Riviera Insider - May/June 2019

CANNES The Festival de Cannes in the city of Creativity

GOURMET A22-page special with vegan choices

ART & CULTURE The Fondation Carmignac & 007 on the Côte d’Azur

MONACO The Monaco Grand Prix and E-Prix

riviera see more, do more, know more

# 184 maY / June 2019 4,90 € The

english-language

magazine

for

The

french

riviera

&

monaco

since

2002

4

riviera

Editorial

By NICOLE RUSKELL

Perhaps one of the best parts of the arrival of summer is the changing of the clocks - not because I like to lose an hour in the morning, but rather because the days are finally longer and I don’t need to leave the office in the dark! Plus, longer days give more time for enjoying an extended apéro, chatting with friends and watching the sunset over the water. We certainly can’t complain about the winter weather here, but the arrival of long, warm evenings reinforces the magic of the French Riviera lifestyle. May ushers in the official start of the season on the Côte d’Azur and it’s quite the whirlwind of activity! One of the biggest events of the year for Cannes is the Film Festival, which starts 14 May (page 16) and despite the influx of thousands of people and the accompanying traffic I plan to get myself to the Cinéma de la Plage to see a film or two on the beach.

May also brings the Formula-1 Grand Prix and the upand-coming E-Prix to Monaco (page 22), where the who’s who will be outbidding each other for the perfect

spot to feel the roar of the cars pass by. This issue you will find our Gourmet Special (starting page 30) which is a tough job to research, but someone’s got to do it.

We’ve collected a wide range of restaurants, including some super sweet spots to enjoy breath-taking views of the sea and an even a dessert buffet for the ‘goûter’.

I’ve created a mini special within a special on the growing number of Vegan restaurants across the region. As a Californian, vegetarian and vegan options are second-nature to me. But in France, it can be hard for non-meat eaters to find something in restaurants.

This is changing and as the popularity of plant-based eating spreads, there are more options popping up.

You’ll find several starting on page 44.

June is the music month when live concerts abound, not to mention the nationwide celebration, La Fête de la Musique on 21 June which leads us into a summer of live music festivals (page 58). Don’t miss the events pages to fill your diaries with fabulous evenings!

THE TEAM

BICH LECOURT

CAROLE HéBERT

FRANÇOISE MULLER

PATRICE SAINT-LEGER

maY / June 2019

PETRA HALL

VINCENT ARTUS

DOMINIQUE FREULON

DANIEL NARO

Nicole Ruskell (editor-in-cheif) 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 wellbeing and organic principles.

Bich Lecourt (managing director) was born in Antibes. Since completing her PhD in Economics, she has worked in Sophia Antipolis so is well-acquainted 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.

Petra Hall (founder) 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.

Carole Hébert (secretary) 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.

Vincent Artus (art director) has a gift for transforming visions and ideas into reality. The Niçois creative talent has as a penchant for clean lines and playing with white space for optimum effect and has brought a fresh, stylish look to our publication. The multi-talented creative is also a photographer and videographer.

Françoise Muller (sales & marketing) 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.

Dominique Freulon (events & distribution), 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.

Patrice Saint-Léger (sales & marketing) has been working in the communications sector for more than ten years. After studying business administration and entrepreneurship, our Cannes-born publicist discovered his passion in the advertising business. During his free time, his interests lie in sports and nature.

Daniel Naro (sales & marketing) nearly became a professional footballer in his northern French home of Metz. Plan B was the insurance industry, but 25 years later, he sought the sun and found it on the Côte d'Azur.

After re-launching his career in the media, he recently joined the professional Riviera Press team.

6

riviera

CONTENTS

Liguria Italy’s Infiorata festivals

28 The Hotlist

Issue #184 SEE MORE, DO MORE, kNOW MORE

News from the region

6 Cannes The city of creativity

Cover Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu at the 70th Festival de Cannes Photo: ©taniavolobuevaShutterstock

14 72nd Festival de Film

16-17 Canneseries

18 Cannes Lions

19

SPECIAL Gourmet A 22-page dossier

30-51 Art & Culture 007 on the Côte d’Azur

52-53 Foundation Carmignac

56-57 Live Music Summer

Events

60-61

58-59

Enfance Cannoise

20-21

Sport Tennis at Saint Tropez

66

Monaco

Les Voiles d’Antibes and Les Voiles de Saint Tropez

Grand Prix Formula I

67

22-23 Business & Finance Unknown Monaco

News and Infos

Taking the plunge: Monaco’s land extension divers

71-73

28-27 Riviera Press-Event

74-76 Pineapple Confit with Madagascar Vanilla and Pineapple Vanilla sorbet © Terre Blanche

Community Charity Galas and more

77-82

8

riviera

HOTL IST

ExpoRose GRASSE CELEBRATES THE QUEEN OF FLOWERS

The queen of flowers is once again the guest of honour in the perfume city of Grasse: 6,000 roses in bouquets and 15,000 rose bushes are for sale in May during the 49th "ExpoRose"; 25,000 more roses adorn fountains and house facades in the old town.

Under the heading "Couleurs des îles, Parfums Exotiques", Polynesia and the Caribbean with their sweet fragrances are this year's themes. Floral compositions adorn the salons of Villa Fragonard, and you can stroll through its gardens in the footsteps of the little prince's rose.

Music, dance, paintings, perfumed words and much more are part of the supporting programme of the 2019Rose Exhibition. Visitors should not miss the Provençal and flower markets or the International Perfumery Museum. Music will be played in the flower-covered squares in old town, but Caribbean dance groups and theatres of the local Théâtre Compagnie 100°C also await guests.  Cours Honoré Cresp and old town of Grasse - from 10 to 12 May, 10 am to 8 pm daily.

Admission: €5. The ticket price includes admission to the Rose Exhibition at Villa Fragonard, the Perfumery Museum, the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Provence. Admission to the dance and music performances in the city is free.

Fête de la Music FRANCE’S BIGGEST DAY FOR MUSIC

Every year on 21 June, all the squares and alleyways of France fill with people to celebrate music—from amateur performers to top acts. With every neighbourhood of every town and village coming alive with music, more than 6 million people across the country take part.

All musical genres are represented, creating a joyous day of artful expression from Jazz to rap; classical to pop, acoustic instruments to deep house electronic.

Whether it’s some live guitar in an alley, some drums a few streets over or the big stage in the centre, you are bound to get wrapped up in the celebrations!

Here in the Côte d’Azur, our cities go all out for the annual Fête, booking chart-topping musical acts and old favourites as well.

Nice pulls out all the stops for a gigantic free concert in Place Masséna. Last year’s concert featured Sting and Shaggy, Chris-

maY / June 2019

© dwphotos / Shutterstock.com

tine and the Queens, MC Solaar, Amir, Bigflo and Oli and many more.  Tickets are free, but you must reserve them. For details visit the website: www.fetedelamusic.nice.fr

riviera

HOTL IST

9

"No one lives like you" NEW BOLIA BOUTIQUE IN NICE

Lush pink ostrich feathers over a teal velour sofa and a soft wood coffee table.

This is the Scandinavian look on offer at the new Bolia boutique in Nice centre.

Their team of international designers have warmed up classic minimalism offering gorgeous decor that somehow evokes both sensibility and luxury at the same time. This team includes more than thirty award-winning designers from all over the world, ensuring a range of styles to suit your individual taste.

The popular Danish brand has infused the often stark and cold Scandinavian design with a sense of hygge. Sofas that beg to be sat upon, wood tables and chairs so smooth you just want to run your hand across it. Natural materials are found in every item, with thick wool rugs, leather chairs and stone plates. Their motto “No one lives like you”, which is displayed in neon lights across the wall, is demonstrated by the madeto-order furniture. The fabric room, where hundreds of high-quality fabrics are on display, from wool to corduroy to velour, allows customers to customise each piece to their individual taste.

The new Bolia boutique is located just off Avenue Jean Médecin at 31 avenue Notre-Dame. It is open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 8 pm and on Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm.

Time to get grilling!

VIKING GRILLS COME TO THE RIVIERA

The sun is out (as usual) and the temperature is now perfect for meals on the terrace or in your fabulous garden with sea views. The much loved American brand, Viking, builds one of the strongest, most powerful grills in the industry. Priding themselves on professional level of quality, Viking BBQs feature an extra-large cooking surface, Ceramic heat distribution, push and turn ignition and exclusive, self-cleaning briquettes. How easy is that? The smooth, stainless steel design looks elegant and stays clean no matter what you put it through. The smoker and rotisserie attachments meet any cooking need, whether grilling steaks or vegetables, or smoking a salmon. Viking also understands how frustrating grilling in the dark can be and fitted a special built-in halogen light. See page 45 for details.  maY / June 2019

12

riviera

HOTL IST

Can this be true?

By PETRA HALL

The news hit Liguria and nature lovers like a bomb at the end of March: The Ligurian government, under President Giovanni Toti (in office since 2015), has decided to cut protection of 540 hectares of land – a 5.4 kilometre area with valuable flora and fauna. These are areas bordering the natural parks of Antola, Aveto and the Ligurian Alps and 42 zones in the province of Savona. This will leave rare plants and animals unprotected and endangered by extinction. The "Parco del Finalese" above Finale Ligure, planned since 1995 and never completed, has also been cancelled. The reason for such decision? Allegedly it is about a simplification of the administration, but of course also about a lack of funds.

Why missing funds? Since their foundation in the 1990s, nothing has been done for the nature reserves. But the fact that they are now to be deprived of the official status of nature reserves is simply scandalous.

Meanwhile, across the world the number of protected habitats is increasing, including in the rest of Italy. The Italian Ministry of the Environment is planning about a hundred protected areas in southern Italy, but Liguria is taking a bitter ecological step backwards. The Animal Welfare Association ENPA considers the case of the planned nature park around Finale Ligure to be particularly serious: "Although the project has only existed on paper so far, in recent years, thanks to its natural beauty and almost untouched landscape, an environmentally friendly tourism has grown here of its own accord," an ENPA spokesman told the local press. "Countless hikers, cyclists, climbers, cave explorers and divers are now coming to this area all year round - a manna for the local economy". Numerous associations like WWF, CAI Liguria, Legambiente, Italia Nostra and others fought for the "Parco Regionale del Finalese". Ugo Frascherelli, the dynamic mayor of Finale Ligure, is also on their side: "Why this decision? Well, that was an election promise for the hunters and landowners who are afraid of losing their rights when a natural park is created," Frascherelli

LIGURIA'S GOVERNMENT ABOLISHES THE PROTECTION OF NUMEROUS NATURE RESERVES

© Oleg Voronische / Shutterstock.com

tells the Riviera Insider freely. Like hundreds of other nature lovers, he took part in a protest hike in April. "I told a Liguria Regional Committee that such a nature reserve could be protected by the communities and associations concerned without much administrative effort. It would also be possible to obtain funding and support from sponsors. Our ancestors, who were farmers, gave us such beautiful countryside, but today there are few who work in agriculture. That's why we have to take constant care and maintenance," says Frascherelli. But all the efforts were in vain. Just in time for the editorial deadline, the news came that the majority of the Ligurian regional council had voted for the amputation of 540 hectares of natural parks after four sessions despite all the protests. Nevertheless, there is good news: the regional government will be re-elected in 2020. But the bad news follows: Giovanni Toti, born in Viareggio, wants to be re-elected. "In 2025 we will leave our successors a new Liguria that is no longer grey and dreary," he said. Well then!

PS: A narrow, very narrow stripe of hope appears on the horizon: Several members of parliament have apparently drawn the attention of the government in Rome to the wrong decision of the Ligurian state government. Can Environment Minister Sergio Costa veto the decision? 

Connecting Nice AMBITIOUS TRAMLINE PROJECT MOVES FORWARD

the station is another step closer to uniting the city from the airport to Another milestone in Nice’s new tram the port. The long-anticipated line three will travel seven kilometres - disystem was presented by Mayor Christian vided into eleven sections and merge with line two for five stops and Estrosi on 21 March. Along with the plan connect the city from west to east and from north to south in the wesfor Tramline 3 to connect St Isadore and tern district. The Saint-Isidore stop will be 18 minutes from the airport the stadium to the airport, the new unand half an hour from the north-west corner of the city to the city centre. derground tram station, Alsace Lorraine, The Allianz Riviera stadium will only be a 36-minute ride to the port. on Boulevard Victor Hugo was unveiled.

The first tram of line 3 officially arrives mid-NovemLocated three leber, and from December the second part of line 2 to vels below the the port will be completed. Starting next year, the Jardin Alsace Lortram will run every ten minutes, accommodating up raine in the Gamto 12,000 passengers per day. In addition, a Park & betta district, the new station will be open in Ride area is planned in direct connection with the June. Ticketing and services are located down stadium, which will offer 210 spaces. Not be outone level, a mezzanine for traffic flow on level two done by New York, Mayor Estrosi also revealed plans and access to the tram on level three. Security for a "Central Park" of Nice - 25 hectares of green for the new station is a high priority, and the city space between the Nikaïa and the Allianz Riviera are has fitted it with ample lighting and constant Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi presents the new Tramline 3 © Ville de Nice to be completed by mid-January next year.  video surveillance. Part of the ‘east – west’ line,

maY / June 2019

14

riviera

CANNES

© Yu-jas / Shutterstock.com

Cannes The city of creativity

By NICOLE RUSKELL

Cannes has long been known for the glamorous Festival de Cannes (now in its 72nd year) and the place where the wealthy come to play. However, this seaside city plays host to much more than a flashy film festival.

I

n recent years, with Mayor David Lisnard at the helm, the City of Cannes has been investing heavily in the creative arts, positioning itself to be a creative hub for film and television. Attractive rates and benefits for filming in the city are drawing attention and a new television series, ‘Cannes Confidential’ is set for production this year (see page 19). The new Cannes Creativity Hub being built in association with the University Côte d’Azur (UCA) is an interdisciplinary and inter-university structure for all creative arts from film and television production to screenwriting to music and dance. maY / June 2019

The recent Canneseries Festival hosted a script-writing competition associated with UCA and Canal+ to offer the winner a TV series (see page 18).

Celebrating the best in creativity is also a speciality of Cannes. For nearly a century, it has been the preferred host city for many of the world’s top festivals, conventions and trade shows.

It’s no surprise Cannes is a favourite destination, what for the glorious weather, sea views and chic location - but also because the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès is top in running these highly complex events.

This year, both the Festival de Cannes (14-

25 May) and the TFWA Duty-Free convention (September) are celebrating 72 years at the Palais. The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the largest and most important meeting of advertisers and marketers in the world is having its 66th event this year (17 - 21 June) and MIDEM, the international B2B congress for the music industry is hosting its 53rd edition (4 - 7 June).

Additionally, Mayor Lisnard is committed to making Cannes a greener, more sustainable and Smart City. New bike paths, more electric car charging stations, waste collection and a revamping of school cafeterias are all part of a new programme for the city. 

16

riviera

CANNES

Who’s who in film will be descending on Cannes for the most glamorous festival of the year from 14 – 25 May. The Opening Ceremony on 14 May will be broadcast by Canal +, as well as in partner cinemas. actor and director edouard Baer will be the Master of Ceremonies and the Jury President, alejandro González iñárritu, will present the Palme d’Or during the closing ceremony on 25 May.

Alejandro González Iñárritu The Festival’s first Latin American Jury President

Alejandro G. Iñárritu at the 63rd Festival de Cannes © Andrea Raffin / Shutterstock.com

A

lejandro González Iñárritu is a filmmaking genius. His style is fresh, unusual and highly creative, often pushing the boundaries of accepted practice. He is the first and most awarded Mexican director ever, with numerous films taking nominations and awards.

He made his directorial debut in Cannes with “Amores Perros” (2000), which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film. His first American Film, “21 Grams,” earned nominations for both leading characters, Naomi Watts and Benicio del Toro. “Babel,” which told different stories across three continents in five different languages, earned seven Oscar nominations and Iñárritu was awarded Best Director at the 2006 Festival de Cannes.

Last year, he created the first ever virtual reality art installation for the Festival, “Carne y Arena” (Virtually present, Physically invisible), which addressed the curmaY / June 2019

rent migrant situation. The installation also showed in Milan, Mexico City, Washington DC and Los Angeles. The installation earned Iñárritu his fifth Oscar, after the Board of Governors of the Academy voted to give him a ‘special’ Oscar, which has only happened 15 times in history.

His dark comedy, “Birdman” (2014), took home Oscars for Best Director, Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography at the 2015 Academy Awards. His latest film, “The Revenant,” gave him his second Oscar in row for Best Director and made headlines for finally getting Leonardo Di Caprio an Oscar for Best Actor.

Taking over from Cate Blanchett, last year’s jury president, Iñárritu’s presence will be celebrating Mexican cinema. In a statement he said: “Cannes is a festival that has been important to me since the beginning of my career. I am humbled and thrilled to return this year with the immense honour of presiding over the Jury, he has declared.

Cinema runs through the veins of the planet and this festival has been its heart.

We on the jury will have the privilege to witness the new and excellent work of fellow filmmakers from all over the planet.

This is a true delight and a responsibility that we will assume with passion and devotion.” 

celebraTing originaliTY Prix Un Certain Regard

C

reated by Gilles Jacob in 1978, the ‘Un Certain Regard’ is a part of the Cannes Film Festival’s official selection, running parallel to the Palme d’Or award.

Meaning ‘from another point of view’, this jury chooses 20 original and different films that tell stories in non-traditional ways. The prize was developed to recognize and support young talent and offers a grant to aid in French distribution of the film.

Lebanese director Nadine Labaki will be this year’s President of the ‘Un Certain Regard’ Jury. Her Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominated film, “Capernaum,” moved audiences at last year’s festival, for which she took home the Jury Prize.

The multi-talented Nadine Labaki is a director, actress and screenwriter whose career was launched right here in Cannes where she studied film.

Since then, she has chosen Cannes to debut all three of her feature films.

Last year, “Capernaum”

catapulted her to international fame, from the red carpet of the Palais to the Academy Awards in Los Angeles this past February.

In a press release, she stated: "I remember back when I used to come to Cannes as a film student, I was so excited to experience the world's most prestigious festival. Back then, it seemed so out of reach to me. I remember getting up early in the morning and the endless queues to get a ticket. It seems like yesterday, but it was fifteen years ago that I filled in the Festival de Cannes' Cinéfondation registration form, my heart full of hope and my hand shaking.

Today, I am the President of the Un Certain Regard Jury, which just goes to show that sometimes life can be even better than your dreams. I can't wait to see the films in the Selection. I can't wait to debate and discuss, to be shaken up, to find inspiration in other artists' work." [...]  Nadine Labaki © Andrea Raffin / Shutterstock.com

riviera

By NICOLE RUSKELL

World premiere The Dead Don’t Die

The dead don't die © 2019 image eleven productions inc. tous droits réservés. / artwork © 2016 focus features llc

T

his year’s Festival is making history by opening with a world premiere of a film that is simultaneously screening in competition – something that hasn’t been done before.

Jim Jarmusch's new film, “The

Dead Don't Die” will screen in the Grand Théâtre Lumière on 14 May, the first screening of the competition. The zombie thriller/comedy features an incredibly star-studded cast and is the American director’s first foray into the zombie genre (after a western, a Samurai crime flick and a vampire love story).

“The Dead Don’t Die” is Jarmusch's thirteenth feature film and is said to be ‘humorous and sometimes scary subversion of the genre (with a nod to George Romero’s seminal film, “Night of the Living Dead”) but also a tribute to cinema itself.’ He was quintessential in bringing attention to the new independent American cinema when he won the Camera d’Or in 1984 for “Stranger Than Paradise.” Since then, he has been honoured with four awards, including the Short Film Palme d'Or in 1993 for

“Coffee and Cigarettes: Somewhere in California” and the Grand Prix in 2005 for “Broken Flowers.” His films are described as artful and soulful universes, with inspired soundtracks and offbeat humour. He highlights the meanderings of his anti-heroes, shedding light on a very nonHollywood America and sometimes a slightly strange world.

“The Dead Don’t Die” promises to be "the greatest zombies cast ever disassembled" and will surely be a funny, weird ride. The cast: Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Selena Gomez, RZA, Sara Driver, Austin Butler, Luka Sabbat, Eszter Balint, Carol kane and Tom Waits.

Will we see them ripping each other apart and laughing at the same time? We will have to we and see... 

le cinéma de la plage Classic films on the beach Each night, the Cinema de la Plage screens a film on the beach, beneath the stars. It is free and open to the public on a first-come, firstserve basis. Get there early to ensure you get a chair!

Check the schedule online: www.festival-cannes.com

CANNES

17

FILMS IN COMPETITION  Pedro aLMODÓvar DOLOR Y GLORIA 1h52  Marco BeLLOCCHiO IL TRADITORE 2h15  BONG Joon Ho GISAENGCHUNG 2h12  Jean-Pierre DarDeNNe Luc DarDeNNe LE JEUNE AHMED 1h24  arnaud DeSPLeCHiN ROUBAIX, UNE LUMIÈRE 2h  DiaO Yinan NAN FANG CHE ZHAN DE JU HU 1h57  Mati DiOP ATLANTIQUE 1h40  Xavier DOLaN MATTHIAS ET MAXIME 1h59  Jessica HaUSNer LITTLE JOE 1h40  Ken LOaCH SORRY WE MISSED YOU 1h40  Ladj LY LES MISÉRABLES 1er film - 1h40  Terrence MaLiCK A HIDDEN LIFE 3h  Kleber MeNDONÇa FiLHO Juliano DOrNeLLeS BACURAU 2h12  Corneliu POrUMBOiU LES SIFFLEURS 1h37  ira SaCHS FRANKIE 1h38  Céline SCiaMMa PORTRAIT DE LA JEUNE FILLE EN FEU 2h  elia SULeiMaN IT MUST BE HEAVEN 1h37

 Justine TrieT SIBYL 1h40  Karim aÏNOUZ A VIDA INVISÍVEL DE EURÍDICE GUSMÃO 2h25  Nariman aLiev EVGE 1er film - 1h32  Kantemir BaLaGOv DYLDA 2h  Zabou BreiTMaN eléa GOBBÉMÉveLLeC LES HIRONDELLES DE KABOUL 1h20  Monia CHOKri LA FEMME DE MON FRÈRE 1er film - 1h57  Michael COviNO THE CLIMB 1er film - 1h34  Bruno DUMONT JEANNE 2h04  Christophe HONOrÉ CHAMBRE 212 1h26  Oliver LaXe O QUE ARDE 1h30  Danielle LeSSOviTZ PORT AUTHORITY 1er film - 1h46  Mounia MeDDOUr PAPICHA 1h46  Midi Z ZHUO REN MI MI 1h42  albert Serra LIBERTÉ 2h  annie SiLverSTeiN BULL 1er film - 1h45  Maryam TOUZaNi ADAM 1h40  ZU Feng LIU YU TIAN 1er film - 2h

Cinema de le Plage © Festival de Cannes

maY / June 2019

18

riviera

CANNES

Canneseries Investing in new talent

By NICOLE RUSKELL

The pink carpet of Canneseries © D.R.

fter last year’s immensely successful ‘first season’ of the Canneseries Festival, the 2019 ‘second season’ took place from 5 - 10 April. This new festival, aimed at being the lighter, brighter (a pink carpet for example) sibling to the film festival brings together a high-level of international competition for television series from all over the world.

Canneseries gives the opportunity to screen world premieres of new series both taking part in official competition and those out of the competition. There are also several talks, masterclasses by actors and producers and the allimportant networking that happens during festivals.

Behind the scenes, however, the city of Cannes, the University of Côte d’Azur and executives from Canal+ were very busy on the ‘Canneseries Insititute’ project, also in its second year. This Franco-European project

A

(taught in English) is working with seasoned screenplay writers from the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB) and the University in Los Angeles (UCLA) to nurture young talent and harvest new ideas for the exploding field of streaming TV. They selected a group of screenwriting students to come to Cannes for an intensive six-week programme to develop their idea, their characters and create the ‘bible’, or complete blueprint to their series.

Cannes is considered the best place to host this innovative programme, as there is a real sense of immersion into the film world.

“Cannes is a complete ecosystem,” says Samira karrash, the UCA Project Director. “The students become immersed in the realm of film and series. They are really lucky.”

The details for the script are open as far as the genre, the length of each episode and how many episodes there will be. The winning script could be a drama, a comedy or even a sci-fi show. The one guideline that all the participants must follow is the over-arching theme given by the organisers. This year the theme is ‘Brexit: Amours des Amours’ and the relationship between Britain and France.

