Le Principalite

Monaco Cathedral

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Attraction | "Beatiful Brickwork"

Quote:

When you think of Monaco, the first ideas that slip into your mind are usually ones of extravagant wealth or of speeding motor cars. This was the case for me at least. You certainly do not find yourself thinking too much about history or religion. And, in the main, this take on Monaco is pretty accurate. The wealth seems to ooze from every pore and Formula 1 references are - literally - on almost every corner. However, it would not be totally accurate to completely discount the history of the area. The cathedral, which is situated close to the Palais is over 400 years old and offers a very pleasant glimpse into the Principality's past.The first thing to note about the cathedral is how beau...Read More

When you think of Monaco, the first ideas that slip into your mind are usually ones of extravagant wealth or of speeding motor cars. This was the case for me at least. You certainly do not find yourself thinking too much about history or religion. And, in the main, this take on Monaco is pretty accurate. The wealth seems to ooze from every pore and Formula 1 references are - literally - on almost every corner. However, it would not be totally accurate to completely discount the history of the area. The cathedral, which is situated close to the Palais is over 400 years old and offers a very pleasant glimpse into the Principality's past.

The first thing to note about the cathedral is how beautifully maintained and cared for it is. I guess when there is that much floating around close by they are never short of a few cents to fiw the roof. It is in such pristine condition that I actually checked the information board at the door to be sure it wasn't a modern replica. The good condition was actually something of a surprise as many of the churches in France - close by - are in far worse condition and are constantly in search of donations.

Inside, the cathedral was magnificent. The architecture blended supremely strong form with some beautiful touches to finish. The ceilings were extremely high and crowned with beautiful stained glass windows. I was also rather surprised to find that the majority of it was somewhat austere. Most of the churches and cathedrals in Nice are bedecked from floor to ceiling in colour and depictions of icons and the virgin Mary. But, in Monaco, there was a lot more room for the simple brick-work of the building itself. Personally - and I have no religious investment - I found this to be refreshingly beautiful.

There are still, of course, several wonderful paintings on show. In fact, the cathedral staff are quick to call attention to some of the works depicting saints. They believe them to be the equal of the works of Renaissance masters that you might find in Italy. I also found them to be very good. They had a certain dark feel as most of them seemed to centre on martyrdom and were framed by the cold brickwork of the cathedral walls.

Possibly the most interesting part of the cathedral is the back, in which we find the tombs of countless princes. These date back all the way to the 1700s and stretch up to modern times with the renowned couple Ranier III and Princess Charlotte housed at the end. It was like a timeline of the Principlaite and its rulers.

The cathedral is situated in the grounds of the Palace of Monaco and is free to enter. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 4, 2011

Monaco Cathedral
Grimaldi Rock - Near Palace
Monte Carlo, Monaco

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Prince's Palace of Monaco

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Attraction | "Unbelievable Views"

Quote:

Until I moved to the South of France, my only real frame of reference in terms of Monaco came from two sources: (1) Movies, and (2) Watching Formula One on TV. Therefore, I had two major images in my mind. The first was all the glitz and glamour of the casinos and fast cars that you get from the movies. And, the second was of the harbour and the tunnels taken from the F1 races I used to watch at home when I was a child. It is rare that such images can ever live up to expectations. Thankfully, on my first trip to Monaco, I was able to convert both these images into reality in just a couple of minutes.I did this by climbing the stairs to the ancient Palais, which sits atop a hill to the wes...Read More

Until I moved to the South of France, my only real frame of reference in terms of Monaco came from two sources: (1) Movies, and (2) Watching Formula One on TV. Therefore, I had two major images in my mind. The first was all the glitz and glamour of the casinos and fast cars that you get from the movies. And, the second was of the harbour and the tunnels taken from the F1 races I used to watch at home when I was a child. It is rare that such images can ever live up to expectations. Thankfully, on my first trip to Monaco, I was able to convert both these images into reality in just a couple of minutes.

I did this by climbing the stairs to the ancient Palais, which sits atop a hill to the west of the port of Monaco. The viewing area of the Palais provides one of the best sights in Europe. You can look down at the the port and across the bay towards the Hotel de Paris and the Casino. The port is a wonderful sight. It is full of expensive super-yachts that shine and glisten in the un The water also reflects the light beautifully up back towards the Palais. The far side of the bay also looked fantasticwith extremely decadent buildings crowning the small hill.

The view from the Palais is magnificent. However, the rest of the Palais grounds themselves are also very nice. The first thing is the actually Palais, which a beautiful white building with ornate featires that is guarded by soldiers in traditional uniforms (complete with funny shoes). Dotted around the courtyard that faces the Palais are several cannon and piles of cannonballs, which go well with the soldiers uniforms in creating a very traditional feel.

