It is easy to disdain Monaco. To be honest, I used to do so, dismissing the principality as nothing but a high-rise ghetto for tax avoiders, zillionaire security obsessive’s, a comic-opera royal family and all the glamour that is Roger Moore. But such cynicism is silly. Of course, the place is a packed little bubble of extravagance, luxury and many policemen. But it’s also a show, an engrossing spectacle unique in Europe. Naturally, you must suspend disbelief to appreciate it fully. And that’s the secret to visiting here, so, if you do, you’ll have one terrific time! I spent 3 days this month and must apologize to the local tourist office for my past poo’d poo’d of the place, it was in fact - fantastic and I’ll be returning again and again. I will admit that Monaco takes itself terribly seriously. With so many extraordinarily rich people to look after, it has no choice. In common with other ordinary mortals, I/we can’t be a Monegasque. But we can all have walk-on parts in the never-never-land production. And, at least once in our lives, we should. Although it’s a home to some of the richest people in the world ( you can tell that by the mega yachts, the $100,00 sports cars that seem to be everywhere and the designer shops lining all the boulevards, and has 4 hotels who cater to them), BUT don’t think its out of your price range, because its not. If you enjoy visiting Beverly Hills/Rodeo Drive or New York’s 5th Avenue or London’s Mayfair, then you’ll enjoy Monaco. A day trip; will not suffice to really be honest with you, to enjoy Monaco, you’ll need at least 2 to 3 days to complete your fantasy. To start off your fantasy, you must, are you listening now?, you must take an Air Monaco Helicopter flight from the Nice airport to Monaco; its a 7 minute trip that will wow you and it’s almost the same cost as a taxi from Nice to Monaco! This is the only way to make an entrance here! Monaco SBM hotels (The Société des Bains de Mer) - there are 4 of them, one for every taste and pocketbook, and all are ‘drop-dead’ gorgeous to be honest with you. The Spa is a must and if you don’t partake of it, you’ll miss one of the great luxuries in the world. Monaco is barely two miles long and a little over half a mile wide at its very broadest. (It is 2nd to the title of World’s Smallest Nation only by the Vatican.) It is, therefore, not enormously challenging to walk – as long as you stay by the sea. Even a few yards inland, streets may start going up quite steeply. (You will recall that there are Alps tumbling into the sea here.) In the next series of blogs, I‘ll highlight and give you more in depth information about my new found ‘home away from home’.
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