Mention Monte Carlo and it brings thoughts of the playground for the rich and famous along with words such as glitz, glamour and luxury of the French Riviera.

Monte Carlo lies not in France but in the principality of Monaco along the shoreline of the Meditterrean between Italy to the North and with France to the south.

It’s one of nine regions within the principality of Monaco, and with Monaco being the second smallest principatlity in the world behind The Vatican.

Monte Carlo – Playground for the rich, famous and a rookie golf journalist.

Looking down on Monte Carlo from the roadway that leads to and from the Monte Carlo GC – Image GolfByTourMiss

Monte Carlo also is a city boasting 30% of the residents as millionaries and, no doubt many of those in resident not paying tax.

You can walk the streets where each year they host the Monte Carlo Formula One Grand Prix, and for the 51 other weeks you’re passed by gleaming Lamborgini’s, Ferrari’s and Porsche’s.

It’s a city where you go to watch others such as the art of grabbing a coffee in the cafe out front of the Monte Carlo Casino, and then sit for hours just admiring both the passing human and motorised traffic.

Monte Carlo was the location of the Alfred Hitchcock’s famed 1955 thriller –To Catch a Thief – staring Cary Grant and reigning 1954 Academy Award winning actress Grace Kelly.  Kelly then met Prince Rainer 111 at the Cannes Film Festival and the pair were married eight months after the release of the movie and becoming Princess Grace.

There’s other movies made in Monte Carlo including James Bond’s Golden Eye (1995) and Ocean Twelve (2004), and both movies with scenes from inside the Monte Carlo Casino.

And Monte Carlo is home also to the annual Monte Carlo Masters, an men’s ATP tennis tournament won 11 times by Rafal Nadal including eight in succession.  As well, Monte Carlo has a team – AS Monaco – competing in the French League 1.

And any visit to one of Europe’s leading tourist destinations should, if you have time, include visiting Monaco Cathedral, the Napoleon Museum, the Oceanographic Museum and aquarium and the Prince’s Palace.

One thing is for sure and that’s Monte Carlo is never dull.

Hereunder is three GolfByTourMiss videos – the first taken on the drive down the mountain from the Monte Carlo Golf Club and where I first Monaco in 1990 and was returning for a first time in over 30-years.

The second video down at Mediterranean Sea level while the third and last, is film of a great sunset over Monte Carlo.

Enjoy!

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