Monaco: Lifestyles of The Rich and Richer

Our first stop on our visit was the Royal Palace, but getting there is an adventure in itself. I'd heard that Monaco was built on a rock and the first thing you learn when arriving on a bus is just how tall that rock is! Bus parking is right at the base of the rock and then you take escalators and elevators, all carved into the rock, before arriving in what must rank as one of the most beautiful parts of the world.

The first sight that greeted us was the Oceanographic Museum and, although we didn't have time to go inside, from what we could gather, its home to one of the best aquariums in the world. From there, it's a quick five minute walk to the palace and as soon as you walk into the square in front of the palace, you can immediately tell that this is a country that's very proud of its heritage, with the national flag flying everywhere.

Looking like a fairytale castle from outside, the first part of the palace you come to when you go inside is the Courtyard of Honours with the Monumental Flight of Steps as its centerpiece. Looking at the steps, it's impossible to believe that these were carved from the same slab of Carrara marble. We stood there for some time, just admiring the courtyard and soaking in the view. Sadly, like most palaces of the world these days, no photos are allowed.

The design of a lot of the palace rooms you see on the tour is similar to many you'll find throughout Europe, but there aren't many palaces that have a Gallery of Mirrors that makes the room seem as if it goes on forever. The tour finished with the Throne Room, the setting for state events in Monaco since the 16th century. What struck me was the portrait of the Royal family, the Grimaldis, painted just before the tragic death of Princess Grace in the early 1980s. Everyone stood there mesmerized in front of it for some time, just taking in every detail and lost in their own thoughts.

No visit to the Royal Palace is complete without seeing the Changing of the Guard ceremony, but be sure to stake a spot at least 20 minutes before it starts, as it's a very popular event to watch and crowds build quickly. Especially unfortunate during the heat of the Mediterranean summer, there's also no shade to watch the ceremony, so be sure to apply plenty of sun tan lotion before settling down to enjoy this.