Poor development of immune recognition Histamine intolerance

controlling histamine Anti-histamines are the #1 go-to remedy for allergies, but they are not always well tolerated*.

It is worth considering nutrition in the fight against seasonal allergic responses.

The first step in fighting high histamine is to drink plenty of filtered water. Histamine helps regulate hydration levels, so if dehydration is detected, more histamine is released.

Vitamin C is a natural anti-histamine and those with low Vitamin C produce higher levels of histamine. Vitamin C is found in fresh, brightly coloured fruit and vegetables, but over-cooking food destroys it. Stress, smoking, alcohol, and the repetitive use of certain medications can deplete Vitamin C reserves.

Avoid triggers: Some foods are naturally high in histamine. These include shellfish, spinach, redwine, mature cheeses, strawberries and chocolate. Limiting the quantities of these and avoiding a combination of all the above may reduce the “histamine hit” on the body. Histamine also develops in “left-over foods”, so aim to eat fresh and unprocessed foods.

Quercetin is an anti-inflammatory plant molecule and known to help reduce histamine levels.

Good sources are onions, garlic, leeks, apples, cranberries, blackcurrants, broccoli, fennel, capers, buckwheat and green tea. Pineapple is a rich source of Bromelain, an enzyme which enhances absorption of quercetin.

Sulphur is another histamine stabilising compound found in garlic, leeks and onions as well as eggs. omega 3´s are anti-inflammatory and essential.

Children can often be depleted. Good sources are oily fish, flax, pumpkin and chia seeds, and walnuts, algae and spirulina. anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine foods: Horseradish (helps with congestion and mucous) Ginger (helps soothe inflammation) Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory and may reduce histamine levels. Try mixing with marinades, yogurts, soups, curries, and warming teas. Nuts and Seeds (for essential fatty acids) Berries (rich in vitamin C and flavonoids)

Cut down on foods encouraging mucus production such as wheat and dairy.

In addition, certain types of gut bacteria produce histamine and certain types of bacteria degrade it. Imbalance in the gut can therefore be a factor for high histamine.

Histamine producing bacteria are: Lactobacillus reuteri, casei, and bulgaricus, so avoid probiotics with those in it.

Histamine reducing bacteria are: Lactobacillus rhamnosus, L. plantarum and bifidobacteria.

avoid exposure to pollen:

wear sunglasses outside to prevent pollen getting into your eyes. keep the car windows closed when driving. Avoid cutting grass, and playing or walking in grassy areas – particularly in the early morning, evening and at night when pollen counts are highest. Avoid drying clothes outside, this helps to prevent pollen coming into the house. keep windows and doors shut to avoid pollen coming into the house. 

CHrISTINE KjELdBjErg

Originally from Berkshire in the UK, Christine has been living in the riviera for 12 years. She is a Pilates & Xtend Barre instructor with a BSc in nutritional therapy and an MSc in personalised nutrition. She has a busy fitness and health coaching business in Grasse and runs various educational workshops. www.ck-health.com

* For educational purposes only, always consult your doctor before starting or changing medication.

pring is here and with it the joys of new leaves on the trees and longer daylight hours. However, for some, the warmer months bring the annual misery of seasonal allergies. Sneezing, wheezing, runny noses, itchy and watery eyes are just a few of the common symptoms known as ‘Hay fever’.

Already affecting nearly one in four people, symptoms are on the rise!

Seasonal “allergic rhinitis” is a hyper-sensitive reaction of the immune system to an airborne trigger such as pollen. Tree pollens are often the culprit in the spring and grasses in the summer. So far, more than 200,000 known plant species are capable of inducing pollen allergies in susceptible individuals! Air temperature, sunlight, rainfall and air pollution affect pollen production by the plant.

It is common for hay fever to suddenly develop after moving to a new country. In southern France, many suffer with new exposure to cypress and mimosa trees, despite not having had allergies prior to living here.

There has been a significant increase in the incidence of seasonal allergies over the last 20 years. It is thought that plants are not only making pollen more abundantly, but also more allergenic. Pollen is the plant’s defence mechanism to stressors, so with the constant bombardment of environmental toxins, plants are releasing more pollen in response.

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ADVERT

riviera

has an entry code unique to each visitor which opens the building door and the apartment, thus eliminating the need for keys. No more searching for the keys or fiddling with bags to open the door.

Imagine enjoying a glass of rosé, sunbathing on the balcony while the kids happily play with other families. Now that sounds like a good holiday!

special events

A Provençal home away from home

A large outdoor reception area and indoor pool house are great spaces for private events, whether corporate gatherings, cocktail soirées, or even marriage receptions. Any of the penthouses with their large terraces are also great event spaces, especially when a more private function is preferred. The staff is happy to discuss different ideas for event planning.

Parking is plentiful within the complex and private garages are also available on request.

There are three electric car charging stations and a secure, covered bicycle garage. 

Evancy Les Jardins d’Azur estled in the wooded hills of Vence, the brand new Evancy resort is like a calm retreat for the entire family, providing fully furnished apartments with all the amenities, sports activities and surrounding nature. The kids are sure to have fun playing, allowing you to enjoy the warm sun of the French Riviera.

Evancy Les Jardins d’Azur provides a Provençal getaway while still within 30 minutes of Nice. Like a true home away from home, this 4-star complex provides guests with everything they would need for a successful holiday.

Four contemporary stone buildings frame a gorgeous heated swimming pool and fountain area, while just beyond lay pétanque courts, a tennis court with basketball hoops and several ping-pong tables. A children’s playground rounds out the plentiful offering, assuring the kids can have fun and, more importantly, stay busy.

Inside, each building houses fully equipped apartments, ranging from studios to threebedroom, three-bath penthouses with expansive terraces. The kitchens are abundantly stocked with dinnerware, place settings (not just a set of four), cookware and utensils. A

N

microwave, full-size fridge, dishwasher and oven leave you wanting for nothing.

A truly relaxing holiday happens when you don’t need to worry about anything. This is evident not only in the amenities but the complex’s digital code security. Every building

«Les Jardins d’azur» 1167 Chemin de la Sine 06140 vence Tel. +33 (0)3 20 15 36 19 www.evancy.com

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LEWIS LONgMaN

L IFESTyLE

Cap Roux Hiking the Esterels

Originally from sleepy Suffolk, Lewis Longman moved to Cannes several years ago in the search of something meaningful to fill the predictable void of post-graduate life. Between the ubiquitous palm trees of the sunsoaked Côte d’azur and the terraces of its numerous restaurants, he thinks he has found that something...

Trading his fork for some trainers, our gourmet writer, Lewis Longman, takes us on a hike through the esterel mountains, just west of Cannes for breath-taking views of the Côte d’azur. But did he bite off more than he can chew?

W

e’re going up there?” I gulped as I gazed up to the top of Cap Roux, a big monstrous red rock, jutting out of the pine trees and into the blue sky. I could just about make out some insignificant silhouettes, like ants, edging slowly towards the summit. They seemed a long way away.

The beauty of the Esterel Mountains is unquestionable. Red and rugged rocks, stretching from Mandelieu in the east to Saint Raphaël in the west, these old volcanic peaks erupt out impressively from surrounding pine forests and the turquoise Mediterranean Sea. The Massif Esterel covers 320 square kilometres, and its peaks and hills of varying sizes offer numerous hiking trails and walks.

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one of which, is to the summit of Cap Roux, where my friends and I found ourselves, humbly standing at the bottom. The start of the walk was easy, perhaps too easy, with a paved path slowly meandering its way up and through the trees, the sparkling sea to our left gradually falling further away below us. The sweet smell of the pine trees in the mild January air only encouraged and fuelled our misplaced enthusiasm and belief that this hike would be fairly easy. we carried on at a good pace until soon the vista opened up and allowed us to fully appreciate the enormity of the surrounding rocks, towering over us like monsters.

It then became apparent that this nicely paved path was just a route to the ‘actual’

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“IF I wERE NoT To SURVIVE THE TREk, THEN AT LEAST I’D HAVE PHoToGRAPHIC EVIDENCE To SHow THAT I wAS THERE.”

path, leading to the summit. Before long, that nice paving would be nothing more than a luxurious memory. we stopped to take photos of the impressive scenery all around us. If I were not to survive the trek, then at least I’d have photographic evidence to show that I was there - grandchildren of grandchildren will know that I was there! we stepped off the tarmac and onto the trail, loose rocks crunching and tumbling under our feet as we marched onwards and upwards, the incline suddenly much steeper than previously. After an hour of deftly navigating the steep, winding path and the occasional small dog, we stopped for a quick drink and a bite to eat. As we sat on the rocks taking in much-needed sustenance, we could see the green and red hills below us stretching and bouncing out to the north and the west, out to the horizon which seemed much further away than usual. Behind us, we could see the top of Cap Roux, and see the little ant silhouettes shuffling slowly up and down the trail - they

still seemed an awfully long way away. we continue along the path, some parts alarmingly steep, other parts reassuringly surmountable. As we reached the top, the incline increased but the seemingly endless views kept us on task. Eventually, the path stopped, there was no more in front of us, aside from a deep blue sky opening to vastness above us and all around - we had made it to the top.

Not only did we make it, but so did a hiking party of around 50 people, fully clad in unflattering spandex and equipped with colourful hiking poles. Despite it being winter, the weather was spring-like and warm, and as such, I had been so bold as to complete the hike with my top off. The mere sight of my shirtless body was enough to make the bustling party of brightly-coloured limbs and poles soon begin their hasty descent, which worked well because we then had the summit to ourselves as if true conquerors!

Cap Roux offers 360-degree views of the Côte d’Azur and we could see nearly as far as Toulon, the bay glistening silently in the west, and to the east, the snowy Alps gleamed majestically above Nice. we sat for about twenty minutes, in sheer awe of our surroundings, euphoria coursing through our blood. Then we just needed to get back down. 

CaP rOux HIKINg TraIL Located in Saint raphaël, only a ten-minute drive west from Theoule-sur-Mer. enter the trail from the Saint Baume parking.  Distance: 4.3 Km

 Difficulty: Medium

 Highest altitude: 380 m

 Time: approximately 2 hours up

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KIDS FOR KIDS A Fun Run to raise money for childhood Cancer

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he annual fun run for kids, organised

by Mimosa Matters, will take place on 17 May at a new venue this year, le Stade du Fort Carré in Antibes. Ebica International School, sponsors since the inception of this fundraiser, is proudly sponsoring the 2020 event again, specifically organised for children aged 5-15 years to help in the fight against childhood cancer in the Alpes-Maritimes.

Every year, there are 2,500 case of childhood cancers diagnosed in France, and 50 cases annually right here on in the Alpes-Maritimes. These children undergo treatments in various hospitals, often for a long time, robbing them of a normal childhood.

Mimosa launched the ‘Mini Mimosa’ in 2018, a FUN RUN encouraging children to take part in a healthy and fun event while making a difference to others. Mimosa President, Juliette Clarkin, tells Riviera Insider: “There is such enthusiasm by the children MaRch / aPRil 2020

and a genuine desire to give back and get involved. This event is key for the community and all the children who are desperate to help out. This is about harnessing their vitality and inspiring them to help in the fight against Cancer, while highlighting the need to keep healthy and active.”

Mimosa will be working alongside its main charity partner, La Ligue contre le Cancer 06, to provide them with the funds to support children with Cancer in the region. This helps fund medical equipment, entertainment for the children and amenities to help their treatment and recovery.

The two organisations are also working on rolling out a kids education road show to all primary schools in the region to help them understand the importance of healthy eating. In conjunction with the Mini Mimosa kids fun run, it provides the perfect recipe of healthy food and healthy lifestyle, to help teach the next generation important lessons about cancer prevention.

Community support The city of Antibes is joining the list of community members lining up to support the cause, by giving the State du Fort Carré and other support free of charge to host this event. There are three distances to choose from depending on age – 800 m, 1.6 km and 3.2 km – and kids will receive a t-shirt, a medal and a certificate for participating.

Not just running around a track, this event will be a zany morning of fun and camaraderie with lots of activities, a raffle and a great atmosphere for all the family. There will be lots of stands in the stadium, with sports demonstrations, healthy eating advice and food and drink for the competitors and their supporters.

Ebica International School has been a great partner for the Mimosa Committee. In a statement about the Fun Run, a representative from the school said: “This Mimosa event is aimed at teaching children healthy values that they can begin to undertake and use throughout their lives. we believe that children should have the ability to positively affect change in their communities and that by getting involved, even in the smallest of ways, they can have the biggest of impacts.”

The Mimosa Committee are keen that children benefit from taking part in this fun experience and that parents and the community can encourage them as much as possible. You can register your child to take part, or sponsor their efforts by visiting the Mimosa website.  www.mimosamatters.org

HOW TO gET INvOLvEd: 1. Register in the Fun Run: Open to children between 5 and 15 years. a parent or guardian can register them at: www.mimosamatters.org/project/mimosakids-fun-run/ -Choose a distance depending on age or ability: 800 m, 1.6 Km or 3.2 Km. -a parent or guardian can accompany younger children for free.

