1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 459 Why are you guys more anxious than I am?
Monaco is more than 200 kilometers away from Lourmarin, which is quite a drive.

The route passes through many famous tourist cities in southern France, including Aix-en-Provence, Ruse, Cannes, Nice, and Èze.

The convoy drove out of the Luberon hinterland, passed through Aix-en-Provence, and once it entered the French Riviera, the speed of the vehicles could not be increased.

The racing teams were also separated by traffic, but they had agreed on a time and place to meet beforehand.

Although the most beautiful coastline in southern France is never boring, every turn reveals a new and beautiful view.

But Ronan was still incredibly anxious.

He now wants to sprout wings and fly Zoe straight to the soft, luxurious bed in a hotel in Monaco!

Fortunately, Zoe was there to chat with him and feed him, which eased Ronan's anxiety somewhat.

During this long and happy journey, the knowledgeable Zoe naturally had to explain to Ronan their destination.

Combined with Ronan's previous understanding, he finally had a more detailed knowledge of Monaco.

Monaco is located in southern France. Except for its southern coastline along the Mediterranean Sea, it is surrounded by France on its north, west, and east sides. It mainly consists of the old city of Monaco and the surrounding areas that were subsequently developed. It is one of the most densely populated countries in the world.

In 1987, there were 28992 permanent residents living on this land of only 1.95 square kilometers.

What does 1.95 square kilometers mean?

Central Park in New York City covers an area of ​​3.41 square kilometers, and the entire area of ​​Monaco is roughly the same as the lawn in the southwest corner of Central Park.

It is roughly equivalent to 260 standard football fields.

It's only 1.8% the size of Paris.

In short, it's a tiny place!
After 1990, with the commencement of land reclamation projects, Monaco's land area exceeded 2 square kilometers, but it remains the second smallest country in the world (after Vatican City).

Of the nearly 29000 permanent residents, only about 6000 are Monaco citizens, the rest are all foreign citizens.

Indeed, native Monegasques are a minority among the residents of their own country, a demographic situation that is extremely rare in the world.

French is Monaco's only official language, but English, Italian, and the local Monegasque language are also spoken. Catholicism is the state religion, comprising 80.9% of the population, and is administered by the Catholic Archdiocese of Monaco. However, the Monaco Constitution guarantees freedom of religion.

Of the foreign residents, 45% are French, 30% are Italian, and the remainder consists of wealthy individuals from 125 other countries around the world.

Monaco is home to many wealthy people because it is a tax haven.

In the 1980s, the highest personal tax rate in France could reach 66%, and in California, the state and federal taxes combined could reach 50%, while citizens and residents of Monaco were exempt from any personal income tax, and even capital gains tax and inheritance tax were exempted.

Local businesses are only required to pay 33.3% profit tax, but many wealthy businessmen still manage to reduce their tax burden to 0% through restructuring their holding companies.

How could wealthy businessmen not love such a paradise on earth?
However, Monaco, this tax haven, is not only a favorite destination for the world's richest people, but also a beloved travel destination for tourists from all over the world.

Moreover, it is a tourist destination not only in summer but also in winter, with a pleasant climate all year round.

Influenced by the Mediterranean, maritime, and subtropical humid climates, Monaco has short days in the summer, and the afternoons are not too hot, with temperatures usually not exceeding 30 degrees Celsius.

Also, the temperature is moderate because of the constant sea breeze.

On the other hand, because the seawater temperature is very high in summer, the nights are very mild and cool, making it a great place to live.

In winter, frost and snowfall are extremely rare, usually occurring once or twice every ten years.

“This place is so livable.” Upon hearing this, Ronan couldn’t help but interrupt Zoe’s story, expressing his heartfelt sentiment.

Compared to Monaco, Lourmaran's summers can be described as 'scorching' and its winters as 'cold'.

It's only 200 kilometers away, but the climate is so different.

“Of course it’s livable.” Zoe raised her pretty chin slightly. “The house prices here are five to six times higher than in Nice. Our house in Lourmaran might only be enough to buy a parking space here. Only the really rich dare to live here.”

"Housing prices are that high?" Ronan knew that housing prices in Monaco were expensive, but he didn't expect them to be this high.

Zoe loves Nice, and Ronan has been longing to buy her a seaside detached villa in Nice, so he knows a bit about the property prices there.

Zoe's claim that a seaside villa in Nice would cost at least 600 million francs was an exaggeration.

