Sweet Peas and Sandals: Monte Carlo

I knew Monte Carlo was for the rich and famous, I just didn’t know how extravagant it would be. Many people who live in Cannes or Paris or many of the other wonderful cities in France must have a nice bank account, however for the most part they do not flaunt their money around. Monte Carlo is the complete opposite. It is a place where people are seen to be seen. In place of cobblestones, expensive cars pave the streets, designer clothes, shoes, and bags are the norm, unless of course you are a tourist with a camera, where you will then be shoed away from the Hotel de Paris to make way for those who need to be seen. I watched as a father and daughter stood on the side of the street waiting for their car. Their Rolls Royce pulled up a few yards away from them. The daughter walked over to the Rolls Royce, while her father stood his ground, she waited for the driver to open the back seat, and she sat in the car while he closed the door and got in the driver seat. A moment later he was out of the driver’s seat and opening the passenger door for her as she only wanted to get two chilled water bottles for her father and her. She then walked back to her father while he curtly flagged the Rolls to leave, while he waited another few minutes for the Porsche that was behind the Rolls to pull up directly in front of him in order for him to take the keys from the driver and his daughter and he were able to drive away. This 10-15 minute ordeal could have taken a matter of 1-2 minutes for him, as all he had to do was walk across the street only a few yards away and get into his Porsche, yet he would not have been seen doing it. Unfortunately for him, not many people witnessed this scene as most of the tourists had already walked away because the driver of the Bugatti had left moments before. It was poor timing for Mr. Rolls-Porsche and his daughter.

While I would like to come back to Monaco and see the Oceanographic Museum and other sights, I do not know that I need to spend much more time than the hour I did at Monte Carlo. Although I did learn an interesting fact while I was there, the Casino cards at the door, not necessarily looking for underage gamblers, but rather looking for citizens of Monaco; because if you are a citizen, you cannot gamble. You see, Monaco doesn’t want its citizens losing their money but rather keep their wealth and taking the money from all the tourists and neighboring countries instead. Well played Monaco!