Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 8 – 9, 2014 –
Monaco had been on our Mediterranean bucket list and here we were. Our slip at the marina was just below the castle. Not bad. Like other cities on the Med, the principality of Monaco is built into the steep hills. As we walked up the steep streets to the main town we were amused, and probably relieved (!) to see signs for defibrillators along the way. The entire country is only .75 square miles, only slightly smaller than The Vatican.
The Grimaldi family has ruled Monaco since 1297 with the exception of a brief period during the French Revolution. While it is an independent country without borders, and not a member of the European Union, the Euro is the currency used, and there is no income tax. Everything else is taxed instead! Monaco has the highest per capita income in the world and some of the most expensive real estate to go with it.
We enjoyed a glass of wine at the café across from the casino at Monte Carlo while watching the incredible collection of very expensive, very black cars arrive for the evening. It is definitely the place to see and be seen.
While leaving the boat the following morning, as Bob was walking across our new passarelle, the boat was hit by a wave crossing through the marina. The passarelle swung to one side and Bob to the other resulting in an unplanned swim for Bob – – and the cell phone that was in his pocket. Bob survived; the cell phone likely did not. A trip to the chandlery before the end of the day and we now have new Kevlar support lines for the passarelle that do not stretch. It is now a steady gangway.
The Musee Oceanographique, the Aquarium built by Prince Albert I in 1910 is a highlight of Monaco. It is built on the side of a cliff overlooking the Med and was directed by Jacques Cousteau for 32 years. While it has a wonderful aquarium filled with fish, sharks, and coral mostly from the Med, it is more educationally oriented than any other we have been to. Sharks and the reduction of the shark population is a current focus of the exhibits. The location of the aquarium is perfect as the water in the tanks is pumped in directly from the Mediterranean.