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Spending time on vacation in Monte Carlo will very soon make you feel part of the wonderful unique surroundings that make up this beautiful historic principality.

Monte Carlo has many museums and monuments, the shopping is just superb, the restaurants serve cuisine from all over the world and there are many fine hotels.

But which ever hotel you may choose to stay in, it will be guaranteed that there will be very rich people and famous celebrities also residing and relaxing in the same hotel.

When you go out to eat, every restaurant will treat you like a film star, because most of their other guests are just that. As well you will see many familiar faces that you will recognize as sporting and television personalities.

And it doesn’t stop there, if you go to the cinema or theatre; take a walk in the parks and in just about any other public place you will see, meet and even talk to some of those very rich and famous people.

Taking a holiday in Monte Carlo is great fun and every moment is very exciting, in fact it almost feels like you are watching a long continuous documentary about the who’s who in royalty, politics, business, sport, film, television and music.

And the reason so many celebrities will always be found in Monte Carlo is because most of them live there or they are there because they just spend long vacations relaxing and thinking about what they will spend their money on next.

For one week in every year Monte Carlo is completely closed for cars, this is because the streets of Monte Carlo are used as a race track for the Formula One Grand Prix. And this is really quite a spectacular event, which draws even more rich jetsetters to Monte Carlo.

You will have a close up view of these technological F1 cars and be able to meet and share a conversation with many of the Formula 1 car drivers who are visiting for the race, although again some of them have luxury homes in Monte Carlo.

And when you return home from your vacation you can enthusiastically amaze all your friends with the pictures of you with so many different famous people, just watch their faces go green with envy.

 
Monte Carlo is a most unique place, which is full of beauty, spectacle, wonderment and sheer pleasure and enjoyment. It will firmly stay in your memories well after you have got back into your less exotic life.

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Should Rich people as much as rich nations contribute more to causes and perhaps charity?

The world is full of rich people. Don’t think that it isn’t for one moment, even during this recession. It is human nature to achieve the best you can and none more so than making a name for yourself and increasing your bank balance until it almost bursts with figures and interest. As the author I take my hat off to those people and would be the first to say “Well done.”

There are people who are self made millionaires, billionaires. Celebrities and oil rich magnets are popping up overnight.

BUT at the same time news of poverty or a child needing a life-saving operation that costs too much are becoming frequent.

The climate is changing. Rain forests are declining, despite the new trees being planted. The ozone layer is thinning and ice caps are melting. Even New Zealand is keeping a wary eye on a giant ice berg working its way towards them.

Fish numbers are depleting and what amazes the people of the world is the countries where fresh water-or in fact a supply of water-is difficult to achieve. In our technologically advanced state I know it makes many a person frown.

So what can we do about it?

Will money be the solution? Can the wealthy do more by digging deeper into their pockets?

Yes there are many celebrities and rich people who make donations. The footballer David Beckham is reportedly one of the icons of the sporting world who does his best to contribute to people, especially children, when he can or if he hears of some child suffering. For that the author of this article salutes him and others who do the same, whether sporting icons, film stars, pop stars or rich businessmen and women with a heart.

No doubt there are many more I have not mentioned…

But it is the average middle-class and working class people who keep the charities ticking over. Money is hard pressed and financial commitments are many. Yet still they find some loose change or a pound or dollar or wherever they are in the world to drop into the charity donation box.

Governments are rich. The Western governments at least. So should they be contributing more to green issues and perhaps to charity organisations also? It opens up a can of worms of politics and possible red tape scenarios but our world and its people are dying, whether through poverty, disease, natural disasters or war. Let us not forget to add to that list the things we as readers take for granted such as food and clean water.

As a world we like to think we can hold our head up high and say we do our “bit”. But is a “bit” enough?

Yes the world is full of people or countries crying our for aid, money or just the bare basics to survive. Is throwing money at such things enough? Do certain people or countries sit back and not tackle their own problems and wait for the next hand out?

It is a very diverse subject and with no doubt many complex layers interwoven into one another in how or why is the best solution to tackle this.

But until that solution is sought and found and dealt with, people continue to die. Children cry out for life saving operations and their parents then find out the cost is just stupendous. So they rally round with local communities and hope people have a good heart and meet the cost of travel, the operations and the wages involved. As humans we usually pull this off. But again it is the average man or woman putting their hands in their pockets to fund this.

Of course there are rich people out there with a heart who hear about such stories and come to the aid. But should this happen more? Should more people far more wealthy than the average man or woman, do more to assist the financial burdens of certain charities?

