PHILIPPE STARCK’S SURREAL MAISON HELER A HOUSE IN THE SKY
In the heart of Metz’s vibrant Amphithéâtre district stands a surreal structure that seems to have leapt from the pages of a dream: Maison Heler. Part of the Curio Collection by Hilton and designed by Philippe Starck, it’s both an architectural marvel and a poetic vision. The hotel features a classic 19th century Lorraine mansion seemingly balanced atop a monolithic concrete tower. “Maison Heler is a game on uprooted roots,” says Starck. “It’s a symbolic construction of Lorraine, a meeting of historical identities and a story suspended between earth and sky.”
Photography Julius Hirtzberger, courtesy Courtesy Maison Heler, Metz, France.
This page: The first hotel inspired by a poetic and surreal tale, Maison Heler by Philippe Starck, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, stands tall above the vibrant Amphithéâtre District of Metz.
“Manfred Heler has inherited his parents’ beautiful house. As an orphan, he finds himself all alone, in this mansion surrounded by a large park. Everything’s going well for him, until he starts to get bored. To cope with this boredom, he tries to invent everything. An extraordinarily rigorous and inventive man, he doesn’t necessarily succeed in everything he undertakes, but it’s always done with intelligence and poetry, guided by a naive desire to create meticulously at all costs… One day, Manfred is in his park. It’s springtime. He’s daydreaming in his armchair. Suddenly, the earth begins to tremble. He doesn’t understand what’s happening. He looks around and realizes, to his aghast, that he’s going up in the air, along with his park, his house and his armchair. He climbs and climbs and climbs, until the shaking stops. Then there’s silence. Manfred is high above the city. His house has been extruded: as if a cookie-cutter had arrived from below, cut off the earth’s cap and mounted it vertically.” Philippe Starck
The hotel’s story begins with a book. The Meticulous Life of Manfred Heler, a fictional tale conceived by Starck, tells of a solitary dreamer who inherits a grand home surrounded by parkland. In his idleness, he turns to invention, crafting impossible contraptions in his search for wonder, until one day, the house itself rises from the earth and floats into the air, suspended above the city. “One day,” Starck recounts, “the earth begins to tremble. He looks around and realises, to his aghast, that he’s going up in the air, along with his park, his house and his armchair. He climbs and climbs, until the shaking stops. Then there’s silence. His house has been extruded: as if a cookie-cutter had arrived from below and mounted it vertically.” This surreal vision inspired the concept for Maison Heler, bringing fiction to life.
The hotel’s nine-storey structure, topped with that whimsical house in the sky, is an extraordinary, surreal and literary work of living art, resonating with its iconic museum neighbour, the Centre Pompidou-Metz, creating a striking harmony with the museum’s modern design. Inside, Starck’s design conjures a narrative space that is refined and whimsical. The 104 rooms and suites, suspended between earth and air, follow what Starck calls “an almost Spartan spirit, stripped of any superficiality, where each material asserts its own colour:the white of cotton, the gray of concrete on the ceiling and walls.” Concrete ceilings, marble panels and mirrors form a restrained palette softened by plush carpets and supple leather chairs. Hidden within these clean lines, playful details appear, ancient coins, cryptic alphabets, and small inventions tucked like secrets waiting to be discovered.
Above: At Maison Heler, a monolithic 9-storey building is overlooked by a house with stunning views, whose architecture is reminiscent of 19th-century Metz mansions. Left: On the 9th floor, perched above and overlooking the city, La Maison de Manfred invites guests to gather in the family dining room.
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This page: La Maison de Manfred offers the setting of a dining room with an elegant and welcoming family spirit, thanks to natural wooden and leather furniture and warm lighting. For this unique space, the multidisciplinary artist Ara Starck has created 19 stained glass windows, including a monumental one that casts a cathedral-like radiance of colour, illuminating both the restaurant’s main hall and the city of Metz. “This stained glass invites one into the heart of a conceptual and habitable work of art. It creates the atmosphere and theatricalizes the space” says Ara Starck. “Historical and surrealist symbols of the city’s history are etched into it, the whole coming to life with the rhythm of the light.”
The atmosphere feels like stepping into a movie scene, as guests enter into the imaginative world of Manfred Heler. The corridors are lined with imagery from the French National Archives, evoking the eccentric inventor’s sketches, his Lunettes à Vision Coturne (Bypass-Vision Glasses) and Centrifugeuse à chagrins d’amour (The Broken Heart Centrifuge) among them, each a playful nod to the poetic absurdity that defines the project. “It’s the beauty of the human spirit to invent rightly or wrongly,” says Starck. That humour and tenderness permeate the interiors, transforming them into a kind of living museum of imagination.
At street level, La Cuisine de Rose brings another layer of fiction to life. Rose, Manfred’s idealised love, lends her name to this bright brasserie where everything “that comes from Rose is pink,” as Starck puts it. The white-walled space glows with blush tones, mirrored by cheerful seasonal dishes prepared from locally sourced produce. A giant origami aeroplane hovers overhead, while photographs of fanciful objects line the walls.
LA DOLCE VITA
in love and touches of pink
and photos of surprising, poetic inventions evoke memories of Manfred’s workshop.
Ascend to the ninth floor and La Maison de Manfred reveals itself like a secret attic room in the sky. With its warm timber, embossed leather and
bar. Furniture in carbon tones, a giant origami airplane
soft lighting, it recalls the family dining rooms of another century. Here, guests gather as if around Manfred’s own table, sharing convivial meals while gazing out over the city’s rooftops. Through 19 stained glass windows created by multidisciplinary artist Ara Starck, colour
spills across the room in changing patterns of light. “The stained glass invites one into the heart of a conceptual and habitable work of art,” she explains. “It creates the atmosphere and theatricalises the space, bringing to life the history and surrealist symbols of Metz.”
Above: La Cuisine de Rose is a charming and romantic brasserie. Rose is the ideal, imaginary love of Manfred Heler, and this ground-floor brasserie, is Manfred’s gift to Rose. Starck imagined La Cuisine de Rose as a charming white room enveloped
around its
hanging from the ceiling,
LA DOLCE VITA
From the street below, Maison Heler seems to defy gravity. Yet it is deeply grounded in its surroundings, blending seamlessly with Metz’s creative energy. It is a symbol of the past, present and future, united in a timeless
artistic statement, built in perfect symbiosis with the cultural, social, economic and environmental development of the neighbourhood.Philippe Starck has transformed an imaginary tale into a tangible experience, poetic architecture that invites travellers, locals and dreamers alike to step inside a story where design, literature and
emotion intertwine. As Starck himself says, Maison Heler is “a concept in which surrealistic, poetic and fantastic work crystallizes in matter.”
Maison Heler Metz, Curio Collection by Hilton, is located at 31 Rue Jacques Chirac, Metz, France–maisonhelermetz.com
This page: From the 2nd to the 8th floor, Maison Heler unveils its rooms and suites. 104 in total, spread across seven floors suspended between sky and earth. These are comfortable spaces, enriched by the sofness of plush carpets and the warmth of natural leather armchairs. Wrapped in functional elegance, the rooms and suites embody a form of refined luxury, characterized by expansive marble panels and sliding mirrors. The rooms invite dreams and inspiration, through fertile surprises and little mental games scattered about to awaken both the eyes and the mind. “An almost Spartan spirit,” says Starck, “stripped of any superficiality, where each material asserts its own colour: the white of cotton, the gray of concrete on the ceiling and walls.”
EU ECOLABEL
MALTA’S 2025 MICHELIN KEY HOTELS
THE ART OF THE STAY
The debut of the MICHELIN Keys in Malta marks an evolution in the island’s luxury offering. Six distinctive hotels, each defined by individuality, design, and service, are now part of an exclusive global collection that celebrates the artistry of hospitality at its most refined.
