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Someone who previously documented their ED had a great idea about the sport buckets and loading the rear space. Since I was right handed, I'd have the driver's seat full forward and the passenger seat fully back. The luggage would be by the passenger door. I'd have my left knee on the passenger seat and the right leg braced in the passenger foot well. The process would be to grab the item to be loaded, use the left hand to guide and the right hand to push or rotate. For the larger and heavier duffles, I would get one end past the seats and then drop/flip the bag into the rear, being careful not to mess up the headliner. The bag would drop into the rear and then I'd maneuver it into position. With all that gear in the back and no tint on the glass, we were concerned about random break ins. The solution was to buy one of those rectangular disposable picnic table covers from Target or the Dollar Store and throw it over all the bags and stuff in the back. It was light, easy to stow, and would just be shoved behind a seat when not in use.
State police
One of the toll booths where you'd get a ticket and then pay later.
Next stop...Monaco. We were going to take the Grand Corniche at this point, but after seeing the view and the road, we decided that the GC was more in name than anything else and decided to head straight into town. That black Maserati Coupe was one of maybe 3 Maserati's we saw on the whole trip. For the most part, luxury brands are by far more common in the US than in Europe.
Preparing for the Monaco GP!
The drive up to the hotel. That's the casino in front.
Can't believe they parked that red POS next to the GT3
Ok, so the lobby was pretty impressive. Apparently this is a hangout for Russians...lots and lots of Russians.
The hotel just came off a renovation and the new rooms were pretty nice, particularly this one, which was huge and with a particularly impressive view of the harbor and the casino.
The surprise chocolate cake and stuff was a nice touch! When we were booking a place to stay, there was the Metropole, the Hermitage, and the Hotel de Paris. We chose the HDP for the location and view. Not only were we not disappointed with the view, but after walking the other two properties, there was no doubt that the HDP was the better of the three. It didn't feel crowded or busy like the other two, nor did it feel pretentious or stuffy.
Dinner at Alain Ducasse's Louis XV, his flagship restaurant and our first and only meal requiring a jacket. The place was surprisingly small, like only 14 tables. We had booked it through AMEX and got a nice table right by the window, with an incredible view of the casino.
So this was an interesting example of what may be considered "old world chivalry" and something we've never seen in the US, perhaps because of progressive gender roles. There are two menus...one for the lady and one for the gentleman, with the assumption that the gentleman will be paying, since he's the one with the prices
We decided to order al la carte, since we were starving. Big mistake. Unlike Meadowood, Saison, French Laundry, Per Se, Le Bernadin, etc... the portions are HUGE. We got 2 aps, 2 first, and 2 mains. Service included 3 amuse, which was also different and interesting to compare with places back home.
Veggie bread and fried pea ravioli: free
Veggie rolls: free
Random seafood bits: Free. The presentation was nice. This was brought to the table raw and then a broth poured on the smaller rocks, which were extremely hot. A glass cover was used to contain the steam and the bits would gently "cook." One per person.
Garden vegetables with a mushroom broth: Not free. It may not look like much, but I'd pay another 106 Euro for this one.
Shrimp with rockfish gelee and caviar: This is what an ocean party in your mouth looks like.
Blue lobster: Also not free. For 32 Euro less than the party above, I'd rather have this one. We definitely didn't see this coming and should have split one dish instead of getting two. This was basically a whole lobster and we were pretty much done at this point.
Veal sweetbreads: One bite and I forgot how full I was. Again...this was a substantial portion and unlike what we were expecting. Usually, the portion sizes in Italy were smaller than what we got at home and we were under the impression that this was also the case throughout Europe. Not here...
Guinea fowl: She was expecting cornish hen and we should have googled guinea fowl, but apparently being famished diminishes your thought process. It's basically a large fancy chicken.
There was no way we could eat anything more, but they brought out mignardises and a french version of shave ice.
We also got a kitchen tour and spoke with Chef Dominique Lory, responsible for executing Alain Ducasse's at his flagship restaurant.
Thanks for taking the time to photograph and share this extraordinary adventure.
Originally Posted by kyrocks
Great write up. Love it.
Makes me want to go back.
Thank you! We're making plans for the next ED, but can't agree on the refresh Macan GTS or a Pana ST. The Macan is 2021, but the ST is order only, with probably an expiration date.
Originally Posted by Perimeter
Thanks for sharing, what an elegant trip
There are some dining experiences worth a little extra money ...
Breakfast at Omer. Ducasse opened this in January and it was nice.
Pick one
Monaco is so small that 2-3 days is more than enough for exploring the principality, shopping, and dining. Aside from the gardens, the only real "sights" would be the palace, the museum of oceanography, and the car collection. We had a late start and didn't want to push the schedule, so we only did the first two, which was spectacular.
The harbor and setting up for the GP.
Our last day was spent shopping and then a late lunch at Elsa, the only Michelin starred organic restaurant. Organic or not, it was fantastic. In fact, it was so fantastic, a random seagull decided to dive bomb our table and made away with a piece of organic roast pork Made for some interesting conversation!
Checkout and a 3.5 hour drive to Provence!
But first a stop in Cannes for some retail therapy
Our garage for the following week was an ancient Roman quarry that was in use until the 70's. The property is owned by a Parisian architect and has hosted friends and family, including Francois Hollande and his girlfriend, Julie Gayet. There's only one room, tucked away in a high corner of the quarry. It was previously owned by artist Edy Legrand, who in spite of local laws, was buried on the property, maybe 50 feet away from our room. His epitaph was written by his friend and 4 time Nobel Prize nominee, Henri Bosco.
Ok, so the property was behind a motorized gate and the cave was pretty cool and while I had known that the "road" leading up to it was unimproved, maybe next time I'll check on tiny details like the high center clearance and rock crawling.
Front Axle Lift...yeah, it sorta came in handy. There were areas where I would need a spotter to make sure the car wouldn't bottom out on the rear diffuser vanes or submarine the front spoiler, with the clearance usually less than a couple inches. This was extra super fun at night and with a couple drinks in you! Minor scratches from bushes wasn't as critical as navigating the $230K car around standing pools of water or making sure the calipers didn't pick up a pebble and etch the PCCBs. Thankfully, that didn't happen, but we were extra careful leaving and entering the property!
05-01-2019, 01:53 PM
Made for some interesting conversation!
