AUGUST 2000

After a long journey from Rome, finally we arrived Monaco to see Super Cup Final between GALATASARAY and Real Madrid. The city was full of Turkish fans from around Europe, I felt like in Istanbul. The game was at 8 pm, so we had about 10 hours spend in the city.

Monaco is very expensive. The residents pay almost no taxes and you pay too much for everything. The city is really interesting to the extent that it is a huge display of wealth, but I don’t understand why anyone would want to live in such a crammed city, given that these people could probably afford to live anywhere in the world.

Monaco is also famous for its casinos, but don’t get lured by the casino lights. In case you can’t resist them, make sure you haven’t got too much money in your pocket before you enter. Of course we did not go to casino. First there was a Super Cup Final that night, second I am not that rich YET!

Therefore, we wanted to see more and more wealth, so decided to visit Monaco Marina and the Yacht Club. As we were admiring the very expensive boats in the marina, suddenly we heard a familiar sound. Increasingly loud Galatasaray song was playing from somewhere, and there she was!!! The magnificent Savarona (for non-Turkish people, Savarona is one of the world’s largest private yachts, used to be the presidential yacht for Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey). It was painted in yellow-red, and a huge Turkish flag waving on the top, it was coming into the marina. I cannot describe the feeling enough.

Finally we were in the beautiful Stade Louis II. It is one of the world’s finest sport complexes. The best thing about the stadium is that you can have a beer inside!! After 90 minutes of heart-beating game, Jardel scored a beautiful golden goal and Galatasaray won the Super Cup first time in Turkish history. (click here for details)

When the ceremony and celebrations ended, it was about 23.00 and we had to be in Paris next morning. We were told that there was a train at 23.30 from Monaco to Nice and we could take a fast train from Nice to Paris.

Indeed, there was a train from Monaco to Nice, but nothing to Paris until 3.30 am in the morning. After all day long walking, swimming, jumping and celebrating; we were exhausted and really needed some sleep. Despite all the pickpockets and robbers around, we slept on the train station floor for 3 hours and took the train at 3.30 to Paris. 

Any text, picture or information on this website cannot be used, copied or re-produced without my permission!

Copyright © Tamer Yavuzturk 2004, All rights reserved.        Last updated : Today

tyturk@hotmail.com