When the MICHELIN Keys were unveiled globally this October, Malta found itself firmly on the map of exceptional hospitality. In their debut year on the island, six Maltese hotels were recognised by the MICHELIN Guide for their distinctive character, design, and service, marking a new era for luxury travel in the Mediterranean. At the top of the list stands Iniala Harbour House & Residences in Valletta, awarded two MICHELIN Keys. Set across a series of restored townhouses overlooking the Grand Harbour, Iniala pairs
architectural craftsmanship with visionary design, complemented by its twoMICHELIN-starred restaurant, ION Harbour by Simon Rogan. Five other Maltese properties were each awarded one MICHELIN Key: The Xara Palace Relais & Châteaux in Mdina, Rosselli –AX Privilege and Domus Zamittello in Valletta, The Phoenicia in Floriana, and Lure Hotel & Spa in Mellieħa. Together they showcase the diversity of the island’s hospitality, from baroque grandeur and boutique intimacy to contemporary coastal calm. MICHELIN Keys are the hotel counterpart to the MICHELIN Stars, recognising establishments that excel across five universal criteria: “excellence in
architecture and interior design, quality and consistency of service, overall personality and character, value for the price, and a significant contribution to the neighbourhood or setting.”For the first time, the awards were announced simultaneously across continents, encompassing hotels in 100 countries, from desert tents to urban towers, underlining the global shift towards personality-driven travel experiences. For Malta, each Key-honoured property reflects a thoughtful blend of heritage and innovation, the essence of what modern travellers seek. According to MICHELIN Inspectors, “There has never been a better time for hotels,” and Malta’s selection reflects the island’s continued refinement of the art of welcome.
Above left: THE XARA PALACE RELAIS & CHÂTEAUX. A refined five-star hideaway in a 17th-century palazzo. Photo Nolwenn Pernin, courtesy The Xara Palace Relais & Châteaux. Above right: INIALA HARBOUR HOUSE AND RESIDENCES. Gallarija Grand Residence, open plan living and bar area. Photo courtesy Iniala Harbour House and Residences.
THE XARA PALACE RELAIS & CHÂTEAUX
A MOMENT IN TIME
Perched within the fortified walls of Mdina, The Xara Palace Relais & Châteaux captures the essence of Maltese nobility reimagined for the modern traveller, where art, architecture, and refined hospitality converge in one of the island’s most distinguished addresses, now honoured with a prestigious Michelin Key.
Photography this page and overleaf Nolwenn Pernin, courtesy The Xara Palace Relais & Châteaux.
The Xara Palace Relais & Châteaux, opened in 1999, is inextricably linked to the history of Mdina, its walls forming part of the bastions that surround the city. Upon their arrival in Malta, the Knights of St John were granted Citta Notabile, (Noble City) as Mdina was then known. Originally built as a residence for the noble family Moscati Parisio,the 17th-century palazzo has beenmeticulously and sensitively restored over the years to capture the grace of its baroque origins, and turned into a refined five-star hideaway. Seventeen individually designed rooms and suites reveal a dialogue between eras. Inside, antique furniture and paintings,offset by luxurious Parisian fabrics and king-size beds, blend the elegance of a noble residence infused with modern touches, creating a balance between old-world charm and contemporary comfort.
This October, The Xara Palace proudly became one of the first hotels on the island to earn a prestigious Michelin Key, adding a fresh chapter to its rich history.
Owned by the Zammit Tabona family and part of The Xara Collection, it anchors a portfolio that includes two Michelin-starred restaurants, Michelin-recommended venues, and now, a Michelin Key property. Within its walls lies De Mondion, the Michelin-starred restaurant, where fine dining unfolds against a panoramic backdrop of the island, while Trattoria AD 1530 offers a more relaxed dining experience.
INIALA HARBOUR HOUSE AND RESIDENCES
BAROQUE ARCHITECTURE, CONTEMPORARY DESIGN
Set across restored townhouses overlooking Valletta’s Grand Harbour, Iniala Harbour House and Residences brings together architecture, art and gastronomy in a seamless expression of modern Maltese luxury.
The country’s first hotel to receive two Michelin Keys, it embodies design excellence in every detail.
Photography this page and overleaf courtesy Iniala Harbour House and Residences.
Perched above the iconic St. Barbara Bastion, overlooking Valletta’s Grand Harbour, Iniala Harbour House and Residences earned Malta’s first two Michelin Keys this October, positioningthe hotel at the
forefront of the islands’ evolving luxury landscape. Housed within a series of restored townhouses and palazzos, with original vaults dating back to the 1600s,it embodies the charm of Maltese heritage reinterpreted through a lens of international design. Each of the buildings has been
transformed by a trio of celebrated studios, Autoban from Istanbul, A-cero from Madrid, and Malta’s own DAAA Haus, into a collection of spaces that merge sculptural modernity with the patina of history, with interiors that are at once intimate and boldly contemporary, offering residential comfort with cinematic finesse.
Top: Inside The Grand Residences. Above left: Gallarija Grand Residence featuring open balcony. Above right: Essensi Spa.
Triq L-Imdina, Zone 1, Central Business District, Birkirkara | T. 2546 4172 Triq L-Imġarr, Għajnsielem, Gozo | T. 2546 4152
At the rooftop, ION Harbour by Simon Rogan, Malta’s only two Michelin-starred restaurant, carries the same philosophy of refinement.Under the direction of Chef Rogan,the restaurant champions a distinct farm-to-table philosophy, creating dishes
that express the island’s micro-seasons with clarity and imagination.
“The two Michelin Keys recognise the dedication of our team, architects and designers in creating a truly world-class hotel,” says Mark Weingard, Founder of the Iniala Group. “Next year, we will be taking Iniala Harbour House and Residences to an even higher level with the opening of 19
new suites, two new dining concepts and the Iniala Club, which will include an expanded fitness studio, a longevity centre, and an open-air pool overlooking the Grand Harbour. At Iniala, we continuously strive for exceptionalism, and my incredible team will not rest until we achieve three Michelin Keys to place alongside our Forbes Five Stars.”
Above: Grand Residence Lounge. Far left: Iniala Breakfast Club, terrace area. Left: Superior Grand Harbour View Suite.
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INVESTING IN TOMORROW’S MALTA
A BUDGET FOR SUSTAINABLE AND QUALITY TOURISM
This year’s Budget places sustainable and quality tourism at the heart of Malta’s economic strategy, ensuring that every euro spent continues to deliver long-term value for our country, our people, and our visitors. The Budget reinforces a clear message: Malta’s tourism success is not measured by the number of arrivals alone, but by the economic return and sustainability that tourism generates, writes Ian Borg, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism.
Main photo David Alfons. Portrait courtesy Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism.
Recent figures confirm the strength of this approach.
Between January and September 2025, inbound tourists spent €476.7 million more than in the same period last year, an 18.7% increase in visitor expenditure. These results prove that Malta’s investment in higher-end tourism is producing solid economic growth while maintaining a sustainable balance between our economy, our communities, and our environment.
The 2026 Budget builds on this momentum by redirecting resources towards value-driven tourism, rewarding quality and responsibility rather than quantity. It supports the Malta Tourism Strategy 20212030, which ensures that each investment, from marketing to infrastructure, strengthens the tourism product and improves the lives of Maltese residents.
A key fiscal measure in this year’s Budget is the eco-contribution tax, which has been increased from €0.50 to €1.50 per night. This reform ensures that the funding of environmental and infrastructural projects is supported by our visitors, who are key beneficiaries. The first project to benefit from this reinvestment will be the regeneration of Paceville, aimed at improving the area’s overall quality and appeal.
Over the past years, the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) has directed significant funding towards upgrading Malta’s urban, coastal, and cultural assets - investments that continue to yield long-term returns. Projects such as the regeneration of the Blue Lagoon in Comino, the restoration of Saint Thomas Tower in Marsascala into a piracy museum, and revitalisation initiatives in Vittoriosa, Rabat, and Buġibba are all examples of how public funds are being used responsibly to safeguard heritage while creating new tourism and economic opportunities.
The Budget also supports strategic investment in new and long-haul markets, including North America, Asia, and Australia. This diversification of funding ensures Malta remains competitive and visible on the global stage. In fact, non-EU inbound passengers increased by 17.9% between January and September 2025, clear evidence that our targeted marketing spending is delivering results.
