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June 5th 2008

Published: June 5th 2008

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Woody11

Nice

Day view from my hotel terrace

Thursday 5th June: Spent the morning window shopping and 'people watching' along the busy strip adjacent to my hotel before finally settling down for lunch opposite my hotel. I started chatting to a couple from Scotland (photo below) who were sitting next to my table - Michael was an artist and Jeanette a librarian. They were a great couple who had been married for 3 years and Michael had brought Jeanette to Southern France for her 50th birthday. We chatted for almost 2 hours about travel and cultures around the world and I was totally humbled to find that Jeanette had taken care of my lunch and wine bill while I had ducked out to the toilet. (Thanks Michael and Jeanette - I know you will read this). I then headed for Monte Carlo in Monaco to get a once off taste of how the rich and famous live. I arrived to the Monte Carlo port and was overwhelmed by the size and quality of all the private boats as I took a steady climb up a narrow yet busy street (JF Kennedy des Etats-Unis) which forms part of the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit which was held here only 2

Nice

Michael and Jeanette from Scotland

weeks ago. At the top I arrived at the famous Monte Carlo Casino and sat at the Cafe de Paris for an hour which is just opposite the entrance and had a tall beer for 13 Euro (well - it did come with complimentary olives and savoury biscuits on the side!). The taxis were all either Merc's, Beamer's or Audi's and the private cars ranged from Corvettes, Ferrari's, Astin Martin's and 7 series Merc's. I went into the Casino for a look and was amazed at the architecture inside on the roof and the relaxed atmosphere of hardcore gamblers smoking cigarettes and throwing chips onto almost every roulette square available on the tables - and this was just the public section. I keenly observed for a while and then played dumb by casually wondering to the back of the casino before being asked for my private pass and then politely turned away when I had nothing to produce. The guy at the door chuckled and patted me on the back when he noted my smirk and exactly what I was up to - worth a try anyway! I did peer through the large entrance and saw some high rollers in

Monte Carlo 1

the back room - the silence in that room suggested there was some serious gambling going on. From there I went to a bar not far from the Casino and started chatting to Dominic who was serving behind the bar (photo below). He was a magician in his spare time and he mesmerised me with several decks of cards to the point I was saying to myself "no fu$%ing way - that's simply impossible". He let me in on a couple of secrets to the art but there were still some things he did that are still baffling me today. Heading back to Nice at about 11pm I dropped into a bar and started chatting to two Australian's from the Gold Coast. Ace (another magician) and Gav were great value and we may catch up in Spain if I go beyond Barcelona - they are heading to southern Spain. We went on to another bar and drank until 3am where Ace filled me in on some of the funniest and most amazing stories I have heard - most involving celebrities he has met through his shows. Generally I'm quite perceptive and I know when someone is full of shit -

Monte Carlo 2

and Ace was not. He has travelled a lot of the world doing shows and is udoubtedly one of the funniest laid back aussie larrikins I have ever met. Today was full of laughter and my stomach is still hurting!

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