Grace Kelly defined

[Sylph]

[SFK]

I have an aunt who keeps an apartment in nearby Nice, anything Monaco/South of France seems "magical mystique" to me.

[Sylph]

And it really is.

Have you ever been?

[SFK]

No, I haven't but I'd love to. Hate to use such an overused word, but the idea of living there seems surreal to me, this tiny little $$$ principality by the sea that looks like something out of a storybook.

[Cat]

It is very pretty and used to be very charming. The whole Cote d'Azur was. However, there is a seamy underbelly to Monaco now which probably always was there but was better hidden. It is very glitzy, very bling, a bit like St Tropez, with lots of dodgy, rolex-wearing types cruising for "models." And by that, I mean the Russian mob cruising for high-end hookers. These mob ties go right the way to the very top -- Princess Grace gave a sheen of respectability to Le Rocher and Prince Rainier who was, essentially, a kingpin.

Also, because Monaco is so teeny (about the size of Central Park) and a tax haven, everybody wants to live there. As a result, it is very built up, with lots of pink-colored high-rise apartments.

But there is no mistaking the luxurious boutiques and the ginormous yachts idling in the harbor. The weather is stunning from March-November and the quality of life is pretty fab. I wouldn't say No if I was offered a chance to live there, although I think Cannes (and its satelite village in the hills Le Cannet) is prettier, Cap Ferrat classier and big city Nice has much more going for it.

As for this exhibition, I cannot wait to see it! I think I saw something similar last summer in Paris but it is worth a second trip. The private photos and family film that Grace took are quite poignant, and the letters Hitchcock wrote to her were hilarious.

[Sylph]

Some of Edith Head's sketches for Grace Kelly:

http://clothesonfilm.com/edith-head-sketches-for-grace-kelly-costumes-to-be-auctioned/17196/