Nicola Derouet, the Artistic Producer of the programme tells Riviera Insider that the explosion of series streaming networks like Netflix, Amazon, etc. has created a massive demand for new content. “Brexit has given us a great gift,” he says. Nicola works with the teachers and students on continuity and psychology for character development. He likes the series format because “it’s the human experience to work on something without resolution. This is not possible with a 1.5-hour film.”

The core tutor for the programme is Elizabeth Schub kamir, an American screenwriter based in Paris. She describes Canneseries Institute as an “amazing opportunity” for the students.

They have already learned screenwriting, but this programme, she explains, teaches the development of a series. “It’s learning the process, but it’s also actually getting it made.”

Elizabeth describes series writing as “juggling with many balls. Writing is writing, but episodic storylines are a completely different skill set.”

Of the eight international students in the programme, Storm Sigal Battist is a Franco-American student. He “felt great” when his application was selected. His story idea is a drama about the fishermen of the North Sea. “Fishermen are like the cowboys of our day.

They’ve got one foot in one world and one foot in another,” he said. His original idea has changed tremendously since the beginning. “I didn’t have any characters. Now, I have a great character and I’m working towards developing the series.” After the intensive six weeks, the students will pitch their ideas and submit their series ‘bible.’ From there, it will be the Canal+ executives to make the decision on which they will green-light. The winner of the competition will receive a development contract and one month of air time. 

Core tutor, Elizabeth Schub Kamir © Ville de Cannes

CANNES CREATIVITY HUB: THE UCA CAMPUS FOR CREATIVE ARTS For the last two years, work has been under way for the Cannes Creativity Hub, an international centre with classes and degree programmes in film, scriptwriting, audio-visual production, dance, animation, communication and new media.

Programmes are already in the works with SKeMa, eDHeC, UCLa, the Berlin Film School and more.

The city alone is investing 32 million euros in the project. The new, ultra-modern campus is expected to be inaugurated in the La Bocca district at the end of 2020.

Storm Sigal Battiste gives his pitch to the group © Ville de Cannes

maY / June 2019

riviera

Cannes Lions The Oscars of advertising

By RUI FERREIRA

Gold Cannes Lion trophy, Cannes Lions Festival © De Nattapat.J / Shutterstock.com

annes has long been known as the top European destination for celebrities - but it’s not just for film stars. Each year, the best of media, marketing and advertising industries take over the city for five days.

Yes, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Back in 1954, as a consequence of the Cannes

C

Film Festival’s impact, a group of film advertising contractors started their own awards event, driven by the need for recognition that the industry felt at that time, while in the shadows of the flashy film industry.

Originally titled “International Advertising Film Festival,” Cannes Lions hopped between Venice, Monte Carlo and Cannes, before making the latter its permanent address in 1984.

Since the early 1990’s the festival has been trying to keep up with the high metabolism of the advertising industry, not just by increasing the number of prizes and competition categories, but also scaling up the scope of their conferences and seminars with an ever-increasing and diverse panel of experts ranging from healthcare to sustainability to innovation. known in the industry as the ‘Oscars of advertising,’ the coveted golden lion prize is something that every creative wants to add to their portfolio; but in the meantime, the festival has become more and more popular for providing media professionals and talent with sweet opportunities to network and keep their creative juices flowing. For many, the week-long experience of the festival is considered as important - if not more - than the awards.

The Cannes Lions Festival, as we know it today, has put Cannes on the annual agenda of tech companies, media outlets, advertising consultancies, influencers and brands as the “be there or be square” location.

CANNES

19

By 2018, the festival registered over 16,000 attendees, 1,000 speakers and 4,700 companies.

Among those companies were 22 of the world’s 25 biggest brands ranked by marketing expenditures and budget. However, competition-wise, the event saw the total number of competition entries go south to 32,372 compared to over 40,000 the year before.

Philip Thomas, CEO of Ascential Events (the parent company of the festival), addressed that fact commenting: “Last year we made the decision to press the reset button on Cannes Lions. We closed three big Lion awards, and removed and combined many sub-categories.

We did it knowing that this would mean a smaller volume of entries, but it was the right decision for the long term.”

On the bright side, the volume of work submitted by brands and media owners raised around 84% and 59%, respectively, in 2018.

For the 2019 edition, taking place from 17 - 21 June, everyone is expecting five days of industry insights, meetings and inspirational talks from first-class speakers like Sheryl Sandberg from Facebook, Jeff Goldblum from “Jurassic Park” and Victoria’s Secret Model, Angel Winnie Harlow, to name just a few out of the hundreds of speakers already confirmed. And, obviously, everyone is anxious to see who will be awarded as the creative minds of the year with 27 possible statues.  www.canneslions.com

Cannes Confidential The new TV series n April, during the heart of the Canneseries International Festival, the Mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard, and Patrick Nebout, Managing Director of Dramacorp, signed a partnership for the filming of an international series in which Cannes will be both the setting and one of the main characters.

Dramacorp is a production company based in Stockholm and founded by Patrick Nebout. It is owned by Beta Film, one of the world's leading producers and distributors of television works with customers in 165 countries.

Co-created by British author Chris Murray (of “Inspector Barnaby”, “Agatha Raisin” and “Waterloo Road”), “Cannes Confidential” is scheduled to be a ten-episode, 45-minute detective series that will stand out from the slew of dark and violent crime series currently on the international market. Instead, this show will be more of ‘dramedy’ combining comedy, mystery and criminal investigation with the added bonus of the en-

I

Cannes by night © Manjik / Shutterstock.com

chanting setting of Cannes.

Aiming for a romantic and humorous tone, producer Patrick Nebout, compares “Cannes Confidential” to the iconic “Moon Lightning” series in terms of spirit and charm, to “The Night Manager” in terms of ambition, and to “La La Land” for tone and aesthetics.

The storyline of the series will focus on the relationship between an idealistic and ambitious female police officer and a former Canadian master counterfeiter. An unlikely but surprisingly effective pair, both protagonists will find them-

selves forcibly associated in a duo of vigilantes who fight crime and solve a murder at the end of each episode.

However, even if each episode will feature a police plot, the narrative thread will focus on the quest of the female character to find the criminals who had her father (a local police hero) thrown in jail for a murder he did not commit.

Murray is extremely enthusiastic about shooting his new series in Cannes, considering the city a star of the show in itself, and bringing its own magic to the storyline.  maY / June 2019

20

riviera

CANNES

Philippe Fandeux in August 1933 on the beach in Cannes © Archives Municipal de Cannes

Enfance Cannoise A retrospective of childhood in Cannes By AILA STOCKMANN Being a child wasn’t always easy. in fact centuries ago, an alarming number children died in orphanages; and those with parents often had to work from the time they could walk. Historian Joséphine Saia unearthed revealing documents about the life of tykes. She spoke with aila Stöckmann about how the world of children has changed over the centuries. maY / June 2019

R

ummaging through the depths of the Cannes municipal archive, historian Joséphine Saia was able to create a fascinating exhibit on the welfare of local children. The exhibition spans centuries, showing facets of childhood in Cannes from the 16th century - when little ones had no right to be children - to the beginning of the 20th century after France pioneered child welfare laws.

madame saia, how did you come up with the theme "childhood in cannes"?

We were looking for a topic that we hadn't dealt with yet. It was supposed to be "light" and appeal to everyone.

Was a cannes childhood different than in other cities?

Although the 19th century was generally an era of change, life in Cannes changed in a

very special way: the influx of people from the countryside and visitors from other countries. The winter guests often lived lavishly and numerous events were organised on the Côte d'Azur to entertain them, such as the week of automobile races or tennis tournaments. There were also children's parties and carnivals.

how has a childhood in cannes changed over the centuries?

The mentality towards children changed during the Age of Enlightenment. In 1762, JeanJacques Rousseau published his main educational work "émile, or on education".

Previously, the child was regarded as a miniature version of an adult who had to make a living very quickly. In the 19th century, the situation for children improved. In 1874, working conditions for children were better regulated - with maximum duration, breaks and a ban on certain activities. In 1882, thanks to the Jules Ferry law, school became compulsory for 6 to 13-year-olds. At that time there were already toys to buy, as evidenced by catalogues of the big shops from around 1890 - tricycles, tyres, dolls. But these things were only accessible to the higher social classes. Children who came from a simpler home played in the streets.

riviera

CANNES

21

children of whom at least one parent was known but who could not care (prisoners, poor); and finally orphans. From then on, the department looked after their upbringing until they reached the age of 21. Before a child was admitted, every effort was made to find his or her parents, as care was expensive.

A hundred years later, the term referred to children who were difficult to educate.

france was very early to initiate family policy. is that correct?

Outdoor nursery © Archives Municipal de Cannes

Jacqueline Burke and her mother walking on the Croisette © Archives Municipal de Cannes

What particularly surprised you during the research for this exhibition?

In newspaper articles, children were occasionally portrayed as a sneaky danger, for example when we talk about a 17-year-old who had stolen a few mandarins and had to go to prison for seven days in 1889. Or, typical of Cannes: young orphans, presumably around seven years old, were sent to the navy as ship boys.

There were a surprising number of abandoned or orphaned children in cannes. Why? Children were often abandoned when they were born to young girls who came from

the villages and were seduced in the city. Or they became unintentionally pregnant in the countryside and came to the city to give birth anonymously to their child. Directories from 1760 show that such children have always existed, but the number of orphaned children increased with the influx of people from the countryside.

There were other reasons for the high number of orphans, depending on the era. In the middle of the 19th century life expectancy was only around 40 years; then there was the devastating war of 1870 in which 200,000 soldiers died, and epidemics...

Initially, these children were the responsibility of the communities. Then, at the beginning of the 19th century, the "service des enfants assistés" was created. With its help, children were accommodated and meticulously registered.

What exactly are enfants assistés?

The term came up in 1811, when a national decree required the creation of orphanages for orphaned children. Three different cases were recorded here temporarily: Foundlings whose parents were unknown; neglected

Yes, in fact, measures were taken early to protect not only the child, but also the interests of his/her well-being. The midwife's service was made a profession, childminders were required to produce a certificate of performance and schooling became free and mandatory. The Jules Ferry law of 1882 stipulated that schools must be free and secular. Commissions were set up to check this: for example, records were kept of when a child was absent - with the name of the school, the number of days absent and the reason. Some of the reasons listed were "commerce", which suggests that the child had to help out in the parental business; "cares for his sick grandmother", "employed by the parents", or "sick brother". This was because school was not considered a priority at the time. From the 1920s, families with many children were awarded medals, followed by the introduction of child benefits—which was up to the employer to decide whether to pay a child benefit. A law passed in 1932 that obliged employers to pay into an appropriate fund. In 1945, a new form of social insurance was introduced, which also applied to child benefit, and was paid independently of the employer. 

"ENFANCE CANNOISE: QUELLE HISTOIRE? DE L'AN PÈBRE À NOS JOURS" The exhibition is the annual expo of the Cannes City archives, running until 14 June at the "espace Calmette" branch of Les archives Municipales de Cannes, 18 rue Docteur Calmette.

Open Mon-Fri 1:30 pm to 5 pm. admission is free.

While the archived testimonies, newspapers, photographs and documents since 1945 can be viewed here, older documents (from the 16th century onwards) can be found in the villa Montrose branch.

maY / June 2019

22

MONACO

riviera

th

77 MONACO The most anticipated Formula 1 race

A lucky year for Monaco

Amber Lounge The hottest party around

A

Will a Monegasque take the podium?

N

inety years of Formula 1! In 1929, the first race was held in the Principality; now in 2019, the 77th Monaco Grand Prix will attract the attention of motorsport fans all over the world from 23 to 26 May. The race weekend will be busy with training, qualifying and races in other classes, but all eyes will be on the storied track on Sunday, 26 May, at exactly 3.10 p.m. The race will cover 78 laps of intense driving that wind in and around the Principality.

It will be particularly exciting to see the young Monegasque Charles Leclerc starting for Ferrari on his home circuit, who is currently well ahead in the standings. Leclerc is one of the youngest stars of Formula 1 and the first Monegasque driver in decades. At only 21 years-old, he already has an impressive racing career, winning the FIA F-3 Championship in 2015, the F-2 Championship in 2017 and named ‘Rookie of the Year’ in 2017 by both FIA and Autosport. Leclerc was snatched up by Ferrari for his debut F1 season and he has

© Cristiano barni / Shuttertstock.com

already made headlines. During qualifying in Bahrain in March, Leclerc was on fire, setting the fastest time on the track and becoming the second-youngest driver ever to set pole.

Lerclerc came close to a winning in Bahrain, but near the end of the race he lost power due to engine problems. The sudden slowing of his car allowed Lewis Hamilton (fellow Monaco resident) to take him and go on to win. As Hamilton passed, he raised his hand in an attempt to apologise, later saying he felt bad taking Leclerc’s glory but had to drive his race.

This year’s Monaco Grand Prix will be an intense race between the Monegasque native and its resident Hamilton. Will it be a lucky year for a Monegasque to take the podium? We will have to find out on 26 May! 

© Ivan Garcia / Shuttertstock.com

maY / June 2019

mber Lounge is the premier VIP spot for viewing the Monaco Grand Prix or for partying it up in style afterwards. Starting from early in the day and lasting long into the night, Amber Lounge is where you will be rubbing elbows with models, chart-topping singers, A-list celebrities and perhaps even royalty. And the post-race after party is the only place you’ll be able to party with Formula 1 drivers.

Started in Monaco by Sonia Irvine in 2003, Amber Lounge has become the top Grand Prix party destination in four cities around the world—but Monaco remains home turf.

Amber Lounge prides itself on being an experience rather than a location, providing a packed schedule over the entire weekend. They kick-off the festivities on Friday evening with the F-1 driver fashion show, charity auction, gourmet dinner and a fashion after party.

Saturday qualifying is enjoyed right near pit lane aboard the Amber Lounge celebrity yacht with frequent driver appearances, free-flowing champagne and fabulous food. The night begins their VIP after party with top international DJs and a parade of who’s who celebrities.

Race day they pull out all the stops for the most anticipated party of the year. Amber Lounge is the only place you’ll find the drivers and their teams blowing off steam together with the world’s top VIPs. They offer flexible ticket options; available for a single day, the weekend, or just a dinner. But why miss their legendary party? There’s only one place you can party with Formula One teams. You may even get to party with the first Monegasque to win the Monaco Grand Prix!

If you want to splurge, their top VIP Methusalem Table package (€26,250) gives you all-access with the best table in the house, a three course dinner, and then freeflowing Methusalem bottles (6L) of Champagne and Jeroboam bottles (3L) of premium Vodka. Your table comes with a personal waitress and the best access to the dancefloor.  Visit their website for a full schedule of events: www.amber-lounge.com To book tickets, email: monaco@amber-lounge.com

riviera

MONACO

23

GRAND PRIX

By NICOLE RUSKELL

THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE Felipe Massa at the season opening race in Ad Diriyah (Saudi Arabia) on 15 December. The Brazilian finished 15th in his first Formula E race; he "had a lot of fun" and learned a lot. © Spacesuit Media / Venturi

Formula E Monaco’s E-Prix is home turf!

F

ormula E - a sustainable alternative to Formula 1 - is back in the Principality! On Saturday, 11 May, the high-tech electric cars will race for the third time over part of the Formula 1 circuit.

Local Electric car manufacturer and Formula E team, Venturi, is pure Monegasque – building, testing and tweaking right here in the Principality. This Monegasque racing team hand-picked by owner Gildo Pallanca Pastor, has been dubbed the “Dream Team” with drivers Edoardo Mortara, Felipe Massa and Susie Wolff as Team Principal.

Venturi has recently attracted attention with outstanding results, making the podium early on in the season. The Italo-Swiss driver Mortara clinched a victory in Hong kong and three other podium places in mid-April. The “Dream Team” is already earning their title!

Mortara first attracted attention at the third race of the season in Santiago de Chile with his fourth-place finish and at the following race in Mexico with a third-place finish. His Hong kong win in the fifth race of the season was also a little lucky: The leading Briton Sam Bird was sentenced to a five second stop because of a much discussed accident with the German André Lotterer and lost his placing in first.

Verturi has been participating in the championship since the start of the 2014 E series. The Monegasque racing team, for which former Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa has been competing since the start of the season, is currently in fourth place in the manufacturers' standings.

At 30 euros, the tickets are considerably cheaper than the Formula 1 only two weeks later. 

Formula e cars may look similar to Formula 1 cars, but they are completely different. even the way they are driven is different. riviera insider spoke with Venturi’s supplement driver, Norman Nato about the differences.

Most Formula e drivers train in the simulator, explains Nato.

"The art," he says, "is to drive as fast and as energy-saving as possible at the same time.”

Drivers must completely relearn what they know behind the wheel. in sharp contrast to Formula 1, Formula e cars have no pedals, no paddle shifters or even gears to shift and the car gains energy by braking. Talk about a learning curve! "Formula e is above all mentally exhausting," says Nato. Those who prepare most in the simulator have clear advantages.

Perhaps Formula e racing more akin to video game racing than what most of us consider driving.

maY / June 2019

24

MONACO

riviera

TOP MARQUES The hottest cars on the road

his year's Supercar fair will take place from 30 May to 3 June at the Grimaldi Forum. Early announcements were made by brands such as Pagani, Aston Martin, McLaren, Ferrari, Bugatti, Bentley, Porsche and Lamborghini.

As usual, world premieres are on the agenda: McLaren plans to bring along its latest supercar and Rolls Royce will present a limited edition of its Coupé Wraith. As usual, luxury watches and exclusive jewellery will also be on display. The organizer announces that it will also be the greenest show to date in the 16-year history of Top Marques - with news in the field of alternative drive systems.

T

In addition to e-vehicles such as Tesla, Audi e-tron and Italy's "Superhybrid" Puritalia Berlinetta, which will be on site, the Swiss company NanoFlowcell will present its allegedly ground-breaking technology for e-vehicles. 

For Cyprus

Tickets are €70 for Thursday and Friday, €40 for Saturday and Sunday www.topmarquesmonaco.com

MONTE CARLO BAY Monaco’s largest solar power plant

S.A.S. le Prince Albert II between Joël Bouzou and Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou ©Direction de la communication – Michael Alesi

n the presence of H.S.H. Prince Albert II, Isabelle Bonnal, Director of National Education, the results of the 6th edition of "April6" Peace and Sport were presented by the Youth and Sports and Peace Champions along with the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation and Peace and Sport, at the Foundation's premises.

On April 6 of each year, this global mobilization celebrates the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP).

For the 2019 edition, the celebrations began on Friendly Football Day, 19 March, in Cyprus. On this occasion, the football clubs of Nea Salamina and Mağusa Türk Gücü met to promote dialogue and cooperation between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities through sport.

"We are pleased to have collaborated with Peace and Sport on this historic event to promote lasting peace and dialogue on the island of Cyprus. We believe that sport can bring people together and we give inter-community awards to teams made up of Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots," said Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Founder of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, in his opening speech. The President and Founder of Peace and Sport, Joël Bouzou, then took the floor to present the first results of the mobilization on April 6 and the #WhiteCard digital campaign: "This year again, so many countries came together to promote peace through sport and celebrate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. More than ever, it is necessary to develop initiatives that promote the values of fair play, mutual respect, civic engagement and team spirit," said Joël Bouzou in his speech.

So far this year, 1,130 projects have been registered on april6.org, in 109 countries. The platform will identify even more projects until its closure on April 19. Since the first edition, the platform has received 3,240 projects in 182 countries. Regarding the #WhiteCard digital campaign, out of the 6 editions, the 2019 one has already reached 243 million people on social media. AS Monaco Football and AS Monaco Basketball also participated in this unifying campaign.

I

© Top Marques

THE BEST OF MONACO The Principality builds its future

© Direction de la Communication/Michael Alesi

n Tuesday, April 9, Marie-Pierre Gramaglia, Conseiller de Gouvernement-Ministre de l'Equipement, de Environment and Urban Planning, inaugurated the solar panel park of the MonteCarlo Bay Hotel. The inauguration took place in the presence of Frédéric Darnet, Director of the hotel and Thomas Battaglione, Managing Director of SMEG (Société monégasque de l'électricité et du gaz). After congratulating the Société des Bains de Mer, Monte-Carlo Bay and SMEG on this successful project, Ms Gramaglia said the partnership made it possible to establish this park, and stressed: "I strongly encourage private owners to follow the SBM initiative and participate in their tower, to the development of solar energy in our country". This 1,000 square metre photovoltaic park is now the largest in the Principality. This operation will make it possible to locally generate the equivalent of the annual consumption of a thirty dwellings, or about 160 MWh for a power of 154 kWp. Winner of the 2017 e+ "positive energy" trophy, the Monte Carlo Bay once again confirms its ambition to be the best in the area of environmentally clean energy through this joint project.

The Monte-Carlo Bay solar power plant, financed, operated and built by SMEG, benefits from the government subsidy allocated for the installation of photovoltaic panels. The development of solar energy in the Principality is part of a strong approach of Government of Monaco, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas production by promoting in particular the increase in the share of renewable energies. 

O

maY / June 2019

PEACE & SPORT

or the 29th time now, the annual volume "The Best of Monaco", created by Italo Bazzoli, has been published.

Today the publishing house EPI Communicationis run by media experts Michel Comboul and Laurence Genevet. Every year, the focus is on a major topic of the Principality with lots of background information. 2019 is about how Monaco is constructing its future. The more than 200-page magazine, published in French and English, is available in bookshops and newspapers for 25 euros. 

F

26

riviera

UNKNOWN MONACO

Taking the plunge

Principality of Monaco – SAM L’Anse du Portier – Renzo Piano Building Workshop – Valode & Pistre Architectes – Michel Desvigne Paysagiste © D.R.

The highly skilled divers building Monaco’s land extension

By KAREN HOCKNEy

I

t’s no exaggeration to say that extending land territory in Monaco has always been an uphill battle. The Principality has historically faced the unenviable task of adapting its planning around the narrowness of its 2 km2 territory sandwiched between the Alpes-Maritimes and the Mediterranean.

Indeed, since the 1950s, 20% of the Principa-

lity’s surface area has been reclaimed from the sea to meet the rising demands of demographic growth and a constantly evolving economy while also ticking the box on sustainable development, a factor which HSH Prince Albert is passionately in support of.

The challenge to create new land mass continues with the ongoing offshore eco-district extension on the Anse du Portier site. Such development calls for ever more cutting edge technology to deliver the new district to exacting standards, yet it wouldn’t be possible without human endeavour in the shape of highly trained Class II A divers carrying out a myriad of crucial underwater works and observations.

a feat of architecture

© Trasomar

maY / June 2019

The stakes are high; this mammoth architectural and technical feat is duty-bound to encompass Monaco’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions - Monaco has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050 while at the same time minimizing any negative impact on the surrounding natural and marine environments.

SAM L’Anse du Portier and Bouygues Travaux Publics MC jointly rose to this challenge, installing around 50 divers on rotation since the beginning of 2018 to assist on different mis-

riviera

Grand caisson © Bouygues TP

sions providing assistance to unobservations following a tour of derwater equipment and technithe base of the concrete mass DIVERS ARE cal controls for engineers and which are pivotal. ‘We consideESSENTIAL FOR technicians on the surface. The red for a while computerizing the ENSURING THE first divers actually started work entire levelling process but we PROPER in 2015, compiling early environquickly realised that even under mental impact studies, and these particular conditions, FUNCTIONING OF many will continue long after human intervention is necesTHE DEVICE. construction is completed as sary,’ explains Antoine Renaud, of ANTOINE RENAUD part of ongoing ecological moniEiffage Génie Civil Maritime in toring missions.

