Mercredi le 31 decembre- Monaco!

Another great start to the day and off to collect the car to go up the Cote d’azur a bit more to the tiny principality of Monaco. Turns out that it is only 25 km’s away and we decided to take the ‘moyen corniche’ to get there. This is the road that the Lonely Planet recommends as the best. It is one of the road’s movies are made on with hair raising bends, turns and views! It was great to do and an excellent view of the Mediterranean and all the houses built and clinging on to the steep terrain, this always amazes me as how were they built? Are they safe? – Presume so as some have been there for centuries. Would they give you vertigo when inside looking out and straight down?
The little, steep and windy streets of Monaco finally led us to a car parking building. Monaco is really opulent and glamorous – not a shabby building or piece of Grafitti anywhere – all glitz and glamour. It actually is only 1.95 sq km and has a population of 32000. It is the world’s second smallest country, after the Vatican. It has its own flag, telephone code and traditional dialect! Monaco is technically not part of the EU but because of its close ties with France it participates in the E.U. customs territory and there are no border controls. There are only 7800 Monegasque citizens, by either parentage or marriage, they live an idyllic tax-free life of cradle to grave security, alas, all other residents and businesses pay tax!
The manicured streets are presided over by palaces and it has beautifully lush fountained parks. It has escalators and public lifts all around the town to enable easy access up and down the steep streets.
You even have to pay to go into the casino – before you spend money!
Watching the ladies and their fashion – no expense spared. You even see mink coats, the real thing. The French have no conscience about this by the looks where everywhere else fur is not cool!
The cars driving around are commonly, Ferrari, maserati, big 4x4’s, limousines and other cars with chauffeurs and blackened out windows. I was forever trying to find someone famous as it was new years eve and I am sure they must be there.
We also spotted a lot of ‘sugar daddies’ ugly old men with young tall blondes with legs that go on forever in their short skirts, fur jackets and bejewelled bodies.
I loved walking around soaking it all in – using elevators to go a few streets. In one part, if you go up 3 streets you are back in a French town of Beausoleil.
A really interesting thing – there are heart defibrillators scattered all around town and signs to find them and how close they are! What a great idea, especially if you really exert yourself climbing the steep streets and on a hot day! It did make me wonder – How often each year were they used? Did they save lives? Why doesn’t any other place do this? (Maybe due to crime?) Monaco is extremely safe – a very prolific police presence and plain clothed patrollers along with CCTV cameras!
As we strolled along the waterfront we found a great restaurant for lunch – Stars in Bars. An American themed restaurant with all the famous memorabilia from famous people, many who have been there. We were seated in the Tennis section - Roger Federer’s and Raphael Nadal’s belongings were inset into our dining table. Menu and service was great.
We then continued walking around and went to the Oceanography museum and Aquarium. It was really busy – probably because the weather had turned to drizzle.
We then did the pilgrimage up to the Grimaldi Palace – where Prince Albert etc were in residence! The guards were cute and replicated the Buckingham palace guards in their little booths with big guns! Down the steep path back to the car to head for home as it was getting fairly dark.
I really had wanted to carry on up the coast a little more to hit the Italian border and also to visit Menton. Nevermind!
Back to the hotel about 7:00pm and Nev raced to the shop to get some beer and wine for the big night! No one was really hungry as we normally don’t finish lunch till 3!
It is not a French thing to have a town type celebration for New Year – no fireworks either! Just restaurants doing their own thing so we were not going to miss much.
We decided to stay at the hotel, mainly as it was raining so not many were out and also because High School Musical was on!
So a bit quieter than we thought but all good!