-registration costs €10. Deadline 10 May*.

2. Tell all your friends and family to sponsor you or your child by donating online: www.mimosamatters.org. all the money raised from the registration and sponsorship will go directly to La Ligue Contre le Cancer 06. *if registration reaches capacity before before deadline, they may close the registration wihout notice.

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A changing of the guard

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Who will be the new Tennis Masters in Monte-Carlo?

The first major clay court tournament of the season brings together the world's best tennis players. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal rank first and second in the world, but there are many promising young players up for the challenge!

Don’t miss the 114th Rolex Masters at the MonteCarlo Country Club from 11 to 19 April – it’s sure to be quite a battle.

By AILA STöCKMANN

Photo 1 Monte-Carlo Country Club: Fantastic facility overlooking the sea © D.R.

Photo 2 The German Alexander Zverev certainly has a chance of winning © D.R.

Photo 3 Last year Prince Albert (below, centre) invited the best players in the world to the palace. © D.R.

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he Rolex Masters tournament director, Zeljko Franulovic, is expecting the world's top men's tennis players in the Principality in April, as usual. It will be last year's winner, Fabio Fognini, who will draw lots on Friday, 10 April at 6.30 pm on the terrace of the Thermes Marins for the main round on the following Monday. The definitive list of participants will be published on the tournament website on 19 March.

Take note! A small show match between two of the best players will take place on Saturday, April 11th, in the newly landscaped gardens of the Casino Square. watching this match will be free of charge! And if you want to spend a magical evening with a great show programme and gala dinner alongside the players,

secure a ticket for the "Grande Nuit du Tennis" (Friday, 17 April, from 8.30 pm in the legendary Salle des Etoiles in the Sporting Monte-Carlo – 230€per person).

The Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters tournament, with its special setting over the sea, continues to thrill fans and players alike. Proof of this is not only the early confirmation of the two reigning champs Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic at the beginning of February, but also the enormous crowd of spectators: The quarterfinal day (Friday) and the day of the semi-finals (Saturday) are already sold out. Last year, more than 135,000 spectators came to the venue on the eastern edge of Monaco during the week of the tournament and a total of 31.1 million fans watched the matches on television worldwide.

Franulovic does not expect public favourite Roger Federer to be there in 2020 - although Monaco is one of the absolute tournament highlights for him, as he has repeatedly emphasised. The Swiss, who is quite old for a top tennis player (he will be 39 in the summer), plans to play even shorter courts this year and probably concentrate on the Grand Slams, according to the tournament director. who will he have the most chances on the clay courts this year? "Anyway, there is not only Nadal!" replied Franulovic. He is thinking above all of the Austrian, Dominic Thiem. But: "The young players must also demonstrate that they can win a tournament! They have not yet taken over the world's top players."

The tournament director revealed himself to be a Zverev fan while speaking with Riviera Insider: "I am thrilled with him! He is above all an incredible athlete! And he is charismatic - that's important, tennis needs players like him. I am waiting for him to get better! He has the capacity to win a Grand Slam tournament." He knows the German well, he admitted, after all, he lives in Monaco with his entire entourage.

Finally, Franulovic smiled, one could even organize a purely Monegasque championship: In addition to Alexander Zverev (#7) and his brother Mischa, many of the top players (almost all the men in the top 20 are from Europe, by the way) have their main residence in the Principality - including Serbian Novak Djokovic (#1), Russian Daniil Medvedev (#5), Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (#6), Italian Matteo Berrettini (#8), Belgian David Goffin (#10) and Swiss Stan wawrinka (#13).  Tickets & Info: www.montecarlotennismasters.com

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gOLF

gOLF COLuMNIST raIMuNd THEOBaLd

Teeing-off at: gOlf DU claUx aMic

a passionate golfer since 1992, raimund is from Germany but a lover of France in all its forms: the people, the food and wine, the culture, and most importantly, Provence and the Côte d'azur.

Place of a thousand trees Claux amic in Grasse: Golf with a panoramic view of the islands off Cannes and under the watchful eyes of animals.

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t's the end of March, actually a bit early in the year to play a course in the mountain slopes above Grasse.

But we wanted to get to know this cousre and were not disappointed! only 15 minutes from the centre of the perfume city and we are in the middle of nature.

Seclusion, peace and even wild animals are the pleasant companions of our golf day. we are pleased with the newly built clubhouse with adjoining hotel complex, which at the moment still seems rather quiet.

The fairly new course still has some growing to do, but as the trees and bushes fill out, the course will develop. we are all the more positively surprised by the beautiful golf course, embedded in a huge deciduous forest. For now, we

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are indeed a little too early in the year, as there aren’t many leaves yet. But it is not difficult for us to imagine this course in summer and autumn with full foliage.

By the way, the still leafless trees offer a special advantage: they make the courses look wider - and that is a plus, especially when playing the course for the first time.

The fairway, with its 5,375 meters of yellow tee is relatively short. But because of the woods and the not always clear view of the target, it is an advantage on most courses to place the tee shot precisely.

This way you can save yourself unnecessary driving!

The fairways, of course, may not be in ideal condition at this time of year. But what was perfect were the 30-metre areas around the flag as well as

the fast and true to line greens. water hazards and bunkers are not the biggest enemies of the golfer on this course, the hazards are more from the long branches of the trees that are often in the way and can stop the ball flight abruptly.

The beautiful panorama at various holes with a view of Cannes and the nearby Lérins islands, the Île Sainte-Marguerite and the Île Saint-Honorat, makes a day of golf a great experience. we are very impressed at some of the holes by the scrutinizing looks of the four-legged spectators such as deer, rabbits and foxes, who have perhaps seen better shots! we will definitely play this beautiful course again in summer or autumn, in the pleasant coolness under the thousands of thick deciduous trees! 

gOLF du CLaux aMIC Route des Trois Ponts F-06130 Grasse Booking: +33 (0)4 93 60 55 44 info@claux-amic.com

The course : 18 Holes - Par 72 Lengths from the various tees: -5,874 m from white -5,375 m from yellow -4,709 m from blue -4,293 m from red Driving range, putting and chipping greens, Clubhouse, restaurant with nice terrace and Proshop.

Green fees for 18 holes: High season 75€ Low season 60€ Golf carts and trolleys can be rented.

riviera

La Spezia The Gulf of Poets

By NICOLE RUSKELL

TravEL

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Perfect for a long-weeked getaway, this small Ligurian city is 3.5 hours from Nice and perfect for visiting all those gorgeous italian villages from the Cinque Terre to Porto venere and the Blue Flag beaches of Lerici. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found some top spots to eat, drink and even stay - like an Insider.

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TravEL

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pril brings with it a few long weekends, both the Easter holidays and May Day, which is a great opportunity to explore the far side of Liguria, from the Blue Flag beaches of Lerici to the ancient town of Portovenere and the colourful villages of the Cinque Terre. But can you do it all in a long weekend? If you’re located centrally, yes!

La Spezia is probably not a city you have heard of. It is not known as a cultural destination, nor for its beaches (it doesn’t have any) or as a culinary capital. But it is actually a beautiful little city nestled at the foot of rolling hills with stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea and the Apuane Alps in the distance. It has an important shipping port, a new cruise port, an up and coming yacht port and some real hidden gems of local gastronomy and historical museums. But perhaps the best thing about La Spezia is its location, providing quick and easy access to some of the more remote and stunning towns of eastern Liguria and the ancient land known as the Lunigiana.

Why gulf of Poets?

Many international writers, poets, composers and artists resided in the towns along the bay, most notably, Lord Byron (Portovenere), Richard wagner (La Spezia), Percy Bysshe and Mary Shelley (Lerici), Baroness orczy (Lerici), william Turner and many others. Clearly the beauty of this protected bay has inspired many artists.

gastronomy ‘Spezini’, or the people of La Spezia, take pride in their region and the local products they produce. Home of ‘Pro Loco’ and Slow Food chapters, many bars and restaurants feature exclusively local products from seafood (fished right in the golf) to wine and olive oil.

Local specialties are troffie al pesto, ravioli in walnut sauce, swordfish alla ligure (with olives) and ‘paniggaci’, a meal of flatbreads cooked over an open fire, served with a selection of salami and fresh cheese.

Muscles are not only a local specialty but also an industry in La Spezia. The city provides their particularly sweet and salty molluscs for most of northern Italy. You will usually find them stuffed or in spaghetti ai frutti di mare, the quintessential seafood pasta.

Anchovies, both freshly marinated in lemon juice and the salted kind are popular antipasti plates. A local speciality to the Cinque Terre is the anchovy tian, baked with potatoes, tomatoes and taggiasche olives. wine is also a local speciality, with Vermentino from the hills of the Cinque Terre, and great reds from neighbouring Tuscany.  MaRch / aPRil 2020

This highly Instagrammed spot in Riomaggiore is only 15 Km from La Spezia, or one train stop!

where to drink: Aperitivo is a way of life in Italy and each evening the bars and cafes are packed with locals having a drink, always served alongside a generous plate of snacks and goodies. Enoteca dei Bardi There are several wine bars in the city, but Enoteca dei Bardi is an intimate little place with a truly unique collection of small and independent producers, including biodynamic wine.

They have an extensive collection of local wines from the Cinque Terre and western Tuscany just a few kilometres away.

Via Felice Cavallotti, 19 Tue - Thur 6 pm - 12 am (Fri - Mon until 1 am, closed Sunday) Emporium A gorgeous locale to see and be seen, this hot new bar serves up expert cocktails and an impressive wine list.

Via dei Mille, 87 Tue - Thur 6 pm - 12 am (Fri - Mon until 2 am) +39 347 277 2123

Resilience Cafe A fun, funky bar and tea room started by a young couple who stand out from the crowd.

Magenta walls lined with old books, vintage furniture and reclaimed chairs, this place is nothing like other Italian bars. They offer homemade English-style layer cakes, a menu of fine teas served in vintage porcelain pots and decadent Italian drinking chocolate. The bar offers a very unusual selection of botanical cocktails, highlighted by delicious Italian liqueurs.

Get there early, the place is a local favourite.

Via Vanicella, 8 Tue - Thur 6 pm - 12 am, F - Sat until 1 am +39 329 446 0876

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Only 20 minutes from La Spezia, Portovenere is not to be missed

where to eat:

La spezia: seafood available, check out this fun spot for a lunch in the sun, or creative plates to accompany a sunset Spritz on the yacht harbour.

Porto Mirabello, Tue - Sun 10:30 am - 3 pm, 7:30 pm - 10 pm +39 0187 174 0168

Osteria della Corte Located down an unassuming street, this Michelin-rated gastronomic gem will surprise your senses. Chef Sylvia Cardelli serves up highly creative dishes that highlight the freshest local ingredients from the market. Reviews consistently describe the meal as the best they ever had.

Try their cooking class! Chef Cardelli takes you to the large morning market, then back to the restaurant to cook together, followed by lunch. offered Tue to Sat from 10 am to 2 pm.

Via Napoli, 86 Tue - Sun 12 - 3 pm, 7 pm - 12 am +39 0187 715210 Mirabello Gourmet Part deli, part gourmet shop, part restaurant.

For all the finest foods that Italy has to offer and an expert combining of them with the freshest

La Posta For an incredible meal with some of the best seafood you’ve ever eaten, look no further.

Located near the main post office, La Posta is an unassuming restaurant without a sea view, but their gourmet cuisine will take you on a journey to the sea. Make sure to make reservations because locals know how good it is.

Via Don Giovanni Manzoni, 24 M - Sat 12 - 3:30 pm, 7 pm - 12 am +39 0187 760437

Just under 300 Km from Nice, La Spezia is easily reachable by car (3.5 hours).

Street parking in the centre can be difficult but there are many free parking areas outside the centre. a great base for visiting other towns: Baia Blu Beach 9 Km Lerici 11 Km Portovenere 13 Km Tellaro 14 Km Riomaggiore (Cinque Terre) 15 Km Carrara Marble Quarry 29 Km

where to stay:

gELaTErIa vErNazza For the best gelato around, this family-run shop uses all-natural ingredients and offers dairy-free options. No colours, preservatives or flavours, this is the real deal, made with whole fruits, local milk and organic cane sugar. Try their seasonal flavours like Ricotta and Figs, Cinque Terre Organic Lemon with Honey, peach and basil sorbet, Crema Vernazza with the local Sciacchetrà wine and so much more! Locations in La Spezia and Vernazza.

There are several 3-star hotels, but we recommend getting an apartment directly in the centre. Try Costa Estate for a selection of immaculate luxury settings, offering both room rentals and a luxury apartment in an historic building. They provide great service and speak multiple languages. www.costaestate.it

Lerici and its natural beaches are within 20 minutes.

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BuSINESS & FINaNCE

Dinner event at a Michelin chef’s private dining room © D.R.

Native Spaces The innovative booking site for events

By NICOLE RUSKELL

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he Cote d’Azur offers the best of so many things. we have excellent weather, excellent food, gorgeous properties with gorgeous views and the region consistently ranks in the top lists of preferred destinations. It’s no wonder that so many international festivals and trade shows choose the French Riviera for their annual events. Add to the list that we are now also a hotbed for tech innovation and entrepreneurs, and it makes quite the package.

