Port Hercules, Monaco
i have managed to arrive after most of the grand prix crowds have departed
it's wonderful that people visit monaco. tourism keeps places alive and allows people to encounter places they might otherwise never see
but standing in port hercules, i found myself thinking about how strange monaco's reputation has become
most people seem to arrive looking for yachts, casinos, formula one, luxury brands, and the possibility of meeting someone famous. very few seem interested in the actual country, which is a big shame
monaco is older than many people realise. there are medieval streets hidden above the harbour, with churches older than some nation-states. there are layers of ligurian, italian, french, and monegasque history compressed into a piece of land so small you could walk across it easily
as a child i was always fascinated by the fact that tourists would queue for photographs of cars while ignoring the old town entirely
nothing against cars, of course, they are very nice..?
i suppose we all have different hobbies
