June 2, 2011
Monaco's Prince Albert II was in the Estonian capital Tallinn on June 2-3, 2011 to re-launch the Tallinn-Monte Carlo rally cut short by World War II, giving it an eco-friendly twist as a race for electric cars only. The prince then waved the flag signalling the start of the event which runs through to June 11 and will see competitors travel through Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and finally to the finish-line in Monaco.
I went to see the start and the finish place but decided to walk back home, seeing suddenly the prince with his car sitting near to my home behind red lights at Narva street/Kreutzwaldi crossroad without anybody on street seemingly realizing who is driving the old Soviet car.
As the Monte Carlo famous car rally is not representing an environmental approach at all, the initiative to make Tallinn-Monte Carlo annual rally an electric cars rally is very nice step, depicting much more the many green initiatives Monaco leader has launched at home and far from that (see more on that at Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation).
The distance of electric cars rally from Tallinn to Monte Carlo is 3,500 kilometres (2,175 miles).
The first Tallinn-Monte Carlo rally was held in 1930 but was discontinued after the 1939 outbreak of the World War II.
Albert who was also driving the Tallinn part of the rally on June 2, 2011 drived Soviet era made Pobeda car from 1958, same year he is born. The car had been rebuilt by Estonians and is now an electric car.
"We do not need to buy new things all the time but can also make old things environmentally friendly," Prince Albert said shortly after coming out from the car.
Prince Albert II of Monaco also dedicated a park bench to his late mother American actress Grace Kelly at Tallinn Rotermanni centre close to historic old town.
A plaque on the bench was engraved with the Estonian poem "Do you know the mother's heart", written by Estonia's renowned poet Lydia Koidula (1843-1886).
p.s. You can read my article about it at AFP when you search at google the headline "Prince Albert launches Tallinn-Monte Carlo rally with twist".
More info about the Tallinn-Monte Carlo annual electric car is at the site:http://www.electricrace.eu. Back to full front page from HERE.
