After writing the previous posts, I realise perhaps I could share more about Monaco since I was there for quite… some time hahaha! Well, I believe people don’t really know much about this place anyway so I hope you guys know more about it through my humble findings and experiences!
- Land size
You might know that Monaco is the second smallest country in the world, but you might not know that the whole Monaco territory is actually only almost 2km2. Put that into something you can imagine, it’s about the area of Woodlands to Admiralty. I think. It might even be smaller than that.
Although the place is very very small, buildings are built on terrains which means there are lots of climbing to do and lots of slopes to conquer. So it can actually house more people than you might expect. And thanks to this, I have to consider and decide whether I want to walk or take the bus everyday. Trust me, you will think about it especially when I tell you about the next point.
But! If you happen to know the locals or even follow them around, you might save yourself some energy from all that climb. Most of the popular buildings or places of interest have lift access and underground access. So you can travel from one place to another through some obscure passageways and you save yourself from climbing upslope for ‘one big round’. That’s apparently how people in Monaco differentiate tourists from locals hahaha!
- Transport/Traffic
Many people that work in Monaco, actually do not stay there. Cars are OBVIOUSLY (need I say more???) more affordable in Monaco so people around the area usually commute by car. So during morning or evening rush hours, the traffic is ridiculous. Especially when the roads in Monaco are two-lane-two-way, you can imagine seeing a snake of cars everyday moving towards (morning) and away (evening) from the Monte Carlo part of Monaco (sort of like the city centre).
Another common mode of transport will be the bus, which honestly makes me think about walking to different locations all the time. The reason is that one bus ride is 2 Euros, about 3.20 SGD. You could buy a one day pass for 5.50 Euros too but that’s also about 8.80SGD. Siao right. Ok sorry pardon my language, but it really puts me in a dilemma: You might only travel for at most 5 stops; you want to save money; but you don’t want to climb around.
So what’s the best solution? Walk! After much consideration, places to visit in Monaco are all of walkable distance. Moreover, it is through walking around that you find true gems isn’t it?
- Food
There is one famous food in Monaco that you have have have have to try, and that is the Barbajuan. It’s kind of like our ‘jiao zi’ or ‘dumpling’ but it’s fully deep fried, and its filling is made up of mainly spinach, parmesan and ricotta cheese. This is really best eaten hot/warm! The crispy exterior coupled with the strong flavours of the filling make it a real delicacy! This is definitely a must try!
As for the restaurants in Monaco, most of them actually serve Italian food and they are delicious!!! Like you could totally tell from how they cook their dishes and how they plate them up. More importantly, their restaurant prices are actually quite reasonable, just slightly more expensive than Singaporean restaurants. Ranges from about 12 to 20 Euros per person? Almost comparable I think.
I do have more stories to tell so… stay tuned for more alright!
Cr: @jeeheng
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