Malta’s growing visibility is being further enhanced through publicprivate investment partnerships with leading international platforms such as TravelZoo, Expedia, Skyscanner, and Disney+, as well as through large-scale digital campaigns in cities like Tokyo, Seoul, Dubai, and New York. The announcement of direct flights between Malta and New York, supported by the opening of the new Visit Malta
Ioffice in New York, represents another sound investment in connecting Malta to high-value markets.
These financial and strategic commitments not only attract higherspending travellers but also address seasonality by sustaining tourism throughout the year. Events such as the Malta International Fireworks Festival in April and Fairyland in December demonstrate how budget allocation supports experiences that generate economic activity beyond the traditional summer months.
n parallel, new reforms to the tourism accommodation framework will ensure that growth in the sector remains sustainable and consistent with Malta’s quality-driven vision. The government is proposing to remove the policy that allows hotels to exceed local height limits, restoring a fair and balanced approach to development across localities. New hotels will also be capped at 200 rooms, guesthouses at 20 rooms (40 beds), and hostels at 40 beds - a change designed to encourage investment in quality rather than scale. These reforms are being issued for a 30-day public consultation period, ensuring that all stakeholders have the opportunity to contribute in this process. The Government is looking forward to hearing the views of residents, industry representatives, and local councils to ensure these measures truly reflect a shared vision for Malta’s tourism future.
Additionally, reforms to short-let accommodation will introduce a three-month "cooling-off" period before converting long-lets to tourist use, while requiring owners to display their contact details and MTA licence number visibly on-site. These measures strengthen transparency, accountability, and community harmony, ensuring that tourism growth complements rather than overwhelms residential life.
All these initiatives reflect a single fiscal and strategic philosophy: every euro spent on tourism must deliver measurable value, whether through stronger local economies, enhanced cultural preservation, or improved visitor satisfaction.
As we move forward, the Ministry and the Malta Tourism Authority will continue ensuring that public investment in tourism remains sustainable, accountable, and growth-oriented - protecting what makes Malta unique while ensuring that our tourism industry continues to generate long-term economic and social benefits for all.
THE 46TH ROLEX MIDDLE SEA RACE
SAILING THE EDGE OF ENDURANCE
Few events in the sailing world are as thrilling as the start of the Rolex Middle Sea Race. Set against the imposing backdrop of Valletta’s Grand Harbour, cannon fire from the Saluting Battery reverberated off the limestone walls as 117 yachts slipped past Fort St Angelo and into open water this October, launching the 46th edition of the 606-nautical-mile course that loops around Sicily, skirts the Aeolian Islands, and weaves back through the Comino Channel to finish in Marsamxett Harbour.
This year’s fleet, organized by the Royal Malta Yacht Club and partnered with Rolex since 2002, faced one of the most tactically challenging editions in recent memory. Out of 117 starters, an impressive 110 reached the finish line, showing remarkable endurance and composure
through shifting winds and heavy rain. For Maltese sailor Seb Ripard, calling in from the north of Sicily, just to the west of Alicudi, on the Farr 30 Calypso, it was all about patience and perspective. “It’s been a slow but beautiful 24 hours for Calypso. We’re the smallest boat in the fleet, just 30 feet, so patience is definitely part of the game,” he said. “North of Sicily, the breeze has been light and fickle, and at times we’ve just had to coax every
ounce of speed from the sails. It’s the kind of race where you need to keep your sense of humour and stay positive.”
Ripard, racing with friends he has known since school, described the atmosphere on board as one of camaraderie and good spirit. “We’re all Maltese, so racing home waters in an international fleet like this means a lot. It’s about friendship, teamwork, and just enjoying the challenge together.”
This page: 46th Rolex Middle Sea Race Start.
Above: BLACK JACK 100, Sail No: 525100, LOA: 30.48, Design: Reichel/Pugh 30.5, 2005, Skippers: Tristan Le Brun & Jelmer Van Beek, Owner: Remon Vos, Country: Monaco. BALTHASAR (left), Sail No: MLT5, LOA: 21.96, Design: Maxi 72 Mills, 2013, Skippers: Louis Balcaen, Owner: Filip Balcaen, Country: Malta.
The complex weather across the course demanded strategic dexterity from even the most seasoned crews. For Balthasar, a Mill/Maxi 72 skippered by Louis Balcaen, victory came through bold decision-making and steady confidence. Despite being forced to retire from the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup six weeks earlier, Balthasar returned to win the race overall under IRC, also claiming the Boccale del Mediterraneo Trophy under ORC. “Winning the Rolex Middle Sea Race is one of the highlights of my sailing career,” said Balcaen. “It is the kind of result you dream about but you also know how hard it is to align the boat, the crew, the weather, all of the decisions. Everything needs to be perfect. I want to dedicate this victory to the team. We have been sailing together for ten years through the ups and the downs and this makes it extra special. We stayed calm and collected during the tough moments and above all, we enjoyed every mile of it.”
Tactician Bouwe Bekking attributed their win to consistency and trust, pointing out that many crew members had already sailed together in round-the-world races. Their decisive choices, first to go north of the rhumb line early, and later to hug the Tunisian coast, proved race-defining. In the battle for line honours, the Reichel/Pugh 100 Black Jack 100, owned by Remon Vos, delivered a nearflawless performance to finish in 65 hours and 44
minutes. The team avenged last year’s narrow loss to Scallywag 100 and built upon a strong season that included line honours at the Rolex Fastnet Race. “This result has a deep feeling of accomplishment,” said skipper Tristan Le Brun. “It is a challenge to run these boats. Our team trained very well, we were meticulous in our approach, and every result this season reflects that preparation.” Vos echoed the sentiment: “Winning line honours at the Rolex Middle Sea Race is very special. It’s an inspiring race that gives you a certain energy and perspective.”
Other category winners included Lunatika –Sun Fast 3600, Guido Baroni & Alessandro Miglietti, Double-Handed Winner IRC, and Allegra, Adrien Keller’s Irens 84, which won the Multihull Class under MOCRA.
Among those who have seen the race evolve from its early days is Maltese sailor Christian Ripard, sailing on Artie III, who completed his 35th edition this year. His
family has been part of the event since its inception in 1968. “It remains a very tactical race and you need some good fortune in putting yourself in the right position on the race course. Like a bungee effect, you can run away from your opponents and then you round a corner and everyone comes back again. That is the challenge of this race. I am 64 now and I still love it – the competitiveness, the excitement, the danger. It is my passion. I was born into a family of sailors and this is what we like to do.”
Above: Race course. FINAL FINAL, Sail No: USA60564, LOA: 15.85, Design: TP 52 J/V PAC52, 2015, Skippers: Russell Whitworth, Owner: Jon Desmond, Country: United States
From Balthasar’s precision and Black Jack 100’s sheer power to the determination of smaller yachts fighting through light winds, the 46th Rolex Middle Sea Race once again proved why it’s one of the great offshore challenges and a true celebration of endurance, skill, and the shared passion for the open sea. At the final prizegiving, Royal Malta Yacht Club Commodore Mark Napier praised the fleet for its
talent and sportsmanship, noting the thrilling tactical battles that saw positions change right up to the finish. “The competition was fierce, and the spirit of sportsmanship was evident throughout,” he said. “In sailing, as in life, it is not just about winning. It’s about the journey. It’s about the challenges overcome, the lessons learned and the friendships forged along the way.”
The 47th Rolex Middle Sea Race will start on Saturday, 17th October 2026.
“I say unto you: one must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.” Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra
A LOOK AT CHANEL CUIR DE RUSSIE LES EXCLUSIFS DE CHANEL EAU DE PARFUM
The world is communion. Physically everything around us is intimately connected to everything within us. And whether up close and personal, or far apart and at a distance; there is not much that differentiates between the two; not much that distinguishes the material within from without. What can be divisible and what cannot be, is not that simple and quite arbitrarily differentiated, so as to define one being from another; one being as separate from all others; one being from the being of the world, writes Kris Bonavita.
Photography Sean Gabriel Ellul.
