Since her departure from Monaco in January, Alexia has logged over 16,500 nautical miles and collected over a million pieces of scientific data from the water surface to assist ocean research and raise awareness for the preservation of the planet’s oceans. While in New York, she met with Mrs. Maguy Maccario, Consul General of Monaco and Vice President of the U.S. branch of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. The Foundation and the Prince are dedicated supporters of the project. Despite some connection issues, Alexia was able to say a few words via Skype to the Monaco school children who have been following her journey on www.4myplanet.eu, assembled for the occasion at the Oceanographic Museum.

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December 1, 2009

Attendees included AOL’s Steve Case, MicroStrategy’s CEO Michael Saylor, Susan Eisenhower, President Eisenhower Group and granddaughter of the former president, John Fahey, President & CEO of National Geographic Society, ambassadors from Denmark, Monaco, Morocco and Portugal, and the board of the Foundation’s U.S. chapter including John B. Kelly, president and Maguy Maccario, vice president and Monaco’s consul general and minister counselor, whose New York office underwrote the dinner.

Guests dined overlooking the Potomac River at Kimsey’s property in McLean while dessert was served in the adjacent Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Marden House.

Harvard’s Professor Edward O. Wilson, recipient of the 2009 Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Award for biodiversity, was also present to belatedly receive his trophy from the hands of H.S.H. Prince Albert (Prof Wilson was unable to attend the awards ceremony in October in Monaco.) During his acceptance he said, “The 21st century, I believe, is going to be known as the Century of the Environment, and in science as the Century of Biology. This is the time that we will either settle down as a species or completely wreck the planet.”

While in Washington DC, H.S.H. Prince Albert also attended the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Antartic Treaty and gave an address at the opening ceremony of the Antartic Treaty Summit at the Smithsonian Institution. The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Smithsonian Institution later signed a Memorandum of Understanding.

The visit also included an address at the National Press Club, 96 after his great-great-grand father Prince Albert I; the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Pew Environment Group; a visit to the National Geographic Society; and a reception at the residence of Monaco’s Ambassador organized by BirdLife International.

www.pa2f.org

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December 2009

A very special guest to the pre-dinner reception was His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco who was in the United States in his capacity as President of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation for the environment.

An initiative of the Monaco Government Tourist Office in New York and co-hosted by SBM Monte-Carlo, the reception and dinner for clients, media and guests, was held at the elegant Harold Pratt House on Park Avenue.

For this, his first visit to New York, Chef Marcel Ravin, who is originally from the Antilles isle of Martinique, created an imaginative, appetizing menu using some of his signature combinations (menu listed below). As the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort’s Executive Chef since its opening in 2005, he constantly delights diners with his original and inventive cuisine using the freshest of local seasonal produce from the land and the sea at the acclaimed Blue Bay Restaurant.

During his trip, he was introduced to some of New York’s most respected and influential executive chefs including Chef Eric Ripert (www.le-bernardin.com), Chef Shaun Hergatt (www.shoshaunhergatt.com) and Chefs Daniel Boulud and Cedric Tovar (http://www.danielnyc.comand www.feastandfetes.com) and spent time touring the restaurants and kitchens of these acclaimed establishments.

Chef Ravin was accompanied to New York by his sous and pastry chef Philippe Brito, who is originally from Cannes. Their maiden voyage to New York was documented by a film crew from the NY-based TV program Canapé, a joint production of CUNY (Channel 75) and the French Cultural Service. The program airs on December 24 and 31 at 10:30AM, 4:30PM and 10:30PM, then again on December 26 and January 2 at 2:00PM.

“Chef Ravin is one of the brightest stars in Monaco’s gastronomic galaxy and we are honored to have him in New York to share his inspired culinary secrets and passion for food with us,“ said Maguy Maccario, Consul General and Director of the Monaco Government Tourist Office. “The collaboration between Chef Ravin and Chef Boulud underscores the continuation of close (culinary and other) ties between our two nations despite recent difficulties and challenges we have all faced.”

Mr. Bernard Lambert, CEO and General Manager of Monte-Carlo SBM also addressed the gathering with the latest news of renovations, openings and investments in Monaco’s luxury hospitality industry.

Chef Ravin’s Monégasque-inspired Winter Menu

Appetizer:
Veloutine de Courge et Saint-Jacques du Maine
en Vinaigrette d’Huile de Vanille

Main Course:
Bar de ligne confit aux Aromates, Artichauts & Tomates,
Condiments Savora aux olives

and

Volaille Fermière cuisinée comme une Royale
Frivolité de Légumes d’ Automne, Onctuosité de kumquat

Dessert:
Adaptation d’un concentré de Fruits Exotiques Chocolat Passion

* * *

Under the umbrella of Monte-Carlo SBM are some of Monaco’s best known and most cherished eateries, and from now through September 2011, there is much news to trumpet including:

• The May 2009 launch at the Monte Carlo Beach Hotel of Elsa, featuring contemporary, seasonal seafood with a modern twist on traditional dishes served on the Riviera during the1920’s and 1930’s. It will compliment this hotel’s three other restaurants which offer guests a range of fashionable fare; Le Deck, the Sea Lounge and La Vigie.
• At the Hotel Hermitage, Le Vistamar (a former Michelin–starred eatery under the culinary baton of Chef Joël Garault) is closed for a significant renovation and refurbishment and set to re-open in May 2010 with accompanying bar, Le Scorpion. Before the grand re-opening, Le Vistamar will operate from the Hotel Hermitage’s private Excelsior room and is open Wednesdays through Sundays (closed Mondays and Tuesdays).
• Buddha Bar Monte-Carlo will replace the former Cabaret at the Casino de Monte-Carlo. This Asian-inspired restaurant will open in May 2010, accompanied by a dramatic yet relaxing lounge.
• Café de Paris: This popular restaurant will undergo extensive refurbishment and its outdoor terrace will be equipped with roofing to allow guests to dine al fresco in any weather.
• One of the chicest restaurants on Monaco’s culinary map is Bar & Boeuf – Alain Ducasse, the award-winning chef’s second restaurant in Monaco. Opened seasonally at the Sporting Monte-Carlo, from May to September, it features terrace seating overlooking the lush gardens and the azure sea.
• Bar & Boeuf is a striking counterpoint to Ducasse’s acclaimed Le Louis XV. This three-Michelin-starred restaurant, located in Monte-Carlo’s Hôtel de Paris, features a world-famous and legendary wine cellar (containing more than 600,000 bottles including many rare and valuable vintages from around the world) and a dining room reminiscent of 17th century Versailles.
• Also located in the Hôtel de Paris is Le Grill. Under the direction of Jean-Philippe Borro (sous chef) and managed by Franck Cerutti, Executive Chef of the Hôtel de Paris, this elegant one-Michelin-starred rooftop restaurant, is considered a “monument” to Monégasque gastronomy, Le Grill features open-air dining with panoramic views of the Mediterranean.

For all the above restaurants within the purview of Monte-Carlo SBM, please visit www.montecarloresort.com

Travelers to Monaco can find excellent vacation value by bidding on exclusive packages at MonacoAuction.com, the premier online travel auction marketplace dedicated to luxury travel within the Principality.

For more information, please contact the Monaco Government Tourist Office (MGTO) at 565 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10017; phone (800) 753-9696 or (212) 286-3330; or via e-mail at info@VisitMonaco.com. Information and links are available via the Monaco Government Tourist Office web site at VisitMonaco.com. Follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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