When I was younger, Monte Carlo was
known as the place where rich people go for gambling and luxury accommodations.
Only the classy, the wealthy and the serious gamblers went to Monte Carlo.
James Bond spent his time there, for goodness’ sake. Monte Carlo was a world
above Las Vegas. Las Vegas was the place where those into neon and cheap
buffets and hookers spent their time. So, I was thrilled when I decided to
spend a day in Monte Carlo as part of our self-imposed European itinerary.
Boy, have times changed. Vegas has
gone from the city of tackiness to the city of high end décor, accommodations,
shopping and eating. Let me make this clear: Monte Carlo doesn’t hold a candle
to Vegas. In fact, Monte Carlo is more akin to Atlantic City, back in the days
when Atlantic City had only a couple of casinos. The Monte Carlo casino was
undoubtedly considered opulent decades ago, but it isn’t in the same league
with the casinos at the Wynn, the Venetian, the Bellagio or myriad other Vegas
venues. I went there on a Saturday afternoon. There was only one black jack
table operating. And only two gaming tables total were open. (There weren’t
that many tables available even to be used when the casino was busy.) The slot
machines were limited in number and type as well. Most of the people there were
tourists who just wanted to watch people play, having paid 10 Euros just to get
into the place. (Of course, my review might be slightly jaded by the fact that
there was a moron from Indianapolis who chastised me for playing the odds in
blackjack. But even if the experience had been universally positive, I would
not have been impressed. I had dinner at the casino restaurant and it was
mediocre, at best (though the prices were certainly gargantuan).
Independent of the gambling, is
Monte Carlo a nice place? Well, it’s certainly an attractive coastal city, with
a lot of nice buildings built into the side of the mountains/hills that abut
the ocean. The luxury hotels reveal that the rich still come to this city in
droves. But frankly, I found Monte Carlo to be no-better looking or more
impressive than numerous cities on the California coast that feature essentially
the same or similar configurations. Take Laguna Beach and Laguna Niguel, for
instance, which, IMHO, have better looking beaches, cliffs, homes and
businesses.
The one positive I gained from the
trip is that I have a newfound respect for the French. While Monte Carlo is
technically in Monaco, the people there are, for all practical purposes,
French. They speak French. The last time I went to France was in the year 1996.
I was universally treated badly then. I was yelled at in the first club I
entered, I was ignored or abused by service personnel at every restaurant I
patronized and I was mugged twice in two days. I had a much better experience
this time, with people going out of their way to show me respect and kindness.
One obviously well-to-do lady actually walked me with her dog several blocks to
my hotel when I got lost. I have learned a few French phrases and will continue
to learn the language. I think it helps if you make an effort to speak French. The
French can be understandably irritated (if overly reactive) to the fact that
Americans tend to arrogantly believe everyone should know English, even in
countries where English is not the dominant language. Serena Williams has gone
from being booed 13 years ago to being the darling of the French Open Tennis
Tournament. While part of that has to do with her longevity (i.e., she’s old,
by tennis standards, and still the best player in the world), the fact that she
now speaks French fluently (she owns a flat in Paris), and gives all her
interviews at the tournament in French, seems to have a major impact.
The bottom line? I can say I went to
Monte Carlo. I’m sure there are places in Monte Carlo I could have visited that
would have been impressive. But Monte Carlo is known most for its gambling. In
the age of the revised Vegas, the gambling aspect has become obsolete. I doubt
I’ll be back, though I may try other places in the south of France that
travelers on this trip have said were great.
(Note: photos on my blog are now
public photos I have appropriated. I have lost my phone and thus lost the
photos I took. Ugh!)
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