By Debora Ragland Buerk
The Write Stuff
Looking at life from a different point of view.

Blue Skies, Nothing But Blue Skies Do I See. 🎶

Hi, it’s been a while since my last post. I’m home now and can write to you from the comfort of my desk with Wi-Fi. Nothing rolling around. Let’s recap the itinerary up to now:

• Day 1 and 2. Travel from Seattle to Amsterdam. Amsterdam to Barcelona. Board the ship.
• Day 3. Barcelona, Spain.
• Day 4. Sète, France.
• Day5. Stormy weather cancels going ashore in Marseille, France.
• Day 6. Monte Carlo, Monaco.

After forty-eight hours of rough, stormy seas, I wake up on day six to a ship floating on still waters.

“Away to the window, I flew like a flash,
Tore opened the shutters and threw up the sash.

When what to my wondering eyes did appear
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer,

No, that’s not right. Take two.

When what to my wondering eyes did appear 
But a harbor full of millionaire’s yachts and nary a reindeer. (1)

We have arrived in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Do you hear the James Bond theme? Well, I do. And the city lives up to its hype in the James Bond movies. Monte Carlo is situated on a prominent escarpment at the base of the Maritime Alps along the French Riviera. Nearby is the “world-famous Place du Casino, the gambling center … that has made Monte Carlo an international byword for the extravagant display and reckless dispersal of wealth.”(2) It is also the location of the Hôtel de Paris, Café de Paris and Salle Garnier (the casino theatre which is the home of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo). 

Charles III of Monaco was responsible for turning the Monte Carlo district and Monaco into a thriving town.

In 1856, Charles III of Monaco granted a concession to Napoleon Langlois and Albert Aubert to establish a sea-bathing facility for the treatment of various diseases and to build a German-style casino.

The initial Casino opened in La Condamine in 1862 but was unsuccessful. It relocated several times before reaching its present location in the “Les Spélugues” (The Caves) area of Monte Carlo. Success came slowly, mainly because Monaco was inaccessible from much of Europe. The railway, installed in 1868, brought an influx of people, and Monte Carlo grew in wealth.

Here’s a bit of trivia for you: Monaco’s citizens are forbidden by law to gamble in casinos. Yet, the ruling family, the Grimaldis, is wealthy from the casino industry.

A Tale as Old as Time: The Love Affair of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III (Grimaldi).

Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982), also known as Grace of Monaco, was an American actress and Princess of Monaco as the wife of Prince Rainier III from their marriage in 1956 until her death. Before her marriage, she starred in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s. She received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. She was ranked 13th on the American Film Institute’s 25 Greatest Female Stars list. (4)

Kelly won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the drama The Country Girl (1954). (5) Kelly retired from acting at age 26 to marry Rainier and began her duties as Princess of Monaco. Grace and Rainier had three children: Princess Caroline, Prince Albert, and Princess Stéphanie. Princess Grace’s charity work focused on young children and the arts. Kelly died at the age of 52 at Monaco Hospital from injuries sustained in a car crash. (6) 

The funeral of Princess Grace of Monaco took place at the Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate in Monaco-Ville. An estimated 26,000 people paid their respects as she lay in state at the Palatine Chapel at the Prince’s Palace of Monaco before the ceremony, a requiem Mass. (7)(8)

Rainier, who did not remarry, was buried alongside her after he died in 2005. (9)

Until Princess Grace’s death, only the Princes were buried inside the church. But, she was so beloved that the church made an exception and buried Grace inside the church. Our tour guide told us that visiting her grave is a favorite among visitors.

Prince Albert, the Ultimate Playboy.

According to Monaco law, only a male can inherit the title. Prince Albert, born in 1958, is my age. When he ascended the throne, he was still unmarried. But Albert had numerous (like many, many) illegitimate heirs. Albert remained a bachelor until 2010 when he married an Olympian swimmer from South Africa. In 2014, twins were born, one of which was male. The couple has had no further children. Rumor has it that he’s still a playboy.

Interstingly, if Albert had died before having a legitimate heir, Monaco would have ceased to exist, and the city-state would have come under French control.

Princess Grace’s Legacy.

Princess Grace was very active in fund-raising for charities, but she had a soft spot for gardening. We toured an extensive garden next to the Palace named in her honor. A rose garden in Monaco is dedicated to Kelly’s memory. It was opened in 1984 by Rainier. (11) A hybrid tea rose named Rosa ‘Princesse de Monaco’ was named after her. (12)

Writing with a Concussion.

Now you have the whole story. I feel like Rona Barrett.

My next post will discuss the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey in Spain. I’m out of order, but then I’m working with a concussion.

Yep, shortly before leaving on our cruise, I fell at home (in the dark, tripping over a cat toy) and sustained a concussion. I’ve been ordered to avoid electronic devices, so for a month, I did not read emails, send emails, or do any editing until on the cruise. I’ve had to write this in stages because I have a time limit to be on the computer. My mother should have named me Grace.

Until my next post, watch your step.

Debora

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