If we put all of the above traits into one company, we would get Native Spaces, a local start-up providing event ‘spaces’ throughout this beautiful region for visiting companies and locals alike.

At a small café in Cannes, Riviera Insider met with Tanya Bencheva-Vigier, founder and CEo (chief everything officer). originally from Bulgaria, Tanya had a successful career in London, working in the world of corporate

technology, specialising in digital transformation for telecom and media companies. when her fiancé moved to the Côte d’Azur, she began travelling back and forth, each time noting the number of beautiful homes and villas sitting shut during the off-season.

The idea for Native Spaces was planted during a ‘secret dinner’ in a small florist shop in Nice. This intimate event was not only lovely, but it was also bringing extra revenue to a small business that would have otherwise been closed. Tanya mapped this across to the empty villas that could also be earning revenue instead of staying shut.

“The region hosts so many events in the winter. The companies who attend look for high and mid-level venues but due to a lack of local availability or contacts, they often A beautiful sea-view villa in Éze © D.R. resort to renting hotel rooms for their gatherings,” she explains. helping locals So Tanya found herself contemplating two “There are so many local artisans but they clear needs – extra revenue for shut properstruggle to be visible to international clients,” ties and creative venues for private events. she says. It is clear that beyond her business Her corporate experience had given her sense, Tanya is driven by a more altruistic enough examples of “boring” sense of helping locals – conference rooms - creative whether small businesses, spaces could be a game chanmunicipalities, museums or “THERE ARE So ger. “I thought, may-be there is property owners – reach a MANY LoCAL a way for people to book such broad international market, places.” To her surprise, there ARTISANS BUT while also answering the needs wasn’t. Her idea then “evolved” of clientele to find their perfect THEY STRUGGLE into a full-service event booking event space.

To BE VISIBLE To site that would be easy to naviDespite the success of the site INTERNATIoNAL gate, show transparent prices, barely two years in, Tanya is still be multi-lingual and searchable CLIENTS” in growth mode, keeping busy by several different filters. meeting with investors and city officials. Her ultimate goal is to software development make Native Spaces the go-to She brought on a coding and AI expert from site for all event needs in many of the top London, James Buckland, and together they world destinations. created their own booking site, exclusively For now, she is very happy with their for events, that allows anyone to search custom-made website. It is clear, intuitive, their spaces by several different criteria transparent on price and offers flexible (capacity, budget, location, sea view, dance choices, no matter if someone is planning a floor, boat access, pool, etc.). The program corporate product launch, a destination James developed is intuitive and it learns wedding or a friend’s birthday party. from user searches, increasing their keywww.native-spaces.com.  word search ability each time.

Native Spaces launched in 2018, with about 30 properties. Today, they have over 200, ranging from stunning private villas to intimate spaces, including a 5-person boat with an expanding dancefloor. Each space is visited and verified by Tanya before making their list.

They don’t charge a fee to be included on their site - only a booking commission - they are fully insured and have an expert cleaning crew to ensure properties are immaculate.

In addition to venues, they have a growing list of verified services from caterers, entertainers, artisans, DJs and more. Their current ist of caterers that range significantly by specialty and budget, from casual group plates to Michelin-starred chefs.

Tanya’s long-term vision for her site is to be able to offer a ‘Business class service’ to accompany clients through all their event planning needs.

Founder, Tanya Bencheva-Vigier © D.R.

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BuSINESS & FINaNCE

The final countdown Time to review UK pension options for Brexit

By ROB KAY, SENIOR PARTNER, BLEVINS FRANKS

s the clock ticks down on the Brexit transition period ending on 31 December 2020, there is increasing urgency to review your pension options and take advantage of current opportunities before things potentially change.

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Pension transfers can take months to process, so if you decide to transfer, act soon to secure current benefits and avoid unnecessary taxation. Take specialist advice to navigate the complex options and determine the most suitable solution for you.

Transferring your pension abroad Residents in France can currently move Uk pensions to a Qualifying Recognised overseas Pension Scheme (QRoPS) tax-free. This can unlock advantages such as flexibility to take funds in the currency you need, more estate planning freedom and protection from Uk pension rules. However, the Uk imposes 25% tax penalties on transfers to a QRoPS outside the EU/European Economic Area. with expectations that the Uk may include EU/EEA-based QRoPS after Brexit, time may be limited to transfer without tax penalties.

Leaving your pensions in the UK You could do nothing and access your Uk pension from France. For ‘defined contribution’ pensions, current options include taking cash, receiving a regular income (drawdown) or purchasing a lifetime income (annuity).

You cannot usually take ‘defined benefit’ pensions as cash; instead you receive a regular income throughout retirement. while you could transfer it for more flexible access, this is likely to be less beneficial than receiving a guaranteed income for life. Remember also that Uk pensions remain subject to Uk rules,

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including lifetime allowance penalties of 25%/ 55% when combined pension benefits exceed £1.055 million.

The tax implications If you are French resident, Uk pensions (excluding government service pensions) are generally only taxable in France. when accessing Uk pensions or a QRoPS, the French income tax rates apply (up to 45%). However, currently it is possible to take your entire Uk pension as a lump sum and pay just 7.5% income tax if you meet certain conditions.

Pension income and lump sums are also subject to French social charges of 9.1%, unless you hold Form S1 or are not registered for French healthcare. Depending on your situation, it may be more beneficial to reinvest Uk pension funds into an alternative tax-efficient structure that is compliant in France, so explore your options.

Make sure you take regulated, personalised advice to protect against pension scams and establish the best approach for you and your family’s particular situation in France.

Summarised tax information is based upon our understanding of current laws and practices which may change. Individuals should seek personalised advice.

Keep up to date on the financial issues that may affect you on the Blevins Franks news page at www.blevinsfranks.com

Don’t know which way to turn?

As an expatriate in France, you need to navigate a whole new financial planning environment, which can be very confusing. Blevins Franks has been advising UK nationals in Europe for over 40 years. Our local advisers can help you with the following and more:

Talk to the people who know

04 93 00 17 80 france@blevinsfranks.com www.blevinsfranks.com

Investment advice based on your personal needs and risk profile.

Pension solutions to provide long-term financial security.

Reducing tax on investment income, wealth and inheritances.

Effective estate planning for France and UK.

SEMINARS Keep an eye on our website for local events and seminars in your area.

INTER NATIONA L 081-fr

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Blevins Franks Group is represented in France by the following companies: Blevins Franks Financial Management Limited (BFFM) and Blevins Franks France SASU (BFF). BFFM is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK, reference number 179731. Where advice is provided outside the UK, via the Insurance Distribution Directive or the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II, the applicable regulatory system differs in some respects from that of the UK. Blevins Franks France SASU (BFF), is registered with ORIAS, registered number 07 027 475, and authorised as “Conseil en Investissements Financiers” and “Courtiers d’Assurance” Category B (register can be consulted on www.orias.fr). Member of ANACOFI-CIF. BFF’s registered office: 1 rue Pablo Neruda, 33140 Villenave d’Ornon – RCS BX 498 800 465 APE 6622Z. Garantie Financière et Assurance de Responsabilité Civile Professionnelle conformes aux articles L 541-3 du Code Monétaire et Financier and L512-6 and 512-7 du Code des Assurances (assureur MMA). Blevins Franks Tax Limited provides taxation advice; its advisers are fully qualified tax specialists. This promotion has been approved and issued by BFFM.

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BuSINESS & FINaNCE

CMB & Grimaldi Forum

and their Director Sylvie Biancheri, Mr Grosoli renewed the partnership that has existed for 15 years (see photo).

As one of the leading banks in Monaco, CMB has been active in the Principality of Monaco

for 44 years and actively contributes to the country’s cultural influence far beyond its borders. The Grimaldi Forum can look back on an extremely successful year, not least thanks to the fruitful partnership with CMB. 

New strategy and proven partnership or almost a year now, Francesco Grosoli has been the CEo of CMB, Compagnie Monégasque de Banque in Monaco. This time has been marked by a new strategy focusing on synergies between the Monegasque bank and Mediobanca CIB and AM platform. Increasing importance is being attached to wealth Management activities throughout the Group.

Grosoli is working on new strategies, but is not forgetting the tried and tested. Thus, this past January, together with CMB’s President, Etienne Franzi, Henri Fissore, President of the Grimaldi Forum Exhibition and Cultural Centre,

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Sophia’s Datacorp 1st in the Cote d’Azur

Ranking of French business growth

By JEAN-PIERRE LARGILLET

iviera Press’ owner, Sebastien Fraisse, continues to make news in the French business world. on 7 February, the weekEnd edition of French newspaper, Les Echos, unveiled the list of the 500 French companies that have achieved the best growth trajectories between 2015 and 2018. In collaboration with Statista, this list is in its fourth consecutive year and this ranking confirms the vitality of the companies making up the French eco-

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MaRch / aPRil 2020

Francesco Grosoli, CMB’s CEO; Etienne Franzi, CMB’s President; henri Fissore, President of Grimaldi Forum’s Supervisory Board, and Sylvie Biancheri, Director of the Grimaldi Forum. © JC Vinaj/Grimaldi Forum 2020.

nomic network. The size of these companies is increasing and the marginal growth of their activity is rising.

The list is also an opportunity to highlight promising trends.

Ranked 1st in the Côte d'Azur in its category is Datacorp Group, which comes in at the 154th position overall in the ranking. The group showed impressive growth with a consolidated turnover of 2.9 to 8.6 million euros between 2015 and 2018 in the 40 to 135 employee category.

Founded by Sebastien Fraisse in 2011, Datacorp technologies, a consulting and engineering company, started its activities in Sophia Antipolis and has grown through a series of organic and external growth operations. The company now has offices in Lyon, Paris and Monaco (Asteria). with the purchase of a press group, Riviera Press, and the opening of a custom and coworking business centre in Sophia Antipolis, Starter Business Center, the group has created a favourable ecosystem for entrepreneurship in the region by offering a virtuous circle including hosting, communication/events and IT engineering.

In April 2019, BA06 (Business Accelerator 06), sold its business meeting events activities for start-ups and innovative companies (BA06 event and Get In The Ring) to Datacorp Group, thus enabling them to enrich its offer to young creative companies.

The group has thus sought to build a complementary business model by pursuing its

development around its four activities: opening of new entities for engineering (Toulouse and Aix en Provence); reinforcement of the communication offer with the development of digital and video; development of commercial real estate with the opening of the Starter Business Center 2 and support for entrepreneurs through its Startup Studio. 

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New President, new university UCA elects a new president for the conglomerated campus

By JEAN-PIERRE LARGILLET

fter the elections that took place on December 3, there was little suspense for who would be the new president of the Université Côte d'Azur– there was only one candidate.

Jeanick Brisswalter, 60, was elected Thursday, 9 January, by the board of directors with 31 votes out of 38 (7 abstentions).

He takes over from Jean-Marc Gambaudo, who, at the head of the ComUE had prepared for the birth of the new UCA. Brisswalter will be the first president of the new Côte d'Azur University. A new type of university which, as of 2020, replaced the Université Nice Sophia and the ComUE (Community of Universities and Institutions) and now includes major players in research and higher education.

Dubbed the ‘university of the new millennium,’ Brisswalter’s goal is to build an integrated university that is internationally recognised, research-intensive and participates in the dynamic growth of its territory. Driven by the ‘Idex UCA Jedi project,’ he has a mandate to position UCA as a major player in the Côte d'Azur region and as an internationally recognized university bringing all of its missions to the highest level.

The policy Brisswalter will implement is based on four main pillars, in line with the ComUE: -Strengthening the links between research, innovation and valorisation, in order to develop the

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scientific potential of UCA, which is based on disciplinary and transdisciplinary excellence, and innovation.

-To position the University as a major player in the development of the Côte d'Azur territory, with strong links to the local, national and international ecosystem.

-Promote training of excellence for students and professionals, to provide them with the knowledge and skills they need to be actors in solving the complex problems of today's world.

-To develop university life, within the new perimeter of Université Côte d'Azur, with a view to improving working conditions and life on campus, -To boost the quality of student life through culture and sport, to (re)value local heritage and to promote all actions that enable the various players in the university community to engage in their profession and to flourish.

In an interview with Nice Matin, Mr Brisswalter said that he wants UCA to be known abroad— to have their researchers work abroad, to welcome international students to study here and French students to be proud to attend UCA. He also highlighted the Bastide Rouge project in Cannes (see page 40) for UCA’s new EUR Creates graduate programme in creative arts.

Jeanick Brisswalter said he will surround himself with a competent team of mission leaders who will facilitate these goals. 

Jeanick Brisswalter, a specialist in sports ergonomics, neuroscience and psychophysiology © Service communicationUniversité Côte d'Azur

jEaNICK BrISSWaLTEr University professor since 1996. after a doctorate in physiology at the Laboratory of adaptive Physiology of Paris v, specialising in exercise physiology applied to high-level sport, he began his career as a researcher at the National Institute of Sport, Expertise and Performance (iNSeP). He then joined the Universitéde Poitiers in 1994; then Université́ de Toulon in 1999, where he headed the sports ergonomics laboratory, before joining Université́ Nice Sophia Antipolis in 2010, where he created and chaired the "Human Motricity, Sport Health expertise" Laboratory (LaMHeSS).