You would think this was just a philosophical question or conundrum, but it extends to the physical without needing to transcend. And of course it extends to the existential. Life and being are arbitrarily differentiated and secluded as belonging to me, isolated from others. But there is no easy proof of such an anomalous sovereignty of being, even if we would like to think so; as we identify ourselves as sovereign, separate and self-defining; self-fulfilling creatures with a will and mind and identity or persona of one’s own.
Through space and time we come along in one extended loop or continuum, evolved or generated through involution, creation or discovery. All we can lay claim to is an illusion of separateness, an illusion of finitude of ourselves. Limitations and parameters of being; having started at birth or conception and ending in what we see as death we vicariously experience through others. But per se, in and of itself, these are assumptions based on no recollection, no knowledge, lack of evidence; to the contrary, no experience, sensibility or senses of the beyond; no means of knowing or understanding. An unfathomable ratio of dimensionality, beyond our capacity as living creatures in a seemingly infinite world; and no, not the universe talking to itself, nothing so splendid or poetic; just glimmers and anomalies of fused sparks of enlightenment and cohesive order within so much that can easily be misunderstood, misconstrued, beyond our limits of comprehension or being.
Immanently nothing really is our own. And what is, is very much part of what is around us. And what is around us is very much part and parcel of who and what we are or think we are. It is all we breathe, eat, see, perceive. Every sense is informed by the world as context, but equally formed by the world as a way of being. We are a way or modality of being, a sum of
worldly parts; where the world is a sum of ways of being, a sum of worldly constituted beings. But the difference between the two is almost just academic.
Transcendentally this does not make any sense at all; nothing is us and all that is, is not us at all. Our being is bereft of parts, bereft of worldliness, we are asunder, adrift, a legion unto ourselves. And within that scope, we intend to not just survive but overcome the world, even its limits; not just technologically or materially, but we opine for being spirit; other worlds not of this world; not contained by finite ends, frayed edges and small pieces.
The world is communion because it stretches out to us. It is indeed inseparable from us; it pervades our space regardless of any or all spirituality. Regardless of belief; it provides context to our fears, substance to our desires, openings to our wishes, room for manoeuvre, ever so subtly to dream, conquer, divide, create or multiply. But it also draws ends, draws down curtains, sizes up measurements, which are meaningless in the context of a boundless infinity.
And within that setting, we are called to be kind to strangers, not for any ulterior motives but as a definition of being. As a substance to our thoughts, weight to our words and sense of self. In a world hostile, benign or indifferent; we are called to blindly offer a helping hand, for per se, if we cannot transgress, if we cannot scandalize by offering a sense of worth better than the material, the weight of our atoms; than what do we have to offer? What response to worldliness do we have? How can we claim anything noble or ennobling? How can we lay claims to the transcendental, if we cannot even do small things at hardly any cost? We are atoms held in abeyance on borrowed time in rented space, that is how far our claim to being is. We are an existential anomaly, one with shallow claims, small ideas, and we think we have power. Yes we do, to do small things well. As for the rest, forget about it, we are clumsy with unicorns.
Facing page: In 1920, Grand Duke Dimitri went into exile from Russia to Paris, carrying with him visions of the white steppe, luxurious furs, and flowing crinolines. Enchanted by Byzantine splendor, Gabrielle Chanel infused her designs with folk motifs and golden embroidery. CUIR DE RUSSIE captures this Slavic essence, blending smoky wood with a warm, sensual allure, leaving an elegant and refined impression.
“Si nos pensées ne sont que fantaisies, cette fantaisie trouve, grâce au talent du parfumeur, une possibilité de réalisation; ces pensées d’ailleurs sont forcément influencées par le milieu où nous avons vécu, par nos lectures, et nos artistes préférés.”
“If our thoughts are merely fantasies, this fantasy finds, thanks to the perfumer’s talent, a possibility of realization; these thoughts are, moreover, necessarily influenced by the environment in which we have lived, by our reading, and our favourite artists.”
ERNEST BEAUX, SOUVENIRS D’UN PARFUMEUR
“My whole life has been pledged to this meeting with you...”
ALEXANDER PUSHKIN
CHANEL
CUIR DE RUSSIE LES EXCLUSIFS DE CHANEL Eau de Parfum
CUIR DE RUSSIE, one of the most striking fragrances in the LES EXCLUSIFS DE CHANEL collection, captures the romance, refinement, and defiant spirit that shaped both Gabrielle Chanel and the age she defined. Created by Ernest Beaux, the visionary perfumer behind N°5, this composition is steeped in memory and myth, a scent that speaks of exiled nobility, smoke-filled salons, and the elegance of old leather softened by jasmine and ambered warmth. The story begins in Paris in the early 1920s, when Coco Chanel met Russian Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, cousin to Tsar Nicholas II. Escaping the upheaval of revolution, he arrived in the French capital with the remnants of his world, imperial grace, military discipline, and an aura of melancholy grandeur. Chanel, already celebrated for her modernist designs and clean lines, was captivated. Their relationship sparked not only a personal passion but also a wave of creativity reflected in her work, her social circle, and ultimately, her perfumes. Surrounded by the Russian émigré elite, Stravinsky, Diaghilev, Lifar, she absorbed the influence of their art and spirit, weaving it into her own visual and olfactory creations.
CUIR DE RUSSIE was born from this encounter between East and West, blending opulence and restraint. It was the Grand Duke who introduced Chanel to Ernest Beaux, a perfumer of rare genius. Together, they created fragrance that captured the essence of saddle leather, tobacco smoke, and the rustle of silk gowns, a scent that carried the echo of a vanished world. Its name, literally "Russian Leather," evokes both the tanned hides of Cossack boots and the nostalgia of an empire in exile.
At first breath, CUIR DE RUSSIE opens with the crystalline aldehydic shimmer that marks CHANEL’s most refined creations. The bright, effervescent opening brings to mind the champagne-like glow of N°5, but it soon gives way to something darker and more intimate. Hints of rose, jasmine,
and ylang-ylang weave through the composition like the embroidery on a Byzantine robe, their nectar-like sweetness lending warmth to the crisp, dry start. Then, as the perfume evolves, the leather emerges, supple yet commanding, burnished with birch tar and soft tobacco. Iris lends an icy elegance that balances the animalic richness beneath, while amber and myrrh add a resinous depth, like the lingering scent of a distant fire nestled in luxurious fabric.
The result is androgynous and captivating. There is power here, but also tenderness; austerity shot through with sensual glow. The balance of opposites, floral and leathery, airy and earthy, gives CUIR DE RUSSIE its extraordinary elegance. It feels as though one could be wearing history itself, the scent of memory and transformation.
Within the LES EXCLUSIFS DE CHANEL collection, CUIR DE RUSSIE holds a place of distinction. The 19 fragrances in the line are conceived as portraits of CHANEL’s spirit, each one an olfactory reflection of a facet of Mademoiselle’s temperament: audacity, freedom, clarity, rebellion, grace. Together, they create a personal, scented narrative of the House, a reflection of identity that is timeless, fluid, and deeply individual.
In CUIR DE RUSSIE, that identity finds its most aristocratic form. It captures Chanel’s fascination with culture and contradiction, her ability to translate emotion into style. The fragrance evokes a sense of travel and transformation, the journey of trains across snowy landscapes, velvet-lined trunks, and Parisian ateliers. It tells the story of a woman who knew that beauty often arises from tension. With its soft amber glow and smoky leather undertones, the scent feels both intimate and infinite, a portrait of elegance that endures long after the final note fades. A masterpiece of perfumery, CUIR DE RUSSIE is a scent of power and sophisticated nostalgia, part of the enduring story of LES EXCLUSIFS DE CHANEL, and of the woman who changed the language of style forever.
CHANEL is distributed by Alfred Gera & Sons Ltd.
LES EXCLUSIFS DE CHANEL fragrances for women and men evoke various chapters of Mademoiselle’s story. Discover LES EXCLUSIFS DE CHANEL exclusively at CHANEL Fragrance and Beauty Boutiques, and online at chanel.com
Facing page: CUIR DE RUSSIE is one of the 19 Eau de Parfum in the LES EXCLUSIFS DE CHANEL collection. Each fragrance in this series reflects the House’s history, capturing a unique characteristic and creating an olfactory portrait.
