It was just one of those nights, as the song says…a typical early winter evening in Monaco. And what’s a girl to do here on a slightly chilly Saturday night?
Well, fortunately, we don’t tend to be short of things to do in this town, but sometimes the sheer variation of events in a such a small vicinity is one of the things that can surprise even the most party-hardened resident…for example, in how many towns can you have a crazy Bavarian night out, followed by a visit to a wild rock concert and then quaff a mellow after hour’s drink or two in a cosy pub…all on the same night, without walking more than a couple of minutes between venues?
On this particular Saturday just past, I was sitting at the table, damning the fact that I hadn’t donned my dirndl (yes, I have one…don’t ask). Monaco like its big sister Munich (which is incidentally also called ‘Monaco’ by our Italian friends, frequently causing confusion) has an Oktoberfest, hosted each year at the Cafe de Paris. This was my first port of call on Saturday night, having missed the festival the previous year. Running from the 16th – 25th of October this year, (but back on the casino square every year,) the festival is crammed with traditional food, yodelling, beer, dancing and polka music belted out by a lederhosen-clad band. You’d be forgiven for thinking this could be a kitsch alpine-style hell, but whilst the repetitive calls for beer toasts get mildly irritating after you’ve heard them a fifth or sixth time, the food is unarguably tasty, and the entertainment, whilst a trifle cheesy, is terrific fun. (I did chicken out of the spontaneous conga – forgive me, even I have my limits!)
Once the blonde beer had been quaffed and the delicious strudel had been finally packed into an already over-stuffed British stomach, it was bye-bye Bavaria, hello Moods…
Moods has to be one of my favourite venues in Monaco. The live music bar might be overlooked by the uninitiated, nestling as it does at the back of the Cafe de Paris, just off the Casino Square. But, dear visitor, overlook it at your peril. Not only does the cavernous underground venue look terrific, but the musical offerings, which are for the most part free of a cover charge (except during festivals and the like) are absolutely top notch.
This week saw the veteran English rockers ‘The Quireboys‘ take to the stage (although equally it could be a jazz, funk, or pop act gracing the boards, depending on the night you choose to visit). On this particular Saturday night, the place was packed to the gills with eager fans and rock initiates alike, with the normally reticent Monaco crowd on their feet singing along, demanding several encores with stomping feet. And being good hosts, not only did we girls jump up and down a lot and offer lots of encouragement, but we took the band for a bevvy afterwards, once Moods had closed.
The next port of call was, (where else with a rock band in tow?) McCarthy’s Irish pub. We know that every town has an Irish pub (Dublin, apparently has several..) but ours, we feel, is a particularly good one. Homey, warm, and with wee pizzas as addictive as illegal substances, McCarthy’s has a convivial atmosphere, a fine collection of Irish whiskeys, and the best pint of Guinness in town.
So there we have it…the kitsch, the cool and the laid back, from the sublime to the ridiculous (or perhaps that should be in reverse order) in a single evening. (Rock and) roll on next weekend!
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