Ninety-Six Thousand Dollars. That’s the average purchase price per square meter for an apartment in the centre of Monaco. To put it in context, that’s over Forty-Five Million Naira per square meter. You’re probably wondering how I can afford it but let’s not jump the gun!
In 2019, I took a BlaBlaCar ride from Aix-en-Provence, France to Monte-Carlo, Monaco. The driver was a french singer named Claire, going for a gig on a yacht in Monte-Carlo. It was a pleasant two-hour ride, and she was nice enough to drop me off right in front of Le Meridien Beach Plaza Hotel, where I had a reservation.
My reservation was for a modest Classic Guest Room. When I got to the Frontdesk, they informed me that I had been upgraded to a room with a larger bed and a marvellous view of the ocean, which typically costs over $700 a night. I was excited!
I took a nap, a shower and then planned how I would spend the next day, while I admired the breathtaking views from my window. My favourite way to explore a city when I don’t have a lot of time is to take a hop-on – hop-off bus. And since I had only one full day in Monaco, I called the concierge to reserve a one day pass on the Monaco Le Grand Tour for the next day.
I took a long walk down the Avenue Princesse Grace, named after the actress Grace Kelly and reportedly the most expensive street in the world. I lost track of time, and it got quite late, but I wasn’t worried because I had read about Monaco’s reputation of having the “safest square mile” in Europe.
What fascinated me more than the number of Ferraris or how clean the country was, is the number of fashionable and healthy-looking old people I ran into. Old men and women snuggled on benches, jogged and walked their dogs along the Avenue. Women who looked 70 or 80 walked around in heels, wore make-up and expensive jewellery. It was almost as though these people were in their 20s and 30s.
When I got back to the hotel, I was tired and hungry from all the exploration. I had a meal, put my feet up for a bit and then attended a solo art exhibition at the hotel. The art exhibition, impressive by all standards, was by Artist Sheikha Awad, a young female Lebanese-Monacan.
I slept as long as I could the next day and had breakfast in my room while I enjoyed the view from my window. According to the weather forecast, it would be a wet day. I had positive vibes on my side, so I took a shower and got set for a full day out. The weather turned out better than predicted!
Having a tour bus ticket means saving on transportation cost since the bus pretty much stopped at all the places a tourist would typically visit. For a brief moment, I thought about renting a Ferrari, but why rent one when I could potentially buy one when I buy a property? Anyway, there was a stop within walking distance from my hotel, so my ticket was ‘inclusive’ of hotel pick-up and drop-off.
I started my tour at the Jardin Japonais (Japanese Garden), where I imagined I would often visit for some tranquillity and rebalancing if I lived in Monaco. My next stop was Le Casino de Monte-Carlo (Monte-Carlo Casino), featured in some famous movies like James Bond’s GoldenEye.
I also spent some time at the Jardin de la Petite Afrique, before going to the Tourism Office of Monaco, to get my passport stamped. While getting one’s passport stamped is not a requirement, it’s a cool addition to it and comes free of charge.
I had lunch and did a little shopping at the mall nearby because what’s a trip to Monte-Carlo without luxury shopping? There were several tourist attractions in the city centre and within walking distance.
Since I didn’t have a lot of time, I chose to make only two more stops; the Oceanographic Museum and the Prince’s Palace of Monaco. The Museum housed fascinating exhibits and aquariums (where I found Nemo). The Prince’s Palace had magnificent views of the city and Port de Fontvieille.
For the rest of the tour, I stayed on the bus, all the while trying to figure out where I would live if I ever did move to Monaco.
At the end of the day, I walked back to my hotel, where I had coffee by the beach and pondered the sights and sounds of the day.
As my bus drove into a dark tunnel on its way out of Monaco, I wasn’t sure how I could eventually afford an apartment in Monaco. What I knew for sure was that what I saw would help me dream. Dreams turn into plans, plans into action and action into result!
So much packed into a single day! I look forward to visiting Monaco myself.
Great read.