HOLIDAY 2025 MAKEUP COLLECTION
In the depths of night, the stars shine high in the heavens – glowing orange bursts of light. Superstitious by nature, Gabrielle Chanel loved to observe the cosmos and trusted in this star-strewn immensity. For the 2025 festive season, the CHANEL Makeup Creation Studio and Cécile Paravina, a member of the COMETES COLLECTIVE, celebrate the beauty and duality of this vast expanse. Exploring the contrasts of a flamboyant sky, the HOLIDAY 2025 makeup collection tells the story of a year drawing to a close, only to be reborn. Mademoiselle’s five cherished talismans, iconic symbols of the CHANEL galaxy, orbit within the unique universe created by Cécile Paravina. The lion, the comet, the camellia, stalks of wheat, and pearls all appear in shimmering shades, infusing the scene with mysterious power. The complexion, eyes and lips are adorned with magnetic glints to celebrate the year’s end, right through to the break of dawn.
Photography courtesy CHANEL.
A CONSTELLATION OF LIGHT
Inspired by the incomparable radiance of the stars, LES SIGNES DE CHANEL, duos of blush and highlighter powders, cloak the complexion in soft reflections with a satiny finish. Rose Lumière explores the luminous tones of a soft blueish pink paired with a white pearly pink highlighter, while Pêche Lumière reveals orangewood hues enhanced by a white pearly gold highlighter.
STAR GAZE
A nod to the enigmatic hues that colour the night, the iconic LES 4 OMBRES palette has been reimagined as LES 4 OMBRES Nuit Astrale, which reveals a harmony of cosmic and celestial shades embellished with CHANEL’s five astral symbols. A silvertoned deep purple shimmer, a blue shimmer highlighter, a matte blueish grey and a satin lavender are elevated by the radiance of a shimmery aqua blue highlighter. Two new shades of LE LINER DE CHANEL, Flamboyant – a metallized orange, and Écarlate –a metallized red, invite you to trace metallized orange or red curves along the lash line, like the trail of a shooting star. The exploration of cosmic colours continues with NOIR ALLURE, a dark blueish grey mascara that further enhances the gaze.
RED METEORITES
Reimagined as a limited edition, ROUGE ALLURE VELVET dresses the lips in sparkling reflections. With its ultra comfortable, second-skin texture, the luminous matte lipstick is housed in its iconic case emblazoned with a radiant double C. This glowing halo beautifully houses two
signature shades: Abstrait, an intense rosewood, and Rouge Vie, a redwood. For lips with a pearlescent look, ROUGE ALLURE LAQUE debuts two exclusive new shades: Incandescent, a pearly pink blue magenta red with volcanic undertones that draw inspiration from the fiery paths of meteors, and Nébuleuse, a pearly crimson purple that recalls the hypnotic hues that colour the cosmos.
FIRE OR ICE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
This holiday season, discover two new shades of LE VERNIS: Cosmique, a slate blue lacquer, or Alchimiste, a metallized orange – shades that light up the nails.
This year’s 2025 edition of the Premju Emanuele Luigi Galizia brought together Malta’s leading architects and engineers in a week-long celebration of design excellence, thoughtfulness, and civic purpose. Organised by the Kamra tal-Periti, the national Chamber for Architects and Civil Engineers, the awards honour those shaping Malta’s built environment with creativity, rigour, and an awareness of heritage and place.
Photography courtesy Kamra tal-Periti / Premju Emanuele Luigi Galizia.
Named after one of Malta’s most influential figures in the history of the profession, the Premju has, since its inception in 2018, become the country’s foremost platform for recognising architectural quality and impact. This year’s edition focused on built work completed within the past five years, exploring the nation’s evolving relationship with housing, sustainability, heritage, and the public realm.
In a first for the awards, the Kamra talPeriti appointed I+A as Artistic
Directors, and tasked the studio with curating the visual identity and conceptual direction of the event. Perit Joeaby Vassallo, Director and Co-founder at I+A, described the process as both introspective and forward-looking.
“Premju Galizia is one of the only opportunities for us Periti to be appraised and celebrated by those who understand the real complexity of our work.”The curatorial question, “What would Galizia do?”, served as the guiding principle for the international jury in assessing the projects’ alignment with the values of Emanuele Luigi Galizia and the enduring importance of design integrity.
During the ceremony, Kamra tal-Periti President Perit
André Pizzuto called for “a prioritisation of design quality and respect towards the role of Periti in shaping the built environment,” underscoring the need for reform in planning systems that often privilege expedience over excellence. He reflected on this year’s theme, legacy, noting that it is “both what we inherit and what we leave
behind,” and that the decisions made today will define Malta’s architectural future.
Among this year’s honourees, Valentino Architects stood out for their remarkable consistency, receiving the President’s Award for their body of work across several categories. Their Dar iċ-Ċitru won the Single Dwelling Design Award, while their VIP Terminal secured the Hospitality Design Award. The Adaptive Renovation Award went to Teatru Salesjan by Chris Briffa Architects, who also received the Unbuilt Projects Award for Forgotten Stories.
Architect’s Workshop by MODEL Architects received the Workplace Design Award, while the Engineering Innovation Award was awared to the Sustainable Living Complex by QP. EBEJER BONNICI was named Emerging Practice of the Year.
The Architecture Leadership Award was presented to Ms Simone Mizzi for her decades of stewardship and advocacy in heritage and architecture, while Perit Vincent Cassar received the Lifetime Achievement Award, honouring his lifelong contribution to Malta’s architectural landscape.
ADAPTIVE RENOVATION AWARD WINNER PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
TEATRU SALESJAN, SLIEMA
Lead Perit/i: Chris Briffa Architects
From its inception, Teatru Salesjan served as a social hub in Sliema, hosting philanthropic events and theatrical societies. However, advancements in technical and theatrical infrastructure eventually made it difficult to accommodate modern productions. This led to missed opportunities for shows, putting the theatre at risk of becoming outdated and financially unsustainable, a fate that has unfortunately claimed many community theatres on the island. The revitalization plan aimed to integrate contemporary thermal comfort and acoustics, alongside redesigning key theatrical elements such as the apron, orchestra pit, and fly loft, with the goal of strengthening connections between the building, its urban surroundings, and the local community.
Teatru Salesjan’s refurbishment project (completed in 2024) sought to preserve its historical charm while addressing modern needs, making it a contender for the Adaptive Renovation Award. By carefully respecting the building’s original architecture –restoring significant features such as the ornate detailing, the Giuseppe Calí fresco, stage layout, and distinctive spatial configuration, the project celebrates the theatre’s rich heritage.
At the same time, it thoughtfully incorporates modern interventions to ensure continued functionality and relevance, including enhanced lighting, improved acoustics, HVAC systems, and upgraded safety measures, all designed to be completely reversible.This sensitive fusion of old and new not only protects the cultural and historical essence of Teatru Salesjan but also breathes new life into it as a lively community hub for the performing arts.
The meticulous restoration and adaptive reuse approach, focusing on authenticity, sustainability, and durability, demonstrates that historic buildings can evolve over time while maintaining their heritage value.
SINGLE DWELLING DESIGN AWARD
WINNER PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
DAR IC-CITRU, ZEBBUG
Located in the urban conservation area of Ħaż-Żebbuġ, Dar IċĊitru transforms a traditional Maltese townhouse with thoughtful internal redesigns and a modern extension. The design strikes a balance between preserving heritage and introducing architectural creativity, with a mature citrus garden taking centre stage in the home’s experience.
The property connects two streets: one at the front and a discreet garden entrance at the back. Like its neighbouring houses, it belongs to a larger green enclave of expansive gardens bordered by tall rubble walls, forming the town’s green heart. This setting, along with the family’s need for more space, inspired the project’s design approach.
Before the renovation, the house felt disjointed. The entrance block, which contained a study, the only ground-floor w/c, and the stairs to the upstairs bedrooms, was entirely separate from the living block, requiring a trip through an outdoor courtyard to move between them. The redesign addressed this by linking the two blocks with a new passageway, enhancing light, ventilation, and overall flow.
