Zipping along the Upper Corniche highway toward Menton one morning, we saw the exit for Monaco, and although it was a rare cloudy day we decided to spend a few hours in this tiny, ultra-rich principality, tax haven, and site of one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious automotive events, the Grand Prix de Monaco. It has reputedly the world’s highest proportion of car owners: besides Rolls Royces and Mercedes everywhere, I even saw my dream machine – an Aston Martin Lagonda!

Monaco is a constitutional monarchy, reigned over by the Grimaldi family since 1297. Its current ruler is HSH (His Serene Highness) Prince Albert II, son of the late Prince Rainier and Princess Grace. Here is an excellent and detailed article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/monaco .

This is a place where language can be confusing. Monaco is the name not only of the entire principality, but also of the original mediaeval town on a hilltop at the west side. “Monaco-Town” contains, among other things, the royal palace, the cathedral and the Oceanographic Museum. In contrast, to the east of the hill is the modern city of Monte Carlo, famous for its casino, its baroque opera house, and scads of financial institutions. Around the waterfront are Condamine, with the yacht club and marina filled with luxury yachts; and Fontvielle, home to small hi-tech companies and the stadium. In addition to French, signs are in Monégasque, a dialect of Ligurian, similar to the language once spoken in Genoa.

The entire country is only a couple of square kilometres in size, with a population of about 30,000 inhabitants. Less than five thousand are citizens: they pay no income tax, and are among the world’s wealthiest people. The other 25,000 or so are residents without Monégasque citizenship, living there because their taxes are lower than they would be in their own countries. I was told that a family must live there for generations before they will even be considered for citizenship.

The weather was wet and foggy that day, so after visiting the royal palace and walking around Monaco Town a while, we headed off to Menton, stopping at the perched village of Eze en route.

Located right at the Italian border, Menton (pop. c.30,000) boasts 300 sunny days per year and the warmest climate in France. Like most places in that area, it was controlled by various masters over the centuries, although its history has been most closely tied to the fortunes of Monaco’s ruling Grimaldi family. It even declared itself an independent republic at one time, but for the past century and a half it has belonged to France. It became a favorite vacation spot of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII and their retinues, and British “snowbirds” still flock there. In fact, most of the patrons in the restaurant where we had lunch were British. Here are some articles with useful information and good photos: www.antibes.co.uk/menton/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/menton and www.provenceweb/fr/e/alpmarit/menton/menton.html .

Menton today is best known for its famous sweet lemons and other fruit. We went there to take in the annual Citrus Festival. For about two weeks in February and March, roughly corresponding to the pre-Lenten season, Biovès Gardens, a huge park in the centre of town, is transformed into a display ground like none other anywhere. A theme for the year is chosen, and cities from all over Europe plan their future masterpieces based on that theme. Giant three-dimensional plywood models are built, then every square inch of them is covered with lemons, oranges, limes and grapefruit, each one individually held on by double-sided tape. Hundreds of tons of citrus fruit are used, some local, some from other Mediterranean locations, and some from as far away as Arizona. There is also a parade of floats and marching bands on three consecutive Sundays. The year we went the theme was “The Sea” – and there were lighthouses, fishing boats, an enormous octopus, Venetian gondolas, a voluptuous Lorelei from Germany, dolphins leaping through hoops, and many more that I can’t remember. Here are good sources of photos taken over recent years: http://photos.minman.com/europe2001/0121_nice/0209_menton and www.menton.com/uk/lemons/2001ph.htm .

We were troubled how anyone could justify wasting hundreds of tonnes of good fruit at a time when people elsewhere are starving, so we asked about this at the administration office. They assured us that the festival doesn’t last long enough for the fruit to go bad. At the end, the fruit is removed from the displays and made into juice and marmalade, which is then distributed free to orphanages and shelters throughout France. That sounded like a very sensible thing to do.

I hope you have enjoyed these articles, which offer but a glimpse at the Cote d'Azur, and that you too may some day enjoy all the warmth, history, luxury and other good things the French Riviera has to offer.