Monte Carlo is a city in constant preparation. It is as if the city has taken a deep breath in, and at any moment the flash bulbs of a million paparazzi are about to fire off. Bronzed models armed with handbags of the Hermès variety weather the early spring chill in short-short skirts, attached to the arms of important looking men as they step off yachts and float towards the Italian restaurants waiting for them. “Bonjour” greets the  maître d’hôtel, nodding discreetly. Monte Carlo, and Monaco may be very French, but there are a large number of excellent Italian restaurants that the rich, the famous and the star-struck hang out at – an ode to the geography of the land and the roots of the ruling Grimaldi family.