His research work has focused on the management of substrates during exercise and the relationship with brain function in application with high performance sport and ageing. He has published numerous international papers in the fields of exercise physiology, neuroscience and psychophysiology. He is an expert in several national and international organisations and assessment committees in the fields of life and health sciences, public health and sport sciences. He was Dean of the Faculty of Sport Sciences from 2014 to 2016, when he took over as vice President of the research Commission of the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis and vice President of research of the CoMue University Côte d'Azur.

Nice : N.1 private jet destination he 2019 annual report of PrivateFly, the private jet rental company, recaps the private jet rental market for 2019. The report reveals that among private jet travellers, Nice is the most popular destination in France and the third most popular worldwide for PrivateFly's clients in 2019.

New York makes the top of the list, followed

by London and then Nice. But nationally, the French Riviera capital is the first most popular destination in France, outranking Paris.

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From the Cannes Film Festival, Cannes Lions and the Monaco Grand Prix, The French Riviera is a top destination in the Spring and then carrying straight through to the summer holidays.

This is echoed in the PrivateFly report.

Adam Twidell, CEo of PrivateFly commented: “In Europe, London has always been the most popular city for both business and leisure. But Nice's entry into our global top 3 is a nice surprise. By placing itself in front of Paris, Ibiza and even Las Vegas in the United States, Nice demonstrates its appeal to the luxury clientele.” 

A Nextant 400XTi © PrivateFly

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And the winner is…

By AILA STöCKMANN

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build on sustainability, are willing to engage in dialogue, bring young people on board and love the people and their country. He expressly emphasized the "educational task" of the prize: a Marianne d'or has a model character and shows what is possible in community work. "we need elected representatives and mayors who listen to their people", said Trampoglieri. 

Grasse awarded Marianne d’Or for sustainable development

or the city's commitment to sustainability, the Mayor of Grasse, Jérôme Viaud, was presented with a "Marianne d'or du Développement Durable" in January. France’s "oscar" for exemplary local politics in the service of citizens was awarded annually throughout France last December. In addition to Viaud, 24 other elected representatives received the golden statue, including the President of the Sud-PACA region, Renaud Muselier, and the mayors of Brignoles, Didier Brémond (Var), and Levens, Antoine Veran (Alpes-Maritimes).

More than 800 applications were received this year, according to Alain Trampoglieri, who first announced the "Marianne d'or" as "France's most positive prize" 35 years ago.

In the meantime, the new Marianne d'or du Développement Durable is awarded in addition to the classic Marianne d'or (which, by the way, was awarded to the Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, in 2019).

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Jérôme Viaud, Mayor of Grass, accepted the prize from Alain Trampoglieri in recognition of the city's commitment to the cause of many members of parliament. Rarely has he received such a convincing application as the one from Grasse, said the founder of the prize in his congratulatory speech.

Grasse has recently begun to stand out once again as a perfume city: the art of perfume making was included by UNESCo a year ago in the list of the "intqngible cultural heritage of humanity"; 70 hectares of municipal land were rededicated in the PLU development plan for the cultivation of perfume plants rather than for the more lucrative construction of housing; and the first of soon to be 800 students have been enrolled in courses of study related to the perfume industry - to name but a few of the city's projects to strengthen the perfume industry.

The Marianne d'or, according to Alain Trampoglieri, is deserved by those who use public money responsibly, who, despite having limited funds, do their utmost for local development,

graSSE’S WINNINg CrITErIa

 Bold development plan that gives space to arable land  Settlement of new farmers and support for the purchase of the fragrant plants  Saving energy: electricity consumption in 14 municipal buildings has been cut by 25%. This will save the city 110,000 euros per year.  increased purchase of electricity from utilities that only use renewable energies  Construction of 35 charging points for electric cars (Grasse and surroundings/Pays de Grasse), which will be supplied with green energy  Testing of various future-oriented, environmentally friendly technologies, including the glass recycling system "Cliiink  information fairs for citizens on the energyefficient renovation of their own homes  rental of electric bicycles (monthly): "La Bicyclette" (Pays de Grasse)

Even more environmentally friendly Nice's mayor presents new e-bikes for everyone ou've got to hand it to him: Nice's mayor, Christian Estrosi, is unwavering in his strategy for an ever greener city. of course, he is up for election in mid-March (which he is more than likely to win), but it is probably more to do with being the father of a three-year-old that drives him to improve the quality of life in Nice more and more. Anyone who hasn't seen the metropolis for some time is surprised: "The city has developed incredibly positively! Green plants and cycle paths everywhere!" with this in mind, Estrosi proudly invited the press at the end of January to present its latest sustainable mobility projects. The link

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between bicycles and public transport is particularly close to the city's heart. From now on, there are secure parking spaces for private bicycles at Thiers rail station, but also at the Charles Ehrmann stadium.

At the station, 200 bicycles can be stored in 300 square metres of underground storage space, and electrically powered bicycles can be charged at ten charging columns. However, use is subject to a subscription to the Lignes d'Azur buses and trams or the TER suburban trains. Further places are planned in Vauban and Pont Michel, among others.

In addition, the city's range of blue rental bicycles will be extended to include 200 electric bicycles, which will have an autonomy of 60 kilometres between Nice, Saint-Larentdu-Var and Cagnes-sur-Mer and will operate by means of an app for 40 euros per year. Use of the bicylces is free for senior citizens and youth under 25. Those who do not have a subscription pay 1.50 euros for half an hour the first thirty minutes are free.

An information office for questions about

Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi inaugurates the new ‘Mobility’ office at the train station © Ville de Nice

electric bicycles, their use and the corresponding subscriptions has been opened across from the main station.  -Ph MaRch / aPRil 2020

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The Agenda Must-see Exhibitions By SARAh hYDE Aesthetes awake, shake the dreams from your head, spring is springing. If the various mimosa and violet festivals, with their scented charms, did not quite hit the spot and lift you into the thrills of springtime, help may be at hand in the form of human pick-me-up: Mr Iggy Pop. In April he will tour Free, his new album, with gigs at both ends of the coast; Marseille on 7 April at Le Silo and Monaco on 10 April at Grimaldi Forum.

Will his raw power send an electric wave through the entire region?

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ean Cocteau has been quietly making waves in the international art world in the last season and for anecdotal smug points alone, the Design exhibition at the Musée du Bastion in Menton is well worth seeing. Cocteau’s work as a designer has been overlooked until now, with the cultural-polymath's talent as ceramist, interior decorator, and jewellery, fashion and poster designer finally being celebrated.

Until 15 June. www.museecocteaumenton.fr In Nice there is plenty of opportunity for the armchair traveller to journey East, with two exhibitions opening in mid-February. At the Musée de la Photographie Charles Nègre, enjoy a new show of documentary work by photographer Jacques Borgetto. Titled Si près du ciel, we follow him to Tibet, where Jacques Borgetto has travelled regularly since 2007. The luminous, spiritual works record a way of life now sadly under threat.

Until 26 May. www.museephotographie.nice.fr on the other side of town at Villa Arson, there is an equally interesting proposition: The Last Brahmin, Shailesh BR. Here the Indian artist reimagines and questions the traditional architecture of Vastu Shatra and actively resists caste-based discrimination MaRch / aPRil 2020

by inviting everybody in to his ‘home’ to say hello. Until 3 May. www.villa-arson.org If you like mathematics, geometry and metaphysics, British sculptor Conrad Shawcross's show ‘Escalations’ extends over three sites at Château La Coste in Le PuySainte-Réparade. Huge mechanical, moving works will be on show, including ‘Patterns of Absence’ which looks fascinating, a new Fractures series, and a new permanent commission, Schism. Until 19 June. www.chateau-la-coste.com At Foundation Carmagnac, Porquerolles Island, ‘La Mer Imaginaire’ opens on 24 April.

The perfect excuse to visit this amazing space where some of the galleries are actually underwater. The latest project from American curator, Chris Sharp, promises to take our minds on a journey that follows a fine line between unfathomable depths of an unknowable ocean and our apocalyptic environmental fear. Showcasing big ticket works in the collection and other famous nautical loans. on such a beautiful island, what could be more thought provoking? If you have not yet visited this recent addition to the region, now is the perfect moment, before the crowds arrive. Until 4 october. www.fondationcarmignac.com

Iggy Pop © Rob Baker Ashton

At Villa Noailles, the annual madness, fun and fabulousness of the fashion parade, Festival international de mode, de photographie et d’accessoires de mode opens to the public on 27 April. Fashion royalty come to Hyères and this year's judges include fashion superstars Amanda Harlech, Derek Blasberg and Mathew Anderson.

Until 24 May. www.villanoailles-hyeres.com At the end of the month and at the very outreaches of the region, we take you to Avignon for a delightful show opening 24 April at the Collection Lambert. For those with a sentimental nature, ‘Je refléterai ce que tu es…: From Nan Goldin to Roni Horn: the intimate in the Lambert Collection’ promises to make you sigh and perhaps understand the underlying importance of intimacy in our choices of both art and life. Until 14 June. www.collectionlambert.com Finally, at the start of May ArtMonteCarlo arrives at the Grimaldi Forum, the time when the important galleries and the glamour that accompany the carnival of the commercial art world flock to Monaco. Those who are serious about collecting art must pay a visit. watch out for the Art on Yachts feature.

1 - 3 May. www.artemontecarlo.ch

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Eugene Frey: Variations

By SARAh hYDE

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Plates for "La Walkyrie", ca.

1909. Monte‐Carlo Société des Bains de Mer © Andrea Rossetti, 2020

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RGB, 2020 (projectors) João Maria Gusmão + Pedro Paiva. © Andrea Rossetti, 2020

The meticulous collection of an unknown genious es Décors Lumineux d'Eugène Frey présentés par João Maria Gusmão is a magical exhibition at Villa Paloma – one of a series of shows that respond to the rich archives of the Monaco opera House, part of the New Museum National de Monaco (NMNM) permanent collection. The delights of the past continue to entrance present audiences, in this instance exploring a forgotten technology of shadow theatre and light projection, an innovation that artist Eugène Frey made his own.

Born in 1864 in Brussels, he studied science and then he turned to art and spent time learning the techniques of light projections in Paris, notably at the famous nightclub, Le Chat Noir, frequented by cultural luminaries of

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the day including artists Henri Rivière, Caren d’Ache and cartoonist Adolphe willette.

At the beginning of the 1900s, Frey developed his own process of 'transforming light sets' intended for theatre and opera stages. Thanks to an elaborate system of projection lanterns, simultaneously diffusing several pictures intricately painted on tiny glass plates, he created completely innovative and animated theatre sets. At the invitation of the Director, Raoul Gunsbourg in 1904, he joined the Monte-Carlo opera, where he contributed to its international influence during the first quarter of the 20th century.

The exhibition shows Frey's work ranging from shadow theatre to the works created for the blockbuster productions at Monte-Carlo opera – notably ‘La walkyrie’ and ‘The Damnation of Faust.’

The focus of this fascinating show is not on Frey alone, and historical and contemporary artists, including shadow pieces created by Henri Rivière and Caran d’Ache for Le Chat Noir, mechanical theatre by craftsman Emmanuel Cottier, artist Hans-Peter Feldmann’s shadow theatre, performances by Lourdes Castro, silhouette films made by Lotte Reiniger or Michel ocelot, phantasmagorical experiences created by Georges Méliès, Alexandre Alexeieff and Claire Parker or Jean Hugo. Also included is a magical recording of dancer, cheographer and inventer, Loie Fuller’s light choreographies. In ‘Fire Dance,’ from the 1890s, Fuller appears moth-like, a wonder from another age. She reaches out from the past, demanding our attention and in return, the early film technology makes the past feel much more distant than it is in years. It’s a rare sight.

Célia Bernasconi, Chief Curator of NMNM, commissioned a response to the works of Eugène Frey, by Portuguese artist, João Maria Gusmão, whose works, Bernasconi noticed, are in dialogue with Frey’s experiments. Gusmão had been searching for a way to make a continuous image with light, uniting his work with Frey’s, which precedes him by over 100 years.

To accompany Frey’s work, Gusmão created a scenographic production entitled Traveling without motion, a 'continuous-light micro-cinema' that produces moving images without using any film or operator. Nine projectors with mechanised disks are installed throughout the exhibition, projecting moving light forms on the architecture of Villa Paloma. They revive the magic lantern technique, while offering a counterpoint to Frey’s works.

Gusmão told Riviera Insider that he only discovered Frey through his commission to work at the museum, and believes that Frey's work is completely different to anything he had ever seen before. He said, “Frey used techniques of cinema before film was even created. It’s anti-modern.”

