Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies… ok, mostly rich, old men…
Like Goodwood, the Monaco Historique gives you direct access to the pits. Thursday is practice so our plan was to have a stroll round Menton, which is a beautiful town and then head over to Monte Carlo and pop into the pits. Charlie was hoping to catch up with a couple of drivers he knows.
I made a couple of spontaneous purchases in Menton; Herbes de Provence, Lavender bags, a refill of Eau de Menton, a famous citrusy light perfume that I’ve bought on our previous visits, a new straw hat and a lovely striped beach bag, complete with beach mat and pillow.
When we last visited 4 years ago, the Harbour was getting a makeover which is now complete with a wide promenade, new restaurants in the arches of the old harbour wall and a brand new beach with boardwalk and lagoon, however Menton’s real charm lies in the narrow streets of the old town with its tall terracotta and honey coloured buildings.
Leaving Menton we caught the train to the heart of Monte Carlo. On arrival we made a beeline for the pits. Charlie caught up with Michael Birch who is racing a Maserati and a Connaught. Unfortunately we arrived just as Michael was arriving back in the pits having suffered damage during practice in the Connaught but after some adjustments (hitting with a hammer is always useful), the car should be ready for qualifying tomorrow. Charlie also caught up with Nick Padmore who is racing a 1976 Lotus F1 and 1981 Lotus F1. We spent until late afternoon soaking up the atmosphere and admiring some beautiful cars.
Spotted, well I say spotted, you can’t really miss it….Sir Philip Green’s (or should we say Mrs Green’s super yacht in the harbour.
We returned to Menton late afternoon for a swim and a snooze on the beach and a well earned dinner at a lovely restaurant called ‘Little Italy’
If you love your classic cars then stay tuned for the next 2 days or if not, check back again, when we will be resuming our motorhome journey taking the slow route home to Kent.
RoundandAbout 