Archive for January, 2011

The Monty

Monday, January 24th, 2011

The Monte Carlo RallyThough yachting, power boating, tennis and a host of other sophisticated sports feature prominently in Monaco, it is motor sport that above all runs in the veins of this principality.

Over the years Monaco has built up a sporting tradition that far outweighs its size both in terms of area and population. Professional French League football club AS Monaco, the international athletics meets, tennis championships and offshore power boating competitions are fine examples of these, but if you mention sport and Monaco in the same breath the first association will undoubtedly be with motor sport. (more…)

Monaco, playground of the rich and famous

Sunday, January 16th, 2011

Monaco's famous opera houseA favourite with well-to-do travellers, Monaco is the ultimate playground of the rich and famous – a name synonymous with glamour and that singular Riviera feeling.

Much of Monaco’s fame is derived from the days when the worlds of classical charm and technological innovation were meeting head-on. In those days new worlds opened up for a glamorous few as ‘modern’ cars, steamships and aeroplanes carried them across continents and oceans in search of new and exciting experiences. What made those halcyon days so special was the fact that it was all done with quite some elegance and style – not to mention opulence. (more…)

James Hewitt and The Polo House, Marbella

Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

James Hewitt outside The Polo HouseBeleaguered by paparazzi, James Hewitt left London in search of peace and pastures new. He chose Marbella as his new abode and has since created a touch of stylish London along the famous Golden Mile.

Standing prominently among the trendy new-style eateries and nightspots of Marbella’s Golden Mile is the Polo House, an exclusive restaurant and bar with a distinctly British club atmosphere. By this I don’t mean nightclub, but gentleman’s club, for the Polo House harnesses the finest of English traits to evoke a sophisticated, elegant and almost colonial ambience. Here, classic good breeding and the old-worldly refinement for which the British were once renowned still seem to hang in the air. Indeed, the Polo House has a somewhat aristocratic feel about it and the timeless décor reflects it. (more…)