Monaco. ‘Divers are essential for Marine biologists and scientific ensuring the proper functioning divers have also been given an of the device.’ unprecedented role in establishing protocols In essence, they guide the chute discharging for the protection and relocation of flora and aggregate on the backfill and inform surface fauna and species including noble pen shell operators about the quality of distribution. clams, posidonia flowering plants and lithoThey also intervene on any ‘jamming’ (clogphyllum algae from the construction site. The ging of materials in the conduit), ensuring the entire area is covered by two anti-turbidity proper execution of the mission and that the screens, separating the work site from the desired result is achieved. The radio link betadjoining marine protected area, with the ween the divers and the operations manager hope of guaranteeing the delicate ecological on the surface allows the leveller operators balance of the new district. to follow the progress and make necessary These expert divers have three main areas of adjustments in real time from the pilot barge. responsibility: supporting underwater equipOnce each caisson is immersed, the plates ment and surface operators, civil engineering on which the cables connecting it to the tug and ensuring the smooth running of the boat are fixed must be removed underwater. works and the highest quality of the final It is also necessary to dismantle the steel construction through regular checks. elements that were supporting it and reconstitute the surface of the caisson by applying a specific protective coating of Epicol T that The human touch guarantees it is watertight. Yet again, the skill One of their most crucial, and perhaps risky, sets of the divers are decisive. undertakings is to observe and guide the inAs is typical for many land-sea extension destallation of 27-metre high caissons – watervelopments, several existing networks for tight chambers which are open at the rainwater, pumping and discharge of seawabottom, with water kept out by air pressure ter needed diverting and new ones were to allow sub-aquatic work to be carried out. created with the diving teams installing outThey must assess whether the caissons, falls – large diameter pipes – of different which weigh an incredible 10,000 tonnes, are sizes. The displacement of the Larvotto outfall correctly in place (there is a 10 cm margin alused for rainwater management has led to lowed) before they are permanently ballasted the installation of new three metre diameter into position. The divers also ensure that acpipes 300 metres long at depths ranging betcurate data from 20 metres below sea level ween -32 to -6 metres. This type of installais available to technicians. While GPS and totion requires divers to create a perfectly level pographic monitoring clearly play an imporfoundation before they can install and intertant role here, it is the divers’ detailed

UNKNOWN MONACO

27

lock different sections of the pipes using a radio link between the crane operator on the surface and the diver, who is sometimes 30 metres below the water’s surface.

In addition, divers continually observe the site to record how the project is going, adhering to verification practices which guarantee that the execution of operations complies with performance objectives, good building practice is respected, the environment is preserved and equally importantly, everyone is safe.

Not surprisingly, this detailed and minutely observed surveillance involves long hours of underwater inspections and accuracy checks.

A dive can last up to three hours, with five teams taking turns for 18 hours at a time under strictly controlled conditions. In addition to diving equipment, each diver carries lighting, radio equipment and a camera. All dives are rigorously regulated; a specific permit is required and valid for only one activity for a maximum of one week if the mission remains the same, takes place in the same area and uses the same staff. Since 2018, more than 500 diving permits have been issued. Safety is of paramount importance and during all dives, an exclusion zone around the underwater work areas is mapped out and enforced.

vast responsibility The divers’ responsibility extends to verifying all underwater equipment used and the devices installed. This includes checking the hulls of barges, ships and smaller boats used on site, inspecting anti-turbidity screens and their fastenings and impermeability as well as maintaining tools and machines to save time and avoid having to remove or replace heavy machinery with lifting equipment more often than absolutely necessary.

‘Make no mistake about it,’ adds Antoine Renaud, ‘unscrewing a cross-head screw is a simple task at home but doing the same underwater with gloves on and cumbersome equipment at a depth of 20 metres in order to dismantle the protective casing of a leveller is a whole different business.’

It tells you everything you need to know about these incredibly skilled individuals when you consider that their collective role between January 2018 and the end of February 2019 saw them spend an astonishing 2,841 hours and 57 minutes underwater during a total of 2,203 missions.. 

© Bouygues TP

maY / June 2019

28

riviera

LIGURIA

Carpets made from countless petals can be admired in many places in Liguria in May and June. © Millionstock / www.shutterstock.com

Italy’s Infiorata festivals Liguria covered in flowers By SINJA KLOK

D

uring the months of May and June, many of Liguria's picturesque towns celebrate the ‘Infiorata del Corpus Domini’, an ancient tradition of creating ‘carpets’ of flowers in intricate designs. In Italian, infiorata means covered with flowers and that pretty much describes what the participants can expect: A town transformed by petals, greenery and thousands of flowers. The true artistic touch comes in the intricate and elaborate designs that are created with all this flora.

Being traditionally a religious celebration, many of the motifs will reflect papal images but many others are geometric patterns or large portraits. To obtain the incredible detail, the artists will often combine fresh and dried flowers, leaves, berries and seeds and even coloured sand. These mosaic-like works of art weave through the small alleys of historic town centres. maY / June 2019

L’Infiorata dates back to 17th century Rome when the architect and florist Benedetto Drei was commissioned to decorate the Vatican Basilica with a work of floral art for the celebration of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Today, many small villages take part, turning the town into a magical destination for the weekend, ending with a solemn ‘Corpus Domini’ procession through the streets.

One of the biggest infiorata celebrations in Liguria takes place only an hour and a half from Nice. "Pietra Ligure infiore" is a separate flower festival that is not associated with the religious Corpus Domini ceremony but rather focuses on the bounty of local flowers and the beauty of the community coming together to make art. The event only takes place every three years, happening this year from 11 – 12 May. This will be the sixth time that the seaside city is carpeting itself in flowers and is a joint organisation between the city of Pietra Ligure and the Youth Club of Ranzi, a fraction of the municipality.

In 2016, “Pietra Ligure infiore” attracted thousands of visitors and this year even more are expected. Forty-two delegations will be arriving from all over Italy, but also internationally, from Germany, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Hungary, Poland and Lithuania, all coming to experience the great flower spectacle.

Daniele Rembado, a representative of the Tourism Council said: "It has become a symbol of what our territory can offer in terms of beauty and uniqueness. The role that Pietra Ligure plays is that of an enterprising municipality that invests in tourism and the development of the welcoming economy. It values the uni-

© Commune di Pietra Ligure

queness of our products and the charm of our traditions."

Eight hundred flower professionals will gather at sunrise on Saturday 11 May to decorate the city's squares until Sunday evening: a splendour of fragrance, art, culture, colours and emotions. Visitors will be able to watch the floral artists, followed by concerts and shows.

The "Stella di Ranzi” which is made by the Ranzi Youth Club on Sunday morning is particularly recognizable with its interwoven lines covered with flowers and the spaces between them filled with petals.

This year's event will also be an opportunity to discuss the possibility of this ephemeral art being recognised as a UNESCO intangible heritage. 

Pietra Ligure infiore, 11-12 May Infiorata di Corpus Domini in several towns and villages throughout Italy in May and June.

Check local listings for dates and times.

30

riviera

SPECIAL GOURMET

gourmeT

special

maY / June 2019

A ©

SPECIAL GOURMET

riviera

31

CONTENT La Table de la réserve royal riviera

32 Terre Blanche

33

The best in Seasonal Produce

By NICOLE RUSKELL

Bruno Oger

34 Hotel de Mougins

35 L’air du Temps

36

as spring leads into summer we can all bask in the

adams & adams events

warmth of sun-drenched terraces, drinking rosé and

37

eating incredible food. in this gourmet special, we cover all the bases, taking you to Michelin starred

Le Comptoir de Nicole

restaurants, Provencal getaways and local

38

community bistrots.

The abundance of our local products ensures endless

Le Cantemerle

combinations of the freshest fruits and vegetables

39

around. Just about all the restaurants featured offer the best in seasonal local produce, but we’ve taken a

Liguria’s Molo 56

special look a new trend of vegan restaurants. a few

40

decades ago, vegetarianism was an often laughed at and non-meat eaters had little choice when dining

The Bastile de Biot

out with friends. Today, vegetarianism has become

41

mainstream and most restaurants now offer vegetarian options or proudly display ‘vegetarian friendly’ on their website. recently, as meat-eating has come under fire for its health risks and environmental issues, veganism has taken over as the newest healthy lifestyle. More than just a fad, it has become an increasingly popular and widespread way of life. in the last few years, several

relais de Moines Le Buffet du Goûter at Belles rives

42 The vegan Special

44

vegan restaurants have popped up across the Côte d’azur. From ‘faux gras’ to acai bowls, we’ve rounded up the top new vegan spots from Nice to MouansSartoux.

A classic dish by Bruno Oger © Bruno Oger

maY / June 2019

riviera

SPECIAL GOURMET

La Table de la réserve RECOGNISED By THE 2019 MICHELIN GUIDE

Open every day for lunch and dinner, except Tuesday and Wednesday, from 12:00 to 2:30 pm and from 7:30 to 9:30 pm.

LA TABLE DE LA RÉSERVE 5 bld du Maréchal Leclerc, Beaulieu-sur-mer Tel: +33 (0)4 93 01 00 01 www.reservebeaulieu.com

T

he La Table bistrot at La Réserve in Beaulieu-sur-Mer is elegant yet friendly--just like the menu. This didn’t go unnoticed by the 2019 Michelin Guide The decor blends brass elements with cognac red booths and white and brown walls. This is all just decoration around the star of the dining room--the visible kitchen where the talented and creative chef reigns supreme.

Anne-Sophie Sabini, one of the rising stars of French gastronomy blends traditional dishes and sauces with a light modern touch. She got her start with Silvestre Wahid, the starred chef at the Oustau de Baumanière, in Les

S

Jasmin Grill & Lounge A RESTAURANT BETWEEN THE SKy AND THE SEA

Formulas from 29€ for lunch, excluding Sundays, public holidays and July/August.

HOTEL ROYAL-RIVIERA 3, avenue Jean Monnet 06230 Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Tel. +33 (0)4 93 76 31 00 www.royal-riviera.com

maY / June 2019

ince 1904, the elegant architecture of the Royal-Riviera has illuminated the entrance to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.

In early spring 2018, Jasmin Grill & Lounge completed the dining offer of this magnificent hotel. Thus, it is now possible to have a drink by the pool, to have lunch in the sun all year round on one of the most beautiful terraces on the Côte d'Azur (dinner from midJune to the end of August), or to enjoy the late afternoon sun in a lounger while enjoying a Dolce Vita style Spritz. This is what the new space now offers to Royal-Riviera guests.

From sharing dishes to tasty gourmet trips that take you around the Riviera, neighbouring Italy, Spain, or further afield like India and Thailand, the menu offers a variety of choices that all have in common the quality of the products selected by Chef Anthony Cadeï.

Fresh Buddha bowls, chicken skewers or prawns cooked in the spectacular Tandoor oven; grilled Mediterranean fish, green curry, paccheri with octopus, oil sardines with a taste of childhood, and of course the essentials: burgers and Club Sandwiches. Healthy, simple and generous with a beautiful table.

Straight out of a postcard, the Jasmin Grill & Lounge offers a unique view of the Baie des Fourmis, its beach, and further afield,

Baux-de-Provence. Then she moved on to Paris as the sous-chef at Joêl Robuchon's famous Atelier at the Champs élysée. In 2012 she returned to the south, joining Arnaud Donckele at La Résidence de la Pinède in Saint-Tropez. Now with La Table de la Réserve, the Michelin Guide recognised her topquality meals for a remarkable value in their 2019 Bib Gourmand.

Blending hearty Provencal dishes with light vegetables and olive oil from the sun-drenched south, Chef Sabini honours French terroir while being creative and innovative. Her dishes include rabbit terrine with savory and toasted bread, sea bass and its sauce accompanied by vanilla candied parsnips, or burbot blanquette with thyme and lemon flavour for meats. Guinea fowl is stuffed with mushroom foie gras and served with their homemade mashed potatoes.

The vicinity of Italy is also represented with a selection of pasta, pizzettas, anchovy fritters, Neapolitans and Bresaola. Every Friday is the classic fish soup, La Bouillabaisse d’Anne-Sophie, a true tribute to the south of France.

A lover of terroir, Anne-Sophie has chosen a wine list of small organic, biodynamic and well thought-out vineyards. Quintessential Provence with Le grand blanc "de Henri Milan," a chenin with Thierry Michon in rosé, a Satenay by Antoine Olivier or a "Château Le Puy" Bordeaux for reds. She also included a Corsican wine with Domaine Yves Leccia "YL" and Provence Gavoty. 

like a century-old vigil, the magnificent Villa kerylos.

On sunny days, the roofs of the restaurant open and disappear to make way for the sun.

The Jasmin Grill & Lounge is open all year round for lunch, with dinner in July and August. 

ADVERT

32

riviera

Chef Gaëtan Fiard © Terre Blanche

SPECIAL GOURMET

33

The pineapple preserved with vanilla from Madagascar © Terre Blanche

thE swEEt lifE at tErrE BlanchE The 5-star Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort welcomes a new pastry Chef The all chocolate, cocoa lace and chocolate ice cream © Terre Blanche

H

e literally leads a sweet life: The new pastry chef Gaëtan Fiard is only 29 years old and is already responsible for the entire Terre Blanche pâtisserie. His job is to tempt his guests with imaginative creations. The role of the seducer is written all over him, and this is no coincidence: he can already look back on a successful career in famous institutions such as the Barrière Le Fouquet's Paris or the Grand Hotel Cap-Ferrat and won the prestigious competition Mondial des Arts sucrés in Paris in 2014.

"It is both a great honour and a challenge for me to be called to the top of Terre Blanche's pâtisserie team," says the young talent, delighted with his new professional adventure. From

now on, he will work side by side with Chef Philippe Jourdin, who stands for the four restaurants of the magnificent 300-hectare resort, where Le Faventia is adorned with a Michelin star.

Gaëtan Fiard draws his inspiration primarily from the different cultures he has discovered on his many journeys. The Pâtissier-Chocolatier-Glacier - only French can express it so beautifully - is not afraid to use pepper and fresh herbs for his exotic, never-before tasted specialities. Lightness and originality are the hallmarks of the desserts he conceives.

And there is good news for everyone who wants to swing a golf club before or after culinary enjoyment: Terre Blanche, just 45 mi-

nutes from Nice, has just been awarded the silver label of the Golf Programme for Biodiversity by the French Golf Federation. A beautiful award for 15 years of ecological commitment. 

TERRE BLANCHE 3100, route de Bagnols-en-Forêt Tourrettes, Provence-Côte-d’azur +33 (0)4 94 39 90 00 www.terre-blanche.com maY / June 2019

34

riviera

SPECIAL GOURMET

Bruno Oger CHEF TO THE STAR...

INGREDIENTS

By NICOLE RUSKELL

LA VILLA ARCHANGE rue de l’ouest 06110 Le Cannet Tel. +33 (0)4 92 18 18 28 www.bruno-oger.com

Åre Water SUPERIOR SWEDISH WATER

www.arewater.com

maY / June 2019

illa Archange is an 18th-century bastide in the hills above Cannes.

Owner and Head Chef, Bruno Oger considers the immaculately redone country house more of a ‘chambre d’hôte’ than a restaurant. Being one of the few Relais & Chateaux restaurants in the area, he describes his restaurant as ‘unique’. In fact, the two Michelin star restaurant is laid out like a home, with intimate dining rooms, a wine cellar and a long hallway leading to the kitchen. “It’s really a family home - that’s our spirit here,” says Chef Oger.

Every inch is elegantly appointed while maintaining a sense of cosy charm. The walls are lined with contemporary paintings by the chef’s wife, Hélène, whose studio is in the front courtyard. The Villa offers diners exquisite meals and fine atmosphere without stuffy pretentiousness. This also extends to the food - Chef Oger describes his menu as not being about luxury, but about being simple and elegant: “rich in vegetables, rich in flavours, rich in terroir.”

The ‘family esprit’ is most noticeable with his staff, who work comfortably and happily with their famous boss. Sitting with Chef Oger at the special ‘Table d’Hôte’ in the kitchen (an original 18th-century table recuperated from the bastide), there was an amicable vibe between the chef and his staff - and a clear absence of stress and tension - a refreshing dynamic for a twostar restaurant.

To the left, the wall is lined with celebrity photos, all looking happy after a well-enjoyed meal. Cooking for famous stars has become second nature for Chef Oger, as he has prepared the opening ceremony dinner for the Festival de Cannes for the last several years. But for him, the real stars are the ingredients.

V

His passion for fresh produce is immediately clear when I ask him about the seasonal foods that inspire him. For the current season, it’s asparagus. As if on cue, a delivery is brought past the table and the chef excitedly stops the man. “Look, these are my aspérges that have just been delivered.” He digs into the box as if it’s a long-awaited Christmas present and pulls out a handful of enormous, crisp asparagus. He shows me the bottoms, a giveaway of freshness: “If the bottoms are dried out, they’ve been cut for days.” His asparagus, of course, are plump and moist. These spears will wind up paired with Florentine vegetables and served with fresh pesto.

“This is the magic,” he tells me. Excited at the prospect of ‘spontaneous cooking’ where daily deliveries from his suppliers are based on what is the freshest as opposed to what he orders, it keeps the Chef and his staff on their toes and excited to invent what he calls “Creations of the moment.”

His excitement picks up describing the creative process of receiving a shipment and creating a dish then and there. “It’s cool! And it’s super great for us because it keeps us interested.” He pulls out his phone to show me a picture of a recent creation. Like a proud father, he shows a plate of baby artichokes with plump Morrel mushrooms. “We received these incredible Morrels and created this dish on the spot. It was fantastic.”

His Signature menu will always feature seasonal favourites, but La Villa Archange offers several menus, including a 5-course Table des Anges (€230) and the most special, the 9-course ‘L’Inspiration de l’Archange’ (€350) which is a surprise menu of the chef’s ‘creations of the moment’. The 3-course Discovery Lunch (€72) menu offers a great introduction to his cuisine. 

T

We are lucky enough in the Côte d’Azur to have this pristine water as Åre is only sold in Sweden, France, Monaco, Singapore and Hong kong. 

his pure water comes to us from a mountain village of the Jämtland region in Sweden and it brings with it all the purity of its original territory. Sourced from the Åre spring, a thermal spring with a preserved environment and one of the few certified natural mineral springs in Scandinavia, Åre natural mineral water was granted the highest quality classification: Superior.

And for good reason - bottled directly near a protected underground spring, the water is filtered by layers of sand and rock, created thousands of years ago by the polar ice cap.

Perfectly balanced, the water has a pH of 7.6 and a slightly sweet taste. It contains 84% oxygen; it is rich in natural mineral salts and has very few nitrites or nitrates.

Appreciated and recognized for its qualities, Åre Water was awarded three gold medals at the AVPA Paris Gourmet Waters International Contest in 2017 and 2018.

SPECIAL GOURMET

35

ADVERT

riviera

Le Jardin Chef Basile Arnaud © Hôtel de Mougins

lE Jardin Hôtel de Mougins’ secret garden hideaway

By NICOLE RUSKELL

J

ust beyond the very unassuming gates of the Hôtel de Mougins, lies a Provençal oasis, complete with gardens filled with orange and olive trees, a sparkling blue pool, 51 well-appointed rooms and five private bastides.

“It has a great soul,” describes Chrystelle Billard, the new Director. “It’s a lot of work to run the hotel, but the trees, the beauty and the art help you relax and stay calm.” She explains that the goal of the Hôtel de Mougins is to share its pleasures with their guests.

Inside this secret Provençal retreat is Le Jardin Restaurant, a fresh seasonal tribute to the bounty of the South of France. Popular for business lunches with Sophia-Antipolis workers, the restaurant caters to a clientele with a refined palate and a need to get away from it all.

The young chef, Basile Arnaud, changes the menu each week, keeping his selection updated with the freshest produce available. He keeps the menu small and simple but varied and interesting, blending the best of Provence and the Côte d’Azur.

Riviera Insider visited in late March and the patio was filled with lunchtime customers, sunglasses on and basking in sunshine that occasionally disappeared behind springtime clouds. It was a nice feeling after a cool winter and despite the occasion threat of showers, it was clear that everyone was eager to soak up some rays.

Chrystelle joined us for lunch, and we began our delicious meal with a starter plate of delicate langoustines served with raw, crisp fennel and Chioggia beets and dolloped with a

grapefruit reduction sauce. The combination was a unification of contrasts, the sweet, soft baby lobsters with the crisp veg and bitter sauce tied together with a hint of kaffir lime zest.

Our spring luncheon coincided with the height of asparagus and artichoke season, which Chef Arnaud used to accompany a juicy rack of lamb encrusted with a Dijon mustard and herb rub. This was all sitting in tasty caramelised taggiasche olive sauce. Delicately cooked so as to maintain crunchiness, both the little spears of asparagus and the buds of artichoke

flowers complimented the soft lamb. The portion was surprisingly large (as were other customer's plates) and quite filling.

Dessert was yet another fresh and delightful surprise; a simple lemon meringue tart, topped with fresh raspberries. Lemon tarts can often taste quite eggy, especially when topped with meringue; however, this was light, fresh and perfectly tart without the slightest taste of egg. An expertly created dessert.

Le Jardin is really about sharing the soul of the property with it guests. Enjoying a meal surrounded by ancient stone buildings, fragrant flowering rosemary, and olive, Cyprus and orange trees is an unexpected surprise within ten minutes of Sophia-Antipolis and makes the entire meal feel like mini holiday.

Le Jardin restaurant is open for lunch & dinner Monday to Friday from November to March and everyday from April to October.

For the rest of the property, it’s the little things that can make a place stand out, and Hotel de Mougins is no exception. They offer several little surprises like all-day snacking at the pool to satisfy out-of-meal cravings or late afternoon arrivals. They support local artists, whose artwork adorns the walls of the lobby and are available for purchase. Their Tesla charging station assures an easy recharge while you dine.

The property can be rented for private events like corporate parties or weddings, including their 18th-century bastides, which each hold around 20 people. 

HÔTEL DE MOUGINS 205 avenue du Golf 06250 Mougins Tel. +33 (0)4 92 92 17 07 www.hotel-de-mougins.com maY / June 2019

36

riviera

SPECIAL GOURMET

FOR INCREDIBLE SEA VIEWS

Théoule-sur-Mer:

L'air du Temps HIGH ABOVE THE SEA

By AILA STöCKMANN

Open midday and evenings from Wed to Sun (Sun only at midday). Tapas bar Tue - Sun (June to September) from 5 pm to midnight and until 1 am in July and August. In September only Fri, Sat, Sun from 5 pm to midnight.

L'AIR DU TEMPS 67 Boulevard de la Corniche d'Or

T

hat fantastic view! But to only rave about the incredible view of the coastline between Mandelieu and the islands off Cannes will hardly do justice to "L’Air du Temps". The restaurant on the Corniche d'Or between Théoule-sur-Mer and Le Trayas, which was opened about two years

ago, also has a lot to offer in culinary terms.

"Bistronomy" is the buzzword with which the small restaurant rightly advertises: sophisticated cuisine in a relaxed ambience.

Manuela Pace and her partner Vianney Petit completely renovated the building after their takeover. The highlight in the summer months, i.e. from June to September, is the tapas bar, which is opposite the restaurant on the roof terrace. High above the sea, guests can enjoy a refreshing cocktail and tasty plates on warm evenings (reservations only possible for eight people or more).

Chef Alexis Mayroux serves fresh seasonal products in the restaurant all year round, without limiting himself to Mediterranean cuisine. His menu, which he renews every six weeks, has something for (almost) everyone.

How about scallops or foie gras terrine with smoked duck breast as a starter? The main ranges from fish of the day to beef chops, the dessert could be a reinterpretation of a tarte au citron or a crêpe Suzette with candied orange peels.

By the way: the summer fireworks between Mandelieu and Antibes can be watched from any place in L’Air du Temps! Parking is a bit tricky, but possible along the road. 

N

RoquebruneCap-Martin:

Le Cabanon LUNCH WITH yOUR TOES IN THE SAND

By NICOLE RUSKELL

ow open for the season, Le Cabanon is a secret hideaway on Plage du Buse in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin (shh, don’t tell anyone!). Offering a bar, small plates, sandwiches and a full restaurant, this little beach cabin allows you to enjoy a full day at the beach, going for a swim, pausing for a drink…going for another swim… and then enjoying a nice lunch.

Their new Italian chef, Silvio, has been making news and earning them rave reviews for his ultra-fresh and inventive dishes like octopus, leek and panisse salad; tartare d’avocat with rockmelon and grilled scampi or seared tuna with hazelnut oil and mint. Chef Silvio’s selection of Italian dishes change with the market’s freshest offers, but signature dishes include fresh gnocchi with shrimp, frito misto and simple salads like prosciutto and melon and a bruschetta with burrata, Picadilly tomatoes and fresh basil. Ingredients are delivered from Italy each day. 

LE CABANON Plage du Buse roquebrune-Cap-Matin © Anthony Lanneretonne

maY / June 2019

ADVERT

riviera

adams & adams Catering to all your event needs By NICOLE RUSKELL

SPECIAL GOURMET

37

petition. It proved to be the right recipe because they continued to grow each year, from private chef jobs to catering, to large parties…then they got booked for MIPIM, the largest real estate congress in the world. To this day, every year, kate plans elaborate corporate events in Cannes for most of their large annual congresses. She has also organised events at film shoots, retreats for Premier League Football teams, yacht launches, corporate anniversaries and BBQs at the LIONS International Advertising show.

“In yachts the standard is very, very high. If you’re a good chef, and you’re conscientious and a perfectionist, you want to get it right—you can’t cut corners.”

