MONTE CARLO, MONACO

 BRING MONEY

The French call it a connish. We would call the narrow winding asphalt roadway with its hairpin curves simply a coastal road. Not doing the driving afforded me the opportunity to enjoy the marvelous views of the sparking Mediterranean below where boats and yachts were anchored in the coves. I’d be willing to bet that the people fortunate enough to live in the homes climbing up the steep hillsides take the spectacular scenery and views for granted as they see and live them every day.



The  Famous Monte Carlo

I always thought of the rock as Gibraltar, but from Nice, France we headed to Monaco, that tiny principality ruled by the Grimaldi family. We joined the crowd in front of the palace to watch the changing of the guard at 11:55 AM. Of course the guards change several times a day, but the band and all the hoopla takes place at noon.

It was a short walk from the palace to the church where Prince Rainier and Princess Grace were married and are buried. This church has a special ‘royal entrance’. However, we entered through the regular doors and joined the short line to walk around to the back of the altar to view the royal grave sites.

Jacques Cousteau’s yellow submarine, near the entrance of the aquarium that he was associated with for many years, is a popular photo stop.

Flowers were gorgeous everywhere and the parks quiet, shady and lovely. It was an interesting visit, but I think I would rather quickly develop a case of rock fever .

Monaco is probably as well known for its famous casino, Monte Carlo, as it is for being the small principality that borders France. It was a short 10 minute ride to Monte Carlo, a very small area of Monaco. To enter Monte Carlo casino one must check cameras, show your passport and pay a 10 euro ($15) admission fee. I questioned our guide about the difference between Monte Carlo and the American casino only a few meters away. His answer, “The games are European.” That didn’t tell me much, but as one who can barely cope with a slot machine, I figured I’d never make it playing foreign games with French instructions. I really was only interested in seeing it.

The American casino is totally Vegas where the lights inside are blinding. We walked in, circled the area and walked out. At the sidewalk café we visited with friends and when I saw that a 12 oz bottle of chilled cola was going to set me back twelve dollars, I decided I really didn’t need it. Two scoops of ice cream with a dab of whip cream and a tiny wafer served in a dish was $22---I didn’t need that either. So, I guess the rule is if you go to Monte Carlo take money!