MONACO

April 28, 2023

Mostly sunny, 65 deg F


Monaco is a most interesting place.  At 1.5 square miles It is the second smallest city in the world, the Vatican being the smallest.  It is probably the wealthiest in terms of wealth per capita.  The harbor is crammed with mega yachts.   It took some maneuvering for our captain to even squeeze our ship in.  Monaco is home to the mega casino Monte Carlo and the annual Grand Prix Formula One Race that runs through existing roads in the city.   Something to consider for the future:  you can dock your yacht right at the Grand Prix race track and watch the race from your the aft deck of your boat  - only $50,000 per day, 4 day minimum.   Monaco is definitely a destination for the rich and famous and infamous.


Monaco is ruled by Prince Albert II, son of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III.  The population of the city state is only about 39,000 of which only about 9,500 are citizens.   Many wealthy people rent or buy condos in Monaco to establish residency allowing their business interests to operate tax free.   Monaco has become one of Europes most important financial centers.


As we had visited Monaco in 2018 we decided to do something outside of the city.   We went on a tour of St. Paul de Vence, a medieval village near Nice and a hangout for famous artists and then to a perfume factory in Grasse, France.


St Paul de Vence, built in the 17th century,  is a walled city in the foothills of the French Alps and was a favorite place to visit and work by great artists such as Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall.   The town was originally  fortified in the Middle Ages to protect citizens from attack by pirates from Northern Africa.   Today it is a tourist attraction with restaurants and high-end shops (most selling art) along the narrow and hilly cobblestone streets and is still a place where artists frequent.


After lunch in the village we went to Grasse, a town with 30 perfume factories!  We visited Galimard, the oldest perfumery in Grasse.  A guide gave us a very interesting presentation of how perfumes are made and told us how people are trained to be "noses" to help develop fragrances.  They allowed us to dab some on and then made a sales pitch.  Some in our group bought some so our bus smelled particularly good on the way back to the ship.


Now on our way to Barcelona.


                 Monaco skyline from our ship.  Where the houses start is in France.


                More Monaco skyline....It name means Rock


               Monte Carlo Opera House part of the casino


               Nice yachts...probably more oligarchs


             St Paul de Vence, France


                  At entrance to the walled city.   Statue represents Life (looks a little deformed)


                      Part of the wall surrounding the city


                                  A narrow alleyway has restaurants & shops tucked inside.


                 Residents have gardens in the back.    Outer wall is at the right



                             View of buildings alongside narrow street


                               Shops on either side of narrow street


       In one of the shops.....sorry for the window glare (its made of small gold/brass? rings.

       The figure to the left is not the artist, it's a reflection of the photographer (smile).


Inside the perfume factory....some of the equipment they once used to make perfume.   

They transitioned from copper to stainless steel in more recent years.


Sealed room where the "Nose" works to perfect the smell.   There are some 150 professional Noses.   They go through rigorous training and education to become a professional Nose and they command a high price for their work.   They can sell their recipe for a new perfume for as much as $1 million.

 

From our bus.   Unique apartment/condo building facing the Mediterranean to the east and the Alps to the west.   Most of the people who work in Monaco actually live in France.  

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