Prompted by Brexit, among other things, we’ve embarked on a design update. We’ve changed up the paper stock and fired up presses just outside of Hamburg to keep Monocle at the top of the pile. Join us for a tour of the on-page innovations in the [April issue of the magazine](https://monocle.com/shop/product/1473872/issue-122/).

Monocle has taken the notion of a spring clean to a new level: we’ve got new printers in Germany, fresh paper stock and an updated design all rolled into one. That’s alongside all the usual features, as well as an in-depth retail survey and a smartly turned-out style directory. Things are hotting up…

Available now at [The Monocle Shop](https://monocle.com/shop/product/1473872/issue-122/).

The baguette is fighting back with artisanal valour. Meet Paris baker Christophe Vasseur: he runs successful corner shop Du Pain et des Idées and knows how to make the perfect loaf.

Many seamen see icebreaking as a career pinnacle. We peek into the snug cabins, well-kitted kitchen and memorabilia-filled gym to see what serving on icebreaker ‘Kontio’ is really like. You can also catch up with episode one [here](https://monocle.com/film/affairs/icebreakers-rescue-know-how/).

Finland has obvious natural advantages that have helped it become an icebreaking powerhouse but the country’s dominance in the field is startling. We travel to the Bay of Bothnia to bear witness to the beginning of the icebreaking season. You can also watch episode two [here](https://monocle.com/film/affairs/icebreakers-life-on-board/).

Throughout the long Finnish winter, the country’s ports are kept open by a small but determined fleet of icebreakers. Monocle Films hops on board to see how it’s done.

We pull up a seat at a traditional Kaffeeklappe to see why coffee still makes this German port city tick.

Available now at [The Monocle Shop](https://monocle.com/shop/product/1459187/the-monocle-travel-guide-hamburg/).

We’re celebrating all things French in our March issue. We’ve got reports on the things you’d expect – chic fashion, baguette rebels and Macron – and perhaps some things you don’t – from why the French navy is riding high to popstars setting the global agenda. Buy your copy now.

Available now at [The Monocle Shop](https://monocle.com/shop/product/1457924/issue-121/).

Monocle Films pays a visit to a restoration firm that has saved pieces by artists as diverse as Caravaggio and John Kirby.

Palma has kept its charm for young creatives despite its tourist-trodden streets. We meet the people keeping this city alive.