The exhibition is on view over the three floors of the museum, including incredibly rare 19th century encre noir plates. For those who enjoy all things Lilliputian, it is a pure delight! Until 20 May. 

vILLa PaLOMa L56 Boulevard du Jardin exotique 98000 Monaco www.nmnm.mc

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Manifesta 13 © Manifesta.org

Photo centre Stefan Kalmar © Richard Young

Paralleles du Sud programme. we will reach all the way to MAMAC in Nice, where Ursula Biemann will be having a solo show.

Manifesta 13 Q&A with Director Stefan Kalmar in anticipation of this summer’s big event in Marseille, riviera insider caught up with the Biennale’s Director, Stefan Kalmar, to learn more about this city-wide art festival.

By SARAh hYDE

Ri. We are all so excited about Manifesta 13, it looks like a major influx of international artistic energy is coming to Provence this summer. Can you give us some idea of the dimension of this event? sk. Yes, over thirty artists are working on a response to the city of Marseille. There will be historical and contemporary responses addressing issues such as immigration, social justice and the particularity of the post-colonial relationship.

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Manifesta13 is going to work with seven of the city’s most prominent museums: Musée Cantini, La Vieille Charité, Musée Grobet-Labadié, Muséum d’histoire Naturelle, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Musée d’histoire de Marseille and the Conservatoire National à Rayonnement Régional. Is this summer going to be all about Manifesta will you take over all of Marseille? one aspect of the Manifesta13 exhibition, which works with seven of the most prominent institutions in Marseille, is that it infuses new voices into those institutions - the voices of people who are not normally represented.

It highlights the voices that are not currently heard in these places, making them more responsive to the city of Marseille That sounds quite radical! well, yes it is. Manifesta often works outside the institutions — this time we not only want to raise the profile of the institution but also to question, challenge and evolve the role of those institutions so that they become more representative of the real demographics of the city. And hopefully more relevant or more civic for the people of Marseille. Above all, Manifesta 13 is for the people of Marseille.

In fact, Manifesta is working throughout the entire region. Can you tell us more?

Yes, through the entire region. we are giving funding to 96 local partners to host parallel events and they can be found in our Les

The title of this year’s Biennale is ‘Traits d’union.s,’ French for hyphen. Can you explain how this idea works and reveal to our readers some of the themes of this year’s event?

This is symbolised through the partnerships with the museums, where both partners create their identities but through the hyphen you make one new word. In this way both are legible in their own identity but joined together. The hyphen thus enables us to create a clear partnership while maintaining our identity and differences.

The themes of this event are ecological crisis: the legacy of industry and global warming and its impact on the sea and the fishing economy. we are also addressing the French legacy of colonialism and the post-colonial condition of Marseilles. how do you think that this influx of international interest will benefit local artists and students and what do you think they can do to get the best out of interacting with the important curators and influencers present?

Every artist is giving talks about their work in conferences and symposia and the exhibitions themselves will demand engagement.

The aim is to raise the possibility for culture and contemporary art What do you think the lasting legacy will be - will Marseille be a different city after Manifesta?

If the city changes - we hope that it will - it will be because the institutions we are working closely with will experience what it could be like to become more representative to the real life experiences and diversity of the city.

Manifesta ‘Traits d'union.s’ Opens 7 June at locations across Marseille www.manifesta.org

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Lena Dettervik. © D.R.

Eternal love The sculptures of Lena Dettervik riviera insider takes you high up in the hills to the home of celebrated Swedish artist, Lena Dettervik, whose sculptures convey almost as much love as this beautiful woman has to give.

By NICOLE RUSKELL

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t’s a trek up to the cottage and studio of this sculptor from Linköping, Sweden-one that was too much for my city car.

But after being rescued by her, we arrive at one of the highest points in 06. only a few stone houses dot the terrain, making Tourrettes-sur-Loup appear a small village in the distance. The view of the Côte d’Azur takes my breath away and I couldn’t imagine a more peaceful place for an artist’s studio.

Lena welcomes me into her rustic and warm Provençal home, the walls filled with books, paintings and sculptures. one piece draws me over instantly, ‘Venus and Mars.’ A couple stands in front of one another, the man gently

‘Venus & Mars: The God of War meets the Goddess of Love and the strongest love arises’ © D.R.

caressing the woman’s face as she leans over expecting his kiss. It is made of bronze - so it is not alive and it would surely be cold to the touch - but the warmth and pure emotion of love that exudes from the piece feels like I am witnessing this tender moment in person.

From there I am drawn to the next piece, which starts a sort of impromptu tour of her work. ‘Adonis and Aphrodite,’ two figures seated in opposite directions while embracing, was even more moving than the first. Here, the expressions on the faces exquisitely depict the feeling of bliss when one is in a state of pure love. And it is love that can be felt in all of her pieces, whether in clay, plaster or bronze. It emanates from whatever form she makes, embodying the emotion she so clearly feels.

Love, therefore, is our first topic of conversation when we sit down to the antique wood

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table covered with a simple white linen cloth. on the wall to my right, hang a series of small paintings with two abstract figures, each just a half, as if one was not complete without the other; shiny tears dot the surface. These are her personal pieces, expressions of her heart.

Lena’s work is heavily influenced by her relationship with fellow Swedish sculptor, Gudmar olovson. what began as a professional mentorship and mutual respect of each other’s artwork, grew into a deep love – the kind that spans lifetimes.

After Gudmar had been living in Paris for many years, and Lena in Sweden, the two moved into this stone house about a decade ago. At that point, Gudmar was a very well-respected and famous artist, having sculpted large public works and the busts of most royalty and heads of state. Lena was flourishing in her own career as well. “we really gave each other space to do our work.”

The couple shared their time between Tourrettes, Sweden and their studios in Paris, until Gudmar passed away in 2017. She reflects on that time with a gentle smile and wistful eyes.

“I got seven years with him and I’m so happy to have had those seven,” she tells me. She admits that art has been a great release for her grief.

Just before he died, Gudmar asked Lena to complete his magnum opus, The Love Garden.

An impressive project at the Château de Cheverny in the Loire Valley, ‘Le Jardin de l’Amour’ has, for now, six larger than life sculptures of couples in love. Lena dutifully fulfilled his wish, spending the past two years devoted to completing his project.

Now, she says, it’s time to get back to her own work and start a new chapter in life.

Her creative energy flows into everything she does, from her sculptures to her acrylic paintings, to her lithographs. Her studio is currently filled with commissioned busts, including one of Cagnes Mayor Nègre.

Her artistic sculptures figure from classical mythology, often rewriting the ending for a more loving and liberating outcome. Her favourite piece, ‘Europa,’ turns the story on its head, breaking the beauty (kidnapped by Zeus in the form of a bull) free from her captor and places her on the ground, leaping up towards her dreams while the bull dances around her in celebration of her freedom.

You can see Lena’s statue, ‘l’Envole,’ on the Cagnes-sur-Mer Promenade, flying confidently into the wind. Inspired by Hawiian mythology, the woman represents Hiiaka, the Goddess of the wind and clouds.  Amour & Psyche © D.R.

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Canneseries Pink carpet, 2019 © MIPTV

Canneseries Season 3: 27 Mar - 1 Apr reated in 2018 by an independent association chaired by Fleur Pellerin, the Festival International des Séries de Cannes aims to promote television and streaming series from around the world and become the voice of this ultra-creative platform. The series festival draws its energy from the very heart of Cannes and the legendary festivals that precede it, but aims to remain fun, fresh and free.

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Part of the Reed Midem international organisation, Canneseries takes place in parallel with MipTV (the international market for television programs); a not-to-be-missed networking event for international television professionals.

Canneseries advocates values of excellence and diversity but always in a spirit of style that is at once cool, pop and glamorous. Its aim is to bring together the best players in the world of series, to nurture the talents of tomorrow, and to create an unmissable international competition for series of all genres and formats.

This event is open to all and is entirely free.

During the festival, Cannes rolls out the pink carpet to the series through different events all over the city (previews, masterclasses, meetings, etc). Full programme on the website.  www.canneseries.com

International Emmy Kids Awards The Best Children’s shows from Around the World he 8th International Emmy kids Awards ceremony will take place during MipTV in March. Each year, the world’s leading producers of children’s television gather in Cannes for their chance to be recognised with an International Emmy. This special kids Awards ceremony is separate to that of the

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International Emmy awards which takes place in New York in November each year.

There are 28 nominees in seven categories, including best animation, series, TV movie and more. These nominations span 15 countries, including India and Nigeria, both nominated for the first time.

Bruce Paisner, President & CEo of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences stated: “The geographic spread and diversity of topics addressed in this year’s nominated programs attest to the vibrancy and quality of children’s television throughout the world.”

The iconic golden statue will be presented to the winners at a ceremony in the Palais des Festivals on Tuesday, 31 March. For a complete list of nominees, visit www.iemmys.tv. 

From March 27 to May 1, 2020, Cannes will welcome the third writing residency program with eight international students to learn, develop and write a new series concept. a truly international collaboration, the program brings together instructors from some of europe’s top film schools, including the London Film School, Serial eyes (Berlin), La Scuola Holden (rome) and more, with production companies like Canal+ and vivendi to instruct the residents on producing a ‘prebible’ and a pilot for a Tv series. This year's theme is “Feminine - Masculine.” residents are free to choose the genre as long as it deals with the theme. after completion of the programme, a jury will select one resident for the opportunity to develop their project with Canal+.

Samira Karrach, co- director of invent at Université Côte d'Azur (UCa) and director of the Canneseries institute, tells Riviera Insider that the intensive programme has been a great success. “each party involved, from the schools, to the production companies to the Mayor of Cannes really supports the project.

We will be signing a collaboration contract for another three years, so that’s a clear sign that all parties are happy.”

The new 2020 Canneseries Institute residents © Canneseries

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Oscar wrap-up The 92nd Academy Awards

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he American awards season came to an end with the 92nd Academy Awards ceremony on 9 February. And while the Americans are rolling up their red carpets, here in the Côte d’Azur we are gearing for ours!

As per usual, the 2020 oscars were a place for the Hollywood elite to air grievances. Statements about the inequality of pay between men and women in film, women’s rights, gay rights and police brutality against people of colour have been prevalent over the last few years. Again this year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been criticized for its lack of diversity, made viral by the hashtag #oscarssowhite. Headfirst, Janelle Monae’s opening song and the opening monologue given by Steve Martin and Chris Rock, were quick to poke fun at

how few nominees were women or people of colour. of the nine films nominated for best picture, only the South korean film “Parasite” featured a predominantly non-white cast; “Little women” was the only nominated film centred around female characters.

Nathalie Portman made her statement quietly with the names of women directors who weren’t nominated sewn onto her dress.

“Parasite” took home the top prize. It is the first non-English language film to win the best picture award. The movie was considered an underdog heading into the ceremony, beating out strong competition from “1917” and “once Upon a Time in Hollywood” for the Best Picture win. The film also won the award for Best International feature, Best Director and Best original Screenplay. This achievement was so far outside of the realm of precedent it was

alexa BoUHELIERRUELLE

unfathomable given that “Parasite”, a violent and pitch-black satire of class stratification, was the first South korean film ever nominated in the category formerly known as "foreign film."

In the Best Supporting Actor and Actress categories, Laura Dern won her first oscar, emotionally saluting her mother Diane Ladd in the audience – winning Netflix their first oscar in the acting category - and Brad Pitt, winning his first oscar for an acting performance, advocated for a stunt coordination oscar category.

Reflective on his career, recognised his own journey with: "once upon a time in Hollywood ... ain't that the truth?"

Joaquin Phoenix took home the oscar for Best Actor and quoted his late brother River, critiqued the ethics of the dairy industry and didn't actually thank anybody associated with “Joker”. Renee

Brad Pitt accepts the Oscar® for Actor In A Supporting Role during the live ABC Telecast of The 92nd Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 9, 2020. credit: Blaine Ohigashi © A.M.P.A.S.

Zellweger celebrated the heroes and legends who unite us when winning for her performance as Judy Garland, in “Judy”. 

With a life-long passion for film and a master’s degree in journalism from the Sorbonne, alexa joins Riviera Insider as our new film critic. She splits her time between the Côte d’azur and Paris, attending advanced screenings to keep us up on films we just can’t miss.

“De Gaulle”

“Bond: No Time to Die”

General De Gaulle called upon “honour, common sense, and the higher interests of the country” when confronted with the military and political collapse of France.

This new film, directed by Gabriel Le Bomin, takes place in June 1940, when Charles de Gaulle joins London while Yvonne, his wife, finds herself with her three children on the road of the exodus.

Le Bomin takes the audience by the hand into the public and private life of General de Gaulle and his family. No one dared to take this 20th-century legendary figure to the big screen before. A surprising gap when compared to the numerous adaptions featuring winston Churchill this past decade alone. The French director trusted Lambert wilson and Isabelle Carré to portray the two main characters, a promising duo who won’t fail to inspire us. 50 years after the death of De Gaulle, ‘the architect of a free-France’, Le Bomin creates a much-needed film that certainly will speak to everyone. 

