All The Fun Of The Fair (November 2009)

The pedestrian area above Port Hercules in Monaco has to be one of the most efficiently used spaces in urban history…apparently in use 160 days a year, Monaco sees every kind of fair, expo, the grand prix, equestrian events and even the yacht show take over this space each year for a calendar of events that always gives residents and visitors alike something to look forward to…

This month is no exception…the Monaco Winter fun fair is in town.

Spanning back years, and coinciding with the national Monaco day, the fair is your usual affair (ouch) of doughnuts stands, rides and rollercoasters, even down to those annoying claw things that never grab the soft toys (how do they work? Answers on a postcard to…) You can try your luck on the shooting range, slides, football challenges or tombola (warning – you may win an enormous soft toy – I’ve seen enough sheepish looking men carrying them home in recent years to know!)

This year, the fairground seems brighter and more brilliant than ever…as usual one can fill up with all kinds of delightful (although admittedly non- lo-cal!) foods. Being a Mediterranean fair, there are fine sandwiches and charcuterie to be found alongside the more hum-drum toffee apples, and if one is still keen to test one’s stomach after overdosing on churros (special crispy doughnut sticks) with chocolate sauce (oh god, the temptation!), the port is home each year to ever more exciting (nausea-inducing?) rides. This year one can be spun around mid air on something that looks like a crane crossed with a Broadway billboard or even sit in a ball-like cage with bungee ropes attached and be flung hundreds of feet in the air, …yes, you too can learn what it feels like to be a piece of maize in a popcorn machine!

Seriously though, the fair is exceptionally entertaining, and has something for everyone. It looks exceptionally attractive at a time of year when everyone is suffering from the darker nights, plus it is kind of heartening that no matter where you are in the world, there is still very little that makes a small child happier than hooking a duck and winning a goldfish,..it never get’s old..

So make the most of it whilst you can folks! The fair is open every weeknight and at weekends until about a week after the national holiday on November 19th, and of course, once the fun fair packs up, the Christmas market won’t be far behind… and if you happen to be in one of those spinning space cars and see an English-looking brunette passing by, please don’t drop your candyfloss on her. Thank you.