Cycle with the champions
Galvanized by my bike ride through Lisbon, I decided to take my cycling talents to the south of France. More specifically, I signed up to participate in the Cycle with the Champions bike ride and Butterfly Ball for the benefit of Caudwell Children, an organization working to change the future of all disabled children by providing access to services, equipment, therapy, and treatment. In connecting with a few of the other cyclists prior to the 85km ride, I was comforted to hear that many of them, like me, had not maintained much of a rigorous training regimen leading up to the event.
On the other hand, I found out that Mark Cavendish, who has won 30 Tour de France stages over the course of his illustrious career, would be riding with our group as the guest of honor. Needless to say, we would be kept honest in terms of exerting a maximum amount of effort.
most locals were adhering to the “highly recommended” mask-wearing guidance.
Masks and real estate projects
Exploring Monte Carlo by foot after checking into the Le Meridien, I discovered that most locals were adhering to the “highly recommended” mask-wearing guidance. For those that failed to do so, however, the enforcement was particularly strict in the vicinity of the Casino where policemen seemed to be stationed throughout the area to ensure compliance.
On the property front, I was surprised to see so many cranes and construction sites in Monaco, which had previously seemed like a market that would be challenging in terms of the project permitting and entitlement process. A few key projects stood out among the many that I crossed including the €2 billion Portier Cove land extension project (with villas expected to fetch as high as €100 million), the Larvotto Beach redevelopment, and L’Exotique (residential/commercial project upon entering Monaco by car).
Multiple cranes as seen from Port Hercule 
View to the SW of Lavrotto Beach and Portier Cove development
The Cycle with the Champions ride was even more invigorating than expected, as I not only loved the interaction with various other participants along the prescribed route, but also lunch in the charming town of Biot nestled in the hills southwest of Nice.
Group shot at Monte Carlo Bay Hotel before start of ride 
Lunch in Biot, France
Watching the “Manx Missile”
Wanting to challenge myself to the fullest on the road back to Monaco, I followed a small group of strong riders including Mark Cavendish up into the hills above Villefranche-sur-Mer and Èze. It certainly was a humbling experience watching the “Manx Missile” accelerate up roads that I struggled to climb at the slowest of speeds. Clearly the professional cycling circuit is not in my future!
Trophy ceremony after the ride with John Caudwell 
Mark Cavendish finish at Monte Carlo Bay Hotel
It certainly was a humbling experience watching the “Manx Missile” accelerate up roads that I struggled to climb at the slowest of speeds.
The day after the ride, Caudwell Children hosted the Butterfly Ball, a beautiful outdoor charity gala at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel. Between ticket sales, sponsorships, and auction items, the night raised over €1 million, making me feel fortunate to participate in such a worthwhile cause. Fortunately, the mask- wearing and observance of social distancing protocols did not negatively impact the festive nature of the evening, as I did not return to my hotel until nearly 5am!
After a few hours of sleep, I embarked on a final 3-hour ride with a small group of enthusiasts to La Turbie, which was no easy task going from sea level to 1,600 feet…twice! Never had a cappuccino and bottled water been so welcome as they were before the final descent into Monaco.
Adventure in Paris
By nightfall on that Sunday, I had taken a flight to Paris and arrived at the apartment of my ex- roommate from business school, Patrick. The following two days consisted of exploring the city under some rainy weather conditions, stepping foot inside some of the fashion boutiques, and visiting with a longtime contact who is a Fund Manager at BMO Real Estate Partners. Over a delicious lunch at Royal Vendôme, I was encouraged to hear that he had been quite busy in recent month with various acquisitions and asset management activity throughout Europe, including the final steps of a large retail deal in central Paris.
The city never disappoints…even during a pandemic!
On a cultural note, it was interesting for me to observe that indoor dining was fully in effect across Paris with little to no seating or capacity modifications (2m distance between tables, etc.) in place. For example, I attended a lively dinner at Au Port de Salut that featured a piano player / jazz singer, with tables closely packed together. It was like a time warp to September 2019 with the exception of the servers’ masks!
During my short stay in Paris, I also had delightful outings to Crepe place, L’Avenue, Bar Vendome, and Angelina (for the ever-so delicious hot chocolate)! The city never disappoints…even during a pandemic!
Walking to Bar Vendome at the Ritz Paris 
Angelina Hot Chocolate!
