October / November 2002

The most important news story on the Côte d’Azur at the moment is the arrival in Monaco of the 160,000 ton, 352m long semi-floating jetty after a 900 mile voyage from Algericas, where it was built at a cost of 1.65 billion francs. Part of a 5-year project to modernise Port Hercule, one of the rare deep water ports on the Riviera, this 19m high, state-of-the-art breakwater is being attached to the rock beneath the Oceanographic Museum and anchored to the seabed, where it will double the size of the port, protect the harbour in stormy weather and provide berthing space for a 350m cruise liner and even underground parking for 350 cars.