We took the day off from playing tourist and instead used the time to catch up with the washing and send home a box of goodies that we have bought for our precious family and other special people.
Monaco is a very interesting and
unique place. It is pretty small – only two square kilometres in area – but has
a population of more than 40,000 people. Residents pay no tax except a three
percent levy on profits. The main industries are real estate and tourism.
Thousands of rich foreign people
own properties here – mostly apartments – as that is a requirement to hold
permanent residence (as well has having a minimum $1,000,000 in a local bank!) Most
of the apartments are left empty because when the owners visit Monaco they
prefer to stay in hotels to be waited on. Many use helicopters to get to and
from Nice airport, which takes five minutes instead of 25 minutes by car. When
the Grand Prix was on the government charged boat owners 38,000 euros to anchor
(not even dock) in the inner bay. The rich certainly are different!
Interestingly, locally born
residents are not allowed in the casino. So when you want to visit the casino
you have to show your passport. Weird. Which reminds me that we forgot to post
a photo of the casino yesterday, so here it is.
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