Seeing every event as a new challenge, kate is never bored and gains pleasure in the “amazing” challenge of wowing her discerning clients. She gives a pleased smile, thinking back on tough situations she creatively solved for the perfect evening. kate points out that most people don’t realise how much goes on behind the scenes to create the perfect event: “This isn’t about picking white or cream napkins!” Throughout, kate Adams during an event for Kate mentions the importance of contacts and Departures Magazine at the International Luxury Travel Market finding the best partners, best servers, and (ILTM) in Cannes best photographers, whom she keeps safely in her “black book.” She says matter-offactly: “It’s a luxury to be able to hire people ate Adams loves food. It’s why she better than you. If you don’t have good staff, left a career in advertising to learn you don’t have a good event.” to cook; then wound up in FloAfter 15 years in the business, kate’s role rence with specialty Italian cooking lessons, has “evolved” and she no longer spends and spent nearly a decade as a yacht chef time in the kitchen. Instead, she prefers to in the Mediterranean. But as with all yachdelegate to specialised chefs based on the ties, there comes a time to build a life on client’s theme. “We have a melting pot of taterra ferma and it was then that she and her lent,” she says, listing her specialty Thai partner and fellow yacht chef founded chef, The Superfood Chef who is also a CerAdams & Adams. They began as private tified Nutritionist, or the yacht chef who chefs and caterers. Today, they are a fullspecialises in traditional Mexican food. service events company offering just about kate is thoroughly enjoying her role as an anything a customer can dream up, from Event Manager and acting as an intermebranded black cabbies at diary between what her clients MIPIM to booking an Olympic want and what the venues, chefs synchronised-swimming team IT’S A LUxURY TO and entertainment can provide. as entertainment, to VIP lun- BE ABLE TO HIRE Her experience in the business cheons over-looking the Mo- PEOPLE BETTER proves invaluable for more than naco Grand Prix. just the contacts in her ‘black THAN YOU. IF Born in the Uk, kate grew up YOU DON’T HAVE book’. Her ability to anticipate and as a constant expat, moving to GOOD STAFF, YOU prevent problems, from getting the Canary Islands by age 3, DON’T HAVE A permission to stop traffic on the Barbados by age 9, Cyprus and GOOD EVENT. Croisette in order to deliver furnikuala Lumpur after that. Her ture to a 7th-floor penthouse by first job found her in the Marcherry picker, to missing DJ taketing Department of NatWest bles, to cancelling the automatic Bank in New York City. sprinklers are all just part of the disaster “My parents really taught me to get along preparedness Adams & Adams has as a dewith everyone,” she says. kate describes fault. that her unusual childhood has been invaWhen we met, kate had just confirmed a luable for what she does today, working post-golf tournament lunch for loyal Norwith such an international clientele. wegian clients. “This will be their 8th year In 2003, Adams & Adams started “with a VW hosting this event,” she confides, “they obGolf, a frying pan and an archaic mobile viously like what we do!”  phone,” she quips. Coming from yachts certainly gave them a headstart on their comwww.adamsandadams.eu

For 15 years, adams & adams has been creating unforgettable parties and events on the riviera. With no job too big or too small, they handle everything from intimate celebrations, to fairy tale weddings, to large corporate events. riviera insider speaks with co-founder Kate adams about her fascinating life and her journey to becoming one of the top event planners on the Côte d’azur.

K

maY / June 2019

38

riviera

SPECIAL GOURMET

it's thE mix that doEs it!

Le Comptoir 2 Nicole earns traditional Nissarde cuisine label

I

t's still a secret, but we're allowed to write it. Domenico Iaria, who runs the restaurant Le Comptoir 2 Nicole a few steps behind the Promenade des Anglais, nods: "We will soon get the label "Cuisine Nissarde". This is a label created by the city of Nice for the preservation of traditional Nicois cuisine (or Nissarde in dialect). Only those restaurants that meet certain requirements receive it: The recipes that have been handed down for centuries must be respected. But also regulations concerning, for example, hygiene and the quality of the products used must be observed. A special commission has so far identified 26 recipes as typical Nice dishes. At least three of them must be on the menu. There is much more maY / June 2019

on Domenico's menu. There are Ratatouille and Daube, Salade Niçoise and Farcis, Pan Bagnat, Socca, Pissaladière and so on.

No problem for the Italian chef Giovanni Cammarata. After all, Nice and Liguria have common roots, as the Mediterranean city has only belonged to France since 1860. And so Giovanni cooks dishes with ease, whose origin Nice now claims with a label of its own. Comptoir 2 Nicole also serves Sicilian specialities. Risotto, gorgonzola and chicory, tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms, real Italian tiramisù ... The water runs down your mouth as you read it. You should also taste the Tourte aux blettes, a sweet cake made of chard. It may sound like it needs getting used to, but it is usually very successful, especially with foreign guests, says Domenico.

Just like the vernissages of local artists that take place about four times a year.

It's the mixture that makes the difference and explains the charm of the restaurant in rue Saint-François-de-Paul, in addition to its cosy ambience and inviting decor. Domenico also goes from table to table and greets everyone, some with kisses. 

SPECIAL GOURMET

39

ADVERT

riviera

Beautiful location in the heart of a mediterranean park

forgEt thE world ...

Fresh, mainly local ingredients are used in the dishes of the hotel's own restaurant.

Jérôme Héraud in his herb garden

... in the 4-star Hotel, Restaurant & Spa Cantemerle in Vence

E

ven if it's only for a day or a few hours, the beauty of the Cantemerle makes guests forget time and space - welcome to Provence! Just 15 minutes from the Cagnes-sur-Mer motorway exit, you'll be immersed in an oasis you'll never want to leave again.

What makes the Cantemerle so unique?

Well, first of all there is its wonderful location in the heart of a Mediterranean garden and a panoramic view of the sea. Only 900 metres from the small town of Vence, the Provencal esprit is omnipresent. And then it's the details that make this location so special: The restaurant, which has been run for twelve years by Chef Jérôme Héraud, has a shady terrace by the pool. There is someone at work here who takes his job seriously: ‘The kitchen king’ is proud of his title as Maître Restaurateur and the award he has just received as Maître Cuisiniers de France, an exclusive circle of chefs with the highest quality standards. Among other things, the members commit themselves in a charter to using only fresh and primarily local ingredients. Accordingly, Héraud’s motto is: "The product is the star; the chef is only the ambassador”.

His gourmand menu is available from Tuesday to Saturday evening and at noon on weekends. Particularly popular with regular guests are the relaxation lunch with access to the swimming pool and the Déjeuner bulle de bien être for well-being, including an hour-long treatment in the spa Evasion Nature and access to all structures such as the outdoor and heated indoor pool, fitness room, solarium, hammam and outside jacuzzi. To preserve the private atmosphere, the number of places per day is limited.

The cold and warm seafood buffet with homemade desserts on Friday evening is also a big hit. For 59 Euro per person without drinks the guest can eat “à volonté”. And from 15 June to the end of August, the cool Live Music evenings will take place in a pleasant atmosphere.

Before or after the meal, the Petanque square with its southern flair and panoramic view of the sea is also popular.

The Hotel Cantemerle has 26 rooms and, most recently, a bastide with seven new rooms. This charming country house is situated in a Provencal garden with olive trees and has a large south-facing terrace.

Are you celebrating an important birthday or are you planning a wedding that is out of the ordinary? Then you have found what you are looking for! There is room for up to 100 people for a seated meal, 150 for a cocktail. Of course the Bastide will be completely privatized on such occasions.

Would you like to relax in the midst of nature and enjoy culinary delights without long journeys and looking for a parking space? Then the Cantemerle is the right place for you. 

HÔTEL LE CANTEMERLE 258, chemin cantemerle – vence Tel. +33 (0)4 93 58 08 18 info@hotelcantemerle.com GPS: 43.716603, 7.117406 www.cantemerle-hotel-vence.com maY / June 2019

40

riviera

SPECIAL GOURMET

From left: Business partner Filippo Rognoni, Chef Giulio Santinato, Agata d'Anna, Giulio's assistant and fiancée, Sara © Renato Sentinato

have chosen in peace and quiet," says Agata.

Pino and Agata have known each other since they were teenagers. In 2012, Pino spotted the place just a few steps from the sea and was carried away: "That had to be it! Together with friends, the couple bought the rather run-down premises, renovated it from the ground up and named the finished restaurant "Molo 56" after Pino's year of birth.

In the summer of 2013, after a terrible bureaucracy marathon, they were finally able to get started. "We jumped into the cold water," recalls Agata. Sure, offering pizza and star-worthy dishes at the same time was a risk. "But our guests were thrilled right from the start." Of course the menu follows the seasons, of course only topquality products like Mediterranean fish are used in the small kitchen. There are 40 seats indoors and in the summer they have 80 seats on the terrace. "Then we have to hussle," says Agata, who also likes to serve biodynamic vegetables and edible flowers from the nearby Bottasana valley. She is enthusiastic about being innovative, but the original taste of the ingredients must not be lost.

It's a good thing that her gastronomic concept is on the same wavelength as that of Chef Giulio Santinato. The 25-year-old chef comes from the neighbouring village of Calice and he spoils his guests with his great talent.

Back to the prices again: Starters like Tartare di Pescato con crema di burrata e miele al Wasabi - an incredible treat for lovers of raw fish - cost around 16 euros. First courses, for example Spaghettoni Artigianali or Ravioli di Pesce San Pietro, costs 18 or 15 euros respectively. Second courses range between 18 and 22 euros. The Frittura Mista is the absolute must and a big hit on the menu. Fish and shrimps are fried in the best oil, which is changed very often and thus ensures excellent flavour and good tolerance.

Stuffed? Pay no attention to your stomach because you can't have a dessert as good as Molo 59 anywhere else! Allora buon appetito! 

The Frittura Mista is an absolute must © Renato Sentinato

star worthy Molo 59 in Pietra Ligure

By PETRA HALL

What is served in "Molo 59" is a competition for any starred restaurant. Only the prices differ considerably.

T

he concept had long been clear: Pino, pizza baker from Salerno, and Agata d'Anna, tourism expert from Pietra Ligure, wanted a restaurant that was different from all the others. They have succeeded. The idea: a pizzeria and a ristorante with its own identity - under one roof. No classic dishes--no tourist restaurant--only authentic cuisine rooted in Liguria and Sicily, but enriched with sensitivity, refinement and imagination. "We don't have mass processing, so guests can enjoy what they Deconstructed cannolo... hmmmh! © Renato Sentinato

maY / June 2019

riviera

New hotel opening: La Bastide de Biot

swimming with a viEw of Biot

By IRA SöHNGE

S

LA BASTIDE DE BIOT 625 route de la Mer 06410 Biot www.labastidedebiot.fr

ome hotels create a real sense of well-being upon arrival. The Bastide de Biot is clearly one of them.

Already during the drive there, the guest suspects what a beautiful spot awaits. Everything is neat, bright and new. One leaves the road behind and dives into a relaxing peace. The Bastide de Biot has just re-opened after a year of remarkably successful remodeling and has become a real bijou, a piece of jewellery.

The small hotel team conveys cordiality. "We want our guests to feel at home," says Director Mathias Marrant.

"We wanted to create the atmosphere of a “Chambres d'Hôtes," adds the 35-year-old Frenchman. It should be elegant but casual - without any tie-wearing staff.

If you prefer to the feeling of staying in a home but don't want to rent a holiday home, this is the place for you.

The Bastide with its 17 rooms is not a big hotel block, but distributed in small building complexes on the premises.

Everything is furnished with style and love - a perfect combination of rustic and elegant. The colour grey dominates.

The rooms are attractively designed with fine materials, comfortable beds and beautiful pictures showing motifs from the local glass workshops. Throughout the whole house, local products and environmental awareness are also important. In the bathroom, shower gel and shampoo come from Fragonard in Grasse. Each room has its own garden or balcony with seating or sunbeds, and most rooms have a view of the enchanting backdrop of Biot's old town.

Another eye-catcher is the large pool with its glittering tiles. Above the pool there is a large terrace and the breakfast area with its yet more charming decoration.

At breakfast there is a hot and cold buffet. Later in the day you can order a snack and a glass of rosé. "We offer

SPECIAL GOURMET

41

breakfast and snacks with local products," says the hotel manager. "We don't have an evening kitchen, but if necessary we work together with a local catering service".

Around the hotel there is a lot of greenery and well laid paths that are suitable for wheelchair users as well as for high heeled shoes. The noise of the street does not penetrate into the facility, but you will hear the frogs quack at night. In this idyllic place you can relax and switch off from the outside world. There is also a boules court, table tennis and a fooseball table. Not to mention the modern fitness room and the wellness area with a pool, sauna and Hamman.

The Bastide de Biot is a hotel that manages the balancing act between child-friendly and business-oriented.

The three large duplex rooms or the rooms whose beds can be converted into two separate single beds make the Bastide ideal for business travellers during the region's trade fairs and festivals as well as for a perfect family holiday with children.

The fireplace room is also particularly beautiful and practical. It can be used as a cosy living room and TV room or can be converted into a conference or meeting room for around 16 people with all the technical amenities.

"Due to its manageable size, the hotel can also be very well privatized. During the Mipim in Cannes we had our first guests and there was only positive feedback", reports Saskia Bourniquel. The German woman is the commercial director of the SFH hotel group, which owns the Bastide. "We are still waiting for the hotel stars to be awarded, but we think that we will be classified in the 4-star category.

The location of the Bastide between Cannes, Nice and the countryside is also very favourable. Golfers can benefit from the nearby courses. In a few minutes by car you can reach the sea or children's attractions like Marineland. And in the evening, one can leave the car and go by foot to the old town of Biot. 

maY / June 2019

42

riviera

SPECIAL GOURMET

a Michelin Kid’s menu RELAIS DES MOINES WELCOMES THE WHOLE FAMILy

The menu costs €30, a dish and dessert costs only €15.

LE RELAIS DES MOINES route de Sainte roseline 83460 Les arcs-sur-argens Tel.+33 (0)4 94 47 40 93 www.lerelaisdesmoines.com

I

t’s well-known that French children have a particularly advanced palate compared to children in other countries. One of the reasons always given is feeding children rich dishes early on. Despite this, Michelin restaurants don’t always offer something that any child would eat, let alone enjoy.

L

Pastry paradise BELLES RIVE’S BUFFET DU GOûTER

HÔTEL BELLES RIVES 33, Blvd edouard Baudoin 06160 Juan-les-Pins Cap d'antibes Tel. +33 (0)4 93 61 02 79

maY / June 2019

’heure du goûter just got a whole lot sweeter ! The gorgeous Belles Rives Hotel in Cap d’Antibes offers a sumptuous buffet of sweets prepared by their pastry chef, Steve Moracchini, who was named Chef Pâtissier de l’Année in 2016 by Gault & Millau.

Located in the swanky Fitzgerald Piano bar, the dessert buffet runs from 3 pm to 6 pm every weekend and holiday from March to the end of May (which means you better hurry!) and starts up again in October.

Enjoy cakes, tarts, Madeleines, candies, waffles and more while seated in leopard-print chairs listening to the piano and looking out over the gulf. It’s the perfect way to channel the glamour and decadence of the infamous Zelda Fitzgerald in the very building she lived.

How sweet is that?

A selected pastry plate costs €13 or choose the formula pastry plate and a hot drink (try their house-made hot chocolate) for €19.

And if you can handle it, €24 gives you allyou-can-eat access. Freshly made waffles are sold á la carte for €6 with a choice of topping.

The Fitzgerald Bar is also great for tea time during the week, when they serve a large selection of teas, cocktails and pastries each afternoon. 

Chef Sébastien Sanjou, the Michelin starred chef of Le Relais Des Moines in Les Arc-surArgens is changing that. He has developed a dedicated children’s menu, offering haute cuisine to little ones. His goal is not only to acknowledge the youngest members of the family, but also to introduce them to the taste of good things. This certainly won’t be a fish & chips menu!

Chef Sanjou knows that parents try to do everything possible to offer their kids a healthy and varied diet. However, he also understands how difficult that can be in restaurants. kid’s food options can be too sophisticated or too simple and finding the right balance can be difficult.

Eager to share his vision of cooking and committed to demonstrating that good food and pleasure are not inseparable, Chef Sanjou has created a discovery menu for young gourmets. In addition to offering a gastronomic experience to parents, the Var chef introduces the little ones to eating fresh and local produce, and respecting the seasonality offered by both the land and sea.

The children’s gourmet experience starts before the meal, with a private visit of the kitchens ensuring their interest is piqued. And as a parting gift, the kids will leave with a small surprise.

The Discovery Menu for young gourmets (up to 12 years old) menu varies with the seasons. 

ADVERT

riviera

SPECIAL GOURMET

43

comE homE to a viking Veral offers the best in residential cooking ranges By NICOLE RUSKELL viking ranges are synonymous with quality and precision. it’s why viking is the preferred choice for the homes of chefs around the world. riviera insider speaks with isabelle euvrard, owner of Veral, a local viking distributor about what makes this american-made cooking range so special.

V

iking’s motto has long-since been: “Professional performance for your home”. But what does that mean?

Mainly, precise control of temperature and high BTUs for the burners ensuring enough power to braise, glaze and sear. But high power isn’t the only thing that separates a Viking from other ranges. Low temperature control is just as important - and one of the most difficult to find. Isabelle describes a demonstration she recently did with chocolate and a paper plate.

It’s a simple trick: place pieces of chocolate on a paper plate, turn on the flame to low.

Most cooking ranges would immediately ignite the plate. Viking ranges, however, have such control over a low flame that the chocolate is able to melt without burning the paper plate. This nifty trick is achieved not only through the impeccable quality of the burner control, but also thanks to the lowset burners under a large flat grate. That space allows direct heat without contact with the flame. The single grate design also

facilitates moving multiple pans around as needed instead of doing a balancing act with the individual, raised burners.

Isabelle enjoys showing the remarkable capabilities of Viking ranges and happily describes the new updates coming this year on the Series 5 line. New designs include a larger oven capacity and French doors on the single ovens. What she is looking forward to the most is the long-awaited return of the Viking refrigerator. Immensely popular and long-time best-seller, changes to EU regulation on refrigerant gas a few years ago caused a break in their availability. Viking has now redesigned the new Series 7 fridge to comply with EU law and will hit the market this summer, simultaneously with the release in the US. The new Series 7 will also feature Bluezone Fresh Preservation Technology, an innovative addition designed by the US Army to keep fruits and vegetables fresher, longer.

A licenced Viking distributor in France since 2014, Veral has been offering professional quality appliances to residential customers throughout France and Switzerland but the heart of the market in the Cote d’Azur and Paris. After a successful showroom in Mandelieu from 2005 to 2014, Isabelle relocated to Lyon, a half-way point between her territories. But the sun, the warmth and the yachts brought her back to the coast. “I love it here!” she exclaims.

In 2015, she became the exclusive French distributor for U-Line, one of the most respected manufacturers of superyacht kit-

chen appliances. With both residential and marine collections, U-Line provides the highest quality, fully integrated ice makers, wine cabinets and more. For this, her presence on the Riviera is necessary and she looks forward to the opening of her new showroom around Cannes.

Veral is a business to business distributor, however, if you would like a Viking range or BBQ in your home, Isabelle has a list of preferred architects and kitchen designers that she can refer you to. 

SARL VERAL 11, Chemin Pierre Blanche 69570 Dardilly Tel. +33 (0)4 26 78 28 80 www.cuisine-viking.com maY / June 2019

44

riviera

SPECIAL GOURMET

Vegan choices

vEgan gorilla Kicking vegan up a notch

By NICOLE RUSKELL

W

hat happens when a skilled chef in a popular restaurant goes vegan?

Well, you could get meat dishes prepared by a disgusted chef, or, in the case of Vegan Gorilla, you get a new restaurant with an amazing plant-based menu.

Camille Burton, who goes by ‘Willie’ has been cooking for over twenty years and a few years ago he had a great job at Stars’n’Bars in Monaco. But when he decided to join his vegan partner in her plant-based lifestyle, he couldn’t bear to continue making meat dishes. So he set off on his own, opening a little place in Nice centre where he was free to create his own vegan dishes.

Together with his partner, he does his “maximum” to create plates that are delicious, healthy and filling while only using whole food ingredients. This means no processed ‘fake meats’ or soy-based proteins. Every dish is prepared from whole ingredients, proving to his customers that you can have exceptional, satisfying food that is completely plant-based. But he has ulterior motives with his vegan restaurant: the most important thing to Chef Willie is to “teach people that being vegan is more than crackers and pasta.”

And he’s been getting noticed. Only three years into his vegan venture, the 2019 Michelin Guide has acknowledged Vegan Gorilla for its exceptional food and presentation. Willie is incredibly happy with the news, although it came as a complete surprise when he was told Michelin had come to review his restaurant.

Chef Willie admits that when he opened three years ago, business was slow and not too many people were into the vegan scene.

But things are changing—today, healthy lifestyles, plant-based foods and climate awareness are taking centre stage. He tells Riviera Insider: “customers are super happy and every day we get busier.”

Education is another important aspect of what he does. The Vegan Gorilla is always present at Veggie World, a vegan conference maY / June 2019

Chef Camille Burton © Vegan Gorilla

held every year in Paris and now in other and cities as well. He wants to teach people what is possible for both vegans and non-vegans.

“It’s not just about soy,” he quips. The environment and animal welfare are significant factors for Willie and his family and he wants everyone to become vegan. “The whole world needs to know that we have to change our diet now.”

Perhaps through his dishes he is slowly conquering the doubters.  www.restaurant-vegan.fr

46

SPECIAL GOURMET

riviera

Vegan choices

Badaboom Bistro

By NICOLE RUSKELL

NICE’S PLANT-BASED COMMUNITy CAFE

Founders Nicolas and Barbara Basalgete © D.R.

Paper Plane HEALTHy HOT SPOT IN NICE CENTRE

T

he idea started with a “boom,” says Barbara Basalgete, who opened Badaboom Bistro with her partner, Nicolas. She is American and he is French and together they are a vibrant, healthy and lighthearted couple whose ‘joie de vivre’ beams from their faces.

Their vegan-friendly, gluten-free friendly and plant-based bistrot in the port neighborhood of Nice began as a mobile juice bar in 2013.

But once they opened their own cafe, their success surprised them. Within their first year, they went home with the Riviera Business Club’s Start-up of the Year award (2017).

They have become a thriving community bistrot where friends meet to eat, socialise, gather and participate in weekly classes.

“We call it a bistrot for the social aspect,” Nicolas says. “It’s like a pub, our door is open to everyone.”

Nicolas is a master in the kitchen, preparing some of the tastiest vegetable dishes you can imagine, including his specialty sweet potato fries, oven roasted and sprinkled with cinnamon and cumin.

Their menu is always changing with the seasons, which keeps everyone excited for the arrival of their favourite dishes. A post on their Facebook page states: ‘One of the best things about seasonal changes is saying is that we have new veggies to look forward to!’

Nicolas admits that by the end of winter they

A

few streets from chaotic Place Masséna, Paper Plane sits on a small, quiet street. The unassuming window front gives way to a warm, light and fresh cafe, with light pink walls and dark green plants. Open since 2015, this healthy eatery has been serving up delicious, plantbased foods all cooked from scratch in the little kitchen.

have just about had enough of cabbage and cauliflower. “I’m ready for spring,” he says, “but it’s too early for tomatoes. I could buy them, but greenhouse tomatoes are no good.”

Despite the change of ingredients, customers can always count on the plate selection: a mixed salad with freshly made hummus and the vegetable of the day. Nicolas also loves to make favourite traditional dishes (but without the meat) like farçi and parmentier filled with chickpeas and chard, or veggie casseroles. Customers will also find acai bowls, smoothies, fresh juices and a plethora of other health food staples.

For anyone accustomed to old-school health food cafes, walking into Badaboom feels like home. The rows of jarred seeds and pulse, the carafes of kombucha brewing on a table and the wall of local flyers are the quintessential signs of an active ‘healthy’ community centre.

Their coffee selection offers multiple dairy alternatives, plus some superfood creations like the ‘mochabaldi,’ made with cashews, coffee, almond milk, raw cacao, maca and dates. On Fridays they have AperoBoom and Sundays are now dedicated to guest chef brunch, bringing in chefs and cooks from all over to host their own themed brunch. 

BADABOOM BISTRO 11 rue Francois Guisol, Nice

They serve up a steady stream of highly instagramable dishes like Buddha bowls filled with roasted vegetables, quinoa, tofu and crunchy julienned veg. Veggie plates with fresh hummus, roasted veg and mixed green salad with chickpeas and a side of vegan chilli.

