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Monday, June 15, 2009

THE WONDERFUL MONACO



'Round the
Grand Casino I saw

16 Ferraris, 7 Lamboghinis,
11 Bentleys
, 1 Audi R8, 3 Austin Martins,
8 sport Porsches,
2 Jaguars, 3 masseratis,
1 Pagani Concept and 8 sport Mercedes Benzs.

It's the biggest number of luxury cars I ever saw.'
Said Mohd Idlan
Haziq ,

W
e had the opportunity to visit Monaco from 10 Jun till 13 Jun 2009. Though it is a second smallest country after Vatican, its sceneries and buildings architecture are so wonderful and breath taking.



The Scenic View of Port of Fontvieille

Monaco lies between the Alps and the Mediterranean Sea, bounded by French and Italian Rivieras. It has an area of about 1.95 km sq and a population of nearly 40,000 people. It is well known for its sun, fun and tax haven.


Every inch of the hill is efficiently developed

Travel from London took us about two hours by air to reach Nice Cote-D'Azur Airport and another 45 minutes car ride to Monte Carlo, Monaco. We really love Monaco at first sight. We wondered how such a steep and rocky hills were turned into a wonderful resort and a playground for Rich and Famous.

The Coast line of Monaco

During our two hour stroll along the coast line immediately after checking into our Apt hotel, we came a crossed a lot of luxury cars. Idlan took the initiative to count them. There were 7 Ferraris, 13 Porsches, 14 Audis, 2 Bentleys, 2 Roll Royces and 2 Austin Martins. What an automobile haven!


Casino De Paris


If you haven't been to Monaco, I would suggest Monaco as one of your tour destinations. Besides famous for its Formula1, Monaco has the well known Casino De Paris (Grand Casino). You may want to visit the Casino’s gambling rooms which are open every day. A proper dressing is required in order to enter the casino.

The Casino is
characterized by two pinnacles over a glassed roof, a beautiful façade of neo-classical style. It also has a lovely garden with fountains and sculptures.




Two pinnacles over a glassed roof



The lovely garden at a distance




Sculpture 'Guardian Eagle Of Enviroment'


The other places that you should visit in Monaco are:


The Palais du Prince

The Palais du Prince (Prince's Palace) is located in old Monaco-Ville. The Grimaldi family has ruled from the palace since 1297. If the flag is flying over the palace, you know the Prince Albert II is in residence. The changing of the guard takes place daily at 11:55 am, so you might want to time your visit.

From the edge of the Palace , you can see very beautiful view of port of Fontvieille


The Port of Fontvieille



The Old town of Monaco-Ville


Old town of Monaco-Ville is charming. In contrast to modern Monte-Carlo, the streets are narrow and quaint. Here you can find souvenirs at gift shops.



The Monaco Cathedral


From The Palais du Prince, you will walk alongside some beautiful cliff-side gardens and come to the Monaco Cathedral. This cathedral was built in the late 19th century, and was where Princess Grace and Prince Ranier married. It is also where Grace and many of the other Grimaldis are buried.



Musee de l'Oceanographie


Musee de l'Oceanographie or
the Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium is about 250 meters from the Monarco Cathederal. Founded in 1910, it is perhaps the best aquarium in Europe. It features over 90 tanks. Explorer Jacques Cousteau was the director of the museum for over 30 years and his work can be seen here.

The Monte Carlo Golf Club House



If you are a golfer, you may want to visit the Monte-Carlo Golf Club (MCGC) and play a round of golf. At 900 metres altitude, MCGC is a veritable golfers paradise awaits with 18 unique and contrasting holes.


Travelling to Monaco is indeed a unique and wonderful experience. If you want to have the same experience and on the budget tour, you may want to take a comfortable Easy Jet flight and choose a clean, four star Palaise Josephine Apt Hotel which is quite close (ten minutes walk) to Grand Casino. Further more, grocery stores and asian food; Thai Restaurant and Sri Langkan store are close by.

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