There is an old saying that “charity starts at home”, and yes this is very true. It is human nature to care for the ones you love as much as yourself before anyone else. But certain people and governments are in a position where their interest alone in a week could perhaps pay for a new kidney machine or ambulance or operation for a child. Let us not forget a new well for clean drinking water or food for a village for an entire year with irrigation thrown in to boot.

In the news lately nine nations have called upon the rich nations to assist in the preservation of the rain forests. That is just one example.

So opinions as to whether governments and the wealthy should contribute more to causes is open to debate. No doubt people will come out and say that many rich people do their “thing” and this is obvious when you see the stars attending schools or poverty stricken regions.

But what about cost? Money doesn’t buy you everything.

But what we all know is it certainly helps.

What is a lot less well-known, and barely reported, is the number of successful and long-lasting marriages, often enjoyed by some of the really great names in movie history.

1. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodard (50 years*)

   

   Newman (b. January 26th 1925) and Woodward (b. February 27th 1930) were married on January 29th 1958. The golden couple celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary earlier this year. Although Newman’s second marriage, he is Woodward’s one and only spouse. They have three daughters and Newman has two daughters from his first marriage to Jackie Witte. Their son, Scott, passed away in 1978.

2. Alan and Arlene Alda (51 years*)

   Alan (b. January 28th 1936) and Arlene (née Weiss, b. December 7th 1933) were married on March 15th, 1957).
   They have three daughters. Arlene is a photographer, musician and author of children’s books.

3. James Garner and Lois Clarke (51 years*)

   Garner (b. April 7th 1928) and Clarke were married on August 17th 1956 after a whirlwind romance of just a fortnight. Lois had been married before, but it was Garner’s first marriage. They have one daughter together and Lois has a daughter from her previous marriage.

4. Kirk Douglas and Anne Buydens (53 years*)

   Kirk married his second wife Anne on May 29th 1954. They had two sons, one of whom, Eric, died in 2004. Kirk also has two sons from his first marriage to Diane Dill; the famous Michael Douglas being one of them. Kirk breaks the daughter-only pattern of long marriages documented thus far.
   Kirk was born December 9th 1916 , his wife Anne is originally Belgian and is six years younger than Kirk.

5. Tony Martin and Cyd Charisse (59 years)

   This ever glamorous couple celebrated an amazing 60 year Diamond Wedding Anniversary this year before Cyd passed away in June 2008. This is even more amazing considering this is the second marriage for both of them.

   Tony Martin (b. December 25th 1912) married Cyd Charisse (b.March 8th 1921, d June 17 2008) on 15th May 1948. At the time, they were both two of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Cyd kept the married name she had used professionally, which is itself a rarity in Hollywood, but Cyd Charisse has a better ring to it than Alice Finklea! Cyd has to sons from her first marriage to Nico and one son with Tony. Martin was previously married to Alice Faye.

6. James Cagney and Frances “Billie” Vernon (63 years)

   One of Hollywood’s greatest actors also enjoyed one of the longest marriages. James Cagney was born on 17th July 1899 and passed away March 30th 1986, He married Frances on28th September 1922, they had two adopted children, a son and a daughter.

7. Charlton Heston and Lydia Clarke (64 years)

   This long marriage, the first and only marriage for Heston and his wife Lydia, ended recently with the passing of Heston (b. October 4th 1923, d April 5th 2008). They were married on 17th March 1944 after meeting at Northwestern University.
   The couple have two children.

8. Carl Reiner and Estelle Lebost (64 years*)

   Reiner (b. March 20th 1922) is best know by modern audiences for his role in Ocean’s 11 (12 and 13), but his career goes back to the post-war era. He is not only an actor but a comedy writer, director and producer.
   Carl Reiner married Estelle Lebost December 24th 1943. They have two sons, one of whom is also a famous director, Rob Reiner, and a daughter.

9. Karl Malden and Mona Greenberg (69 years*)

   Although second on the list, this incredible couple will pass the Hopes’ record on May 3rd, 2008 when they will have been married for 69 years and 168 days.
   Malden was born March 22nd 1912 and he married Mona on December 18th 1938. They have two children.

10. Bob Hope and Dolores DeFina(69 years)

    Despite his reputation as a lady’s man, Hope’s marriage to Dolores was the one constant in his very long life.

    Bob Hope was born May 29th 1903 (In Eltham, near London, England). He passed away July 27th 2003 thus achieving the status of one of the elite band of Hollywood centenarians. Dolores was born May 29th 1909 and may yet reach her own century. Like Cagney, the couple also adopted their four children: three daughters and a son, who tragically died just a year after his father.

    The couple were married February 19th 1934. Rumours of an earlier marriage and a possible daughter for Hope have never been officially acknowledged.

Marriages marked * are still ongoing.