The 25th film in the Bond franchise will hit cinemas in April. It’s Daniel Craig’s fifth reprise as 007 and will mark the actor's final run as the British agent. Bond 25 will also wrap up Daniel Craig’s character arc as James Bond, leaving the door open for the next actor to step into that highly coveted suit.

Like every Bond film lead-up, there have been rumours and speculations about the fate of 007 in Cary Joji Fukunaga's directorial debut. If anything’s been kept under lock and key, it’s the nature of Rami Malek’s Bond villain, Safin. No one knows whether Malek wears the mask we've seen in the trailers, or how Safin is connected to “Spectre” - if he is at all. But if one thing is steady in this franchise, it’s the scenery. Bond films have always been the cinematic equivalent of a smug postcard from everywhere you're not. In addition to Cuba, the crew filmed in Norway, Scotland, London, and Jamaica itself, where Ian Fleming’s famous Goldeneye estate resides, and where the very first Bond film, Doctor No, was set in 1962. There’s also going to be a huge sequence in Matera, Italy, for which the team physically built their own cemetery for, and last but not least, you can prepare for some sweet, sweet Aston Martin action. 

Directed by Gabriel Le Bomin Releases 4 March. Lang: French – France.

Directed by Cari Joji Fukunaga Releases 8 April. Lang: English - Uk/USA.

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arT & CuLTurE

a cUltUReD spring

what?

CCN de Créteil et du Val-deMarne/Cie käfig Choreographed by the adventurous and rule-breaking Mourad Merzouki, “Vertikal” is a unique aerial ballet, in which ropes, strings and lines enable the dancers to overcome gravity. with poetic music by Armand Amar, the innovative theatrical ballet mingles elements of hip-hop and acrobatics.

when?

Palais des Festivals Cannes what?

Cie Rioult Dance New York After a successful career as a dancer himself, Pascal Rioult has founded his own company in 1994. Merging innovation with American and European teachings and demanding highly precise technique, he created a new powerful dance.

This time he presents Bolero and his new piece Nostalghia.

what?

Malandain Ballet Biarritz The neo-classical choreographer Thierry Malandain uses subtle baroque inspirations to recreate in his new play "MarieAntoinette" the life at the French court during the 18th century. Fourteen dynamic tableaux accompanied by the music of Haydn and Gluck present the story of a versatile woman, a wife, a queen, an art lover and a mother.

when?

12 April - 8.30 pm

22 March - 7 pm

when?

where?

28 March - 8.30 pm

Palais des Festivals et des Congrés - Grand Auditorium

where?

where?

Palais des Festivals et des Congrés - Grand Auditorium

Théâtre Croisette - Cannes

www.palaisdesfestivals.com and ‘Concerto pour piano et orchestre n°2’ by wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

when?

22 March - 3.30 pm

where?

Anthéa Antipolis Théâtre d’Antibes

what?

Vincent Beer-Demander © Raphael-Arnaud

what?

Win tickets!

Enter to win a pair of tickets to the Cannes orchestra for the performance of Vincent Beer-Demander on 23 April at 8.30 pm. open to Riviera Insider subscribers. To enter, send an email with the subject ‘orchestra tickets’ to: secretariat@rivierapress.fr.

MaRch / aPRil 2020

Piano Series V: Poulenc The immensely talented pianist and multiple laureate Nicolas Stavy revives a little-known piece by Poulenc Concerto pour piano with lyrical sensitivity. ‘Le superbe Festin de l’Araignée’ by Roussel and ‘La Symphonie n°2’ by Saint-Saëns can also be rediscovered this evening.

when?

20 March - 8.30 pm

where?

Théâtre Croisette - Cannes

www.orchestre-cannes.com

Orchestre de Cannes

what?

Sympho New Brahms For more than 30 years Sympho New students have the opportunity to present their talents at the orchestre de Cannes. This time under the direction of the conductor Benjamin Levy, these young musicians play ‘Symphonie n°4’ by Johannes Brahms, as well as ‘Fantaisie pour un gentilhomme by Joaquin Rodrigo

De l’Écran à la Scène Featuring four well-known composers of classic film scores, Lalo Schifrin, Vladimir Cosma, Jean-Claude Petit and Nino Rota. written as aconcerts for mandolin and performed by guest soloist, Vincent Beer-Demander.

For this event, the orchestra welcomes Jean-Claude Petit and Vladimir Cosma. we have tickets! See the box to the left for details.

when?

23 April - 8.30 pm

where?

Théâtre Debussy – Cannes

riviera

what?

Tchaïkovski, Dohnányi Dedicated to the memory of Piero Farulli on the occasion of the centenary of his birth the orchestre Philharmonique de Nice accompanies Miroslav kultyshey playing Tchaikovsky’s ‘Concerto pour piano n°1’ with Dohnányi’s ‘Symphonie n°1.’

when?

3 + 4 April - 8 pm / 4 pm

where? opéra Nice Côte d'Azur

what?

Les Extraordinaires Jeunes Voix Du Bolchoï In collaboration between the Centre d'Art Lyrique de la Méditerranée and the opéra Nice Côte d'Azur, young exceptional voices from all over the world get the chance to be discovered. This time new talents from Bolshoi present their skills.

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Opéra Nice Côte d’Azur when?

17 March - 12.15 am

where?

Foyer Montserrat Caballé de l'opéra

what?

Allegro Brillante, oceana, Le Ballet de Faust Three different short ballet plays are presented on one evening: the vivid ‘Allegro Brillante’ choreographed by Balanchine, the fluid ‘oceana’ by Lucinda Childs and the nervous and erotic ‘Le Ballet de Faust’ by Éric Vu-An.

when?

17 - 19, 24 - 26 April

where? opéra Nice Côte d'Azur

Esteban & Marilu

what?

Tango Fire Directed by international Tango superstar German Cornejo, the world’s greatest Tango dancers and musicians come to the Grimaldi Forum. Cornejo and his amazingly sensuous partner, Gisela Galeassi, are joined by an outstanding cast of world Tango Champions dancers from the greatest Tango houses in Buenos Aires.

grimaldi Forum when?

6 + 7 March – 8.30 pm

where?

Salle des Princes

www.opera-nice.org www.grimaldiforum.com

Opéra de Monte-Carlo what?

Il Pirata The choir of the opéra and the orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo revive the long forgotten exigent opera seria ‘Il Pirata’ in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini. Pertaining to the Italian Romanticism the opera is based on Charles Robert Maturin’s novel Bertram or the Castle of St. Aldobrand and consists of several strong scenes.

when?

where?

Salle Yakov kreizberg - Auditorium Rainier III

what?

Le Comte ory The baroque ensemble Les Musiciens du Prince-Monaco in collaboration with the Choir of the opéra de Monte-Carlo perform Gioachino Rossini’s opera in two acts, which was written on the occasion of the coronation of Charles X in 1825. Scribe and Delestre-Poirson have later transformed it into a comic opera libretto.

when?

22, 24, 26, 28 March - 3 pm / 8 pm / 8 pm / 8 pm

5 + 8 March - 8 pm / 3 pm

what? w.A.M. - we Are Monchichi The duo wang Ramirez passes its work Monchichi to a tandem of younger dancers consisting of Shihya Peng, a Taiwanese living in Paris, and Marco di Nardo, an Italian living in Berlin. The hybrid work of hip-hop, acrobatics and dialogue focuses humorously on the question of how we deal with each other and with our multiple cultural identities.

when?

31 March – 8.30 pm

where?

Scène 55, Mougins

where?

what?

May B Created in 1981 and since then an indispensable part of the company's repertoire, May B combines dance and theatre.

Choreographed by Maguy Marin this play of contemporary dance is clearly inspired

by Samuel Beckett’s cynicism and tragic humour and depicts the paradox of the human incapability to neither live together nor in loneliness.

when?

28 April – 8.30 pm

where?

Salle Garnier opéra de Monte-Carlo

www.grimaldiforum.com

Scène 55

Scène 55, Mougins

www.scene55.fr

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events

EvENTS

17 MARCH

5 APRIL

23 - 26 APRIL

MARSEILLE Jazz cOnceRt Andy Emler and his eight-piece Megaoctet celebrate their 30th anniversary, supported by two soloists: Nguyên Lê and Médéric Collignon. Théâtre du Gymnase, 8 pm. Tickets 9 to 36 euros. lestheatres.net

Tourrette-Levens MeDieval festival Travel back in time to the Middle Ages with troubadours, knights and an arts and crafts market. In the village, 10 to 6 pm. Free entrance. tourrette-levens.fr

SAINT-TROPEZ cUlinaRY festival Competitions, tastings, live cooking, barbecues and gastronomic icons such as Arnaud Donckele and Eric Canino. Place des in the Port. sainttropeztourisme.com

18 MARCH

Sainte-Maxime MaRathOn International Marathon of the Golfe de Saint-Tropez passes through 12 tows between Sainte-Maxime and Cavalaire and let you discover beautiful landscapes between sea and mountains. Music and tasting of local products are also included. marathondugolfedesainttrop ez.com

FRANCE

7 MARCH SAINT-JEAN-CAP-FERRAT villa ePhRUssi cOnceRt evening An oltreilteatro production of ‘The Flowers of Carmen’ featuring this complex character who has strongly influenced the collective imagination. An innovative and elegant show, with opera singing, prose and ballet. Followed by a candlelit dinner. Book online. villa-ephrussi.com

7-16 MARCH NICE "fOiRe De nice" Nice's annual lifestyle fair "Foire de Nice" has the 1960s as its motto this year. Everyday objects and photographs from the 1960s are exhibited. Furniture, clothes, music accessories, cars and much more are for sale. Plus retro fashion and Miss Pin Up contest. Palais des Expositions, Palais Acropolis. foiredenice.com

8 MARCH

NICE filM With live MUsic Ciné-concert: Eric Serra and his ensemble will play in the film "Le Grand Bleu" by Luc Besson.

Palais Nikaïa, 8 pm. nikaia.fr

20 - 22 MARCH MANDELIEU 8th Wellness faiR 150 exhibitors on health, nutrition, beauty and therapeutic treatments, plus lectures by psychologists, relationship coaches and writers Centre Expo Congrès, 10 to 7 pm, 8 pm on Sat. salonbienetremandelieu.com

8 - 29 APRIL CAVALAIRE-SUR-MER aPRil With faMilY From archaeology workshops and bouncy castles to sports games, kite and bouquet courses. golfe-saint-tropezinformation.com

11 - 27 APRIL

GASSINS ecO-hiking Two lycées are organising a waste collection campaign under the motto "walking for Dead waste".

Volunteers are welcome. A second event is scheduled for 29 March in Saint-Raphaël. Several meeting points. From 9 to 11.30 am.

Registration on the website: walkingfordeadwaste.com

27, 29 + 31 MARCH

10-13 MARCH

30 MARCH - 2 APRIL

CANNES MiPiM - inteRnatiOnal PROPeRtY MaRket Players from the international real estate industry meet at one of the world's most important trade fairs.

Palais des Festival. Daily from 8 am.

See page 34. mipim.com

Cannes MiPtv The Marché International des Programmes de Télévision offers a platform for exchange on the future of media formats and content both on Television and streaming. Palais des Festivals. miptv.com

13 MARCH

2 APRIL

AIX-EN-PROVENCE PianO iMPROvisatiOns Homage to Beethoven on his 250th birthday: Improvisations with Jean-François Zygel. Theatre du Jeu de Paume, 8 pm. Tickets 9 to 22 euros. lestheatres.net

Vallauris-Golfe-Juan aRts anD cRafts night Every first Thursday of the month, studios, galleries and shops in the city centre open their doors at night. From 6.30 pm to midnight. vallaurisgolfejuantourisme.fr

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5 APRIL

NICE OPeRa The renowned conductor Jérôme Correas comes to Nice and takes over the musical direction of the opera Phaéton. opera Nice. At 3 and 8 pm respectively. opera-nice.org

ANTIBES antiqUes anD aRt faiR 48th art fair for antiques, modern and contemporary art, jewellery and furniture.

Esplanade du Pré des Pêcheurs, 10.30 to 7.30 pm. salon-antiquairesantibes.com

17 APRIL - 10 MAY MARSEILLES, TOULON, DIGNELES-BAINS, AIX-EN-PROVENCE flaMencO festival 50 artists offer a rich programme of dance, theatre, music and poetry at the Flamenco Festival Azul. Different places. Program: festivalflamenco-azul.com

25 APRIL CANNES teDx cannes The 6th edition TEDxCannes will be on the theme "Neoventure: New adventures, new enterprises."

Immerse yourself in the world of ideas during an informative and inspiring day. Palais des Festivals, 10 am – 6.30 pm. Tickets online. tedxcannes.com

MAY 7 - 10 Grimaud haRleY-DaviDsOn eURO festival Biker festival with concerts on five stages, exhibitors, animations and a parade. Non-bikers and families are also warmly invited. Free entrance. Camping ground Les Prairies de la Mer. harley-davidson.com

9 & 10 MAY GRASSE ROse festival For the 50th time, Grasse will be transformed into a huge garden for a weekend: fountains and facades will be decorated with thousands of roses, and classics from the cinema and the perfume industry will be revived in show events.

