If you have any interest at all in seeing Monte Carlo, and you’re within striking distance, take the time to check it out. The casino is still here, just as it was in the movie, Casino Royale. And who knows? Maybe a retired James Bond is still somewhere around here, too.
After a memorable lunch in Monaco-Ville, we wanted to get a closer look at Monte Carlo. But how? Unfortunately, our best option was a very touristy tourist train.
Riding on the Touristy Train
I say, “unfortunately,” because I’m not a fan of these over-the-top touristy-looking things that seem better suited for a theme park. When I’m on one, I feel like an over-grown 5-year-old looking for his second childhood at Disneyland.
You’d think they’d make an effort to make the tourist train look more suitable for adults. Streamline it a bit. Maybe add a bar car. Now there’s an idea!
The train would take us from Monaco-Ville, down off the rock into Monte Carlo, and back. Someone would tell us all about Monte Carlo along the way. It was too easy and practical to pass up.
For a long time, Monaco was a little town just like any other sleepy coastal town. But in the 1850’s, someone got the idea to build a casino here to draw in tourists and generate tax revenue.
They chose a run-down neighborhood known as “Les Spelegures,” (The Den of Thieves). They cleaned up the whole area, renamed it “Monte Carlo”, (Mount Charles), and built their casino. I have to agree with them – “Mount Charles” does sound more inviting than “Den of Thieves.”
Le Grand Casino de Monte Carlo
“Le Grand Casino de Monte Carlo” opened its doors in 1858, and started raking in the dough immediately. Rich folks from all over came to play. It wasn’t long before gambling taxes generated enough revenue to allow Monaco to free its citizens from any income tax requirements.
No income tax?! That’s right. Before long, rich folks weren’t just coming to play. They were coming to stay. That’s one reason why so many fabulously rich people live in Monaco today.
The guy who had the idea to build a casino in Monaco was on the ball, that’s for sure. Generating tax revenue from gambling was a brainstorm. But if he also foresaw that the place would eventually become a tax haven for the rich, well then, that guy was a genius.
Someone explained all this to us while we rode the little train down the rock and into Monte Carlo. When we were in Monte Carlo, we went on some of the same streets that make up the course for the Monaco Grand Prix. That was fun. I used to read about the Monaco Grand Prix when I was a young Formula 1 fan.
Hotsy-Totsy +
It wasn’t time for the grand prix when we were in Monaco, but there were still plenty of fancy cars to look at. Whew! Fancy people, too. “Hotsy-totsy” doesn’t do this place justice.
If I drove our rental car down the main street here, people sitting in sidewalk cafés would point and say, “Look at those poor people in that old jalopy. Pity, what? You’d think that cute young lady could do better!”
Monte Carlo is quite a sight. Apartment buildings rise up around a harbor full of beautiful boats. The really big yachts have to park a little further out. The main street surrounding the harbor serves as the straightaway during the grand prix.
On the other side of the harbor, the original Monte Carlo casino is still there, still raking in the dough. We stopped in front and took a look from the outside. We didn’t venture in, though. What would be the point, really? Besides, I hadn’t been practicing my Sean Connery imitation.
The Name is Bond…
If we went into that casino, I wouldn’t be able to keep myself from spouting some poorly done James Bond lines. “Shaken, not stirred… Moneypenny – get ‘Q’ on the phone, would you?” I’d probably find my embarrassed Better Half waiting for me outside.
We continued on around Monte Carlo, then climbed back up the hill to Monaco-Ville. Then it was time to get in our old jalopy and head back to Nice. The fresh air felt good. I had gotten kind of sweaty being around all that money.
We had dinner that night at one of the many restaurants in Nice’s Cours Saleya. We both had moules-frites – mussels and french fries. It’s sort of an unofficial national food of France. They cook the mussels in a broth of white wine, garlic, and shallots. It comes with a basket of bread for sopping up the broth. Ooh la la.
Tomorrow we say “au revoir” to Nice. We’ll make the short drive inland to Aix-En-Provence. We’re going to use Aix as our home base for a week or so while we take day-trips to places nearby. Sounds like fun, eh?
To be continued…
The great photo of Monte Carlo at the top of the post is from Wikimedia Commons/Alexander Migl
Another great story! We took those little trains in most places we visited in France – they are great!