november-2012

En-route we decide to take in the vertiginous medieval village of Eze
and cut down to La Moyenne Corniche and across the iconic viaduct.
After a stroll through Eze’s cobbled streets we absorb the magnificent
view at the Le Café du Jardin at the luxurious Chèvre d’Or. From here the
Côte d’Azur lies before you in all its contrasting glory.
Winding our way down into Monaco we get stuck in traffic and tourists
snap pictures on phones and cameras. No mean feat as we compete with
a plethora of Ferraris and Bentleys – the preferred mode of transport in
the Principality. We park near the Casino de Monte Carlo and take time to
breathe in the wealth while perusing designer outlets such as Bulgari and
Yves Saint Laurent. A wander down to the marina is a must, as is a stroll
up to the Palais Princier where more panoramic vistas await.
The casino opens at 2pm mainly for the benefit of tourists and
anybody can play Bond at the roulette wheel for a few moments with a
minimum stake of €10. Afterwards, if you win big, hit Café de Paris for an
infamously expensive Morelli ice-cream and a spot of people watching.
We don’t want to leave, but are spurred on by the prospect of another
thrilling turn behind the wheel.
The coastal route back to Nice is the most popular. Outward bound
you hug the towering cliffs. On the return journey, as F Scott Fitzgerald
put it, the Mediterranean “green as green milk, blue as laundry water,
wine dark”, beckons from far below as you career through a sseries
eries of
instantly recognisable tunnels. By now I feel like an n old hha hand nd handling the
Porsche and spend the journey grinning like a buffoon foon as the Bond
theme tune runs through my head.
With a heavy heart we descend to the outskirts of Nice. My
boyhood dream is over. As I thank Fabrice, he smiles es
and says: “Now you know, when you come back you ou
can do it again.” I nod my head as he adds: “Well,
it’s the Riviera – everybody wants to be here.”
SPEC
Porsche 356
Speedster, 1958
Performance
Corner-hugging,
hair-raising,
boyhood dreamfulfi
lling and
utterly magnifi cent
Engine
1800cc
Top speed
170km/h
Price to hire
€329/day;
€1,569/week;
deposit €3,000
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waiting,
so you don’t
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