A full coffee bar, a vast selection of organic teas and tisanes and fresh pressed juices round out their drink offerings.

On Sundays, they brunch. Sometimes it’s hard to order brunch because you can’t decide between the pancakes or the avocado toast with hummus. But here, there is no deciding - you get both. A set menu for around €23 includes a sweet plate, a savoury plate, a hot drink and a cold drink. And if that wasn’t easy enough, you don’t even order, you just get the daily special and it is more food than you will be able to eat.

Paper Plane is perhaps one of the most happening spots in Nice on any given Sunday and it is not unusual to see a crowd standing in front, vying for a table. Unfortunately, if you don’t have reservations, you are likely to be turned away. Don’t make that mistake, call ahead. 

PAPER PLANE 14 rue Gubernatis, Nice Sunday Brunch at Paper Plane Nice © D.R.

maY / June 2019

riviera

Graze A VEGAN ARTISAN CAFE IN ANTIBES

GRAZE 20 rue des Casemates, antibes

Vegan choices

SPECIAL GOURMET

47

own a small alleyway in the heart of Old Town Antibes sits a tiny Californian vegan cafe. As a fellow Californian, I was looking forward to meeting Ivy, the Cordon Bleu-trained chef from San Diego.

Originally in media, she left to study cooking and became a yacht chef – which brought her to Antibes. But her lifelong ‘healthy eating’ habits were proving difficult in the land of meat and meat. Like many expats accustomed to their ‘home’ foods, each time Ivy would fly home or to the Uk, she would hit the health food stores and load up her suitcase with hard to find items like nut milks, coconut oil, trail mix and more. In 2017, she decided to open her own place. Ivy didn’t open Graze with the intention of being vegan, in fact, she envisioned a simple coffee shop with healthy goods and pre-made healthy foods to grab and go. But she soon discovered this concept proves difficult in France, where sitting to eat is a sacred ritual. The other natural progression of her coffee shop turned cafe was to move to a vegan menu.

“So many people have dietary problems,” she explains, “I wanted to make a few dishes that everyone could eat.” Ivy added a number of plant-based dishes which led to several customers complaining that her café wasn’t entirely vegan. So Graze became vegan. The menu is simple and easy for a light lunch and occasionally Ivy prepares ‘pop-up’ dinners with themes ranging from Mexican taco night

D

(with roasted sweet potato or ‘pulled pork’ made with jackfruit) or veggie ramen night.

When I visited, I ordered the falafel wrap, a classic vegetarian dish that I hadn’t had a long time. The menu didn’t describe the dish or say it was a ‘Graze version of falafel’, so I expected a classic.

What was brought to me was a loose wrap filled with moist, mushy patties clearly made with the pulp from the juice machine. kudos to Ivy for salvaging something that many places usually waste, but the texture was unappetising and the beet ginger combination was very strong. Perhaps if I wasn’t expecting traditional falafel, I wouldn’t have been so surprised.

Speaking with Ivy after my meal, she describes being a master cupcake maker and planned on selling her legendary cupcakes in her coffee shop. However, cupcakes don’t fit with her vegan café. With disappointment in her voice, she discusses the trials of owning a French business and hints at returning home “someday.”

I find Ivy to be a lovely person who seems to be trying to please her clientele at the cost of her own passion. Graze is an adorable spot with rustic décor and a great location. Many of her dishes look delicious and inspired, especially her themed ‘pop-up’ dinners. But I wonder if she could allow herself to make the things that make her happy, perhaps she could find her groove.

P

which range from julienned veggies to fresh edamame beans to pineapple and mango. The counter is set up with all the toppings displayed so it is easy to choose what you would like as they build your bowl. They also offer specific vegetarian bowls including the Poké veggie, the Poké tofu bio Mango and the Poké Falalfel Mango.

All of Pokawa’s sauces and desserts are housemade and they use organic ingredients when they can. They offer a refreshing selection of iced-teas, house lemonade and bowls of fresh tropical fruit. 

okawa is a Hawaiian concept café that started in Paris a few years back.

Named for their main dish, the Poké bowl (a traditional Hawaiian bowl of fish, rice and fresh produce), Pokawa opened their first location in Nice in Mid-April. While not a vegan eatery, they are ‘vegan-friendly’ as all of their Poké bowls are custom made to order. They also make it clear they leave no one out with their ingredients. Orders are placed by choosing your base (rice or quinoa), your protein (raw ahi tuna, raw salmon, shrimp, or tofu) and your toppings

Pokawa HEALTHy HAWAIIAN CAFé IN NICE

POKAWA 1 Place Grimaldi, Nice

maY / June 2019

48

SPECIAL GOURMET

riviera

Vegan choices

O

raw Living DELICIOUS VEGAN AND GLUTEN-FREE CAKES

By NICOLE RUSKELL

Blueberry cheesecakes © Raw Living

Naughty & Nice Juice ORGANIC JUICES FOR WHEN yOU’RE GOOD AND BAD

Kerri Moss © D.R.

maY / June 2019

riginally from Slovakia, Vladimira Ticha and her partner Peter Valent have lived all over the world, including Australia and the US, where health food is easily available. When they settled here in the Côte d’Azur, they couldn’t find dairy-free and gluten free-foods. This led them to create Raw Living in 2017, an incredible dessert company that makes healthy, gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free and soy-free cakes which are not only beautiful but also delicious!

Raw Living cakes have been causing quite a stir amongst their clients and the healthy restaurants and cafes they supply.

So what are these amazing cakes made of if they don’t have any cake ingredients? And how do you make a line of cheesecakes without cheese? These are questions they are often asked. Vladimira is the star behind this business and she has spent years developing her repertoire of seriously good cakes, made with only whole food ingredients like coconut milk, cashews, dates, tahini, maple syrup and coconut nectar - no fillers, no high-glycaemic flours or soy-based alternatives. With this base of ingredients, she is able to create scrumptious desserts like lemon cheesecake, coconut & rose cake, chocolate and banana, mango and blueberry and even a dairy-free, raw tiramisu cake. And her exqui-

site hand creates picture perfect creations like each cake is made for a photo shoot.

Thick, creamy and yet light, the velvety texture feels rich but these desserts won’t leave you feeling heavy or give any digestive discomfort that many with lactose intolerance encounter. It’s no wonder Raw Living cakes are a hit with top restaurants and event planners!

In October 2018 they added a line of fresh milks made with organic almonds (13%) and special poppy seeds from the Czech Republic.

Poppy seeds, as Peter explains, are quite a nutritious and a common food source in Eastern countries. “Poppy seeds are rich in calcium, containing ten times the amount found in regular dairy milk,” he says. “It is something that I would like to introduce to the Côte d’Azur.” Vladirmira also makes a divinely rich tartine spreads using only Italian hazelnuts and coconut sugar or cashews and coconut.

Vladimira’s favourite thing to do is get in the kitchen and create. She makes all their products by hand, everything from the cakes to the squeezing of the nut milk. They are hoping to expand and in the meantime are in the process of organic certification.

Their cakes can be ordered directly and their nut milks are available at Bio Valbonne. 

F

four juices ranging from pineapple, ginger, turmeric and apple to spinach, lime, cucumber and pineapple. She also makes small 100ml booster shots, like ‘Fire Baby’ to get you going and ‘Black Dog,’ with activated charcoal for those nights where you’ve partied a bit too hearty.

What makes these juices unique is the pairing recipes you will find on the ‘Naughty corner’ of her website. Each of the four juices has its own cocktail recipe, ranging from rum to tequila.

Naughty & Nice juices are currently available through her website, at selected fine restaurants and some hotels in Monaco. But despite the glamorous locations, kerri works hard to keep her juices reasonably priced and available to all. You will also find them in the fridge at Spar in Valbonne and and select Lerclerc grocery stores throughout the Côte d’Azur. 

reshly pressed vegetable juice is one of the most nutrient-dense things you can consume. It’s why ‘green drinks’ have become synonymous with being healthy. But sometimes being healthy feels like a dilemma-you want to eat well, you read the labels, you want to put good things in your body… But you also want to have a good time and enjoy parties with friends.

This is what makes kerri Moss so much fun. Originally from London, she is a private yoga instructor, organic juice goddess and also someone who loves to party. She created Naughty & Nice Juice to bridge the gap between treating your body like your temple and treating it to a night out. Her motto is: ‘Detox. Retox. Repeat.’ She tells Riviera Insider: “A lot of people in the health industry tend to judge if you don’t stick to 100% healthy. I don’t want to judge or shame anyone.

Plus, guilt is what makes you sick!”

For years, kerri would bring fresh juices to her yoga sessions, which her clients loved. She had developed a mix of veg and fruit that made the perfect balance between sweet and nutritional powerhouse. Many times, her clients would joke that they would love to throw in a shot of vodka for a ‘healthy cocktail’. After increased demand from clients, she realised she was on to something.

Her cold-pressed juices are simple, “kid-tested” by her own children, and delicious. All are 100% organic, cold-pressed, not from concentrate and never pasteurised. She keeps it simple with only

www.rawliving.fr

50

riviera

SPECIAL GOURMET

LEWIS LONGMAN

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...

maY / June 2019

Le Délice des Filles Can a carnivore enjoy a vegan meal?

never have been one for keeping up with trends, something that is perhaps evident in my dress sense - think divorced dad in his late 40s. I’m 26. And while it would be wrong to describe Veganism as a ‘trend’, its surge in popularity at least in today’s society is undeniable. I have the utmost respect for Vegans, and appreciate its necessity not just for welfare reasons, but primarily for environmental ones as well. However, cheese and meat are for me two things which quite simply I could never abstain from. Alas, this precludes me from being able to be part of the same club as many noble and ethical people...and Morrissey.

Despite my insatiable appetite for all things meat and dairy, I was told of a nice little Vegan restaurant in Mouans Sartoux, sat in the sun-soaked square of Place Suzanne de Villeneuve, and couldn’t resist to try something new.

The menu was simple and small, which is always preferable to an over-complicated and extensive one bursting at the seams with cliché dishes. At the top of the menu were the words “prix libre”, and after enquiring exactly what this meant, we were told “you pay what you think it’s worth”. Certainly an interesting approach to pricing, though you can’t help but think if it was adopted in all restaurants, issues may arise.

I

The sun-dried tomato and artichoke bruschetta, along with an Aperol Spritz of course, was the perfect way to start things off. The starter was prepared with care and full of flavours, and as I embarked on my Vegan odyssey I could already sense that I was going to be okay. The spring onion and apple falafels were another example of a perfectly executed light starter, served with a generous helping of a Vegan staple - homemade hummus!

The main courses continued in the same vain; light, fresh, different and interesting. Also with a Spritz in hand - though this time a Martini Spritz (what the restaurant lacked in meat and cheese, they more than made up for with a great drinks list!) The courgette tarte was exceptional and surprisingly creamy for something vegan. The pastry was crumbly and artisanal, and the salad which sat next to is which dressed with sesame seeds which was a nice touch.

There was also a Chilli “sin” Carne, with vegetables and chickpeas replacing the beef. The serving was generous and hearty, something which perhaps wrongly isn’t always associated with Vegan food, and the spice was just about right.

The desserts were quite frankly the crowning glory of the whole dining experience. Just two options, but each one as good as the other. A ludicrously rich and indulgent chocolate torte, each mouthful packed with hedonism and velvety cocoa, belying its Vegan ingredients. Much like picking a favourite between Ant and Dec, it was equally difficult to choose between this and the other dessert on offer - a sticky, spongy and citrusy orange cake, complemented with a wedge of caramelised orange on the side of the plate. A perfect end to a very pleasant lunch in the spring sunshine.

I will be the first to admit, that despite how much I did enjoy this Vegan lunch, I am still a long way off from being a full convert. My admiration for Veganism is unquestionable and I wholly respect anyone - again, with the exception of Morrissey - who has the devotion to something which is patently for the good of the planet. While it would be unrealistic, if not impossible, to expect the world-over to become Vegan, reducing our meat intake is something which has to be taken seriously - and while taking small steps such as eating Vegan once a week, may only be a small step - it would certainly be a step in the right direction.

8 Place Suzanne de Villeneuve, Mouans-Sartoux

L’abus d’alcool est dangereux pour la santé, consommez avec modération.

G O U R M A N D I S E , P L A I S I R I M P A T I E N T, R O N D E U R

ÉGAYEZ VOS MOMENTS DE CONVIVIALITÉ !

Rte de Toulon (RD 971) / 83340 Le Luc en Provence / +33 (0)4 94 60 72 51 / constact@chateaulauzade.com / www.lauzade.com

52

riviera

ART & CULTURE

© RichartPhotos / Shutterstock.com

Bond.

James Bond.

007 on the Côte d’Azur

By KEVIN COLETTE

A

lthough Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, was quite fond of the South of France, he never actually wrote an adventure where his superspy 007 walked the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, or attended the Cannes International Film Festival. But since his death in 1964, his creation has formidably survived him through a continuous series of films (Bond25 being prepped up as we go to press) and new novels as well, written by authors carefully chosen by the Fleming estate. It’s in these new thrillers that James Bond finally visits the Riviera—quite a number of times in “On Her Majesty's Secret Service.” Let us follow the steps of agent 007 as he follows intrigue, ‘bad guys’ and love affairs in the Côte d’Azur.

in print Ian Fleming himself was quite fond of Monte Carlo and its Casino. In his two travelogue books, he superbly described the atmosphere of the mid-1930s, when foreign billionaires were flocking to Monaco to spend their evenings playing Baccarat at the Société des Bains de Mer's famed Casino .

Fleming visited the principality numerous maY / June 2019

times before, during and after WWII. It was there he befriended a certain Jacques Yves Cousteau. Fleming would accompany Cousteau on dives in the Mediterranean, experimenting with the former naval officer’s new scuba diving equipment. A theme that played out repeatedly in his stories.

In his 1964 travel book 'Thrilling Cities’, Fleming dedicated a very long chapter to the Monte-Carlo Casino, but then, strangely, he only mentions the road to éze village when he heads up towards Paris and Le Touquet, to catch his flight to London.

But in 2001, official continuation writer Raymond Benson, a real movie buff, decided to set up his Bond adventure during the Cannes Film Festival. In 'Never Dream of Dying', Bond is dispatched to the Riviera to stop a terrorist attack due to take place in the Palais des Festivals, during the closing awards ceremony. Mr Benson 's local liaison contact had a character named after him in the novel.

During the research for the novel, Raymond Benson spent two weeks in the Riviera and was shown all the forbidden places of the festival—the behind-the-scenes spots no

riviera

one is actually entitled to see during the festival. Benson even met some members of the local police force and high ranking officials from the Festival's inner organisation.

Sixteen years later, new continuation writer Anthony Horrowitz decided to bring James Bond back to the Riviera in his second 007 novel 'Forever and a Day' (which is actually a prequel to Fleming's very first story, 'Casino Royale').

Himself a keen aficionado of the Riviera, which he visited numerous times during his childhood, Horrowitz decided to set his novel in Marseille – where the body of a 007 agent of Her Majesty's secret service is retrieved in the waters of the old port. Being a prequel, the story takes place in the early 1950s.

Bond takes a British Overseas Airways Corporation plane to Nice airport (where the dead agent's flat was located) and then rents a car to go to Marseille. Borrowing heavily from the script of 'Live and Let Die' (the first Bond with Roger Moore), the story then moves from Nice to Menton and Eze village (where the villain has his secret lair).

The main trouble with this retro adventure is the real lack of menace to the overall plot.

Horrowitz spent two weeks in Nice in the summer of 2017, graciously invited by the Negresco Hotel – and he delivers a tourist travelogue, which mostly resembles an episode of the TV series Persuaders.

But Horrowitz committed the cardinal sin of patronising the locals (something Ian Fleming never did).

In 'Forever and a Day' (2018), Marseille looks like the back streets of NYC or Las Vegas, populated with hoodlums wearing berets and drinking Pastis. The pleasant little country roads leading from Nice to Vence, Saint Jeannet or Gattières are depicted like Transylvanian dirt avenues and most of the locals are portrayed as stupid, incompetent people.

Perhaps this is why the book still hasn't found a decent French publisher this side of the Channel.

on the screen Despite the absence of the Riviera in Flemming’s books, the very first James Bond film to take place on the Riviera was Sean Connery’s official swansong to the role. In the pre-credits sequence of 'Diamonds are Forever' (1971), a vengeful 007 is seen strangling a French tourist on a private beach in Cap d' Antibes.

The Hotel Cap d' Antibes, or rather the Palace Cap d' Antibes, has always been the 'forward base' of the Anglo Saxon contingent during the Cannes Film Festival. From Cary Grant to Bruce Willis; Sylvester Stallone to Jane Fonda, each and every Hollywood name has stayed in this luxurious venue.

Wisely, director Guy Hamilton choose that spot to open his new film, shooting the sequence in the spring with poor French actress (and former Miss France World) Denise

ART & CULTURE

53

© Sergey Goryachev / Shutterstock.com

Perrier catching a cold in her bikini.

For ‘Never Say Never Again’, the 'rogue' Bond production set up by Sir Sean Connery more than ten years after his official departure from the role of 007, the production was delocalised to Nice and many touristic spots along the Riviera.

Old Antibes James Bond is sent to spy on Maximilian Largo's dubious activities. His personal yacht, the ‘Disco Volante’, is moored in the harbour of Villefranche-sur-Mer. Some scenes later, Bond is seen watching the voluptuous Domino (kim Basinger), sun bathing on the rooftop of the boat, from a telescope set in a luxurious villa, high up in the mountains up above town.

Many of the key scenes were filmed in town (the harbour has changed little since the beginning of the century, except there are now a few more restaurants). The harbour – more precisely Quai de l' Amiral Courbet – is where Domino gets off the boat at the beginning of the film which is still the same one that the large cruise ships use to bring passengers in these days.

Moving inland, the road between Villefranche-sur-Mer and the beautiful town of Èze has been used in quite a few TV series and movies (like ‘The Persuaders’ with Tony Curtis and Roger Moore in the 1970s). More recently, it was also used as the setting for the road race in ‘Johnny English Strikes Again’. Swerving along the coastline, the amazing ‘corniche’ road has changed little since it was built on the steep cliffs.

And finally, some scenes were shot near Port Vauban in Antibes, where Bond is seen jogging with Felix Leiter, after sending Fatima Blush up in a smoke with one of Q’s handy gadgets.

In 1995, ‘Goldeneye’ opened with the new Bond, Pierce Brosnan, behind the wheel of his trusted Aston Martin DB5 chasing villainess xenia Onatopp's Ferrari on the very same corniche road.

However, shooting started on a road in Gréolières, way above the town of Vence. Stuntman extraordinaire, Remy Julienne, recalled the difficulties he had to boost the engine of the 'old lady' (the Aston Martin) to match the

much more powerful Ferrari.

In this film, James Bond is finally seen behind the baccarat tables of Monte Carlo's Casino, but the actual Casino's entrance was substituted with famous Hotel de Paris entrance.

Sequences were also filmed at the Monaco harbour – requiring the benevolent participation of a French destroyer from the Marine Nationale, as well as a European prototype of a new top-secret Tiger helicopter.

Shooting was complicated by the constant presence of locals and police forces were called on various occasions to try to get the bystanders out of the camera's angle .

Additional scenes were shot on the rooftop of the Theâtre, Fort Antoine and in Casino Square.

It is uncanny that no one has yet written a complete guide to Bond locations. Nearly all of them are still here and can be visited without any authorization.

Sadly, archive material (mostly newspapers articles) have long since disappeared and it remains to Film historians to remind movies goers across the world that Ian Fleming's master spy James Bond visited the Riviera not once, but several time indeed. 

KEVIN COLLETTE Paris and Marseille based writer and film critic. Considered a specialist on James Bond, he penned two definitive volumes on the 007 agent and produced various Tv reports and documentaries. His encyclopaedic knowledge on Spymania was fuelled early on by his aunt, actress anne Collette.

maY / June 2019

54

riviera

CULTURE

100 Years of Victorine Film Studios A year-long celebration of film in Nice he cultural life of Nice will be dedicated to film for all of 2019, with a stunning range of exhibitions, festivals, projections and conferences awaiting cinema fans. Museums such as MAMAC, Musée National Chagall, Musée Matisse, Musée de la Photographie Charles Nègre, and Villa Arson as well as various theatres will have film-inspired exhibitions. Even the airport, the Promenade du Paillon and the Jazz Festival will be taking part.

A "special cinéma" is also planned for the fireworks on 15 August.After the summer festivities, open days will take place in the Studios de la Victorine (not far from the airport) on 27, 28 and 29 September. The highlight, however, will be the art biennial under the direction of JeanJacques Aillagon with its seven exhibitions.

They are primarily intended to show the cine-

T

matic cultural heritage of Nice, but also the connection between the visual arts and cinema. Hundreds of films, many of them of international importance, were shot in the city, which Mayor Christian Estrosi called the "Hollywood of Europe" at a press conference.

Brigitte Bardot, who became famous for "And God created the woman" by Roger Vadim was shot in the Studios de la Victorine (and in SaintTropez). However, she was not present at the presentation of the compact initiative "Nice 2019: L'Odyssée du Cinéma" and apologised in a letter citing "arthritis in both hips". The Côte d’Azur has always attracted artists thanks to its unique lighting. As early as 1896, the Lumière brothers shot the first moving pictures of the Carnival in Nice. The light was indispensable for film. And so in 1919 the seven-hectare, now legendary film studios were created, where unforgettable directors such as François Truffaut, Jean Renoir, Jacques Tati, Woody Allen, Otto Preminger and Alfred Hitchcock worked. And with them of course stars like Grace kelly, Brigitte Bardot, Romy Schneider, Alain Delon, Jane Fonda, Jean-Paul Belmondo and countless others. The Victorine has been owned by the city since 1960. The exhibition "Nice Cinemapolis" at the Musée Masséna traces the history of film in Nice from 17 May to 30 September.

Christian Estrosi can only be congratulated on this initiative. As with the creation of the Promenade de Paillon, this impressive cultural programme proves that he has a knack for promoting his city. 

Victorine Studios © Ville de Nice

Sculpture course through Monaco The Artcurial Auction House shows works of art throughout the Principality rançois Tajan, General Director of the prestigious Artcurial auction house, had good news in store for the opening of the new showroom in Monaco: In collaboration with SBM, the well-known company is responsible for the extraordinary cultural project "Monaco Sculptures". Until August, works by 20th and 21st century artists will be exhibited in seven locations in the Principality. Among them are well-known names such as Takis, César, Arman, Bernar Venet, Wang Du and Richard Deacon. Smaller works will be shown in the Tajan branch on Boulevard des Moulins.

Other places are the Hotel Hermitage, the Hôtel de Paris, the Casino of Monte-Carlo, the Buddha Bar, Monte-Carlo Bay and Monte-Carlo Beach - an interesting course across Monaco.

On 19 July, the sculptures will be auctioned off - by Artcurial, of course. 

F

maY / June 2019

This work by Bernar Venet can be seen in the casino gardens opposite the Buddha Bar. Estimated value: 120,000 to 180,000 Euro

his time of year the Riviera is heady, wondrous and full of the promise of the pleasure yet to come. Spring has arrived with its warm, soft breezes; you could fall in love in an instant and perhaps even do something foolish. It’s up to you whether to dive-in head long or beware of the spring and heed the advice of the stranger in the classic Maupassant story “Au Printemps” – but either way, there is plenty of fun to be had in the next couple of months.

The cultural big guns arrive for the Cannes Film Festival from 14 - 25 May bringing added glitter at every turn. You literally never know who you may bump into out and about! For those who are a little more focussed in their approach, one of the most glamorous events of all is the Amfar auction on the 23rd of May at the Hôtel du Cap. Hosted at the tail-end of the Film Festival, it’s a time for celebrities to kick back and give some of the money they just made towards finding a cure for Aids. This year the celebration of film is not just in Cannes but also in Nice as the whole city turns itself over to the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Victorine Studios. These century-old studios have a fascinating history as the Hollywood of the Côte d'Azur. Exhibitions will be taking place throughout the city.

On the subject of local production, season 2 of “Riviera” starts on Thursday, 23 May on Sky Atlantic and as we delight at the glossy, fantasy version of our lives, in reality, the art scene in the region is heating up.

Art Monaco may have finished at the end of April but energy in the commercial art world is continuing to build.

Artcuriel will hold the first edition of “Monaco Sculptures," in an exceptional partnership with Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer. The much anticipated auction follows on 19 July.