Ronan found out through a friend that it could have been bought for 550 million!

Although he only has a fraction of that right now, Ronan feels that it's not far off.

With his earning power and potential, if he works hard, he might be able to buy it in a year or two, and then he can take Zoe out to sea to fish.

Zoe loves nature.

She's watched birds flying in the sky since she was little, she must have seen enough of them. For the rest of her life, we'll watch fish in the sea!

But if Monaco's house prices are 5-6 times that of Nice, then that's truly out of reach, something Ronan wouldn't even dare to dream of.

"We're still quite a distance from being millionaires," Ronan said, his tone full of helplessness and envy.

The "small business" he had mentioned earlier when chatting with the other guests was a humble way of putting it; looking at it this way, his businesses really are indeed small businesses.

Even before arriving in Monaco, the young couple were already affected by the city's "aura." Not only Ronan, but Zoe, who is usually a big spender, hadn't shown any concern for money in a long time.

But this time, she felt a little fortunate and said:

"Not only are hotel prices expensive, but everything is expensive, including food, clothing, accommodation, and transportation. Luckily, the hotel was booked by Michelin Magazine. If we were traveling on our own, I wouldn't be willing to book such a high-end hotel."

Not only did Ronan and Zoe become 'meticulous' in tax havens, but even the deep-pocketed Michelin magazine couldn't be as generous in Monaco.

The last time I attended the Nice Carnival, Michelin magazine agreed that guests could book their own hotels, and they would reimburse them afterwards.

This time, all the guests' hotels were arranged by Michelin Magazine; otherwise, it would have been a huge financial burden.

Ronan didn't pay attention to the details of the event; the decisions were made entirely by Cotillard and Zoe.

This time, Michelin magazine provided them with two rooms in a high-end hotel.

One room was occupied by Zoe and Ronan, and the other was given to their agent, Cotillard.

It's a waste for Cotillard to live alone; Vivian and Paulette will live with her.

But the other members of the convoy will have to find their own accommodation.

Their solution was to live in Nice, which is not far from Monaco.

These people can't afford the exorbitant hotel prices in Monaco, especially now during the F1 Grand Prix, when hotel prices are several times higher than usual.

Fortunately, getting from Nice to Monaco is as easy as getting from Lourmarin to Bonnillo.

Although Ronan was annoyed by being followed so closely, they wouldn't abandon them now that the people had actually arrived. Zoe asked Ronan in a conciliatory tone:
"The qualifying rounds are this afternoon. Once Theo and Batty are settled in, they'll come to the hotel to find us. Let's treat everyone to a meal before we split up."

Due to the track's terrain, the Monaco Grand Prix is ​​the only race in the F1 calendar that does not include a sprint race.

Teams will practice freely on Thursday and Friday, qualify on Saturday, and the highly anticipated race on Sunday.

The official events for this trip to Monaco started with the qualifying race at 15 p.m., but Ronan and his entourage set off much earlier and arrived in Monaco before noon, giving them some free time in between.

Regardless, these people came for Ronan and Zoe.

Food and drinks are so expensive in Monaco, young couples should be able to contribute something.

I can't afford a house in Monaco, but I can definitely treat people to a meal!

Seeing Ronan nod, Zoe looked at the azure sea to the side and added:
"Monaco cuisine is influenced by the cooking style of Provence, the style of nearby Northern Italy, and Monaco's own traditional cooking. It also emphasizes the freshness of ingredients, with seafood, vegetables, and olive oil playing a major role in cooking. It is similar to the style of Nice, but it doesn't have as many kinds of specialty foods as Nice."

Zoe studied at Nice for four years and visited Monaco many times, so she is relatively familiar with the city.

Last time Zoe went to Nice for the Carnival, she found a lot of local snacks to share with her friends, but this time the food selection wasn't as plentiful.

Ronan gave a perfunctory "hmm" and said indifferently:
"It's alright, no need to go to so much trouble. We can just find a place to eat near the hotel entrance, and then we can split up and go our separate ways."

The sun was relatively strong at this time, and Zoe shielded her eyes from the sunlight with her hand and hummed in agreement, though her tone was one of doubt:

"You're going to split up after lunch? Didn't we agree to take a tour of Monaco together first, and then separate when we go to watch the qualifying match?"

The fans had already arranged Ronan and Zoe's itinerary.

Before 15 PM is the time for group activities.

After Ronan and Zoe finish the second day of the race, everyone will drive back together.