“We kept postponing getting the corridor done for years, until my husband and I had a vision, and chose to do it entirely ourselves. It’s quite a long corridor, but this colour choice coupled with the panelling makes it a lot warmer and more inviting. At first we only painted one side, but once it was done we loved the grey so much that we decided to paint the other side too.
Daphne Cassar Genovese
SIGMA VOICE OF COLOUR: LONGFUL GRAY
The spacious rear garden, positioned about a metre below the interior floor level, was disconnected from the house. This lush citrus garden, characteristic of the Ħaż-Żebbuġ Urban Conservation Area, became the centrepiece of the project. A new living area was added within the garden, featuring a lightweight, glass-enclosed structure raised on stilts. This elevated design preserves the garden’s natural state, allowing greenery and landscaping to thrive untouched.
The glazed extension acts as a contrast to the solid historic building, with its transparency keeping the original stone walls visually prominent and ensuring the historic character stays in focus. By simplifying both material and form, the new structure highlights the old, emphasizing its texture, proportions, and enduring presence.
Inspired by Philip Johnson’s Glass House but adapted for a Mediterranean setting, the extension responds to the local climate and surroundings. The large windows are shaded by the house’s stone walls and the extension’s deep overhang, while sliding doors allow natural ventilation into the old home. Inside, the new space feels connected to the garden, with framed views, soft light, and a simple palette of timber, linen, and concrete creating a serene atmosphere.
Foundation pads were placed on rock and hidden beneath the soil, preserving the garden’s integrity. A large well found on-site was restored to harvest rainwater, now providing irrigation for the expansive garden and ensuring its sustainability. Dar iċ-Ċitru blends seamlessly into its surroundings, enhancing the connection between home and garden while uniting old and new, interior and exterior. The project turns a previously fragmented dwelling into a harmonious, reflective space that celebrates heritage and nature at the heart of family life.
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WORKPLACE DESIGN AWARD WINNER PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
ARCHITECT’S WORKSHOP, MARSA
Lead Perit/i: MODEL Architects
An architecture studio has transformed a former carpenter’s warehouse in Marsa into an open-plan office inspired by Maltese vernacular architecture. Originally built as a farmhouse for animals, the building later served as a carpenter’s workshop before being abandoned.From the street, a modest traditional Maltese door blends into the streetscape. Inside a whitewashed entrance corridor offers glimpses of an office and a hidden garden. The workspace consists of a large central room and three smaller interconnected rooms, all engaging with a Mediterranean garden that stretches alongside them. The main office, once the carpenter’s workshop, now features a long communal table at its heart, reflecting the studio’s collaborative and nonhierarchical approach.
The building’s history is celebrated and embraced, with its original concrete floors preserved and polished, while old carpentry machinery has been repurposed into furniture for the new office. The garden serves as the building’s lung, offering fresh air and natural light to workspaces. Within the garden, a terracottacoloured structure houses restrooms and storage, while benches made from upcycled Maltese building elements are scattered throughout. The garden is a daily hub for lunch breaks and team events, central to office life.
The project’s approach is simple: removing later additions to restore spatial clarity, whitewashing rooms to reduce visual noise, and bringing back the garden. The building has always been a workspace, and this new chapter is no different. This transformation highlights how improvements often come not from grand additions, but from thoughtful subtractions and preservation of what already exists.
Just steps from the runway, the new VIP Terminal at Malta International Airport offers a refined alternative to the main terminal experience, designed to be calm, efficient, and purposeful. With its own access and full concierge service, the terminal lets travellers skip standard airport procedures for a quieter, more personalized journey.
The VIP terminal has operated as a separate building with two wings: the west wing for Commercially Important Persons (CIP) and the east for Ministerial and Diplomatic use. The project involved demolishing and rebuilding the CIP terminal to increase capacity while preserving the east wing.
Lead Perit/i: Valentino Architects
The original stone structure of the CIP terminal was dismantled with care, with its limestone blocks salvaged, cut, and reworked to expose fresh surfaces. Each piece was hand-chiseled using the traditional ‘mannarett’ chisel, a tool long used by Maltese stoneworkers. This process gave the building a vibrant, textured stone façade while minimizing the environmental impact of using new materials.
Recycled stone took centre stage in the building’s design, showcasing how Malta’s valuable stone, often discarded during demolition, can be transformed to meet the demands of a high-end architectural project. This approach is both sustainable and cultural, preserving the material memory of the old terminal within the new one.
The design followed two main goals: first, to create a strong sense of place, ensuring travellers know they’ve arrived in Malta, not through obvious symbols, but through the ambiance, proportions, and materials of the spaces. Second, to ensure the new building complements the retained east wing, standing out while harmonizing alongside it.
The architecture is intentionally simple, featuring thick stone walls, rough plaster, and soft, filtered daylight. These materials aren’t generic luxuries but are authentically Maltese: sun-bleached, tactile, and timeless. The limestone walls at ground level anchor the terminal the island’s architectural heritage, while the white plastered upper volume contrasts with the stone, providing a sense of calm and shelter within the spaces below.
Inside, the design balances openness with privacy. The ground floor hosts a spacious main lounge filled with natural light, while the first floor offers cozy suites with private terraces overlooking the runway. Above it all, a clean, uncluttered roof holds a large solar array that supplies a significant portion of the terminal’s energy needs. What makes this terminal unique is its deep connection to its surroundings. Instead of relying on imported materials or flashy designs, it delivers something quieter and more lasting: a modern take on Maltese identity, built on craftsmanship, care, and permanence.
The Sustainable Living Complex is a bold vision of how engineering innovation can shape Malta’s future buildings. Designed as a hub for collaboration, SLC combines advanced structures, sustainable practices, and cutting-edge research facilities into one cohesive design, setting a national example for resource-efficient, high-performance architecture. Located along the University Ring Road, it showcases how engineering can promote resilience, sustainability, and public benefit. By merging innovative computational techniques with traditional methods, it offers a smart structural response to a multi-use site. The project delivers state-of-the-art research laboratories, workshops, and teaching spaces while serving as a testbed for innovative technologies in resource efficiency, aviation, aerospace, and maritime studies. With engineering innovation at its core, SLC serves as both a knowledge hub and a community asset, enhancing campus life and beyond. Combining sustainability, resilience, and research, it delivers solutions that improve the experience for students and lecturers alike.
Founded in 2021 by Karl Ebejer and Anthony Bonnici, EBEJER BONNICI is a Malta-based architectural studio focused on exploring new possibilities in architecture. The practice is built on the belief that architecture is an experience, with space as its universal foundation. Blending technical expertise with philosophical insight, the studio creates projects that push boundaries while staying true to the cultural roots of the Maltese islands. Their portfolio ranges from a limestone hotel in a village piazza and a steel mausoleum to international residential projects in Baja California Sur, Mexico, and Ojai, California, USA. With Bonnici’s expertise in leading innovative global projects and Ebejer’s skill in navigating Malta’s complex planning processes, EBEJER BONNICI delivers architecture that is both ambitious on a global scale and deeply connected to its local context. Their latest project, the Maltese Pavilion for the 2025 London Design Biennale at Somerset House, showcases their commitment to redefining architectural identity both in Malta and internationally.
Few spots in Paris capture the city’s dramatic charm quite like Café de la Paix. Situated at the corner of Boulevard des Capucines and Place de l’Opéra, its terrace offers a picture-perfect view of Charles Garnier’s opera house, blending history with theatre. For over 160 years, this café-restaurant, nestled within the InterContinental Paris –Le Grand, has been both a stage and a spectator to the city’s vibrant life, where art, architecture, and culinary delights come together.
When it opened in 1862, Café de la Paix embodied Haussmann’s new Paris. Designed by Alfred Armand in the opulent Napoleon III style, with gilded mouldings, fluted columns, and ceilings painted like an afternoon sky, it perfectly reflected the Belle Époque spirit, with a clientele list that read like a who’s who of the era’s creative and social elite: Guy de Maupassant and Victor Hugo were regulars, as were Zola, Tchaikovsky and Diaghilev. The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, often lingered at a quiet corner table, enjoying the vibrant Parisian scene passing by. Later came Hemingway, Oscar Wilde, Marlene Dietrich and Yves Montand, each drawn to its unique mix of charm, elegance and of course, spectacle.
