Published on October 23, 2020Updated on June 19, 2023
There are so many reasons to love Monaco.
It’s an exceptional place where anything is possible. Where luck finds those who come to meet it with a smile. A parade of experiences and memories await you under the Mediterranean sun... Pierre Frolla, a world record-holding free diver and keen nature lover, lets us in on his passion for the Principality.
Let’s fall in love with Monte-Carlo!
How does Monaco inspire you?
Pierre Frolla: The thing I love most about Monaco is that it’s hugely paradoxical: a concrete city taken over by nature that’s well-established, lush and thriving – both with super rare and remarkable plants, and wildlife that’s every bit as impressive. A myriad of plants, trees, flowers, tiny creatures, bees, and any number of birds live together in this modern city of 2 square kilometres – not to mention 70,000 people. Because of this, I find Monaco inspires a sense of sharing, the existence of multiple complex possibilities, and the idea of living together in harmony. Surrounded by the sea and mountains, and with patches of thick, almost tropical forest, Monaco is a kind of Garden of Eden...my own little paradise.
What is your best memory of Monaco?
P.F: If I was being selfish, I’d have to say my best memory of Monaco was the day I got my third freediving world record in Free Immersion, at a depth of -80m. I got to enjoy a perfectly-organised sporting event, some pleasantly mild weather, a friendly relationship with the security team, the creation of a real “arena” atmosphere out on the water, with over 200 people wanting to experience the achievement live, a successful dive, and an invitation that very evening to get the Monaco-PSG game underway. In reality, though, my actual “best memory” of Monaco is still the year it snowed – I think it was 1986. I was still a kid, and I remember being filled with wonder in the early hours of the morning. We played out in the snow, went tobogganing, hurtled down the Rampe de la Major in sleds... It’s yet further proof that Monaco is the very essence of a paradox in its purest form.
In a word, Monaco is...
P.F: MAGIC.
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