Monaco stretches along the Mediterranean coast, west to the Jardin Exotique and the Fontvieille quarter (built on reclaimed land) and eastward toward its only beach en route to Menton, but Monte Carlo's surface area is less than one 1.95 square kilometres, but walking in the sun it feels as if it is 10.
The centre of the action is Casino Square on the right of the Casino is the creamy extravagance of the Hotel de Paris, built a year after Monte Carlo was founded, on the left, the Café de Paris where tourists eat croques monsieurs (grilled ham and cheese sandwich with béchamel sauce) and watch the floorshow of shiny, racy Ferraris, Maseratis and Lamborghinis, resplendent in dazzling chrome, mainly kingfisher blue and iridescent green which circle the square ve-ry slow-ly, so that they and their glamorous owners can be photographed.
The centre of the action is Casino Square on the right of the Casino is the creamy extravagance of the Hotel de Paris, built a year after Monte Carlo was founded, on the left, the Café de Paris where tourists eat croques monsieurs (grilled ham and cheese sandwich with béchamel sauce) and watch the floorshow of shiny, racy Ferraris, Maseratis and Lamborghinis, resplendent in dazzling chrome, mainly kingfisher blue and iridescent green which circle the square ve-ry slow-ly, so that they and their glamorous owners can be photographed.
Discovering the old town, Monaco-Ville (see left)
We took the bus up to the "the rock" you see a different side of Monaco, a veritable open air museum as you wander through narrow alleyways from the Middle Ages. Explore the picturesque Place Saint Nicolas, see the Royal Palace, home of the Grimaldis, Placette Bosio, the Chapel of Mercy, Palais de Justice and remains of ancient city walls on this magnificent rocky promontory perched above the Mediterranean Sea. On previous trips for one reason or another we have never done this before but its well worth the short bus trip. It was surprising how many streets were in the old town we were expecting to see only the Pink Palace. |