Even as modernity took over the twentieth century, Café de la Paix held firm to its Second Empire décor. It has been the setting for films, radio broadcasts and chansons, immortalised in paintings by Korovin and Cortès, and in Hemingway’s short story My Old Man. Walt Disney, who visited Paris as a young Red Cross driver, would later include it in The Aristocats, a nod to its iconic place in the city’s collective memory.
In the years after the war, Maurice Chevalier, Henri Salvador, and Yves Montand performed live radio shows here, while
actors from the Comédie Française and dancers from the Opéra Garnier celebrated their victories just across the street. This café has always been a front-row seat to Parisian culture, glamorous, sophisticated and steeped in tradition.
Asense of drama remains a key part of its charm, especially after the latest restoration in 2021 by interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, who has carefully revived the space three times since the 1980s. His newest design captures the exuberance of the Belle Époque while giving it a modern twist. In the main dining room, a gold and
cream palette shines under painted ceilings reminiscent of the Parisian sky. Dark wood and pale leather Louis XVI-style chairs surround green velvet banquettes, and the patterned carpet has been toned down to let the light flow freely.
On the Place de l’Opéra side, the ambiance transforms into a garden-like café, featuring white oak furniture, leafy patterns, and a carpet inspired by Madeleine Castaing, creating an air of relaxed sophistication.
The cuisine embraces the same philosophy. Executive Chef Laurent André, trained by culinary legends Alain Chapel and Alain Ducasse, brings a finely tuned understanding of French tradition. His menu revisits the classics with precision and heart. The famous French Onion Soup, the ultimate Café de la Paix speciality, is prepared from the recipe created for the 1862 inauguration, topped with aged comté cheese melted to perfection and served with croutons. Another time honoured standard, the sole,
broiled or meunière, is served tableside, deboned in front of guests and served with a potato mousseline with fresh butter or a spring vegetable casserole. Duck foie gras confit, lobster quenelles, oven baked veal cutlet, scallops marinated in lemon caviar… the menu evolves with the seasons. For dessert, two house specialities have stood the test of time: the Caramelised Mille-Feuille à la minute and the dense, glossy Opéra cake.
This December, Café de la Paix’s pastry chef Simon Letaillieur has collaborated with Maison Repetto to create The Rose Adage, an ethereal Christmas log inspired by Sleeping Beauty and
the Opéra Garnier’s 150th anniversary. Presented as an edible tutu in white chocolate and rose-scented layers, the creation is playfully inspired by the ballet that dances each evening just across the square.
A favourite meeting place for artists, writers and anonymous lovers of Paris alike, Café de la Paix still thrives as a vibrant and iconic venue deeply rooted in the city’s history. And although the passing carriages captured in Belle Époque paintings have been replaced by taxis, the essence remains: elegance, conversation and culinary flair, capturing the quintessential Parisian spirit.
AĠENZIJA SAPPORT AND ERASMUS+ A JOURNEY OF GROWTH, INNOVATION AND INCLUSION
When Aġenzija Sapport embarked on its Erasmus+ journey in 2022, the vision was simple yet ambitious: to create more opportunities for its team to learn, grow and bring fresh perspectives to the field of disability support in Malta. Just a few years later, that vision has blossomed into something remarkable. What began as a goal to send around 30 to 40 staff members on mobility experiences has evolved into over 150 mobility opportunities across Europe. From Spain and Italy to Iceland, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Estonia and beyond, Aġenzija Sapport staff have explored new technologies, techniques, and methodologies through training and job-shadowing experiences that are directly transforming the services offered back home.
Investing in People, Strengthening Services
Becoming an Erasmus+ accredited sending organisation required the Agency to design a detailed five-year plan, one that ensures every Euro of funding is used to strengthen both the team and the people they serve. This plan, built around six strategic objectives, focuses on improving services for persons with disabilities while empowering staff through collaboration and learning across borders.
Upskilling has always been central to Aġenzija Sapport’s mission. The world of disability support is constantly evolving, and to deliver the highest quality service, the Agency’s professionals must evolve with it. Through Erasmus+ mobilities, staff have been able to identify and address knowledge gaps, learn from European counterparts, and apply new methods directly in their daily work.
This hands-on learning approach ensures that every lesson learned abroad translates into more meaningful, person-centred care, which a key principle in line with Malta’s Public Service Strategy of delivering high-quality, accountable and sustainable services.
Innovation Without Borders
For an island nation like Malta, connecting with international partners is invaluable. While online training and virtual exchanges play a role, nothing replaces the human connection of in-person collaboration. Through Erasmus+, Aġenzija Sapport teams have had the chance to exchange innovative tools, service models and ideas with professionals from across Europe, while also showcasing the Agency’s own local innovations in the disability sector.
These exchanges do not just spark new ideas; they empower staff at every level, from management to frontline workers, creating a stronger sense of unity, pride and purpose. The ripple effect of this shared learning extends beyond the Agency itself, benefiting service users and the broader community.
Looking Ahead: Empowering Autonomy and Independence
In 2024, Aġenzija Sapport updated its five-year Erasmus+ plan to give even greater focus to one of its core commitments: promoting autonomy and independent living for persons with disabilities. This aligns with Malta’s continued efforts towards the deinstitutionalisation of care, in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
By training staff on how best to support autonomy, the Agency is taking concrete steps to help individuals live more independently and participate fully in society.
Expanding Opportunities for Service Users
While the majority of Erasmus+ mobilities so far have focused on staff, Aġenzija Sapport is now exploring new horizons, including the possibility of mobility experiences for service users themselves under the adult programme. The Agency has already seen great success with youth mobility projects and believes that similar experiences for adults with disabilities could be equally enriching, empowering and life-changing.
A Future Built on Learning and Collaboration
Today, Erasmus+ is woven into the very fabric of Aġenzija Sapport, a symbol of its commitment to continuous learning, innovation and inclusion. Looking ahead, the Agency aims to further strengthen its presence at the European level, creating even more opportunities to collaborate, learn and share knowledge.
Each mobility, each partnership, and each new idea brings Aġenzija Sapport closer to its mission: enhancing the quality of life for persons with disabilities through learning, empowerment and care.
Erasmus+ Salto Larnaca, Cyprus.
Erasmus+ Venice.
Erasmus+ Estonia.
November shines a light on diabetes, a condition impacting hundreds of millions globally, with World Diabetes Day marked on the 14th. When the body struggles to produce or use insulin, the hormone that helps convert food into energy, blood sugar levels rise, leading to long-term health complications. Whether Type 1, Type 2, or gestational, diabetes affects people of all ages and backgrounds, emphasising the importance of awareness, early detection, and daily care.
HEALTHY FAT AND PREDIABETES REMISSION
NEW STUDY FINDS PREDIABETES REMISSION POSSIBLE WITHOUT DROPPING POUNDS
There’s a long-held belief in diabetes prevention that weight loss is the main way to lower disease risk. Our new study challenges this. For decades, people diagnosed with prediabetes – a condition affecting up to one in three adults depending on age – have been told the same thing by their doctors: eat healthily and lose weight to avoid developing diabetes, writes Andreas L. Birkenfeld and Reiner Jumpertz-von Schwartzenberg at the University Hospital of Tübingen, Germany.
Photography Carmen Laezza (this page) and Fuu J.
This approach hasn’t been working for all. Despite unchanged medical recommendations for more than 20 years, diabetes prevalence continues rising globally. Most people with prediabetes find weight-loss goals hard to reach, leaving them discouraged and still at high risk of diabetes.
Our latest research, published in Nature Medicine, reveals a different approach entirely. We found that prediabetes can go into remission – with blood sugar returning to normal –even without weight loss.
About one in four people in lifestyle intervention programmes bring their blood sugar back to normal without losing any weight. Remarkably, this weight-stable remission protects against future diabetes
just as effectively as remission achieved through weight loss.
