Posted
November 19, 2013
In
the U.S., many people enjoy fireworks on the evening of our national
holiday, July 4.
In
Monaco, people enjoy spectacular fireworks the night before the
national holiday.
So
that means that all the whizzes and the booms, all the bangs and pops
and pows, all the huge sparkly blooms of a firework show over a harbor happened
last night.
And that means—we missed it!
Today
the people of the Principality of Monaco are enjoying the pomp and
circumstance of the Knights of Malta, state officials, and diplomats
congregating in a gorgeous array of uniforms at mass and in the Place
St. Nicholas afterwards. They are crowding under the windows of the Prince's
Palace to see the “Princely family” wave. 
They are eating dried fish and
barbajuans, dumplings or pastry pockets filled with Swiss chard,
spinach, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, onions and leeks. (Barbajuans
sound a bit like Italian raviolis or Polish pierogies.)
Monaco
is a record-holder!
Monaco
is a city that is also a nation—the second smallest independent
nation in the world. It is surrounded by France and the Mediterranean
Sea. It has the highest population density and the
lowest unemployment rate of any nation in the world. (It's really hard to have a
lower unemployment rate – since there is ZERO unemployment in
Monaco!)
Monaco
is a playground?
Because
of it's pleasant weather, beautiful scenery, and low tax rates,
Monaco is often called the playground of the super-rich. Check out
this little vacation “shack.”
You
can see a lot more of the tiny nation in this Rick Steves video.
Also
on this date:
Plan
Ahead:
Check out my Pinterest boards for:
And
here are my Pinterest boards for:
