Monte Carlo was our first stop. We were immediately struck by the incredible wealth and beauty of the city. Leaving our car in the Jardin Exotique parking structure, we set out for the harbor. The harbor with the incredible yachts—yachts with swimming pools and helicopter pads. The combination of the sun, Mediterranean views, and the incredible yachts was surreal. The harbor was bookended by the casino and the palace, both beautiful in their own way.
A note about Monte Carlo—it is a 3D city. It is built on a hillside. Consequently, there is an extensive elevator system to aid pedestrians in their ascent. This confused us as we made our way to the sea. A local noticed our confusion and helped us navigate the elevator system. She asked how old our daughter was and when I answered, “eight months,” she promptly responded, “Oh, she’s not that big for an American baby!” I so wanted to answer, “You’re not so bitchy for a French woman.” But, alas, as she was helping us, I just flashed her my big, orthodontic American smile.
We made our way along the water from the casino to the palace, stopping for plenty of photo ops along the way. We wove our way along the sea and noted all the preparations for the upcoming Grand Prix. The narrow streets and hills seemed to be toxic when flooded with sexy Formula 1 cars.
After exploring the incredible palace and surrounding village, we wanted to head for home. The parking structure looked close by on the map but remember, we were in a 3D puzzle. We seriously couldn’t find where we’d parked our car. Come to find out, there is more than one jardin exotique. We would follow signs to the jardin exotique, only to find a different exotic garden each time. We finally stopped to ask directions, but the only people we could find were clearly locals and clearly didn’t speak English. The man helping us with directions basically chuckled and said, in French, “It’s not easy!” Ha! Thanks, buster. After considerable effort, we located the parking structure, sank into our car, and blasted the air conditioning all the way back to Èze.
