Last year, Monaco was the first destination for the anniversary road trip to celebrate 110 years of Bugatti vehicles. Looking back on a time when the Principality was buzzing with people and events, we bring you the story of exotic cars, fancy hotels and meeting Stephan Winkelmann, the President of Bugatti, the fastest and most expensive (street) car in the world.

New regulations in the fight against the spread of Covid-19 go into effect tomorrow, 26 September. After several weeks of sharp increases in positive cases and hospitalisations, the French Minister of Health addressed the nation with a set of new restrictions for a series of cities now considered high-risk of viral transmission. Another map labels cities according to red, super red and ‘scarlet’ for Marseille, considered the highest risk.   

As the pandemic changes the landscape of many festivals around the globe this year, Canneseries is one that has resisted, postponing to October. After the recent press-conference confirming its existence, we can happily look forward to seeing the festive pink carpet lining the Croisette from 9 - 14 October. 

The magnificent, heritage-listed sailing ship, Belem, is spending the winter in the port of Cannes. The three-mast clipper from 1896 arrived in Port Canto on Tuesday, 22 September and will remain until mid-March. The Belem will be open to visitors for guided tours on the weekends until the end of October.

2020 has witnessed the Cannes Film Festival's cancellation, which hasn't transpired since the Second World War. Nonetheless, other cinematographic events persevered through the health crisis, such as the upcoming Nice European short film festival: "Un festival c'est trop court!" This celebration of cinematographic art will start in the open-air on 9 October, in the Promenade des Arts and end on 16 October. Four competitions will be happening in anticipation of 12 prizes. Other activities, such as various thematic programs, masterclasses and round table meetings, will also occur.

For American citizens living abroad, the deadline for registering to vote for the upcoming presidential election is coming up! We spoke with the new Consul General of Marseille about how ex-pats can register what services the US Consulate offers.  

Across the world, the endless battle against COVID-19 perseveres. In France, the apprehension of new confinement measures seems to roam in the air. On 10 September, Bernard Gonzalez, the Prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes made a decree enforcing masks in all public spaces, indoors and outdoors for the majority of cities across the Côte d'Azur. These reinforced regulations to face the rise in cases is clear and an attempt to avoid, by all means, a renewal of the confinement. 

Squatters! On 20 August, a retired couple arrived at their second home in Théoule to discover that squatters occupied the premises and even changed the locks. Since then, events have not ceased to be surprising, causing outrage over French habitation laws. Unable to evict the occupants without a civil court order and knowing that a landlord who evicts squatters risks three years of prison and a fine of 30,000 euros, the 75 years old couple had to return to Lyon.