This represents a significant shift in how doctors might treat overweight or obese patients at high risk for diabetes. But how is it possible to reduce blood glucose levels without losing weight, or even while gaining weight?
The answer lies in how fat is distributed throughout the body. Not all body fat behaves the same way.
The visceral fat deep in our abdomen, surrounding our internal organs, acts as a metabolic troublemaker.
This belly fat drives chronic inflammation that interferes with insulin –the hormone responsible for controlling blood sugar levels. When insulin can’t function properly, blood glucose rises.
In contrast, subcutaneous fat – the fat directly under our skin – can be beneficial. This type of fat tissue produces hormones that help insulin work more effectively. Our study shows that people who reverse prediabetes without weight loss shift fat from deep within their abdomen to beneath their skin, even if their total weight stays the same.
We’ve also uncovered another piece of the puzzle. Natural hormones that are mimicked by new weight-loss medications like Wegovy and Mounjaro appear to play a crucial role in this process. These hormones, particularly GLP-1, help pancreatic beta cells secrete insulin when blood sugar levels rise.
People who reverse their prediabetes without losing weight seem to naturally enhance this hormone system, while simultaneously suppressing other hormones that typically drive glucose levels higher.
TARGETING FAT REDISTRIBUTION, NOT JUST WEIGHT LOSS
The practical implications are encouraging. Instead of focusing only on the scales, people with prediabetes can aim to shift body fat with diet and exercise.
Research shows that polyunsaturated fatty acids, abundant in Mediterranean diets rich in fish oil, olives and nuts, may help reduce visceral belly fat. Similarly, endurance training can decrease abdominal fat even without overall weight loss.
This doesn’t mean weight loss should be abandoned as a goal –it remains beneficial for overall health and diabetes prevention. However, our findings suggest that achieving normal blood glucose levels, regardless of weight changes, should become a primary target for prediabetes treatment.
This approach could help millions of people who have struggled with traditional weight-loss programmes but might still achieve meaningful health improvements
through metabolic changes.
For healthcare providers, this research suggests a need to broaden treatment approaches beyond weight-focused interventions. Monitoring blood glucose improvements and encouraging fat redistribution through targeted nutrition and exercise could provide alternative pathways to diabetes prevention for patients who find weight loss particularly difficult.
The implications extend globally, where diabetes represents one of the fastestgrowing health problems. By recognising that prediabetes can improve without weight loss, we open new possibilities for preventing a disease that affects hundreds of millions worldwide and continues rapidly expanding.
This research fundamentally reframes diabetes prevention, suggesting that metabolic health improvements – not just weight reduction – should be central to clinical practice. For the many people living with prediabetes who have felt discouraged by unsuccessful weight-loss attempts, this offers renewed hope and practical alternative strategies for reducing their diabetes risk.
PROF. DR. ANDREAS BIRKENFELD is Medical Director of the Department of Diabetology, Endocrinology and Nephrology at the University Hospital of Tübingen. He is also Head of the Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases (IDM) of Helmholtz Munich at the DZD site in Tübingen and spokesperson for the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.). As a physician, he treats people with obesity and diabetes in his department. As an expert in these diseases, which are closely linked, his research focuses in particular on the prevention of metabolic diseases. REINER JUMPERTZ-VON SCHWARTZENBERG is a researcher and clinician specialising in clinical metabolism, obesity, and diabetes. His research centres on understanding the mechanisms underlying the development, treatment, and remission of metabolic diseases, with a particular emphasis on the interactions between the gut microbiome and host metabolism. His work aims to uncover how nutrient absorption and gut microbial composition influence metabolic health, obesity, and diabetes.
This article first appeared on The Conversation.
Above: Research shows that polyunsaturated fatty acids, abundant in Mediterranean diets rich in fish oil, olives and nuts, may help reduce visceral belly fat. Similarly, endurance training can decrease abdominal fat even without overall weight loss.
pure pauillac LATOUR 2014
Purists would venture to claim that the high elevation thick gravels of Pauillac offer the richest most structured expression of cab sauv we know of. Where Mouton is synonymous with a sensual exoticality, Lafite a serene elegance, Latour is all power and purity with vigour to last decades maybe centuries, writes Kris @ FirstThisIsWine. Photography Sean Gabriel Ellul.
Latour 14 is powerfully pure rather than pure power. You get all the premier cru architecture, but it defines itself through a pliable refinement set in a brooding soft cosy tannin surfeit, eloquently extended from attack to finish over all three dimensions in the fruit, woods and mineral spheres. The vintage is there in its raciness, cool cut clarity and luminosity but the endearing signature is all terroir. Gravel-induced cigar, pencil, gunpowder, couched in rich dark fleshy purple plum, black berry with a shade of flowers, spice and chocolate synched by a soothing pollen textured granularity. This is still fighting fit young with decades ahead to unwind tertiaries but enjoy now for a take on soils seldom so easy to decipher except in a vintage like this. This is pure Pauillac.
Latour in 14 has traded restrained power demanding long cellaring for a pleasing minerality grasping the vintage with gusto, offering the impatient some reprieve. 14 the best after 10 is a minerally rich rare classic year; favouring the left bank North Medoc where some critics consider Latour the wine of the vintage. Until further notice through ongoing research I can happily and very moorishly concur.
For the rookies amongst us, myself included, Chateau Latour, one of 5 left bank premier cru, has its origins in the 1300s and is situated on gravel rich soils overlying limestone clay deposits some 10 meters deep. Many consider L’enclos with its iconic dovecote tower as the best land in the whole left bank. Pauillac wines have the largest share of cab sauv versus merlot and cab franc, gravels are ideal for the late ripening variety, while their depth ensure easy draining from summer rains. The paltry nature of the soil ensure striving roots and sparse but more concentrated berries.
Italy's homage to Pétrus Masseto 2019
The beauty about wine is we are all rookies at heart. We may be familiar with the subtleties of terroir, the flex of winemaking style, the nuance of aging, vintage and grape variety; but with each bottle we learn something anew about wine and more importantly about ourselves. If we can identify something in the world on the outside it is reflective of what is on the inside, writes Kris @ FirstThisIsWine. Photography Sean Gabriel Ellul.
So it is with Masseto. An unassuming table wine in origin of Merlot; a variety grown and known the world over; and now become famous as Italy’s nod to Pétrus. Yet what makes this wine so fantastic is its enigmatic nature, the way it hides its true artistry; its Merlot all right, delicious for certain, but it is what lies beneath that seduces and conquers from within with a soft gnawing power, exuberant sophistication and sumptuous opulence all together magical. Masseto 2019 opens up to a bouquet of Bolgheri flowers, leather, cigar wrapping and deeply serious savoury tertiaries of caramelized pulled pork bao buns confirmed by an attack of explosively soft tannins of glazed gammon coated in layer upon layer of prune, wild cherries, some stems, all held a sway by a weight pounded mid palate sumptuousness to pair the aromas into a synesthesic experience. This is linear, precise, lively and elegant but equally flamboyant, luscious and over the top. Slight Italian herbs and some exotic spice, star anise, bergamot, rind and molasses sweeten the scope but the silky filigree and entertainment is held in check by a curvaceous silhouette of structure and backbone barely noticeable except for its prowess.
Everything is archetypal here but not overdone. All together lovely, a standard of excellence and masterpiece of the 2019 vintage and as far as Tuscany goes, probably the wine of that year.
Masseto has the humble origins of being, for all intents and purposes, legally just a table wine with the IGT status of being born in Tuscany. The wine has its own fairy tale origin in the early 80s, when an abandoned quarry tract of slopes rich in blue clay and marine fossils, a stones throw from the Tyrrhenian sea, blessed by cool summer breezes and bright sun sea reflection, and likewise milder balmier winters, was entirely planted with the commonest of grapes, Merlot. Masseto (masso is rock in Italian) was born from the order of rejection as a single variety wine in contrast to the blend style more favoured by other Super Tuscan go-to names. The clumpy primitive clay is fiendishly difficult to cultivate, and only through compulsively meticulous methods in the field and chai is a wine of such deep elegance and power possible.