Aside from the Palais and its courtyard, the majority of the ground are taken up by a warren of small and ancient streets. These are very nice to stroll around on a Summer afternoon. This is firstly because they are all very nicely built and maintained. And, secondly, because of the overhang on the higher floors, they provide a fantastic amount of shade. The one disappointment in these streets is that the majority of the houses are now taken up by cafes or souvenir stalls - all of which sell the same blend of t-shirts and Formula 1 souvenirs.

The Palais is easy to find as it is situated on a large hill to the west of the port. Admission to the grounds is free, which means the wonderful views cost nothing. It is 19 Euros to take a tour of the Palais itself. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 4, 2011

Prince's Palace of Monaco
Grimaldi Rock
Monte Carlo, Monaco

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Le cafe de Paris

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Restaurant | "Pretending to be 007"

Quote:

Why did my mother and I decide to stop for a beverage at the Cafe de Paris? Part of the reason could be attributed to it being an exceptionally hot day in Monaco and that we were starting to feel a little dehydrated. However, there are plenty of cheaper places to grab a bottle of water or ice tea. If I am honest, the only reason we stopped there was to pretend that we were movie stars and to feel tres chic.The Cafe des Paris is situated in a small square in Monaco that is edged by the cafe on one side, the casino on the adjacent side and the Hotel des Paris opposite. With the amount of wealth luxury and sheer naked extravagance on show, it could quite easily be a scene from a James Bond mo...Read More

Why did my mother and I decide to stop for a beverage at the Cafe de Paris? Part of the reason could be attributed to it being an exceptionally hot day in Monaco and that we were starting to feel a little dehydrated. However, there are plenty of cheaper places to grab a bottle of water or ice tea. If I am honest, the only reason we stopped there was to pretend that we were movie stars and to feel tres chic.

The Cafe des Paris is situated in a small square in Monaco that is edged by the cafe on one side, the casino on the adjacent side and the Hotel des Paris opposite. With the amount of wealth luxury and sheer naked extravagance on show, it could quite easily be a scene from a James Bond movie. The cafe itself boasts a large veranda covered in wrought iron tables that look out across the square towards the hotel.

Like 90% of the people in there, we had simple stepped in to enjoy the atmosphere of opulence. In this context, it was at the same time both impressive and rewarding. Firstly, the view was stunning. We were about 5m from the road and were able to witness a parade of magnificent cars rolling past. Along with this, the hotel and casino looked particularly impressive. However, the cafe itself did not seem to do too much to push the image. The service was pretty poor and the drinks nothing special. It took us about 15 minutes to get served and my iced tea was clearly just a can of Lipton poured into a glass.

The one major plus point I will attribute to the cafe was its way of dealing with the heat. The terrace was covered by a large white canopy to provide some shade. And, this was accompanied by a series of huge fans that wafted around the place. There was even a system in place that sprayed water vapour every couple of minutes. This all ensured we felt rereshed after our visit to the cafe.

The Cafe de Paris is situated close the Grand Casino. A fruit juice and a glass of iced tea cost me around 9 Euros. It was worth it one time, but having been there, I would not go back.
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Member Rating 3 out of 5 on December 4, 2011

Le cafe de Paris
place du casino
Monte-Carlo, Monaco
+37 07 92 16 20

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Parking a Ferrari

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Story/Tip

Quote:

To begin this journal entry, I want to think back to 1997, when I was learning to drive. As I prepared to take my driving test, I felt good about most aspects of driving. However, I was not 100% confident with my parking, either reverse parking or parallel parking. To rectify this problem, my father too my to a quiet side-street to practice. I found this a disturbing experience as – with my test looming – the pressure was on. However, my experiences were nothing compared to those of a gentleman I saw in Monte Carlo.Allow me to set the scene. My girlfriend and I are strolling pats the Cafe des Paris towards the Casino, We were not planning to spin the roulette wheels, rather we just felt li...Read More

To begin this journal entry, I want to think back to 1997, when I was learning to drive. As I prepared to take my driving test, I felt good about most aspects of driving. However, I was not 100% confident with my parking, either reverse parking or parallel parking. To rectify this problem, my father too my to a quiet side-street to practice. I found this a disturbing experience as – with my test looming – the pressure was on. However, my experiences were nothing compared to those of a gentleman I saw in Monte Carlo.

Allow me to set the scene. My girlfriend and I are strolling pats the Cafe des Paris towards the Casino, We were not planning to spin the roulette wheels, rather we just felt like absorbing a little bit of the atmosphere. The small square outside the casino is renowned for the cost of the cars that you see driving around it. It is common to see a Bentley following a Rolls Royce and being shadowed by a Porsche. On this particular day, though, it was a bright yellow Ferrari that caught ours attention – and everyone else's attention.

