Monaco

On Monday morning we were joined early by our niece Rachel, who is studying at American University of Paris. After a late breakfast, we boarded the train to visit Monaco, only eight miles away. The world’s second-smallest sovereign state, after Vatican City, Monaco has the highest population density on the planet, with 38,000 inhabitants living in its 0.8 square miles, 20% of which is reclaimed land that has been built into the sea. It is a hereditary monarchy, with descendants of the House of Grimaldi ruling since 1297. Curiously, the sovereign has always held the title of prince or princess, never king or queen, mainly out of deference to the larger, more powerful nations that Monaco has allied itself with for protection over the centuries.

The current head of state is Prince Albert II, the second child and only son of Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace (Kelly), the American-born movie star who left Hollywood in 1956 at age 26 to marry and assume royal duties. Albert is an avid athlete, competing in multiple sports as a young man, holding a black belt in judo and competing in five consecutive Winter Olympics as a member of Monaco’s bobsled team. Educated at Amherst College in the USA, he is active in ocean conservation and fisheries management, and Amy has spent time at Monaco’s Oceanographic Institute during her graduate school studies. Map link: Monaco

After a brown bag lunch in the Jardins de la Petite Afrique (Little Africa Gardens) our first tourist stop was the world-famous Monte Carlo Casino, the primary source of income for Monaco. The plaza in front of this beautiful Belle Époque structure which opened in 1865 was filled with holiday decorations and luxury automobiles. Fun fact: Monégasques, as citizens of Monaco are called, are prohibited from working at or even entering the casino, a rule established on moral grounds by Princess Caroline in the late 1800s that still exists today. Another Fun Fact: In the summer of 1913, a roulette wheel at the casino fell on black 26 times in a row, costing gamblers millions.

Bonus Question: Two movies in the James Bond series featured the Monte Carlo Casino. Which are they, and who played Agent 007 in each one? (Answer at end of post)

After the casino, we walked along some of the narrow, public streets that make up the course for the Monaco Grand Prix, first held in 1929 and one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world. We marveled at the famous “hairpin turn” in front of the Fairmont Hotel, where the Formula One cars slow to around 30 mph, then inside the Larvotto Tunnel, where drivers quickly accelerate to 160 mph, with little room to pass as they complete 78 laps of the two-mile course. 

It was a blustery day, with 15-20 mph winds and light rain, as we walked along the waterfront to Port Hercule, Monaco’s only harbor and home to hundreds of luxury yachts. Next to the port was Monaco’s Christmas Village, where we bought treats for ourselves and gifts for others.  

We were getting tired, but walked up the steep hillside along the Chemin des Crèches (Creche Path) which features Christmas nativity scenes from around the world. At the top stood the Palais Princier (Prince’s Palace), where Albert II and his family reside. 

Our last stop was the Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate, completed in 1903 and the center of the Archdiocese of Monaco. Many of the Grimaldi family rulers are buried here and it was the location of Princess Grace’s fairy tale wedding as well as her funeral after she died from injuries sustained in a car crash at the age of 52.

The wind and rain picked up and were just plain nasty, so we trudged back down the hill and headed straight for the train station. Back in Nice, we did some window shopping before heading back to the apartment. Everyone except me was hungry, and went out for a late dinner of Indian food, before ending the day together. 

Bonus Question Answer: The Monte Carlo Casino was featured in the 1995 film GoldenEye, starring Pierce Brosnan in the first of his four Bond movies, and Never Say Never Again  (the 1983 remake of Thunderball) with Sean Connery as Agent 007.