Cours Honoré Cresp. tourisme.paysdegrasse.fr EXHIBITIoNS

6 MARCH – 25 APRIL NICE nebaY “nice shOt” Influential Parisian street artist, Nebay inspired the New York Vandal style street artists of the 90s. Selected works from his 30 year career. Artist present at opening, GCA Gallery, 6 pm. gcagallery.fr

UNTIL 4 MAY NICE Matisse-MétaMORPhOses For the first time since the 1970s, the museum is dedicated to the artist's sculptures. Musée Matisse, Daily from 10 to 5 pm (closed Tue). musee-matisse-nice.org

UNTIL 31 MAY MOUANS-SARTOUX fRanciscO sObRinO A retrospective on the work of the Spanish representative of kinetic Art. The kaleidoscopic structures, movements, perspectives prove

riviera

the complexity of perception - true and virtual images mix. Espace de l'Art Concret. wed - Sun, 1 to 6 pm. espacedelartconcret.fr

UNTIL 1 JUNE NICE "sUR la teRRe Des DieUx. MaRc chagall et le MOnDe gRec" Extension of the exhibition.

Fascinated by Greek myths and texts, Chagall produced illustrated books, paintings, ceramics and monumental mosaic works.

Musée national Marc Chagall. open daily except Tue from 10 to 5 pm. musee-chagall.fr

28 MARCH - 14 JUNE SAINT-PAUL-DE-VENCE JacqUes MOnORY 60 years from the the painter and filmmaker. In the style of narrative figuration, Monory's ecstatic paintings deal with the question of modern life, emptiness and violence in a humorously pessimistic way. Fondation Marguerite et Aimé Maeght. open dailyfrom 10 to 6 pm. fondation-maeght.com

others with the piano virtuoso Aline Piboule (opéra Garnier) and the dance ensemble "Cas Public" from Québec (Sporting MonteCarlo). Full programme online printempsdesarts.mc

17 MARCH classical cOnceRt Saint Patrick's Day concert in honour of Princess Gracia Patricia.

The Monaco Philharmonic orchestra plays the Princess Grace Symphonic Suite by Frankie Gavin (violin); David Brophy conducting.

Auditorium Rainier III, 8.30 pm. www.opmc.mc

20 MARCH classical cOnceRt The Monte-Carlo Philharmonic orchestra, conducted by Philippe Béran, performs works by David Anthony Randall. Guest soprano: Nicola Beller Carbone. Auditorium Rainier III, 8.30 pm. www.opmc.mc

21 MARCH

EVENTS

bal De la ROse Society event: The start of the ball season. 8.30 pm, Sporting Monte Carlo, Salle des Etoiles. www.montecarlosbm.com

5 - 8 MARCH

26 MARCH

4th inteRnatiOnal MOtOR shOW siaM More than 70 car brands such as Porsche, Lamborghini, Ford and Toyota present their latest models, including many electric and hybrid cars, but also prototypes and oneoffs. E-sport competition, further animations, possibility to buy a car.

Quai Albert Ier (port). Hours vary between 10 am and 8 pm. salonautomonaco.com

Jazz fUnk afRObeat cOnceRt "Thursday Live Sessions" with The Lehmanns Brothers, a contemporary interpretation of jazz, funk and Afrobeat. Free admission.

Grimaldi Forum, Espace Indigo.

Apéro 6.30 pm, concert 8.30 pm. grimaldiforum.com

MOnacO

20 MARCH classical cOnceRt The Monte-Carlo Philharmonic orchestra, conducted by Philippe Béran, performs works by David Anthony Randall. Guest soprano: Nicola Beller Carbone. Auditorium Rainier III, 20.30. www.opmc.mc

13 MARCH - 11 APRIL "festival DU PRinteMPs Des aRts" Music festival with numerous artists at various locations. Among

1ST APRIL PhilOsOPhical encOUnteRs English language lecture by Prof.

Avital Ronell (New York University).

Ronell is guest of the series "Rencontres Philosophiques de Monaco". Casino de Monte-Carlo. 7 to 9 pm. philomonaco.com

5 APRIL classical cOnceRt works by olivier Messiaen, Albéric Magnard and Gérard Pesson. with the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic orchestra and Vincent Lhermet on accordion. Conductor: Susanna

Mälkki. Part of the "Printemps des Arts". 6 pm, Auditorium Rainier III. www.opmc.mc

10 APRIL iggY POP ‘fRee’ cOnceRt The legendary musician presents his 18th solo album "Free". See page 62. Grimaldi Forum, 8:30 pm. grimaldiforum.com

12 APRIL classical cOnceRt Monte-Carlo Philharmonic orchestra plays works by Johann Sebastian Bach, wilhelm Friedemann, Carl Philip Emmanuel and Johann Christian. 4 pm, SaintCharles church. www.opmc.mc

21, 24, 26, 28 APRIL la tRaviata Giuseppe Verdi's classic, a coproduction of the Monte-Carlo opera, opéra-Théâtre de SaintEtienne, and the Philharmonic orchestra of Nice. 26th at 3 pm, otherwise at 8 pm. Salle Garnier, opera Monte-Carlo. opera.mc

23 - 26 APRIL ballet The Monte-Carlo Ballet will present three pieces: "Quatre tempéraments" by George Balanchine, "Casi Casa" by Mats Ek, "Altro Canto" by choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot. Grimaldi Forum. 8 pm (26th at 4 pm). balletsdemontecarlo.com

italY EVENTS

13 - 15 MARCH FINALE LIGURE BORGO salOne Dell'agROaliMentaRe ligURe 2020 Gastronomic sales exhibition with numerous typical products.

Complesso di Santa Caterina. www.saloneagroalimentareli gure.org

13 - 15 MARCH LAIGUEGLIA 27th tROfeO laigUeglia MTB race through the village. 3 to 5 pm. Traffic obstructions must be expected. www.rivieraeventi.it

EvENTS

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15 MARCH ALBENGA antiqUes MaRket Antiques and flea market in old town, Viale Martiri della libertà. 9 am to 7 pm.

Tel. +39 0182 5621

15 MARCH & 19 APRIL MOLINI DI PRELA antiqUes MaRket & bOOk tRaDe Antiques, flea market, organic products. Every third Sunday of the month. www.rivieraeventi.it

15 MARCH SANREMO sanReMO in fiORe 2020 Flower parade through town, from 10.30 am to 4.30 pm. on the Italo Calvino sea promenade.

Tel. +39 0184 580500

21 MARCH SAN BARTOLOMEO SUL MARE sUi sentieRi Del gOlfO Guided hike with magnificent panoramic views, 12 km, 300 m in altitude. other excursions in May and June. Meeting point 2.30 pm at Piazza Torre Santa Maria.

Tel. +39 0183 417065

29 MARCH & 26 APRIL DOLCEACQUA ORgannic MaRket & antiqUes Antiques market and organic products in Piazza Garibaldi and Piazza Padre Mauro, 8 am - 8 pm.

Phone 0184 206444

12 APRIL & 10 MAY DOLCEDO MeRcatinO enOgastROnOMicO e Dell'antiqUaRiatO Discover the flavours of yesteryear at this vintage foods market with typical products and local wines.

Piazza Doria, 8 am to 5 pm.

Phone 0183 28004

26 MARCH - 19 JULY GENOA MichelangelO: DivinO aRtista Exhibition of the divine universal genius, Michelangelo. Palazzo Ducale, piazza Matteotti, 9. palazzoducale.genova.it MaRch / aPRil 2020

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rIvIEra PrESS

Riviera Press wishes a

Happy New Year!

"Enchanting evening at the Riviera Press cocktail party in Golfe Juan" ... this was posted on Facebook by a guest after our New Year's event at the end of January. And it is spot on: More than 160 friends, readers and partners enjoyed the wonderful ambience in the majestic Palais Clément Massier with numerous local delicacies on offer. As always,

our guests never tired of exchanging experiences and making new contacts. The highlight of the evening was the breath-taking show by kalice Spectacles, who captivated us with their breakneck performances. The soirée was a great way to ring in the ’20s, with panache and enthusiasm!

We thank our wonderful partners for making our New Year's soiree possible: Palais Clément Massier; DS Automobiles Peugeot; United Flavours of Food for catering; Subtil wine for biodynamic champagne and wine all evening; Blue Coast Brewery beer; L'orangerie de Monaco, Diffé Rhum; Confiserie Florian; Nice Photo Box; Comte de Grasse 44N Gin; Mount Mayon Pili nuts; Apéroom; Åre water France; Stefanie Savary Dress Design; kalice Spectacles; Thibeaut Infused wines and Googi business products. Un grand merçi!

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(1) Sedat Simsek, Director of Turkish Airlines Nice, and his wife Diana (2) Carole Cutier and Nicolas Martin, sales manager and director of the new Marriott Hotel, which will open in Cagnes-sur-Mer in April under the name "Sysoon" (3) Nicolle Martin, President of Skål Côte d’Azur with her partner (4) Guests were welcomed by the costumed performers of kalic Spectacles (5) Riviera Insider contributer Lewis Longman with friend, Antoine Leperle (6) The DS Automobiles team: Frédéric wehbe, Anthony Bettens, Bryan Seillier, David Esposto, Imad Ben Messaoud, v.l. (7) George kasiliyake, President of the Riviera Business Club, Ruth Foster; karine and Richard de Vahl Rubin of Bandol wine Tours (8) Guests lining up to try Biodynamic wine from Subtil wine (9) L-R: Christiane Amiel, German city councillor in Nice, Riviera Insider founder Petra Hall and Barbara kimmig, owner of Villa Rivoli, Nice (10) our raffle winner, Nathalie Villanova of Association Pallia Aide (11) Jacques Atlan of Evancy © Photos by Patrick of New Loock Agency

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(12) From left: Riviera Press Events Manager, Dominique Freulon with the team from Rhum Diffé, Bérnard Bonnie and associate (13) Eric Bonnet of Bonnet Communication and Florian Coz de Ploesquellec (14) Entertainer from kalice Spectacle (15) Pascale Lux of La Siesta (L) and Riviera Press Managing Director, Bich Lecourt (C) with friend (16) Entertainer from kalice Spectacle (17) Christine kjeldbjerg (L), RI contributor and Nutritionist, with husband, Danish journalist, Jakob kjeldbjerg (18) Fashion designer Stefanie Savary (r.) with two of her modelsl (19) Najah Chebil of Starter Business Center with daughter Inès (20) The Riviera Press team! Form left: RI Editor Nicole Ruskell; RZ Editor Aila Stöckmann; Founder Petra Hall; Advertising Director Françoise Muller and our indespensible, take-care-of-everything Najah Chebil (21) Magician Billy Debu baffled guests all evening! (22) Raffle winners Richard and karine de Vahl Rubin of Bandol wine Tours (23) Guests’ thirst was quenched with Åre water from Sweden © Photos by Patrick of New Loock Agency

MaRch / aPRil 2020

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Emilie Boyom (L) and Najah Chebil (R) organised the opulent breakfast and baked several goodies!

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Mimosa Coffee Morning Rivera Press hosts charity breakfast ebruary 4th is world Cancer Day and as media partners with Mimosa Matters Association, Riviera Insider organised a Coffee Morning breakfast at Starter Business Center in Sophia Antipolis. offering a wide array of home-baked cakes, muffins and even pancakes, along with a selection of coffee and tea, we enjoyed the company of colleagues and visitors while collecting donations to benefit local families affected by cancer.

It wound up being a great success, welcoming people from across the business complex and even some Riviera Insider readers! It’s a new concept in France and some who have lost loved ones were touched by the idea. we give special thanks to Najah Chebil, of Starter Business Center and Riviera Press’ Emilie Boyom for their enthusiasm, dedication to explaining the Coffee Morning concept to the French, preparing flyers and even baking up a storm for the breakfast!

Datacorp, our parent company, showed up in numbers to participate, including its founder and Riviera Press Publishing Director, Sebastien Fraisse. He and our Managing Director; Bich Lecourt, donated cheques for the occasion. In total, we raised 308.70€, not bad a few hours of mingling! 

Editor, Nicole Ruskell, gives the collection box to Ruth Jiggins of Mimosa.

F

Riviera Insider reader, Karine de Vahl Rubin, stopped by to support the cause. here she offers her donation. Thank you!

Riviera Press Publishing Director, Sebastian Fraisse gives his donation.

a NOTE FrOM MIMOSa Over 20 coffee mornings took place this year across the riviera, hosted in private homes, schools and local businesses. in addition to Starter Business Center, Bluewater Yachting, Harrison Brook, Sparks Catering and Mougins School many others took part.

The idea was to encourage people to hold coffee mornings across the region bringing family, friends and colleagues together for a convivial moment while remembering those touched by cancer.

So many generous donations were made which will all go towards fighting cancer in the local area.

Mimosa would like to thank every single one of you who hosted, attended, drank, ate and donated at all these wonderful events…over 4,000 euros has been raised!

Merçi!!