Ronan freed one hand and quickly waved it:

"No, no, it's too hot. Don't stay outside. Let's go back after we finish eating. Look at you, you're so hot you can't even open your eyes."

Zoe looked over with a smile:
"The temperature in Monaco is two or three degrees lower than in Lourmaran, and it's not as hot in the afternoon."

Ronan looked straight ahead, his tone firm:
"I checked the weather forecast, and it said that it will get warmer in Monaco today."

Zoe burst out laughing:

"Will the temperature rise as much as it is in Luberon? You didn't hide indoors in Luberon, but suddenly you're afraid of the heat and sun in Monaco? Or do you think Theo and Batistuta will complain about the heat?"

Ronan shook his head impatiently:
"I'm tired of seeing Theo and Batistuta every day. Let's get away from them in Monaco for a while. Distance makes the heart grow fonder."

Zoe tried hard to control her expression, pretending not to understand:
"So you promised them this morning that you could hang out together before the qualifying rounds? You even said you'd go to the casino together tonight if you had time."

"Do I?" Ronan frowned.

“Yes.” Zoe smiled.

“What I mean is, let them go to the group activities, but you and I won’t participate.” Ronan finally couldn’t hold back anymore.

"Do you have something else to do?" Zoe asked with a smile.

Ronan glared at Zoe, who was laughing heartily beside him, seemingly 'knowing the answer', and couldn't help but say angrily:

"Because you didn't tell me beforehand that we'd be sharing a room tonight! If you had told me beforehand, I absolutely wouldn't have agreed to any group activities. All group activities today will be at the hotel! And it will be just the two of us!!"

Good heavens, why didn't you tell me about something so important beforehand?
If I remember correctly, the hotel deal was finalized a long time ago, but Zoe has never mentioned it.

This made Ronan start to worry about their wedding—given Zoe's meticulous and airtight personality, wouldn't the wedding surprises she and her girlfriends create make this tough guy cry?
Ronan's blunt words made Zoe laugh even more unrestrainedly.

She had been holding back for so long just to see Ronan's 'cute' appearance at this moment, trying to act serious but saying one thing and meaning another.

This reminded her of the amusing moments she had last year when they weren't yet a couple, and how she used to tease Ronan.

Zoe chuckled as she gently stroked Ronan's unshaven beard and asked softly:

"Then why don't you drive faster?"

In fact, no matter how well Ronan integrated, he could never become a true Provençal.

Take driving, for example.

He felt he was driving very fast and skillfully, but one after another, old cars would overtake him in the long line of cars or take his parking space.

The 'aggressive and unreasonable' driving style seems to be something ingrained in the bones of Provençal people.

Although they were delayed on the way, they still arrived at the upscale hotel in Monaco, which was a collaboration between Michelin magazine and the company, at 10 a.m.

After parking the car, Ronan, too impatient to even glance at the hotel's luxurious appearance, strode into the hotel with his luggage in one hand and Zoe in the other.
"They need to go to Nice to find a hotel first before they can come over. Finding a hotel at the last minute is not easy and will definitely take some time. Let's go upstairs to put our luggage away and come down when it's time for lunch!"

In fact, Ronan and Zoe have no shortage of opportunities to be alone.

Couples have done most of the things they should do together.

But this is the first time they can officially live together.

The people Zoe met during her trip to Monaco were all wealthy and influential. She made thorough preparations for both of them, not only arranging two presentable outfits and accessories for Ronan, but also dressing herself up like a Cannes superstar.

It's no exaggeration to say that Ronan was incredibly anxious ever since he found out they would be sharing a room today.

He has to go up and test whether the "happiness level" will exceed the historical threshold this time.

But as soon as he stepped into the hotel lobby, along with the pungent smell of expensive perfume, there were also several noisy voices.

"Why are you only arriving now?"

"What time is it? Did you come by car or on foot?"

"I always said that Ronan was able to overtake us because of the car's hardware; his driving skills are terrible."

Ronan stared in astonishment at the 'little tails' in front of him:

"How did you get here so quickly?"

Barty smiled broadly, rubbing his hands together excitedly.
"We're in a hurry!"

Before Ronan could find a reason to send them away, Theo grabbed Ronan's luggage and went to check in.
"Stop wasting time, hurry up and take us to see your high-end double rooms that cost several thousand francs a night!"

Ronan clutched his head in anguish.

Damn it, why are you guys more anxious than I am?
(End of this chapter)