Rome to Monte Carlo

Thursday, August 1st, our driver picked us up from our hotel and took us to the Rome airport.  This is the same company that picked us up from the airport and took us on the tour.  This is their website.  They do tours all over Italy.

Checking in for our Blue Panorama flight was very different from checking in for US Air.  Let's just say this - this was the first time I've flown another airline other than US Air in probably 15 years.  It wasn't fun.  We actually had to PAY for our bags.  Eeps!

Kevin was obsessed with buying a pair of Gucci shoes or a Rolex watch while we were over there.  Thankfully neither came home with us but he did enjoy browsing Gucci at the airport.

It was open seating on this flight and it was full of people that did not speak our same language.  I grinned and bared it.  

But once we step foot in the Nice airport, we saw a guy holding a sign with our name on it and the rest is history!  He led us over to the baggage claim where there were porters that had already gotten our suitcases off the belt for us.  From this time on, we never touched our bags except when we got them off the carousel in Charlotte when we got home.  The driver pulled his fancy van around and they loaded our luggage and we were off to Monte Carlo.

We checked into the Fairmont Monte Carlo and this was the view from our room.  No zoom.  

Kevin's work had a small welcome reception where we got our packets and gift.  They gave us a hand blown vase.  

We got ready and had showers in the most amazing bathroom that was actually large enough to move in it and got ready.  We finally felt refreshed and much more comfortable.  We were with people we knew and in a MUCH nicer hotel than the Marriott and Hilton Garden Inn in Rome.  I mean, we could actually walk past each other in the room instead of having to wait for the other person to pass by.  

We went to the rooftop terrace where there was a dinner for everyone!  Of course, it was over the top but it's nothing compared to what we did the next 10 days with his work.

Macaroons!!!!  Unlimited!

With Kevin's work, no detail to any event is left undone.  It's crazy!

Our friends from Charlotte - Benjy and Sarah. 

So just as a brief explanation, basically Kevin won this trip to Paris and since he was extra good and 32nd in the whole country, he won the Monte Carlo portion too.  It's only the top half percent of the company that got to go to Monte Carlo.  Only the top one percent went to Paris.  This trip is a very prestigious honor.  We added the Rome piece because they were already paying for our flight so we decided, why not, let's spend some extra time over there.  Okay I'm done bragging on ole Kev!  ;)

So you're looking at two of the top 40 guys in the country right there! 

Back of the casino.

Then things got crazy when we walked over to the Buddha Bar.  We met this sweet girl.

She was drinking this drink - champagne with strawberries and I think there was something else in there too.  It was really good!

We bought the first round of drinks there.  It was 6 drinks (some beer, some liquor) and it was 112 euros.  Umm that's like $160 for 6 drinks.  Welcome to Monte Carlo!

Then we went to the Casino.  Because we realllllly deserved to be in there at that point, not!  On the 100 euro table minimum in the high roller area, it didn't work out too well for Kevin.  I'll leave it at that, ha!  I don't want to focus on the amount of money we spent in this one night.  

But it was fun to live in dream world for a bit!  Hey, ya only live once!  We were out in this popular square looking at all the cars and Sarah and I were chatting.  Next thing we know, Kevin and Benjy had gotten approached by some ladies that were "working."  It cracked us up!  I'm sure Kevin had a big time chatting with them, haha!

Then we did the only right thing - go to the bar at Hotel de Paris, the famous hotel there. 

And listen to an awesome band and watch the escapades that were going down late night with some folks 

"working" again.  It was just UNREAL yall!  It was sick it smelled so rich in this place.  We probably looked like trash!

Of course we spent 64 euros or $100 on four Heinekens.  And we did this twice!  That is twenty five dollars for ONE beer!  Yes, we spent $50 each for two beers.  HAHAHAH!

All about the experience!

 

The lead singer.

 It was time for us to go back to the hotel.  It was 4am at this point!

Oh friends, it's just getting good...!