If you love painting there is a wonderful small exhibition at the Bonnard Museum in Le Cannet: “Au fil des jours: Les agendas de Bonnard” which takes doodling to the

T

Exciting events and must-see exhibits

Photo 1 Jesse Darling, "CREVé", installation view, Triangle France - Astérides, Friche la Belle de Mai, Marseille, 2019. ©Aurélien Mole

Photo 2 Taizo Kuroda © Rieko Tamura

Photo 3 Indes Gallantes by Clément Cogitore

2

ART & CULTURE

55

next level and promises to be pure charm, showing the pencil drawings Bonnard made in his diaries over a period of twenty years. At the other end of the region, everything is turning Japanese at Château La Coste with a series of exciting exhibitions, first with Rieko Tamura, a photographer based in Paris and later ceramicist Yoshitomo Narat opens on the 1st of June - this show looks particularly interesting. If you are serious about contemporary art, “Crevé” at the Friche la Belle de Mai in Marseille is probably the most exciting exhibition of the moment. This is British artist Jesse Darling’s major show exploring exhaustion. Jesse will also be in the group show “May You Live in Interesting Times” at the Biennale of Venice and has already had a solo exhibition at the Tate.

Until 2 June.

1

By SARAH HyDE

The Agenda

riviera

in memoriam: sir John richardson 1924 – 2019 It is with some sadness that Riviera Insider reflects on the life of Sir John Richardson, a brilliant writer and curator. Richardson became friends with Picasso when he lived in the region with his partner Douglas Cooper at Château de Castille from 1951-1961. He wrote about his time in the French Riviera in his book “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and although he often stated that his life with Cooper was difficult, in his last publication “At home with John Richardson” he wrote that Château de Castile was the most significant home of his life. Upon leaving the region, he headed to New York to create a life of his own, establishing offices for Christies in New York before working for knoedler Gallery, Artemedis and later Gagosian, where he curated six Picasso exhibitions. His life’s work was a biography of Picasso, the fourth volume of which may well be published this year. His final book, “At Home with John Richardson” was published this year

by Rizzoli. 

3

CLÉMENT COGITORE Les Indes Gallantes From the looks, Les indes Gallantes could be a rhythm competition or an intense spoken word performance.

Sharp, undulating and at times violent movements recall a tense situation as beating of drums evoke a sense of tribal dance. But when the video plays with audio, it all changes—classical music blasting, it is in fact, an operaballet created by Jean Philippe rameau in 1735.

Clément Cogitore adapts a short part of the ballet by mobilizing a group of Krump dancers, an art form born in Los angeles in the aftermath of the beating of rodney King and the ensuing riots.

Performaned by the Paris Opéra Bastille, it is an experience not to be missed, a chance to challenge your vision and your hearing with your pre-conceived notions.

Musée Marc Chagall. Until 22 October

maY / June 2019

56

riviera

ART & CULTURE

Foundation Carmignac An island oasis for contemporary art

By SARAH HyDE

Fondation Carmignac © Camille Moirenc

maY / June 2019

riviera

The Foundation Carmignac opens for its second year on the beautiful island of Porquerolles, just off the coast of Hyèers. riviera insider is invited to experience ‘The Source’ their new exhibition that explores the female form and abstraction. expect to find some humour too, as this includes the largest show of British artist Sarah Lucas ever to be made in France. Chiara Parisi, the curator who currently works at The Monnaie de Paris kindly takes time to explain the exhibition and her experience of working in this magical island.

chiara, what makes the space at foundation carmignac special to you?

On the Island of Porquerolles, I like to rediscover this notion of journey, and immerse myself – especially because of the intensity of the slowness.

visiting the island is a bit like a pilgrimage; visitors have to take their shoes off to enter the exhibition space. how do you feel about this?

Freeing yourself from your shoes works well with the island's seaside location. This adherence with the ground and its environment is all the more evident since we are on a site whose flora is preserved. There is the extravagant side to the idea that once you are no longer with your shoes, you feel freer, an unusual comfort in a museum - you are in a place that maybe you will see once in your life.

There is also an ambition not to separate our mind from our body, which we seem condemned to do in western society.

This year we have given architecture a new freedom: free from false walls and the absence of benches so that the public can be without shoes - sitting on the floor if they want - with the intensity of masterpieces of contemporary art by Gerhard Richter and Sigmar Polke. It will be quite a unique experience.

how do you feel about the immersive qualities of the space in porquerolles?

This aspect is mainly created by the architecture, which has also been designed with a view to respecting the island's architectural and environmental heritage. The memory of this house is so important for the island: respecting the memory of the house, it’s also respecting the lives that have inhabited it here.

The exhibition space is designed to be entirely

underground. From the outside we cannot perceive how vast it is. But once inside, you're underground, underwater and under the sun all at once. All of this while continuing to perceive the rather idyllic landscape of the island: the sea, the vineyards and the mountains on the horizon. The garden is actually like a "non garden", a place of pure nature that generates an ecological balance by subtraction and protection rather than by adding new species. The vitality also comes from the commission given to artists in the park.

can you describe the curatorial journey from exploring the female form and abstraction into sarah lucas's first show in france? is the idea that the visitor is travelling to the source?

ART & CULTURE

57

Gold Landscape in Three Strokes © Theaster Gates 2017

This exhibition blends modern and contemporary work - why do you think that is important?

The exhibition is concentrated on particular years of certain artists such as Gerhard Richter or Albert Oehlen and part of the drawings; the combination is mainly turned towards young creation and sculpture, including new ephemeral productions.

There is an increasing trend for top quality exhibitions in the South of France in the summer, why do you think this trend is developing - long may it continue!

There is a great tradition in the South of France for artists. The places I love are the New Museums of Contemporary Art in Monaco, Villa Noailles and then there is the presence of amazing private collections such as the Marc et Josée Gensollen, La Fabrique, or the art fairs Paréidolie and Art-O-Rama – both in Marseille. The Collection Lambert in Avignon is also stunning. A presence that is even more assertive with the Luma Foundation in Arles.… and the new Carmignac Foundation. 

The collection has many female portraits paintings and drawings - I have made a selection of the works and put them in resonance with other works and universes such as Rebecca Horn, Annette Messager, Rosemarie Castoro… I wanted to conceive this part as a quadreria of a collector, and that the rest remains without apparent images.

Thus ‘The Source’ follows this natural path whose bubbling begins underground with the collection and flows to the surface with Sarah Lucas, before flowing into the park with the works of Rosa Barba, Fabrice Hyber and Cildo Meireles.

has the foundation commissioned some new work form sarah lucas?

The Source is above all a habitat designed and conceived by Sarah Lucas in this Provencal house. The works come from different horizons - very impressive public and private loans - to create this unseen ensemble.

Polke Lapis Lazuli ©ADAGP

maY / June 2019

58

riviera

ART & CULTURE

31 MAY - 02 JUNE APT

Luberon Music Festival

a summer of concerts

Jazz Music festival with artists like Charlie Winton, Dub Inc., Maxeness, the Yellbows, Sir Jean & Conquering Sound and more. www.luberonmusicfestival.com

22 JUNE SAINT-RAPHAEL

Musicfestival An evening with various concerts, from jazz, rock and pop to blues and country music, everything is represented.

Podium in the city centre. Saturday, 6:30 pm. www.saint-raphael.com

1 JUNE – 10 JULY LE MAS

Le mas des escaravatiers The 17th edition of the festival where you can listen to the music, cool off in the pool and have a cocktail at the same time. www.lemas-concert.com

21 JUNE FRANCE

La Fête de la Musique This music festival first took place in 1982 when the minister of culture Jack Lang, and Maurice Fleuret, invited all musicians to perform in the streets of towns and villages across France. Since then, it has become an annual arts event on the national calendar taking place on midsummer's night. Concerts take place in the streets and squares of most towns and villages of France - all shows are free. www.fetedelamusique.culture.gouv.fr

20 MAY – 20 JUNE BIOT

Festival des Heures Musicales The 36th Festival des Heures Musicales de Biot will take place in Biot. The music festival of the hilltop village of Biot started back in the early 80s and is a series of concerts by both professional musicians and young talents.

Biot church. www.biot.fr

27 – 29 JUNE ANTIBES

Festival Nuits Carrées Les Nuits Carrées, an original, popular and accessible festival for everyone! Since 2007, the Label Note association has revived a historical site steeped in history, the amphitheatre of Fort Carré on the Côte d'Azur, by the sea in Antibes.

12€ per evening on site for 8 hours of live entertainment. Free for children under 10. www.nuitscarrees.com.

Scène Masséna Nice for La Fête de la Music © D.R.

maY / June 2019

riviera

ART & CULTURE

59

Diana Krall playing Jazz a Juan © D.R.

6 JULY – 18 AUGUST Monte-Carlo Sporting Summer Festival Since its creation in 1974, the Monte-Carlo Sporting Summer Festival welcomes the biggest stars in music. The Salle des Etoiles and the Opera Garnier has hosted artists such as Ringo Starr, The Original Gypsies, Santana, Tom Jones, Il Volo, Rita Ora and many others. Salle des Etoiles and Opera Garnier Monte-Carlo. www.montecarlosbm.com

16 – 20 JULY NICE

Nice Jazz-Festival This year, the Nice Jazz Festival again welcomes several big names from the international scene, including Black Eyed Peas, who are celebrating their great comeback, the incomparable Nile Rodgers with Chic or the 90s icon Neneh Cherry and French artists from Angèle to The Blaze to Bigflo and Oli and Hocus Pocus.

On the jazz side, festival visitors are entitled to an exceptional bill with Ibrahim Maalouf, the great violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, the American references Fred Hersch and Christian McBride, the singer Sarah Mckenzie and The Jazz Messengers Legacy and many more.

Théâtre de Verdure – Scène Masséna www.nicejazzfestival.fr

12 – 21 JULY JUAN-LES-PINS

Jazz à Juan Jazz in Juan includes a multitude of performances with a variety of musicians, talented young people who have achieved fame, innovative nonconformists, classical or modern. See www.jazzajuan.com maY / June 2019

60

riviera

EVENTS

france

18 MAY

5 - 9 JUNE

1 – 13 MAY

ANTIBES "classic à Juan" A concert by Thibault Garcia, guitarist, accompanied by the orchestra of Cannes under the direction of Benjamin Levy. Palais des Congrès. Saturday, 8.30 pm. www.antibesjuanlespins.com

ANTIBES "les voiles d'anTibes" Since 1996, Les Voiles d'Antibes have been opening the Mediterranean season in the first week of June. This regatta is in the purest tradition of sailing, with 5 days of entertainment and conviviality on the quay.

Port Vauban. www.voilesdantibes.com

FRéJUS "les bravades” Traditional festival in the streets of the old town with flutes and drums. www.frejus.fr

4 - 5 MAY SAINT-JEAN-CAP-FERRAT "la fêTe des roses eT des planTes" For the 10th time garden lovers can exchange ideas with exhibitors and producers and take part in workshops and activities throughout the weekend.

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild www.villa-ephrussi.com

05, 12, 19 AND 26 MAY SOSPEL "Jazz au Jardin" The orchestra Dixieland plays under wisteria.

2 Rue de la Liberté. Each day at 3pm. www.gralon.net

10 - 12 MAY GRASSE "exporose" In spring Grasse adorns itself with a fragrant sea of roses of about 8000 flowers. This year's motto is: "The colours of the islands, exotic scents".

Cours Honoré Cresp. www.ville-grasse.fr

11 - 12 MAY SIx-FOURS-LES-PLAGES "fesTival hello floWer” Event in the atmosphere of the 1960s with Woodstock live concert, shows, dance and a collection of vintage cars. www.tourisme-ouestvar.com

16 - 17 MAY sainT-Tropez "les bravades" A centuries-old tradition that celebrates the loyalty of the Tropezians to their patron saint and which is closely linked to the history of the town. www.bravade-saint-tropez.fr

maY / June 2019

ANTIBES european nighT of museums On the occasion of the European Museum Night, admission to the city's museums and activities is free from 8 pm to midnight.

Museum Picasso, Museum of Archaeology, Museum Peynet et du dessin humoristique. www.antibesjuanlespins.com

19 MAY LA MOTTE "la foulee des demoiselles" Action in the form of a race to support local initiatives, prevent and combat female cancer and help those affected. lafouleedesdemoiselles.fr

19 MAY

12 JUNE SAINT-JEAN-CAP-FERRAT cockTail evening Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and rivieraARTevents offer an exclusive cocktail evening with musical entertainment and an exhibition of works by two great artists.

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. 8 pm. artsoiree@rivierartevents.com or phone: +33 (0)6 63 85 26 96.

21 JUNE ALL OF FRANCE "fêTe de la musique" A festival dedicated entirely to music: professional and amateur musicians play in public squares and streets all over France. fetedelamusique.culture.gou v.fr

NICE big Yoga evenT The association SOS Cancer starts the 3rd edition of its big "pink" yoga event with several professional yoga teachers. Promenade du Paillon. Sunday, 9:30 am. www.soscancerdusein.org

JUNE

22 - 26 MAY

28 - 30 JUNE

SAINT-RAPHAEL naTural fesTival This international event makes it possible to discover nature through excursions and free activities.

Saint-Raphaël Tourist Office. www.saint-raphael.com

CANNES french riviera classic & sporT An event for all car and motorcycle lovers. Various models are exhibited, and on Sunday the most beautiful models take part in a parade. Food, drink and other activities as well.

Palais des Festivals. Friday, 7 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 4 pm. www.palaisdesfestivals.com

24 - 26 MAY SAINT-TROPEZ "voiles laTines" One of the most beautiful traditional regattas with old boats.

Port of Saint-Tropez. www.societe-nautique-sainttropez.fr

MENTON monTh of gardens A total of 60 guided visits through Menton's magnificent gardens are on the programme. www.tourisme-menton.fr

ExHIBITIONS

UNTIL 8 MAY FRéJUS biennale of phoTographY The Biennale of Photography is a

meeting of amateur photographers in and around Fréjus. The theme is free so that everyone can express their art, sensitivity and feelings.

Town hall of Port-Fréjus Quaid d'Octave, 12 pm. www.ville-frejus.fr

11 MAY - 19 SEPT NICE "l'odYssée du cinéma" With seven different exhibitions, the city of Nice celebrates the 100th anniversary of the mythical film studio La Victorine. Read more on page 54. www.cinema2019.nice.fr

25 MAY – 22 SEPT GRASSE fragonard exhibiTion Exhibition on antiquity and Greek costumes of the 18th to 21st centuries.

Museum Fragonard de Grasse. www.fragonard.com

UNTIL 21 JULY AIx-EN-PROVENCE "harrY callahan" Works by the American photographer Harry Callahan. The pictures show the surroundings of Aix-en-Provence and the city at the end of the 1950s with its narrow streets and modest shops.

Granet Museum. www.museegranetaixenprovence.fr

UNTIL 22 SEPTEMBER MARSEILLE “de la Table au Tableau” The Museum Regards de Provence presents 75 works from the 19th and 20th centuries, which embody the Provence way of life with its gastronomic heritage, traditions and entertainment. Musée Regards de Provence. www.museeregardsdeprovence. com

UNTIL 30 SEPTEMBER MOUANS-SARTOUx a Walk in The gardens The gardens of Mouans-Sartoux are a place where you can discover aromatic plants and remember the flower fields of the Pays de Grasse. This year, eleven artists will create a complete route through all the gardens amidst the flowers and aromatic plants.

EVENTS

riviera

Les Jardins du Musée International de la Parfumerie. 10 to 5:30 pm. www.parcsetjardins.fr

29 JUNE - 17 NOV ST-PAUL-DE-VENCE "Joan miró. au-delà de la peinTure" The Marguerite et Aimé Maeght Foundation shows the extraordinary graphic work of Joan Miró. The exhibition focuses on the artist's working process. www.fondation-maeght.com

21 MAY 27Th World sTars soccer game Between the A.S. Star Team MC and the team of Formula 1 drivers.

Louis II Stadium, 7 pm. www.starteamforthechildren .org

23 – 26 MAY

monaco

monaco grand prix The Monaco Grand Prix is the Formula One race par excellence.

See page 18 for details. www.acm.mc

8 - 10 MAY

31 MAY

"ever monaco" Trade fair for renewable energies and sustainable mobility. Guest of Honour is Nico Rosberg, Formula 1 World Champion 2016. www.ever-monaco.com

classical concerT With the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra. Under the direction of Leonard Slatkin; with Seong-Jin Cho on piano. On the programme: works by Leonard Bernstein, Cindy Mc Tee, Sergei Rachmaninov and Johannes Brahms. Auditorium Rainier III, 7.30 pm. www.opmc.mc

8 - 11 MAY "YouTh philosophises" Philosophical meeting of and with Charlotte Casiraghi. The programme includes plays, a conference and a panel discussion. www.philomonaco.com

15 – 16 MAY monaco inTernaTional luxurY properTY expo The world’s central B2C exhibition for upscale international real estate featuring upmarket property developers and real estate agents from 80 countries. Grimaldi Forum www.ielpe.com

15 - 19 MAY "monTe carlo fashion Week” Organized by the Chambre Monégasque de la Mode.

Espace Fontvieille. www.montecarlofashionwee k.net

19 MAY concerT of The philharmonic orchesTra monTe-carlo In favour of AMADE, conducted by Maxim Vengerov (also violin), with Gautier Capuçon (cello). On the agenda: works by Enescu and Tchaikovsky.

Auditorium Rainier III, 6 pm. www.opmc.mc

07 JUNE classical concerT With the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra. Guest soloist: Vilde Frang (violin); on the baton is Domingo Hindoyan. Pieces by Schönberg, Stravinsky, Mahler.

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

14 JUNE classical concerT With the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra. Works by Chen and Tchaikovsky will be performed under the title "Silk Road". Guest soloist is Maxim Vengerov (violin), Yu Long will conduct. Auditorium Rainier III, 8.30pm. www.opmc.mc

14 - 18 JUNE fesTival de Télévision International TV-stars present their latest films or series, news programmes from all over the world are also honoured.

Opportunities for the public to take part in the event. www.tvfestival.com

23 JUNE classical concerT "Dansez maintenant" with the Monte Carlo Philharmonic

Orchestra. On the programme: works by Tchaikovsky, Brahms and Strauss. On the baton: JeanChristophe Spinosi.

Auditorium Rainier III, 6 pm. www.opmc.mc

61

14 MAY - 15 OCTOBER

"fêTe de la sainT-Jean" St. John's festival, on the 23rd in the old town (Rocher), on the 24th in the quarter Les Moulins. www.visitmonaco.com

"monaco, 6 maY 1955. sTorY of a meeTing" Exciting exhibition about Grace kelly's fateful first encounter with Prince Rainier III of Monaco.

Organized by the Archives of the Prince's Palace and the Audiovisual Institute of Monaco.

Les Grands Appartements du Palais Princier. www.visitmonaco.com

2 - 6 JULY

iTalY

"solar & energY boaT challenge" Since 2014, the Yacht Club Monaco has organised the annual Boat Challenge, in which self-built boats powered by renewable energy sources compete in exciting races.

Students are tinkering with the environmentally friendly speedsters in order to gain insights for tomorrow's yacht building. www.mcsebc.org

12 MAY

23 + 24 JUNE

6 – 7 JULY in Your elemenT fesTival The first wellness festival for the Principality, based on the four elements fire, earth, air & water the programme will span healthy eating and nutrition, yoga, meditation, sport, beauty treatments and more. www.inyourelementfestival.c om Exhibitions

UNTIL 26 JULY "philippe pasTor - earTh and meTamorphoses" An exhibition about the Monegasque artist Philippe Pastor: homage to nature that also addresses current environmental problems.

Gallery Monaco Modern'Art. www.monacomodernart.mc

9 MAY "salvador dalí" Marking the 30th anniversary of the artist's death (1904-1989), a grand evening in honour of Salvador Dalí. TA presentation of some of the hundred or so works exhibited this summer, the audience will discover the various phases of the artist's life.

Grimaldi Forum. 6.30 pm www.grimaldiforum.com

CAMOGLI fish fesTival Celebrated since 1952, the Fish Festival celebrates the maritime folklore of the coastal town. Fish dishes from an enormous pan are offered, in the evening there is campfire. www.comune.camogli.ge.it

PERINALDO arTichoke fesTival On the second Sunday in May the Rassegna gastronomica del carciofo di Perinaldo e dell'olio extravergine di oliva taggiasca takes place. Typical products and traditional dishes are offered in the streets of the town. www.comune.perinaldo.im.it

17 - 19 MAY IMPERIA "reTromarkeT" Cars, motorcycles and antiquarian bookshops from earlier times. www.rivieraeventi.it

23 MAY DIANO MARINA "infioraTa" Flower carpets on the occasion of Corpus Christi in the alleys of the small town. www.comune.dianomarina.i m.it

1 -2 JUNE CERVO organic fesTival A festival dedicated entirely to sustainability. Among the activities: yoga courses and trekking in the Ciapà Park. Exhibition of works of art in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele.

Saturday, 9 am. www.rivieraeventi.it maY / June 2019

62

riviera

L IFESTYLE ADVERT

The blue gold of Provence R

Lavender chosen as Fragonard’s 2019 signature scent

PERFUME WORKSHOP Fragonard visitors can create their own eau de parfum in a two-and-a-halfhour workshop with the help of an expert. www.fragonard.com

maY / June 2019

ow after row of purple fields under hot, dry air and the sound of cicadas chirping in trees; this is the quintessential summer in Provence. Fragonard Parfumerie has chosen this enigmatic flower as their scent of 2019. The "blue gold of Provence" will infuse a limited edition product line consisting of eau de toilette, soap in various sizes, shower gel, and home fragrance.

The perfumery founded almost a century ago by Eugène Fuchs and named after the local painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard, is no stranger to lavender fragrance. Even the Romans knew about the olfactory qualities of the plant and used lavender for their baths and laundry. In fact, the name lavender comes from the Latin word for dirty laundry: lavandaria.

In the Middle Ages, French monks cultivated lavender in their gardens and distilled the harvest to obtain the essential oil. They valued lavender for its healing properties as an antiseptic and for its calming and healing effect. Today we know that lavender contains no less than 300 active ingredients, which are used, among other things, to prepare tisanes for relaxation and even to deter moths in wardrobes. Perfumers in Grasse have also always appreciated lavender. Since the 19th century, with the development of the perfume industry, more and more of the purple flowering plant has been cultivated in the hinterland and distilled immediately in the fields. Later, cooperatives worked together for the harvest. Today, about 1,500 tons of essential oil is extracted from lavender every year in France - most of it is used in perfumes, soaps and cosmetics.

Fragonard is one of the major buyers of lavender from High Provence, which is protected by the AOC (appellation d'origine contrôlée) seal. In the coming weeks, the lavender fields will be blooming across the high plains in their first delicate purple blossoms.

Between Carpentras, Gordes, Apt and Forcalquier, and on the Plateau de Valensole, around Castellane (at the entrance to the Gorges du Verdon), the typical spherical rows of lavender plants can be found. This magical “LAVENDER IS scenery will only last until THE SOUL OF the beginning of August at HAUTE the latest, so make sure not PROVENCE.” to miss it.

If you are interested in Jean Giono, writer from learning more about the the south of France age-old technique of distilling a scent, a visit to the perfumery in Grasse or éze will tell you more about the extraction of essential oil using steam in huge copper stills. In the gardens of the perfumery museum MIP in Mouans-Sartoux you can sniff different varieties of the scented plant. 

riviera

L IFESTYLE

63

The road less travelled Bespoke travel experiences with Andy Swann Voyage riviera insider speaks with andy Swann about turning a passion for travel into a cracking success

By NICOLE RUSKELL

T

he saying goes: do what you love, and your work won’t seem like work. For Andy Swann, this is not only true; it has proven to be the key to his rapid success.

His bespoke travel company, Andy Swann Voyage, creates private, high-end luxury journeys full of unexpected “wow experiences”.

He takes his clients to unique local artisans and one-of-kind places for a truly authentic taste of France. You won’t find his tours in guide books—nor on lists of the most exclusive and expensive spots. Rather, he and his team of trusted guides search out niche, characteristic experiences that give his clients a holiday they will never forget. Andy’s excite-

ment for what he does bubbles over as he speaks, often digressing into his extraordinary finds: an inventive chef in Grasse who creates meals with local flowers; a Biot glass artist who hosts dinners in his studio with Michelin-starred chefs, cooking their creations under glowing glass domes; a trip to Normandy to retrace the history of WWII; a small chapel deep in the hills above Nice whose frescoes are as ornate as the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Andy finds treasures that most of us didn’t know were right in our own backyard.

