grand prix

Knowing I have a Monégasque friend, my parents have been asking me whether I’d been watching the Grand Prix. Given that I have no interest in motor racing or any other sport and the fact my friend lives in the old town (in a small flat, almost opposite the palace – so she has posh neighbours!), aside from accidental glimpses whilst channel surfing, I had not.

To my delight, however, she gave me a surprise call last Sunday and began by asking me whether I could hear the race in the background. I said I was surprised to realise I could, to which she pointed out that Monaco is a very small place (which I knew) and that it was said that the cars could be heard up to 50km away (which I didn’t know).

I went on to relate the previous night’s mishaps and she suggested, in respect to the bottle throwing incident, I might like to borrow her delightfully eccentric elderly aunt as, when faced with such petty antisocial behaviour, she is singularly adept at putting such miscreants in their place – and so found yet another reason for wishing my best friend didn’t live so far away. Even with the language barrier, I’m sure her aunt has the presence to convey the appropriate sentiment!