As we strolled towards the casino, the Ferrari signalled its arrival with the powerful throbbing of the engine. It had come up the hill from the port of Monaco and the driver was looking for a place to park. With his choice of car, it was clear the driver was happy to attract attention and was not looking to blend in to the surroundings. Having made such a decision, he maybe should have re-considered his decision to forgo services of the valet and attempt to park his car himself – because when it started to go wrong, there was nowhere to hide.

The Ferrari went past the entrance to the casino and identified a space between a BMW and an Aston Martin. The driver then decided to slide his expensive machine in between the two. However, his first attempt ended badly as he had to break sharply to avoid breaking one of the BMW's headlights. His second attempt produced a similar lack of success as he flirted with the front wing of the Aston Martin. By this point, a crowd was beginning to grow. Not only were passers-by stopping the watch the show, but customers at the Cafe de Paris were getting to their feet to watch,.

It was clear that the driver was growing frustrated at his inability to control his car. As he sat behind the wheel, he seemed in two minds. He certainaly did not want to damage his pr-ze-possession, but asking for the valet would mean admitting defeat and looking slightly foolish in fron of scores of people. It seemed quite the dilemma. In time – after two more failed attempts at parking – common sense prevailed and he signalled for the valet, who slipped the car into the spot in one swift movement whilst the man skulked quietly into the casino. Read Less

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Bus 100 Nice to Monaco

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Quote:

The South of France – and the Cote D'Azur in particular - is one of the wealthiest areas in the world. Nowhere is this clearer than in the principality of Monaco, where wealth seems to drift across the harbour on the breeze. Having lived in Nice for five months before I actually ventured to Monaco, I was not expecting to be surprised by Monaco. However, there was considerable difference between Nice and its cousin just along the coast – there were far more sports cars and the density of stores selling luxury brands was far greater.Considering the rather opulent nature of the region and the two cities in question, it is something of a surprise that the bus between Nice and Monaco, costs jus...Read More

The South of France – and the Cote D'Azur in particular - is one of the wealthiest areas in the world. Nowhere is this clearer than in the principality of Monaco, where wealth seems to drift across the harbour on the breeze. Having lived in Nice for five months before I actually ventured to Monaco, I was not expecting to be surprised by Monaco. However, there was considerable difference between Nice and its cousin just along the coast – there were far more sports cars and the density of stores selling luxury brands was far greater.

Considering the rather opulent nature of the region and the two cities in question, it is something of a surprise that the bus between Nice and Monaco, costs just one Euro for the 55 minute journey. However, a journey on Lignes D'Azur number 100 costs just that, and it is probably the best single Euro you could spend in the whole region (to be honest, one Euro doesn't really go very far on the Cote D'Azur aside from on public transport). The 100 leaves from Station JC Bermond just outside Nice's Old Town. The buses run every ten minutes or during the day – less frequently on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Tourist and commuter traffic permitting, the journey takes just under an hour. And, on the way, it takes in some of the most stunning scenery in Europe.

The journey begins with the bus shuffling out of the centre of Nice, which is nothing particularly special. However, as it climbs out of the city and rises above the port, it provides a wonderful view of the city. You can stare down at the ships and boats in the city's port – although by the end of the day multi-million dollar yachts and cruisers will be old news – and out along the coast at the Promenade Des Anglais and the stunning blue of the sea as it laps against Nice's rocky beach.

From Nice, the bus out into the less built up areas of the countryside passing first through Villefranche, a small seaside town with a harbour packed full of rather expensive looking yachts. The sea again is rather fantastic shade of blue – as it is in much of the region. However, in contrast to Nice, Villefranche has a sand beach, which makes it a popular destination for sun-seekers. The bus conveniently runs just a few meters above the beach, giving a perfect view of the sand and water. Just after Villefranche is St Jean Cap Ferrat, a peninsula that, at various points of the last century, laid claim to being home to some of the most expensive plots of real estate in the world. The bus gives an adequate view of some of the stunning villas on the cape – there is one designed by famed British architect Lord Norman Foster – but to fully appreciate it, it is best to get off and go for a stroll.

After Villefranche and St Jean Cap Ferrat the bus winds its way three or four small sea-side towns (all with wonderful scenery) and through two or three tunnels that are cut into the cliffs before it descends into Monaco. Once in the principality, there are two choices. First, you can get off at the first stop and climb the steps to the Palais and Oceanography Museum. Or, second, ride the bus into the town and along the front of the port. The road there is instantly recognisable to Formula 1 fans as the Monaco grand prix runs along the front of the port. Both options are rather spectacular.

The only downside to the 100 is it can get frighteningly busy. A large proportion of the workforce in Monaco live outside the principality (mostly in Nice and the surrounding area) and commute back at around 6 or 7 o'clock. This means it is often standing room only.

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