And he’s always looking for more.

Originally from Sheffield, England, Andy Swann has been working in the luxury travel industry for 25 years. He has worked as the director of sales for top of the line hotels in New York City, Dubai and London, but it was during his time at the Grand Hyatt Hotel Martinez in Cannes where he became a true Francophile.

“I just love France and the quality of life,” he tells Riviera Insider, adding that he wants people to know how fantastic our region is: “There’s such a disconnect between what people think of Provence and what they think of the Côte d’Azur. There is so much more here than hotels, boats and fast cars.”

Collecting experiences As the Sales Director at the Martinez, Andy was repeatedly asked for recommendations for fun and unique things to do. During his seven years, he gathered quite an index of remarkable places and experiences. Many of the guests, delighted with his advice, suggested he open his own business. It was an idea that he entertained for years, but it was friends and family – his wife in particular – who gave him the final push. “I was 47 years old and I had to just close my eyes, take a deep breath and go for it.”

Starting his own travel business was a leap of faith that involved quitting an excellent job and spending four months researching the market. He expresses gratitude for the support he received not only from his wife but also the French government in the launch of his business in May 2016. Today, just shy of three years, Andy Swann Voyage is remarkably successful, growing 300% in the last year and amassing an impressive list of repeat

customers. As of 2019, the company is listed as an ‘In-country Partner’ for Travel Leaders Group SELECT, one of the world’s most elite travel agencies. It is an honour that typically takes ten years to earn.

Despite the rapid success, Andy is taking it slowly. He receives constant requests for more cities and countries, but he keeps a strict policy of not expanding too quickly: “We only go where we know,” he says, explaining that HNWIs are very discerning clients and one bad experience could tarnish his entire business. This is also why he is extremely picky with choosing his guides and drivers, hiring only those with impeccable English (95% of his clientele is American) and “emotional intelligence” to not only understand the clients but also to anticipate their needs.

Andy Swann Voyage currently organises luxury holiday itineraries and private tours throughout Provence, the Côte d’Azur, Normandy and Burgundy. They also create stunning events for private and corporate functions. Most of his bookings are currently made through corporate travel agencies, but he has a growing list of clients who contact him directly for his personal service and his expertise.

Working with clients one-on-one is where Andy excels, learning what the client is interested in and what they enjoy doing. From there he can create an itinerary filled with what he calls “wow experiences”. This wow factor has made him a favourite for a new trend in travel: destination proposals. Born of the Instagram culture, a new generation of clients are looking for imaginative destinations to pop the question. Their latest proposal is Paris by night: A private driver and a few hours of privacy on the rooftop of Notre Dame Cathedral, overlooking the glittering lights of the of the city. Hopefully she said yes!

What’s next for Andy Swann? Expanding— slowly. Their regions of expertise include Provence, the Alpes-Maritimes, Normandy, the vineyards of Burgundy and Paris. This year they are expanding into Liguria. “People really like what we do and we really try to push ourselves every time to find what the client would love.”  maY / June 2019

64

riviera

L IFESTYLE

To your Health: Detox part 2 Keeping it clean and simple for the summer ummer is approaching, time for lighter clothes and lighter foods. Usually it should be easy to stay lean, but with the party season in full swing, this can be tricky.

In the previous issue we briefly covered the process of detoxification. In this issue we focus upon why nutrition is important for detoxing.

Just as the right materials are needed to build a house, or the correct tools to repair a car, the body depends upon certain nutrients to effectively carry out detoxification. Spring Clean part 1 discussed how toxins pass through phases in the liver to be broken down and eliminated via the kidneys, bowels and skin. Part 2 gives you tips on supporting this process.

S

1) hYdraTion Plenty of clean, filtered water is needed to support the body’s filtering process via the kidneys.

With a rise in temperature we naturally perspire more and increasing consumption of filtered water is a priority – especially since higher temperatures often sees an increase in parties and alcohol consumption!

Additionally, daily exercise is incredibly important to help rid the body of toxins via skin pores through sweating.

Tips:

Start your day with warm water and lemon/lime to support kidney filtration. keep water close to hand and add mint leaves, slices of citrus or cucumber and sip throughout the day. Drink at least 8 glasses per day. Drink 8 glasses of filtered water and/or herbal teas daily. Sweat daily to get rid of toxins through your skin Be sure to have a glass of water for every alcoholic drink you consume.

2) nutrition Your liver is the hardest working organ of detoxification and to effectively break down alcohol, pesticides, medications, heavy metals and our own hormones and neurotransmitters, it relies upon specific nutrients.

Does your daily intake include alcohol, sodas, and lots of coffee, processed foods, take-away, chargrilled or artificially smoked foods?

Such dietary habits can create more acid in the body, causing toxic build up and if certain nutrients are lacking there may be an overload of damaging free-radicals and an inability to properly clear the toxins. Additionally, these can wreak havoc on the skin and the waistline. maY / June 2019

key nutrients: PROTEIN is made up of amino acids which support or modulate pathways of detoxification. This means adequate protein consumption is essential. Fortunately, protein will also help you feel fuller for longer and can support healthy weight management and promote a leaner you. Good news when the temperatures are rising! Protein is abundant in red meat, poultry, fish and dairy products, whilst vegan sources of protein include tofu, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds.

Some may find they require additional snacks depending upon their level of activity. There are some great clean, vegan organic protein powders on the market containing approximately 22g protein per scoop that can easily be added to smoothies, homemade baking, ice-creams etc.

FIBRE: The good news for plant-based eaters that your protein sources are often rich in other nutrients that support detoxification, like fibre.

Fibrous foods support movement of waste through the body´s colon. Meat and/or fish eaters must consume a mixed variety of vegetables to ensure additional vitamins, minerals and fibre that support detoxification.

Hummus and mixed veggies is a great way of getting in quality nutrients while simultaneously supporting fibre consumption.

Dark green leafy vegetables are the best way of keeping you lean whilst simultaneously supporting detoxification processes. Collard greens, kale, Swiss chard and spinach provide the micronutrients vital for detoxification organs.

Easy ways to incorporate them into your daily diet are: Add a handful of spinach to a smoothie Add kale, Swiss chard, or spinach by wilting them on top of other veggies under a lid for 1-2 minutes before serving. Add cleansing herbs to salads such as basil, coriander and parsley.

Cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages, bok choy and again, kale, are not just a fabulous source of fibre for your bowels, they are also rich in Sulphur, another important detox nutrient for getting rid of used hormones, medications and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Try to include a portion every day.

If you consume 80% of your foods in their natural state, meaning whole, clean plant-based foods, you will naturally support detoxification.

However, it is important to keep variety in the diet. A useful term “eat the rainbow” should be remembered when looking at colours on your plate, to ensure nutrient potential is achieved.

GLUTATHIONE is the body´s most potent antioxidant for neutralizing toxins and toxic overload contributes to glutathione depletion.

Food sources that are rich in glutathione (or protect it) and support liver detoxification are: lemons, garlic, chives, leeks, onions, scallions and shallots, avocados, broccoli, carrots, asparagus and turmeric.

Dark berries (blackcurrants, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries), are rich in anthocyanins, a plant chemical that protects the liver from oxidative damage.

organic versus non-organic?

If you are unsure about the impact of organic versus non-organic produce, perhaps look up the study on YouTube of a family in Sweden who ate exclusively organic food for two weeks. The concentration of pesticides in their urine fell by 95% in this short period of time. Urine and blood levels of many toxins can decrease quickly by following an organic diet.

The Environmental Working Group (www.EWG.org) is a great place to start when trying to decipher which items are worth buying organic. In France we have numerous small and local farmers selling organic produce, so try to buy from them rather than supermarkets. 

CHRISTINE KJELDBJERG

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

ADVERT

riviera

Maison de Beauté Carita

L IFESTYLE

65

Taking care of all your beauty needs he Carita Beauty House in Antibes provides clients with innovative and ultra-professional high-performance treatments.

Carita is the French brand that offers top-of-the-line facial and body care, thanks to the quality of its cosmetic products, the technology of current micro currents and sculpting massage.

This year, they have chosen to introduce their customers to an additional brand, Naturabisse, which has just won the 1st prize for SPA facial care, treatments with circulatory, muscle and Myofacial massages. These incredible products contain 70% vegetable proteins, marine DNA and pure vitamin C. The team of hairdressers also uses the Leonor Greyl range, which is excellent for hair care. 

T

Open Tuesday to Friday from 9 am to 7 pm and Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm, nonstop. maison de beauté 27 Boulevard Robert Soleau 0660 Antibes Tel. +33 (0)4 93 34 87 00

maY / June 2019

66

riviera

SPORT

le grand déparT Nice to host the 2020 Tour de France

Women’s fifa World cup

By STEVE ELLUL

Nice to host the tournament

n early April, Nice's mayor and president of the Nice Côte d'Azur Metropôle, Christian Estrosi, along with the director of the Tour de France, Christian Prudhomme, the general director of the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), Yann le Moenner and Sports Manager of the Tour de France, Thierry Gouvenou, took to the stage at the Nice Opéra to announce the Grand Départ of the Tour de France 2020. Estrosi presented himself enthusiastically and announced right at the beginning: Nice has not hosted the Grand Depart since its first time in 1981, but the 107th edition of the Tour de France will depart from Nice on 27 June, 2020.

The massive event will put the city at the centre of media attention with around 2,500 television channels on site, twelve million viewers on the television sets, and six million people on social networks. The mayor referred to the hashtag ‘Nice Cycling Paradise,’ which will inform about the event on social media.

Two stages will start from Nice and the route will go up high into the mountains: the first, a 170 km stage will loop over Aspremont and the second, a 190 km stage will cross the Colmiane Pass, the Turini Pass and the Èze Pass before heading back to the city.

Mayor Estrosi, clearly excited for the major event next year, concluded with the words: "Long live the Tour de France 2020!" 

I

FIFA Women’s Trophy © FIFA via Getty Images

ummer tournament football has a certain allure. France hosts the eighth FIFA Women’s World Cup this June and July and welcomes twenty-three nations to its shores.

The Stade de Nice, you may know as the Allianz Riviera, will host four group games, a round of 16 knockout matches and the third-place playoff match. There are some intriguing matches being held to entertain those living within the boundaries of the Alpes-Maritimes.

The oldest international football fixture is England v Scotland which dates back to 1872. The women’s teams have been drawn in Group D and play each other at the Stade de Nice on 9 June in the latest edition of this historic duel.

The game pits two of the most inform teams coming into the tournament. In April, Scotland beat Brazil whereas England has recently won the prestigious She Believes Cup, an invitational tournament held in the United States. The Lionesses, managed by former Manchester United player Phil Neville, beat previous World Champions Japan in taking the

S

Conference on the Tour de France 2020 in Nice. © Ville de Nice

Classis Tennis Tour Photo © JL Chaix

Win TickeTs! Classic Tennis Tour

T

he fun and friendly tennis tournament featuring former tennis stars such as Guy For-

maY / June 2019

get, Mansur Bahrami and Michael Llodra will again be serving balls at the port of Saint-Tropez from 19 to 21 July.

On the specially designed Centre Court, the seasoned professionals will show off their skills in friendly show matches. Brilliant rallies are paired with skilful gag interludes laughs are guaranteed to come under the sun of this hip little place in summer. The mood is jovial because despite the end of their professional careers, these players haven’t lost the feeling for the little yellow ball.

The Riviera Insider is giving away day tickets for the Classic Tennis Tour on Friday, 20 July. For entry details, visit our competitions section on our website: www.riviera-press.fr/Insider

Cup ahead of current World Champions, the USA. England will also play Japan at the Stade de Nice in what should be the game which decides who will top Group D. Expect a clash of styles as Japan’s intricate passing football tests itself against the athleticism and physicality of England.

The hosts France, ranked fourth in the world, will also play at the Stade de Nice in a group game against perennial powerhouse Norway on June 12.

The winners of this game should go on and top Group A. As for the latter stages, expect Les Bleues to be taken on a wave of home support deep into the tournament.

In terms of eventual winners, there will not be many who back against the current holders of the trophy.

Team USA are a formidable outfit and the three-time winners will start as red-hot favourites to take the top prize. Co-Captain Alex Morgan shines the brightest amongst a group of stars and she should add to her 101 international goals. In terms of the threats to their crown, the host country, Germany and England are the likely challengers but it will be a monumental effort to deprive the Stars and Stripes. 

riviera

COMMUNITY

67

les voiles d’anTibes A celebration of traditional yachting

© Gerhard Standop

vinTage sailing 19th Voiles Latines in Saint-Tropez his event has been organized since 2001 by the City of SaintTropez together with the Port of Saint-Tropez and with the support of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez. The meeting of Latine Sail boats in St. Tropez in May is an institution, a time of conviviality where Mediterranean Maritime Heritage is in the place of honour! Arriving by sea or by land, Pointues, Felouques, Gozzos, Tartanons, Tarquié, boats from Marseille and Catalonia will tie up in the old Port of Saint-Tropez from 23 to 26 May. The program promises to be, once again, rich in both sea and shore activities. The Port of Saint-Tropez provides a beautiful tented village near the Harbour, organises many festive events, cultural and traditional, and expects more than 80 sailboats.

The public can admire the various Latine rigs docked or at sea, attend free events, taste food from all over the Mediterranean and visit the various stands e.g. carpentry, crafts and traditional skills around the Port not forgetting exhibitions and lectures by historians. On the subject of navigation, sailboats will gather for numerous sailing events.  www.saint-tropez.fr

T

© Gerhard Standop

Since 1996, Les Voiles d'Antibes, organised each year around the first week of June, has marked the opening of the Mediterranean circuit for Traditional Yachts and Metric Classes (and the first stage of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge from 2006 to 2018).

At the very beginning of the season, the Antibes sailing festival hosts each year a selection of the most beautiful period yachts (built before 1950), Classic Yachts (built before 1976) and Spirit of Tradition yachts as well as the Metric Classes (6 MJI, 8MJI and the 12 MJI competing in the America's Cup from 1958 to 1987), which have shaped the great history of international yachting since the late 19th century.

For most of the participants, this prestigious gathering represents the first major event of the yachting season in the Mediterranean.

At the beginning of spring, the boats return to their home ports in the Mediterranean. Some have been renovated and modernized to optimize their performance, others have been sold or changed crews.

As a result, the participants renew themselves every year around a solid core of mythical boats such

S

as Ikra, Sovereign, Thendara, Lelantina, Outlaw, Adria, Cambria or Tuiga which have long been present at all regattas. Each year, between five and fifteen new boats appear on the circuit. Being the first gathering, sailors, owners and crews come to discover the new additions and share stories that contribute to the celebration ashore.

Appreciated for the quality of its regattas (Match-Race for the metric classes and coastal courses, along the 23 km of coastline between the bays of Antibes and Juan-les-Pins for the other classes) and for the great friendliness that reigns back on land, it is a favourite for the five days of traditional yachting, of entertainment and conviviality. Les Voiles d'Antibes is undoubtedly one of the flagship events of the year and one of the warmest welcomes on the circuit.

Antibes, famous for its jazz festival, had to combine music with sailing.

Every day from 9am to 10pm, there are numerous exhibitions and activities on the themes of the Sea and the Environment, as well as cocktails, concerts, parades and many other surprises that bring joy and good humour to the Sails Village and Port Vauban.  www.voilesdantibes.com

© Gerhard Standop

maY / June 2019

68

riviera

R E A L E STAT E

Prestige International Realty A family agency for all your real estate needs estate needs, even if it’s just some advice. Riviera Insider speaks with

Nicolas Brouste © D.R

N

icolas Brouste is the founder of Prestige International Realty in Juans-lesPins. Originally from the perfume industry, Nicolas left to pursue a career in real estate because he loves working with people and helping them find their perfect home. Together with his son and a team of five negotiators, they are here to help with any real

maY / June 2019

What separates you from other agencies in the côte d’azur?

There are so many real estate agencies and the competition is very steep. We work seven days a week to meet the needs of our clients and cover a vast area from Nice to the Var and the Luberon. We have independent agents in these areas so that the client doesn’t need to come all the way to our office and that helps us cover a much larger area.

Many of our clients are foreign, particularly British, Scandinavian and Italian, so we offer a full-service agency from handling paperwork, to explaining and translating documents or for doing any work to the property. Whether it’s a simple listing or a prestige property we follow our clients from start to finish.

What’s going on in the real estate market? is it a buyer’s market?

Nice, Antibes and Cannes are always hot - and

the tram lines in Nice are creating entirely new neighbourhood hot spots. But overall, the market is very tense at the moment. People are waiting for prices to drop and that has some properties taking quite a while to sell. So it’s definitely a buyer’s market and a good time to invest. There are a lot of people with large savings and instead of keeping it in the bank, they are investing in buy to let situations. This is bringing in 5-10% return, which you would never get with a bank. So the small apartment market is very active.

The new loi élan has changed a lot of rental rules. should people who rent property speak with an agent about how it affects them?

Yes, it’s changed everything. People should absolutely go in and ask an agent how it affects them. At Prestige Immo, we spend a lot of time explaining and educating our clients. Anyone can come in to discuss the new laws, even if they are not buying anything. We always offer advice, it’s part of our job.  www.rivieraimmo.com

riviera

L IFESTYLE

69

ADVERT

your needs. From the management of mail and administrative procedures and monitoring of the site, to the delivery of meals at home, consolidate your requests to a single contact person and let the professionals do the work.

For real estate professionals and agencies, Donati Property Services also addresses you, becoming a privileged interface with your clients and positioning itself as the cornerstone of a win-win partnership thanks to an operating team ready to intervene on all types of projects with speed, confidence and confidentiality. ď ¸

Donati Property Services Choose peace of mind

FOR MORE INFORMATION: ased in Mandelieu-La-Napoule, Donati Property Services manages prestigious villas and houses throughout the French Riviera. Their credo is trust, discretion, confidentiality, efficiency and quality of service. Entrust your property to an exceptional partner with values rooted in its knowhow.

Architect and decorator for more than 20 years, Olivier Donati built a unique relationship of trust with his clients. Over time, they asked him to offer them more... They wanted him to manage and maintain their assets because they trusted him most. With Donati Property Services, their wishes have been met. The

B

agency guarantees effective management and stewardship of your property thanks to a large network of professionals at their disposal.

Top-of-the-line services designed for your peace of mind Management of villas during your absence or during your stay; concierge services to allow you to fully enjoy your visit; maintenance and current work inside or outside your property (villa, green spaces, swimming pool, etc.); architecture and renovation and even rental management. Whatever your requirements, Donati Property Services will be able to meet them, becoming true guardians dedicated to

Olivier Donati Domaine de Marande 55, chemine du Bon pin 06210 Mandelieu Tel. 06 28 25 06 59 www.donati-services-property.fr

maY / June 2019

ADVERT

70

riviera

R E A L E STAT E

Expat financial advisers in france P uccording to recent

industry surveys, as much as 68% of expats do not have a reliable expat financial adviser. It’s probably not a coincidence, then, that the same surveys find that twothirds of expats worry that they will not have enough money to retire or in retirement. As an expat, you are likely to have taken professional advice on contracts, housing, and medical matters. But why not always on your financial planning?

Particularly now you live in a country that maybe not your own? Expat financial advice and planning is just another area where it makes sense to take professional advice to fully understand with someone experienced in cross border financial planning to be sure that you’re making the right choices.

This can relate to your Uk or international pensions, generating income from existing or potential new tax compliant French investment solutions, tax worries, French mortgages or insurances. All these areas often leave an expat living in France not sure where to turn.

What are the pitfalls to avoid when picking an adviser in France? Many financial advisers claim to have your best interests at heart, but outside of the Uk including in France where commissions can still be taken this can often not be the case. Some key questions to ask your financial adviser when deciding to assess your options: ● Are you fee-based or commission-based? ● Does the product or fund that you are being recommended have an exit penalty? ● Where are they regulated? Do they have a physical office in France? ● What are the initial and ongoing product charges? ● Do they have customer testimonials? Have they been independently rated for service maY / June 2019

standards?

Only accept fee-based advice , where fees are transparent and explained to you before you proceed with any advice, avoid any hidden financial surprises.

Why use Harrison Brook as your financial adviser in France? ● Fee-Based - it’s a hand in hand relationship. We won’t take any big initial commissions and stop caring about your money once we’ve been paid. ● Transparent - we pride ourselves at being one of the only fully transparent fee-based financial planners in France. ● Regulated fully in France - for investment, insurance and mortgage advice. ● French Registered Business ● Proven Performance - no exit penalties and ‘clean’ class funds only. ● Reach - our offices are just outside of Nice, but we cover the whole of France. 

ryan Frost, Private Client adviser 1752 route Nationale 7, 06270 villeneuve-Loubet Tel: +33 (0)4 92 08 06 41 email: info@harrisonbrook.fr www.harrisonbrook.fr

riviera

BUSINESS

71

Springboard for the future IAE Nice Graduate School of Management offers Executive MBA for professionals he renowned IAE Nice Graduate School of Management, founded in 1966, has almost 1,400 students. With numerous programmes and impressive partnerships all over the world, the Université Côte d’Azur's public business school is one of the top addresses for young people who want to make the most of their professional lives.

IAE Nice also offers an Executive MBA, Master of Business Administration - EMBA for short. There is no age limit for this one-year programme for professionals with at least three years of experience. As Professor Ulrike Mayrhofer, Program Director for the Executive MBA, explains, the programme is aimed at "engineers, hotel managers, lawyers, and many other professions. The range of different professional areas is vast".

T

The EMBA lasts one year and is aimed at those who wish to acquire a more comprehensive knowledge of management. The goal of this programme is to provide students with all the tools necessary to move up the career ladder an investment for life. The courses are taught in English.

To ensure that professionals can continue to work during their studies, lectures are held every two weeks on Fridays and Saturdays. The teaching team consists of recognized professors (IAE Nice has 30 permanent professors) and guest lecturers from different countries who share their knowledge and experience with prospective EMBA graduates.

The Executive MBA is ranked among the best MBAs in France by Eduniversal and MOCI (Moniteur du Commerce International). We speak with Professor Mayrhofer to find out why this international program is so successful: "Demand

Professor Ulrike Mayrhofer, EMBA Program Director

is growing, adult education is becoming more and more important. With globalization, for example, the demands on leadership qualities and competencies in digital management are also growing.”

Following the degree, studies can optionally be continued at partner universities of the IAE Nice such as Moscow, Shanghai or New York.

The EMBA runs from October 2019 to June 2020, with a cost of €10,000 to participate. The closing date for applications is May 31. 

maY / June 2019

72

riviera

BUSINESS

nice Joins french Tech seed

qWanT moves To cannes The search engine protecting your data

ounded in Nice, Qwant is the new search engine taking on Google by challenging what has made Google so omnipresent: tracking you. Qwant’s R&D centre is still based in Nice but "the search engine that respects your privacy" has chosen Cannes to strengthen its Côte d'Azur position. The tech start-up was recently preferred to Google by the Ile de France region, the National Assembly and the Nice Côte d'Azur Metropolis. Qwant sees Cannes as a necessary base due to the increasing creative production facilities and has acquired an 810m² office in the heart of the Forville district to install ‘Qwant Star’ dedicated to art and audiovisual works. An investment of over €1.4M is a sign of the "vertical" development already driven by ‘Qwant Music,’ ‘Qwant Games’ and ‘Qwant Junior.’ By 2019, 25 employees (and about 40 expected by 2021) should take possession of the premises to develop this targeted search engine-without any data collection--joined by multiple teams like ‘Qwant Edu’ designed to educate the general public on the challenges and dangers of the Internet, and ‘Qwant Accelerator’ to provide support for startups.

The Mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard, Believes this is great news for his city, saying: "With a 20% growth, a presence in 42 countries and our desire to strengthen our audiovisual sector, it is a positive development for the district and for Cannes in its vocation linked to the creative economy".  www.qwant.com

F

A pilot territory for startups rédérique Vidal, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, recently announced that Nice Côte d'Azur is one of the 18 winning territories that will join the "French Tech Seed" programme, an investment fund endowed with €400 million on a national level from the ‘Programme d'investissement d'avenir’ integrated into the ‘Grand Plan

F

d'investissement’ and operated by BpiFrance on behalf of the country. France’s current policy pushed by Macron’s government is actively investing and ‘marching’ towards one of its main ambitions: to position France as a major player in Deep Tech, and breakthrough innovations like robotics, AI, IoT, etc.

