The tiny principality of Monaco,no bigger than London's Hyde Park,has catered to gamblers and the idle rich for the last 100 years.Both types can be found with all their over-the-top idiosyncracies at the legendary Grand Casino,and indisputably the most glamorous.This is the last place on earth to witness chaffeur-driven-Rolls Royces disgorging wealthy exiles,sun-baked yacht owners,and celluloid divas weighed down by serious jewelry.The sedate,even discreet,Belle Epoque setting was designed in 1863 by Charles Garnier,grad architect of the Paris Opera.Black tie is no longer required,but jackets and ties are a must in the inner sanctum of high rollers,and many women wear long dresses.No Monegasque gambler sets foot in the casion without first stopping by the lobby of the Hotel de Paris-a poker chip's toss across the impeccably groomed Place du Casino-to rub the left knee of the bronz statue of Louis XIV's horse for good luck.Facing the hotel and alongside the casino,the Garnier-designed Cafe de Paris is a de rigueur stop for pre-or apres-casino drink .
Cost:admission charged to some gaming rooms.When:open year-round,from noon until the last customer leaves.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
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