In the sporting world, there are a few iconic venues that have become synonymous with the sport they host.
Tennis has Wimbledon, cricket has the Melbourne Ground, football has Wembley and golf has Augusta National.
When it comes to Formula One, Monaco encapsulates the larger-than-life nature of the sport - all in a plot of real estate no bigger than, say, Nanyang Technological University's Jurong West campus.
"It's colourful, glamorous, noisy, exciting, vulgar and absurd at the same time," BBC F1 correspondent James Allen, a veteran of 23 grands prix in the principality, recently wrote.
There last month, together with winners of Johnnie Walker's Step Inside The Circuit campaign, I saw first-hand how the race lives up to all those stereotypes.
Sure, there are the usual motorsport fans waving their flags and clad in Ferrari red, Red Bull navy or the silver donned by both McLaren and Mercedes.
But for the most part, the on-track action at the Monaco Grand Prix is merely an excuse for those in attendance to see and be seen.
Along the principality's streets, nary an eyelid is batted when a Ferrari roars by, followed closely by a Bugatti which, in turn, has a Bentley hot on its heels.
Berthed at Port Hercules at the cost of around ¤1,200 (S$2,000) a day are hundreds of superyachts, from which guests watch the racing action unfold - clutching a flute of champagne in one hand and, more often than not, a stunning beauty with the other.
And the F1 teams are not to be outdone.
Dubbed the Energy Station, Red Bull's motor home is a two-storey house of fun with a pool on the upper deck because, clearly, being constructed over the water is not enough.
As advertised, it is all glitz and excess - on a heroic scale.
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Indeed, a taste of the high life is available from the moment visitors land at Nice's Cote d'Azur Airport.
With departures every 30 minutes, a helicopter ride (www.heliairmonaco.com, tel: +377-92-050-050) takes you to the heart of Monaco in just seven minutes, while offering a first glimpse of the dazzling French Riviera.
The one-way journey will set you back ¤130 but, then again, nothing comes cheap over the busiest weekend of the year in the playground for the rich and famous.
For example, at the aptly named Billionaire Club, expect to pay around ¤20 for a 330ml bottle of water which usually goes for around a tenth of that price.
Most hotels, meanwhile, require guests to stay a minimum of four nights, spanning Thursday's practice session through the Sunday race, according to Mr Sergio Mangini, general manager of the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort (40 avenue Princesse Grace, www.montecarlobay.com, tel: +377-98-060-200) where we were put up.
Even though the hotel is some distance from the race circuit, rates are nearly doubled - from ¤679 to ¤1,300 a night for a mountain view room; and ¤2,800, up from ¤1,939, for a duplex suite.
"To me, it's crazy," a taxi driver named Pascal - Monaco born and bred - says. "But most people are used to it."
That, in essence, is what the 71-year-old race is all about - tradition.
Tradition in the way the party starts almost immediately after the day's racing is done.
In fact, by the time the roads re-open at 7pm, makeshift bars are already in operation on the same streets where barely two hours earlier, V8 engine-powered cars were whizzing along at speeds of up to 285kmh.
Tradition, too, ensures that the Monaco race is the only stop on the F1 calendar where practice takes place on Thursday instead of Friday.
With the streets open to the public, it gives tourists a full day to explore the coastal city-state.
And there is no better way to get going than at the Cafe de Paris (Place du Casino, tel: +377-98-067-623).
Located beside the world-famous Monte Carlo Casino, its extensive outdoor terrace is the perfect spot for people-watching or a morning rendezvous over ¤6 coffees and ¤4 pastries.
The next stop for those harbouring touristy ambitions will be Monaco-ville, otherwise known as "the Rock".
At an elevation of about 60m, some visitors may choose to buck the trend of exploration on foot and take a bus instead (¤2 for a single journey, ¤5 for an all-day pass).
Either way, they will be rewarded. Sweeping views of the principality below await, as do narrow pedestrian streets lined with restaurants and souvenir shops.
The old town also boasts two of the biggest attractions that Monaco has to offer - the Prince's Palace, where Prince Albert II has his official residence, and the Oceanographic Museum (Avenue Saint-Martin, tel: +377-93-153-600, www.oceano.mc, entrance fee ¤14 for adults, ¤7 for children aged four to 12).
Founded in 1910 by Prince Albert I, the 6,000 sq m museum and its 100-odd pools - the largest being the 450,000- litre Tropical Sea aquarium - are home to over 6,000 specimens.
The Monaco-ville experience complete, those still in the mood for walking can make the cross-town jaunt for an early dinner at Il Giardino (29 Boulevard d'Italie, tel: +377-93-501-250).
This cosy, home-style Italian restaurant came highly recommended by McLaren's Jenson Button, who has lived in the principality for the best part of the last 12 years. And really, if the food here is good enough for the 2009 world champion, it is probably good enough for the rest of us.
Settle in with a pizza (¤10 to ¤12) or a main such as the sirloin steak (¤20), grilled to perfection with the right amount of charring; sit back and immerse yourself in the artwork adorning the sky blue walls, or make small talk with the friendly pizzaioli as he sprinkles ingredients onto freshly tossed mounds of dough.
No visit to Monaco, however, would be complete without a return to Casino Square and the Monte Carlo Casino (Place du Casino, tel: +377-98-062-121, www.casinomontecarlo.com, entrance fee ¤10).
Greeting guests is a gold-hued, marble-paved atrium that features an engraved glass ceiling and 28 onyx columns, which soon gives way to a series of rooms where chips are constantly changing hands over games like roulette, black jack and baccarat.
You may or may not decide to try your luck, but simply being in the 135-year-old casino is a reminder of the glamour that has become a trademark of the principality.
And while all that glitters is not gold, it does not hurt that Monaco glitters a lot.
Photos: AFP, Reuters
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