Bill Irwin took the opportunity to brag about our favorite Monacoan, Max Gurney. SEULEMENT AVEC MAX GURNEY (SAM) (ONLY WITH MAX GURNEY!) OFFICIAL ORDER OF ST. CHARLES HON. CONSUL MONACO SAN DIEGO, RET. PRINCE ALBERT II MONACO FOUNDATION VICE PRESIDENT PUBLIC RELATIONS AND TRAVEL RETURN TO NORMANDY ASSOCIATION As many of you know, Carol and I, joined by Bill and Lynn Kronberger, took off for France on October 15. We were heading to the Conferie des Chevaliers du Tastevin at the Clos de Vougeot in Beaune on October 25. It would be their 80th Annual. The menu proclaimed the anniversary as “les Quatre Vins Ans” (not quatre vingt ans). The French are so clever! `But this piece is not so much about our trip as it is about what our trip was because of Max Gurney. Max was traveling with his friend Ann Craig. Ann, whom most of our Club has met, is another Ohioan – but she is fluent in French. Landing in Nice, we are met by a private taxi service that shuttles us to Monaco. We check in to the Miramar Hotel (right on the bay) thanks to Max (TTM). There is a note from Max waiting at the desk to meet them on the deck for champagne. The next day, we take a bus up to the palace for a private tour (TTM). Afterwards, we are lunching at the Castelroc (TTM) and seated next to Prince Albert’s aide-de-camp Manuel Lebeque and his wife Judy (TTM). Max had invited Prince Albert but he could not make it. Besides, Prince Albert had met Max the week prior statewide … and would hob nob later with Max at the Conferie. Prince Rainier, Prince Albert’s father, sponsored Max as a chevalier. Max in turn sponsored Prince Albert. Since Max sponsored me I consider myself “vicarious royalty”. No need to bow! Later that night, we and a dozen others were guests of Max at the Monaco Yacht Club for a champagne reception (TTM). The next day, we had a wonderful lunch at El Terrazino, known to Max. The next morning, instead of motoring back to Nice, we are on helicopters to same (TTM) *ASK MAX ABOUT SMUGGLING HIS WINE ABOARD WITH THE HELP OF THE PILOT. (SAM). It was my first chopper ride. Sure beats driving. In Nice, Max and Ann go their way. We will meet in Beaune. The four of us pick up our car and drive to Avignon. Side trips to Pont du Garde, Marseilles, Chateauneuf de Pape. Uzes, Pope’s castle in Avignon. But I digress. After five days (and 500 stories) in Avignon we drove to Beaune. We walk into the Hotel de la Poste and I show my passport. The woman behind the desk says, “Oh, you are friends of Max Gurney. I have known him for 19 years”. Who doesn’t know Max?? Ask him about Ari Onassis trying to bribe him when he was with Pan Am. The Conferie was the next night. Max and Ann were staying in Dijon. I asked him that night if he could email or text a recommendation of a hotel. Because of a late change of plans we were going to spend one night in Dijon., drop the car off and take the train to Paris. The next morning, Max’s “girlfriend” behind the desk informed us that MaX has made reservations at the Ibis in Dijon and the De la Poste has forwarded our credit card information. Here’s your address . SAM? Well, there are, of course, 100 more tales of our journey with Max. They will surface in time. But, there is nothing like traveling to France I(or anywhere) with Max Gurney. The Kronbergers are still shaking their heads in disbelief. Thanks Max.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 23:33:21 +0000