April / May 2016

WHILE spring-cleaning a neglected cupboard, I discovered my first Monaco Murmurs ... written in spring 1988! How unnerving is that ... such a large chunk of my life spent chattering about a very small place. But quite a special very small place ... a 700-year old Principality with a fascinating history. Celebrities, world famous people and thousands of visitors come and go in this small but unique tourist resort on the Côte d’Azur, but it stays the same at heart: a small close-knit town that has grown into not just a city state, but a country. So, murmuring on, what has changed in all those years?

  "Monaco awakens from the tranquillity and elegance of the winter season. With the coming of spring and the Grand Prix de Monaco. Tranquillity in the sense of few tourists and few year-round residents, but not in the sense of peace and quiet ... even the ground beneath the palace has been shattered by the grind of drills and roar of cement trucks as the rock was 'Gruyered' by new roads to and from the new town of Fontvieille and the dust still has not settled in Monte Carlo as the new parking garages in the Place du Casino and avenue Princesse Grace are still under construction."

No change there!

Where to eat when you are not a millionaire is always a topic of conversation, so I mentioned that a delicious dinner could be enjoyed "at Le Grillardin restaurant, 2 minutes from Barclays Bank, for a modest 65 francs ( €10) with wine and coffee." Ah! That was in the good old days before the euro, when banks paid 10% interest and a deposit account was considered by many in Monaco to give a better return on capital than investing in real estate, as prices were too high, so I ended my first epistle with:

  ''If it's magical it must be Monaco ... but if you are thinking of moving here, consider carefully. For an apartment by the sea in Monte-Carlo, you could buy a 34-room chateau and 12 hectares in central France…for only 3 million French francs."

Probably still true today, but a studio by the sea might not have been a bad investment. A garage in Monaco now costs €250,000 and property is one of the most expensive in the world ... and who needs a 34-room chateau when you can swim in the Mediterranean sea and one of the world's most expensive and glamorous sporting events is just down the street.

It was in 1988 that Ayrton Senna drove one of the greatest qualifying laps ever seen in the history of Formula One to win pole position and beat his teammate and rival, Alain Prost, and win the Monaco Grand Prix, to the delight of 60,000 fans. Over 100,000 fans are expected to flood into Monaco for the 2016 Grand Prix (May 26-29), which is all about Mercedes and Ferrari, who swept the board in 2015. The Mercedes team will no doubt be on their toes after last year's debacle, so will Hamilton or Vettel beat Rosberg? The 4-day race is a money­spinner, bringing in 5% of Monaco's annual revenue. Work has already begun to prepare the circuit and erect the grandstands and safety barriers as the bi-annual 10th Grand Prix Historique is two weeks earlier (May 13-15). This event is a joy for lovers of classic cars: a quieter, less frenetic affair with a special flair, where you can watch 1920s Bugattis, 1930s Maseratis, 1950s Ferraris, Cooper Bristols and a BRM race around Monaco's state-of-the-art circuit with drivers in leather helmets and white scarves and see them all up close and personal in the paddock outside Stars 'n Bars before the races.

Spring produces showers, flowers and another big sporting event which brings ten of the world's top tennis stars to their favourite tournament, the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters (Apr 9-17) at the Monte­Carlo Country Club, a small, select, beautifully situated club overlooking the Mediterranean on the eastern border of Monaco. It is a social event where one can lunch on the terrace, mingle with the crowds and watch some amazing tennis.  A well-timed Top Marques show awaits the winning players with the latest, most expensive, bespoke luxury cars and boats to match at the Grimaldi Forum (Apr 14-17), which then welcomes Les Ballets De Monte Carlo's festival of dance, with legendary Czech choreographer, Jiri Kylian (Apr 28-May 1).

Who on earth would rather have a château?