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COMMuNITy

Upcoming dates 7 MARCH On the eve of the 1860 Attachment: Neo-classical Nice

By Michel Steve, architect, PhD in art history

21 MARCH An example of the evolution of the city: Malausséna sector Liberation - Valrose (1880 -1945)

By Christophe Prédal, Head of Research and Inventory of the Historical Heritage Department of the City of Nice

4

C’EST FOu, ça!

Tales from the French Riviera

APRIL

"Nice, City of Art and History" Free heritage lecture series

O

n 20 June 2019, the candidacy of the Ville de Nice was presented to the National Council of "Cities and Countries of Art and History" at the Ministry of Culture in Paris. After deliberation, the National Council voted in favour of Nice obtaining the label "Ville d'Art et d'Histoire".

To celebrate this occasion, the Historical Heritage Department of Nice is dedicating a new series of conferences.

These conferences are also part of the "Discover to Promote" project, financed by the Interreg Alcotra programme of the European Regional Development Fund, which aims to promote the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Franco-Italian border.

Conferences are held in French.

Every Saturday at 3 pm, until 6 June 2020.

MAMAC Auditorium* Place Yves klein - Nice Free admission

MaRch / aPRil 2020

Nice and the "City of Art and history" label

By Sylvaine Le Yondre, Assistant to the Regional Curator of Historic Monuments, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs and Stéphane Morabito, Director of Historical Heritage, Archaeology and Archives of the City of Nice.

18 APRIL The "City of Art and history" label within the Archives and heritage Department: the Chambéry experience

By Mélanie Sérafin-Mallet, Director of Archives and Heritage of the City of Chambéry and Charlotte Lejeune, Architectural and Heritage Animator of the City of Chambéry *At the Théâtre de l'Artistique (27, Boulevard Dubouchage)

23 MAY history(ies) of the gardens in Nice

By Marie Hérault, state-qualified architect, garden and landscape historian, doctoral student in art history

The Côte d’Azur is known around the world for being the playground of the rich. One of the reasons, aside from the gorgeous surroundings and perfect weather, is because the region is equipped and trained to cater to their every desire.

In this column, we feature some funny or even crazy stories from locals who work in the luxury services industry (caterers, private jet companies, event planners and more).

There are some bizarre and outlandish requests -- the kind of things that make you think...c’est fou, ça!

Kate Adams is president and co-founder of Adams & Adams, a successful catering and events company.

She tells Riviera Insider one of her most outlandish requests: I was organising a 50th birthday party at a client’s villa. They thought it would be a wonderful surprise for their guests if the French Olympic Synchronised Swimming team performed in their pool. Fortunately, they had the right contacts and we made it happen! And the guests were certainly surprised to be entertained by the French Olympic team!

6 JUNE Nice at the foot of the hills

by Marc Barani, architect Historical Heritage Department

If you have a funny story to share, tell us about it! It may wind up in our next issue… Email the editor: n.ruskell@riviera-press.fr

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COMMuNITy

Get off the couch!

Running for good cause

S

pring is in the air and the great outdoors is calling, particularly in our beautiful corner of the world. If you need an extra reason to get out there, consider joining the Mimosa Runners and train to run in the Nice-Cannes marathon coming up on 8 November.

Mimosa is an association based in the French Riviera, committed to the fight against Cancer. its foundation is built around three fundamental pillars – education, awareness and prevention.

This will be Mimosa Runners’ fifth year participating in the Nice-Cannes marathon and they are currently recruiting runners and non-runners for their 2020 team with their “Couch to Cannes” campaign. once you join, Mimosa provides free training, coaching and nutritional advice, not to mention a well-deserved after-party. In return, runners are asked to collect sponsorship money for their efforts from friends, family and colleagues - money that then funds their ongoing projects in partnership with other local associations including La Ligue contre le Cancer Alpes-Maritimes and Cancer Support Group 06 (CSG06). with relay distances starting at 3 km, right up to the full 42,2 km, the Nice-Cannes marathon really is accessible to all runners of all levels.

If you are still not convinced that getting off the couch and running for a good cause is for you, read from a regular Mimosa Runner and team sponsor who explains why he is involved. www.mimosamatters.org 

MaRch / aPRil 2019

Personal story: filip Wretman, Director of Wretman estate

I

decided to join the Mimosa Runners a few years back to support the cause and thought it was a great excuse to go out of the office and train, which has greatly helped me stay in shape. with a busy work schedule, setting aside some time for sport is essential and is helping me to perform better.

Cancer is the illness of our time and is unfortunately here to stay. My grandparents died of it, my mom battled breast cancer, my aunt is currently fighting for her life and my best friend’s mother was diagnosed with lung cancer this December - only to die 3 weeks later.

Needless to say, for me to participate as a Mimosa Runner couldn’t be more relevant.

Trying to help in the fight against cancer should be a major part of all our lives.

That is exactly what the Mimosa Committee has done over the years, donating their time to raise substantial amounts that have greatly helped the local cancer league.

Now is your chance to get that bum of the couch and to participate in the 2nd largest sporting event in France, all this while having fun, running with your hearts and wearing fashionable yellow T-shirts!

Left to right: Mimosa runners Jez Moore, Filip Wretman, John Clarkin © D.R.

riviera

Polar bear triplets!

Mama bear Flocke surprises Antibes inally some happy news from Marineland Animal Park in Antibes: polar bear ‘Flocke,’ who moved from Nuremberg to the Côte d'Azur in 2010, has become a mum again! During the Christmas holidays she gave birth to triplets, which the theme park only announced on 30 January.

Mama ‘Flocke’ and Papa ‘Rasputin’ have successfully provided offspring for Marineland for the second time. The polar bear cub ‘Hope’ was born in 2014. The sex of the new triplets is not yet known, but staff at the zoo are leaving mum and her offspring alone for the time being. The cute photos were taken with a camera mounted in the birth cave.

Flocke cares lovingly for her little ones, they say. However, especially in the first few weeks, mortality is quite high - in the wild, only every second polar bear baby survives the first few months. It is also common for the mother polar bear to spend the first three

months secluded in a den with her cubs. So zoo visitors have to be patient for a while until they get their first glimpse of the tiny bears.

Polar bear cubs follow their mother at every turn for the first two years. only at the age of about three do they gradually gain complete independence.Meanwhile, Papa Rasputin had to leave Marineland for security reasons. In some cases, polar bear fathers attack their cubs. In order to avoid being kept

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in "solitary confinement", park staff and representatives of the European Polar Bear Conservation Breeding Programme (EEP) have decided to move Rasputin to the Yorkshire wildlife Park in England, where he will meet other polar bears.

The birth of triplets is extremely rare among polar bears, with three cubs born in just under 2.5 percent of all births. In the wild, polar bears have the lowest birth rates compared to other large mammals.  -AS

F

Flocke with her triplets © Marineland

MaRch / aPRil 2020

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2020 LUXURY LIFESTYLE CHARITY GALA t U R n i n g

l U x U R Y

"Our Sixth Edition Luxury Lifestyle Gala will raise important and life-changing funding for the Chances For Children Foundation and The Animal Fund and we need your support" Everyone is welcome, you don't have to be a club member to join our parties.

Early reservations are recommended.

i n t O

The glamorous evening will feature: -high On heels ultimate live music -Galerie Cristal Champagne aperitif -Four-course gourmet Meilleur Ouvrier de France dinner -Premium international wines -haute couture fashion show -Contemporary Art Exhibition -Live entertainment and a DJ -Champagne & Vodka23 after party

SATURDAY

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4

April

c h a R i t Y

The highlight of the evening will be the Charity Auction. All proceeds will go to the benefit of Chances for Children and The Animal Fund. Our annual galas have already raised €125,000 to date.

Fairmont Monte-Carlo Saturday 4 April, 7 pm.

Book Tickets Online: www.clubvivanova-luxurygala.com

Berit Legrand

Bradley Mitton

Gabrielle Crump,

We are always honoured to work with Club Vivanova and their annual gala spectacle offers an important avenue for communicating the huge importance of preserving and protecting our oceans and marine life. TAF The Animal Fund needs funds to develop the education of our societies in how we can clean and save our oceans and we are grateful to Club Vivanova for their generous donations and their support at this wonderful gala.

We only achieve great things in life by giving back and our Luxury Lifestyle Charity Gala is organised annually to appreciate the best things in life, whilst offering attendees the chance to donate; raising important and lifechanging funding for our charities and we need your support.

The ongoing support that Club Vivanova offers “Chances for Children is priceless. As our charity

TAF The Animal Fund Founder

“

”

MaRch / aPRil 2020

Club Vivanova Founder

“

”

Chances for Children Foundation Founder

grows, so do the running costs and the annual Club Vivanova Charity Gala raises vital finances that support and to help to pay for quality education, maintenance and the support of a growing number of sponsored children. The club’s members now sponsor six children in the Chances for Children Foundation family all-year round. We truly value this partnership which goes from strength to strength – and as a grass roots charity, donors can rest assured that every Euro donated goes directly to the children.

”

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exPat fOcUs: sOnia iRvine

Founder PETRA HALL p.hall@riviera-press.fr

funds for the charities that provide that extra assistance.

I started the Charity Fashion Shows because it seemed a good way to provide funds for causes close to my heart. The status of Amber Lounge means that we can not only raise money for these good causes but also provide a platform. over the years we have worked with a selection of charities including the Make-A-wish Singapore, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Sir Jackie Stewart’s Race Against Dementia and the Special olympics. I really love organising the charity events because it is very gratifying to work with so many people working for the benefit of others and I am immensely proud of what we have achieved so far and look forward to doing even more. onia is originally from s Ireland, where she started her career as a physiotherapist. when her brother joined the Ferrari Formula one team, she became the lead physio for the Scuderia team.

From there, she created Amber Lounge, now one of the most sought-after Grand Prix party events in the world. Created only in Monaco, Amber Lounge became so popular that it is now held in Singapore and Abu Dhabi.

Sonia lives in Monaco with her family and found time to speak with Riviera Insider just before one of her biggest events of the year.

What gave you the idea for amber lounge, and why start it in Monaco?

My initial role as team physiotherapist meant that I was constantly socialising with drivers, team principals, technicians and sponsors, and it was sometimes difficult to find a venue where we could all socialise together during the race weekend. I saw that there was a requirement for a dedicated venue where we could relax and have fun but in a secure and discrete environment. So, I saw this as my opportunity and MaRch / aPRil 2020

Amber Lounge was born! The first event was in Monaco in 2003 and it was such a success that I made the decision to develop Amber Lounge. I have really enjoyed growing the concept globally and over the years we have been able to build on the after-party event to a full weekend of entertainment and luxury hospitality, with new locations and products, including fashion shows, yacht parties and of course, the charity auctions which have raised lots of money for some very worthwhile charities. we have also expanded within Formula 1 as we now offer a range of F1 hospitality options from Formula one General Paddock Club to private jets and ground limos, whatever our clients request, we can organise it!

amber lounge grand Prix weekends have raised over 6 million UsD. Why is charity important to you?

In the early part of my career I ran a physio department for stroke and Alzheimers patients and saw just how important it was for these people, and those around them, to have support and how difficult it is to raise

You are constantly travelling the world.

What makes you love to come back to the Riviera?

My family are everything to me and this is the place we call home.

What was the most surprising thing about moving to Monaco?

I was surprised by how friendly people are, I’ve made some amazing friends over the years, people that I’ll keep in touch with forever.

What is your favourite place in the Riviera?

I enjoy spending time in Mougins and Valbonne, I often take my youngest daughter to a lovely ice cream shop in Valbonne, during the summer break… she loves looking around the markets and spending her pocket money.

What insider tip can you give?

Anything is possible with hard work and application, and it is important to remember that you are in charge of your own destiny so don’t let anything stand in your way! 

Publishing Director SEBASTIEN FRAISSE s.fraisse@riviera-press.fr Managing Director BICH LECoURT b.lecourt@riviera-press.fr Editor-in-Chief NICoLE RUSkELL n.ruskell@riviera-press.fr Contributors Peter Bausch, Alexa Bouhelier-Ruelle, Sören Müller-Hansen, Sarah Hyde, Christine kjeldberg, Joerg Langer, Jean-Pierre Largillet, Rolf Liffers, Lewis Longman, Paul oatway, Michaela Schreyer, Aila Stöckmann & Raimund Theobaud Creative Director VINCENT ARTUS vincent.artus@wanadoo.fr Advertising & PR FRANCoISE MULLER Tel: +33 (0)4 97 00 11 29 f.muller@riviera-press.fr PATRICE SAINT-LEGER Tel: +33 (0)4 93 27 60 00 p.saintleger@riviera-press.fr MoRGAN REIVILLo Tel: +33 (0)7 66 38 43 55 m.reivillo@riviera-press.fr Event Manager DoMINIQUE FREULoN Tel: +33 (0)4 97 00 11 22 d.freulon@riviera-press.fr Secretary CARoLE HEBERT contact@riviera-press.fr Manuscripts and photos will not be returned unless previously agreed.

Articles do not represent the opinion of the Editor. The publishing house is not responsible for the correct contents of ads. © 2015-2020 by Riviera Press s.a.r.l.

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