Christian Estrosi, President of the Nice Côte d'Azur Metropole said: “the French Tech Seed fund will enable us to go much further in supporting high-tech start-ups working on the design of highly innovative technologies, and which have a high potential for job creation and growth." He added, "With these resources, we will be able to increase fundraising from private investors, at a rate of €2 for every €1 of private investment for overall investments ranging from €150,000 to €750,000 per start-up, thus allowing a decisive start.” 

© Ville de Nice

maiden voYage La Compagnie all-business airline departs from Nice he long-anticipated flight from the new French business only airline connecting Nice Côte d’Azur airport direct to New York is finally here.

Already operating direct flights to New York from Paris, La Compagnie’s inaugural flight from Nice to Newark airport takes place on 5 May. La Compagnie’s flights are 100% business class and designed to offer a personal work space on board. All 74 seats are in private shells that recline 175 degrees and feature removable tablets preloaded with international newspapers, e-books and films. But aside from the unique small passenger, business-only concept, La Compagnie offers several other unique features, including some things that have all but disappeared in

T

maY / June 2019

today’s mass travel industry. Things like personal care, fresh seasonal French cuisine with signature dishes by some of France’s top chefs, on-board surprise events like book signings and product launches, ticket giveaways and they even offer full-service accompaniment of minors. Perhaps the most unique is that they promise all of this service without exorbitant prices.

Flights from Nice Côte d’Azur airport will feature local products, including bars of Bon Bean Chocolate, a Grasse-based organic chocolate artisan who Riviera Insider featured in our November/December 2018 issue.

The new direct line is scheduled for five flights per week, totalling 16,000 seats over the season. David Lisnard, Mayor of Cannes and President of the

Regional Tourism Committee for the Côte d’Azur is delighted with the new route as he believes more direct flights to North America will mean an increase in tourism for 2019 and encourage continued development of the American market, which is essential for Côte d'Azur tourism professionals. 

© La Compagnie

BUSINESS

ADVERT

riviera

73

SLB Riviera Relocation Providing a smooth transition for expats

S

onia Le Bouthillier’s relocation agency takes care of the often overwhelming tasks that expats face adjusting to their new life on the Côte d'Azur. Riviera Insider speaks with this dynamic young woman who has been helping families and businesses with integration into the local system. how did you become an expert in expatriate relocation?

I was an expatriate for more than 10 years because I followed my husband to England and Mexico. So I understand perfectly well the needs and expectations of each newcomer to an unknown territory.

What are the biggest obstacles as an expat?

Indeed, how to proceed when you do not know the language, the habits and customs, or the environment in which you arrive, can be an overwhelming experience. Plus, it’s the everyday things that can prove to be the most diffi-

cult, like trying to find accommodation in a good neighbourhood, carry out an inventory, sign a lease, organise a move, sign up for water and electricity, open a bank account and a telephone line, apply for a car registration or social security card, find a good school for children, and look for the right family doctor.

Many people don’t think of the long list of tasks, especially when you need to focus on a new position at work. I provide a personalised service adapted to the needs of each client. in addition to helping expats, you also work with companies who hire foreign workers. What do you do?

The expatriate, whether from abroad or even from another French region, has many concerns. It is important to take care of your new employees because these distractions can cause affect their performance. A calm employee is an immediately effective employee. I have developed a system of coaching workshops within companies to respond to

sohn invesTmenT conference Supporting paediatric cancer nder the High Patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, the 3rd Annual Sohn Monaco Investment Conference will take place on Thursday, 6June, 2019 at the Yacht Club de Monaco. The Sohn Monaco Investment Conference brings together Europe’s leading hedge fund managers to present their most compelling investment ideas while raising funds to support paediatric cancer care. In its first two years, funds raised by the conference have supported innovative research and treatment initiatives at the University Hospital of Nice, French National Institute INSERM and the Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer (ITCC) in Paris.Speakers booked at the conference include: Guido Maria Brera, Co-Founder and CIO of kairos Partners; Jean Castellini, Monaco’s Minister of Finance and Economy; Adrian Courtenay, Portfolio Manager at Odey Asset Management; Alina Donets, Vice President of Equity Research; Randel Freeman, Member of SSVL Investment Committee; Orkun kilic, Portfolio Manager and Managing Partner at Paulson Europe; Tom Sandell, Chairman and CEO of Sandell Asset Management; Pr. Gilles Vassal, Head of Clinical Research at Gustave Roussy, and more. To take part in the conference, visit www.sohnconference.org/monaco

U

the expectations, questions and intercultural concerns that can arise from the arrival of a new foreign employee. I also give them the keys to settling in this new homeland for a worry-free adjustment. 

Sonia Le Bouthillier Tel. +33 (0)7 81 18 63 56 www.slbrivierarelocation.com sonia@slbrivierarelocation.com

cmb aWarded Best Private Bank in Monaco 2019 or the first time, CMB has been recognised as the Best Private Bank in Monaco 2019 by The Global Banking and Finance Review.

This important financial magazine is read in more than 200 countries and its website has 9.2 million page views per year.

It mainly targets business leaders, CFOs and decision-makers among the 500 largest American companies listed in the Fortune 500.

This new award highlights Team CMB's efforts to offer customers the tailor-made service they deserve. Federico Limiti, Head of Private Banking is pleased with award noting the recognition of quality of service CMB offers their clients. 

F

Federico Limiti, Head of Private Banking with the award

maY / June 2019

74

riviera

RIVIERA PRESS EVENT

Riviera Press Spring Soirée Photos VINCENT ARTUS

Two reasons to celebrate!

More than 150 guests accepted Riviera Press's invitation to beautiful Le Mas de Pierre at the foot of Saint Paul de Vence. A splendid location to celebrate this year's premature spring--but not only. As Riviera Insider’s founder Petra Hall underlined in a short speech, partners, readers and friends had gathered in the 4-star hotel on Mardi Gras.

So there were two reasons to celebrate!

maY / June 2019

Great praise goes to the professional team of Le Mas de Pierre, including the chef, who spoiled us with delicious hors d’ouevres.

We also thank our reliable partners, who contributed significantly to the success of the evening: Aston Martin, Porgeon & Fils Champagne, Domaine de Fauveris Winery, Blue Coast Brewery, Googi, Shake your Events and Åre Mineral Water.

RIVIERA PRESS EVENT

riviera

2

1

3

2

4

75

3

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

(1) Riviera-Press-manager Bich Lecourt and publisher Sébastien Fraisse (2) Frédéric Nourrisson, Station Manager Delta, and partner (3) Beathe-Jeanette Lunde, President of the American Club of the Riviera, and her husband John Lunde (4) Sara Parks (L), Marielen kerrington (R) of Mimosa Matters and Riviera Insider-Editor-in-Chief, Nicole Ruskell (C) (5) Laura Vandenbossche, Christiane Amiel, Councellor of the town of Nice, and the editor-in-chief of our German magazine RivieraZeit, Aila Stöckmann (from left) (6) Photographer Thomas Lemaire and Valérie Lemaire of L’Atout Consultant (7) Mathias Porgeon, Champagne Porgeon & Fils, and his partner Cindy brought their excellent champagne (8) Michel Tschann, General director of Splendid Hôtel & Spa (9) Françoise Muller, marketing Riviera Press, and Eleonora Lux, Eluxom (10) Gilles Perez, accountant office Ageco (11) Romain Hering, Aston Martin maY / June 2019

76

RIVIERA PRESS EVENT

riviera

2

1

3

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

10

9

11

(1) The famous international artist Anna Chromy with her husband Wolfgang Stein (2) Julien Vivarelli (r.) and Gregory Escaich, Premium Aviation Monaco (3) Stéphane Albergucci’s job is the distribution of our magazines at the regional newsstands, with Petra Hall (4) harpist Cécile Bonhomme und publisher Sébastien Fraisse (5) Eric Bürkel sells our magazines at his newsstand of Place des Armes in Monaco; mit Partnerin Bettina Fröhlich (6) Jean Christophe Maerten, Delahaye Moving (7) Sven Schulten and his wife (8) Isabelle Chiosi, Skema, with her husband (9) Andreas Lang di Maggio, Ladima (10) Gilles Leone, Arte Concept Design, and Isabelle Euvrard, Cuisine Viking Sarl Veral (11) Diane Gachan-Delteil, CD Immobilier Prestige Cannes, with Riviera Press Events Manager, Dominique Freulon maY / June 2019

riviera

COMMUNITY

valbonne mosT liveable ciTY

did ThaT have To happen?

Ranking of the best cities

The Chinese president comes to the Côte and immediately a state of emergency prevails By PETRA HALL

By NINA BARTH

ice-Matin has compiled a ranking of the quality of life of the largest cities in the Alpes-Maritimes.

More than 500 readers answered questions on the newspaper's website. The readers evaluated criteria that contribute to the quality of life. It was important to them to be in a city close to their workplace, to have good public transport connections and, at the same time, to have peace and quiet, to be by the sea, to have enough local shops, cinemas, restaurants and sports facilities. Finally, NiceMatin collected a thousand public data, which were broken down into eight different indicators. The data was collected in the 20 municipalities of the department with more than 10,000 inhabitants.

In the poll by residents, Valbonne was ranked first, followed by Vence and Mouans-Sartoux in third. Grasse surprisingly finished fourth. Overall, the west of the department scored best, while there were strengths and weaknesses in the east.

Valbonne is the frontrunner of all cities surveyed and performs very well in almost all categories. It scored fully in terms of housing and living conditions, however, there is a lack of shops and services.

Vence rated for safe and charming. The city is ahead in terms of security and living costs. However, the shops and service providers

N

riviera business club Gathering to support women in business n late March, the Riviera Business Club met at Scandinavian Terrace on the Croisette in Cannes. This year’s theme for the club is women in business and the

I

look a bit weak compared to Valbonne.

Nice has a strong position in public transport, however, there are big differences in the individual categories, which can be explained by the size of the city. Nice is also among the leaders in terms of education, shops and service providers, but the situation is poor in terms of security, sports and leisure activities as well as living costs.

The surprise of the ranking is Grasse. The city of perfume comes in fourth. It is at the top of the list in terms of education, since Grasse has three schools that are among the top 20 in the department, even though the proportion of pupils is among the lowest. The city does not border the sea, but has other reasons why it deserves its good place: large natural spaces, little street noise, clean air and good sports and leisure activities.

Top 10 cities Out of 100 possible points: 1st Valbonne 77.8 2nd Vence 77.1 3rd Mouans-Sartoux 77 4th Grasse 75.6 5th Cannes 75.2 6th Mougins 74.8 7th Menton 74.6 8th Nice 74.2 9th Mandelieu-La-Napoule 74.2 10th Carros 73.8

evening presented speeches from prominent local women who have created their business in the Côte d’Azur. Barbara kimmig of Hotel Villa Rivoli in Nice and Niamh Cogan of Nunii Laboratoire (winner of last year’s start-up of the year award) spoke of their experiences and gave some invaluable advice. There were also representatives from Nice Metropole’s Chamber of Commerce and a presentation from WHAT06, a group of women in tech hosting a ‘hackathon’ event to encourage and promote women in AI and robotics.

Special guests of the evening were a delegation from Indonesia, working with RBC on encouraging business opportunities between the Asian nation and the Côte d’Azur. 

77

Chinese president Xi Jinping and his wife arrive at Nice Côte d’Azur airport to an official State Welcome. © Direction de la Communication - Manuel Vitali

On March 24th Xi Jinping, his wife and his bed came to the Côte d'azur. First he went to Monaco for the official state visit, then meeting with emmanuel Macron at the villa Kérylos in Beaulieu. The Chinese president stayed in Nice's flagship hotel Negresco.

Meanwhile, in Paris, billions were at stake. ive closed ports, no railway connection between NiceRiquier and Monaco for several hours, no drones or other flying objects to fly, no paragliders to take off, numerous bus lines diverted, the Promenade des Anglais completely closed, leading to complete chaos on the motorway and bypasses: from 24 to 25 March, the Côte d'Azur was in a state of emergency. The reason for this was the visit of the Chinese President xi Jinping and of course also the brief visit of the French head of state Emmanuel Macron. In addition, the Gilets Jaunes had announced protests in Nice on the Saturday before, but they were relatively peaceful, apart from one injured demonstrator.

On the Sunday that xi Jinping honoured the Côte d'Azur, the spring weather was most glorious. In this respect, the car-free Promenade des Anglais was a real pleasure for many strollers. But otherwise there was no joy. Many French people viewed the visit from China rather critically, the disregard of human rights was sometimes a topic. But also the paralysis of an entire region was not well received by the locals. Why couldn't the president be transported back and forth by helicopter between Nice, Monaco and Beaulieu, was one of the frequently asked questions. Good idea, but as they said, the Chinese head of state doesn't like helicopters... xi Jinping, representing 1.4 billion people, including 3.4 million millionaires, is a highly influential guest. In 2015, China counted around 150 million foreign travellers; ten percent of them travelled to Europe. France is their preferred destination in Europe - with two million stays in 2017 of 5.4 nights each. On the Côte d'Azur, China ranks 15th in the tourism market.

But the meeting with the French president was about much more than that: China's president searched for partners for the Silk Road project on his European tour, which he also succeeded in doing in Italy. With the new Silk Road, China wants to expand its influence worldwide thanks to the largest investment programme in history. Before his meeting with Macron, xi Jinping visited the Principality of Monaco, which is opening its new mobile network for the controversial Chinese provider Huawei.

In Paris, xi Jinping then courted sympathy with a total of 15 business contracts worth 40 billion euros. According to information from the French presidential office, one order alone for the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus amounts to 30 billion euros. The visit to the Côte d'Azur was therefore well worth it. And yes, obviously it had to be. 

F

maY / June 2019

78

riviera

COMMUNITY

Mimosa Kids Fun Run

By NICOLE RUSKELL

Children helping children very year in France, there are 2,500 cases of childhood cancers diagnosed—50 of them are right here in the Alpes-Maritimes. A childhood diagnosis can mean years of treatments in various hospitals and often rob children of their childhood.

To address this, the local cancer charity, Mimosa Matters organised a mini marathon for kids, by kids. The first Fun Run last year proved so successful they have committed to making it a yearly event. This year’s Fun Run took place on Sunday 28 April at the Stade des Bouillides, in Valbonne.

Ebica International School sponsored this event which was organised explicitly for children aged between 5 - 15 years. Children had three distances to choose from depending on their age – 800m, 1.6km and 3.2km. All participants received a t-shirt, a medal and certificate following their huge efforts.

Juliette Clarkin, Mimosa President said: “Such was the enthusiasm at the first Mini-Mimosa in 2018, we realised that this event is key for the community and all the children who are desperate to help out. [The Fun Run] is about harnessing their vitality and inspiring them to help while highlighting the

E

maY / June 2019

need to keep healthy. Basically, kids helping kids.”

Valbonne Mairie joined the list of community members to support the cause and generously gifted the Stade des Bouillides free of charge to host the mini sporting event.

Ebica International School is the sponsor of the event, an obvious choice for the Mimosa Committee because they have been raising funds to help beat Cancer in the region for the past four years.

Ebica is proud to sponsor the event, saying: “Mimosa is making waves in the community, raising much-needed funds in the fight against Cancer.

This 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 agency 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.”

All the money raised from the registration, participation and sponsorship will go directly to La Ligue contre le Cancer, a local cancer support organization that helps numerous children with Cancer in the Alpes Maritimes. 

riviera

L IFESTYLE

79

HANDMADE ITALIAN SPECIALITIES

L’atelier

restaurant à vin

EXTENSIVE RANGE OF FRESH PASTA | WARM & WELCOMING SERVICE OPEN FOR LUNCHES & DINNERS Less than a minute from the Princely Palace of Monaco With an outdoor setting on Piaceta François Bosio

Restaurant Le Pinocchio • Tel. +377 93 30 96 20 30 Rue Comte Felix Gastaldi • 98000 Monaco

Stéphane Chenneveau Artisan chef Member of the Collège Culinaire de France 17 rue Gioffredo - 06000 Nice - 04 93 85 50 74 - 06 67 54 30 10

La Maison de Beauté CARITA | LEONOR GREYL Universal beauty: FACE, BODY & HAIR IN A RELAXING ENVIRONMENT OPEN TUESDAY TO SATURDAY 27 av. Robert Soleau 06600 Antibes Tél 04.93.34.87.00

LEARN FRENCH IN THE HEART OF PROVENCE

Total immersion in French language and culture Intensive residential courses in the unique setting of an ancient monastery tucked away in the “Parc Régional du Verdon” 1 or 2 week courses for adults, from April till October Daily 4 to 6 h of classes in small groups of level + 6 h informal practice of French Motivated international public, elementary till advanced level (A2-C1) Warm hospitality and gourmet cuisine, cultural activities and sports facilities Special programmes : French for expats, French and yoga, French and cuisine

+33 492 77 74 58

My personal experience as an expat understands your needs.

I offer you personalised and quality service with discretion.

S erenity Link BtoB/BtoC

Riviera Relocation

Sonia Le Bouthillier / Tel :+33 (0)7 81 18 63 56 www.slbrivierarelocation.com

www.crealangues.com

Classified ads section Details:

60x45 mm ad for €250 The ad runs for two months.

If you purchase a year’s worth of ads (6 issues), we will provide a small feature on your busines.

AUGUST 2019

“Music Vibes”

by French in Cannes Piano Master Class taught by three professors trained at the Moscow Conservatory Campus International de Cannes 1, Avenue du Docteur A. Pascal 06400 Cannes - Tel: +33 04.93.90.55.74 www.french-in-cannes.fr

march / april 2019

80

COMMUNITY

riviera

Club Vivanova Luxury Lifestyle Charity Gala Dinner

n Saturday 6th April 2019, Club Vivanova hosted the eagerly anticipated fifth edition of their Luxury Lifestyle Gala Dinner at the Fairmont Monte Carlo. Over 400 guests in attendance including 20 VIP partners and 15 supporting and media partners, this spectacular evening was packed with entertainment, a fashion show, a charity auction, a four-course gourmet meal with international wines and an after-party that never wanted to end!

The Club Vivanova Luxury Lifestyle Gala is in its fifth year of production and has now become an annual spectacle and a “save-the-date” occurrence on the Monaco gala-circuit. With an impeccable commitment to excellence, foun-

O

Bradley Mitton with the representatives of the receiving charities © Club VivaNova

der Bradley Mitton intends to continue the momentum from this hugely successful evening through to the 2020 Club Vivanova Gala by committing to host more than seventy exceptional events for his Club Vivanova members, guests and partners across the French Riviera in 2019 including a Summer Gala in Cannes on Saturday 6th July.

Bradley Mitton commented, “Our intention for this gala since its creation has been to bring great people together and offer guests and partners the chance to give-back, network and build social and business contacts with other like-minded international professionals in a comfortable and elegant ambience. We aim to offer the best in gourmet cuisine and marry that cuisine with premium international wines.

To enhance the event philanthropically, we give back to the global community and include a charity auction and select worthy and local charities who are transparent and connected to our future.

This year’s gala was better than ever with a Aston Martin partnered Premier Cru Champagne aperitif, a four-course gourmet meal created by Fairmont Monte Carlo Executive Head Chef Didier Aniès - Meilleur Ouvrier de France, a spectacular fashion show produced

by Victoria Napolitano and a charity auction with 15 exciting lots ranging from iconic artworks and a helicopter trip with Monacair, to rare jewels and VIP tickets to see Eric Clapton live in Berlin. The auction raised over €45,000 for TAF The Animal Fund and the Chances for Children Foundation and raised great awareness of these transparent and locally-run charities. The gala finished off with the whole ballroom dancing to a Vodka23 after-party with DJ and dancers that went on until 2am.  www.clubvivanova.com

CHARITY GALAS riviera insider partners raising funds for a good cause

Mimosa Masquerade Ball Supporting local families with cancer n Saturday, 30 March, the local charity organisation Mimosa Matters held their annual ball at the Negresco Hotel in Nice. Going all out with glamour, over 170 guests were welcomed with a champagne reception and entertained by a caricaturist and fantastical stilt walker before sitting down to dinner beneath the beautiful domed ceiling of the Salon Royal. The spectacular four-course meal was prepared by the

O

maY / June 2019

Guests of the ball with a stiltwalker © HB Photography

Negresco’s new Michelin Star Chef, Virginie Basselot, the 2017 Meilleur Ouvrier de France.

The Ball was organised by the formidable Mimosa team who started the association in 2014.

The evening featured generous gifts for the live and silent auctions, including a private inhome dinner with a 5-star chef, a week-long getaway for five to a villa in Italy, a fivecourse lunch at Heston Blumenthal’s ‘Dinner’ in London, and many more amazing offers.

Throughout the evening, the superb Phly Boyz entertained guests before DJ Thomas Dusseune kicked off the dancing. Guests remarked that it was the best ball yet, and this was mirrored in the €60,000 made on the evening.

Juliette Clarkin, President of Mimosa commented: "we’re into our fifth year of fundraising now and have been completely bowled over by the way this event and others that we organise yearly have taken hold in the community and by how the community have embraced what we do. We cannot thank everyone enough.”  www.mimosamatters.org

have riviera insider delivered subscripTion Name

...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Postcode / City

...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

E-Mail

...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Bank transfer & direct debit information: Caisse d’Epargne Côte d’Azur IBAN: FR76 1831 5100 0008 0067 1222 415 SWIFT/BIC: CEPAFRPP831

choose Your subscripTion

riviera

press

Issues 18 12 6

Please complete your credit card details Visa

Euro/Master

Expiry date Security code

Delivery to France & Monaco ❏ 96 € ❏ 72 € ❏ 39 €

Starter Business Center / 2000 Route des Lucioles 06410 Biot / Tel.: +33 (0)4 93 27 60 00 / Fax: + 33 (0)4 93 27 60 10

Delivery to Europe ❏ 117 € ❏ 82 € ❏ 43 € secretariat@riviera-press.fr www.riviera-press.fr

82

riviera

COMMUNITY riviera

expaT focus: Julia edgelY

Founder PETRA HALL p.hall@riviera-press.fr Publishing Director SEBASTIEN FRAISSE s.fraisse@riviera-press.fr

I.T.E.C Baby Massage instructor.

Julia has 20 years of experience in natural health and does ‘popup’ events where she talks about cleaning up your beauty routine and making all-natural cosmetics.

What makes the riviera special for you?

Nature. Everywhere you go it’s accessible. From the Lérins Islands to the rivers, the mountains and the beaches... anywhere you go there are gems.

It’s beautiful to walk in MouansSartoux along the canal. It’s in the middle of nature and birds are always chirping.

What was the most surprising thing about living here?

Everything closes for lunch! Now, I appreciate the pace and find it hard to go back to fast-paced cities. You can still achieve what you want without having to kill yourself.

What advice can you give to newcomers?

Initially, I was a bit nervous moving here because I didn’t speak French at the time. But I learned and the transition is doable. It’s a hard language but just keep plodding along. And always try to speak at every opportunity. If you’re new, take it day by day and reach out to people. know there’s a lot to learn here and assume you don’t know things work.

Also, assume that everything is closed for lunch!

What’s your favourite place in the region?

riginally from Dublin, Julia o Edgely moved to the Côte d’Azur from London 15 years ago. She is a certified Homeopath based in MouansSartoux, specialising in children,

maY / June 2019

pregnancy and antibiotic alternatives. In 2008 she completed her honours science degree in homeopathy, has a Diploma in kinesiology Muscle Testing (D.N.I.I) and is a certified

I love Mouans-Sartoux for its eco lifestyle. And I love the whole area for not needing a car. There is everything we need right in town and the train station can get me all over. I also love La Pointe de l’Aiguille with its little pebble beaches in Théoule-surMer. Going there is like going back to 1950’s South of France. 

Managing Director BICH LECOURT b.lecourt@riviera-press.fr Editor-in-Chief NICOLE RUSkELL n.ruskell@riviera-press.fr Contributors Nina Barth, kevin Collette, Steve Ellul, Rui Ferreira, karen Hockney, Sarah Hyde, Christine kjeldberg, Sinja klock, Lewis Longman, Ira Söhnge & Aila Stöckmann 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 DANIEL NARO Tel: +33 (0)4 93 27 60 00 d.naro@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. © 2015-2019 by Riviera Press s.a.r.l.

riviera

press

Starter Business Center Immeuble «Thales A» 2000 Route des Lucioles 06410 Biot-Sophia-Antipolis info@riviera-press.fr www.riviera-press.fr/insider Riviera Press s.a.r.l. au capital de € 10 000 R.C.S. Antibes 812 415 552 SIRET 812 415 552 000 15 N° ISSN 2495-9839 Dépôt Légal à parution Printed by:

7, Heidelberg Str., Drujba 2 1582 Sofia, Bulgaria http://www.spektar.bg