Monaco, the playground for billionaires….and Bill and Sally! Our flight from Barcelona to Nice was quick and easy as was locating the train over to Monaco. Once in Monaco, we left the train station and missed a turn on the way to the hotel which was a costly error. We doubled the number of steps needed to reach the hotel but we survived. Monaco sits above the sea on a rock. The entire history of Monaco is basically this: whoever holds the rock, holds the power. Many factions have held the rock through the centuries but its’ current form came into existence after WWII. Monaco is now a principality and they rely on France for military protection….hmmm, would not be my choice LOL. Getting around Monaco is relatively easy as long as you have been training on hills for three weeks which we had. Crossing the entire country on foot takes less than an hour. Our first destination was the port to see the megayachts. Unfortunately for our view, there were hundreds of vendor tents being set up for the yacht show next weekend so we had to view the yachts from top of the hill. Our next stop was in the Prince of Monaco’s car museum. It had two floors of every type of car from the fast to the silly. The past prince evidently collected by passion instead of only value so it made for a nice museum. The royal palace was on the very top of the rock so we climbed some more with some incredible views along the way. The crowds in Monaco were minimal so we definitely enjoyed the palace without tons of people. Princess Grace’s memorial was in the cathedral. Her tomb was easy to spot because it was covered with flowers. It made me feel a little sorry for the late prince who had no flowers on his grave but as much as he loved Grace, he was probably pleased. Our big night was planned for Bill’s major bucket list item….the Monte Carlo Casino. Bill had set up a tuxedo rental so he could live out his Bond moment. I did my best to find a dress to rent but alas, no place was open and none of the dresses in the stores were meant to fit a chesty American gal. I figured I would at least find a nice pair of earrings to go with the one “nicer” dress I had but I could not find any stores selling earrings either! We found a store that sold superyachts and one that sold private jets but no earrings to be found! A scarf would have to do. With Bill gussied up (if you’re not southern, that means ‘looking fine’), we headed over to the casino passing the Ferraris and Lamborghinis parked out front. We made a full evening of it with a lovely dinner of pasta and veal milanese on the terrace of the casino overlooking the sea (sorry, no cameras allowed my foodies!). Then, we wandered through the casino admiring the decor and feeling the history. Many people say they are disappointed because the casino is small but we both found it to be breathtakingly lovely and just the right size for comfort. Neither of us hit the jackpot so we had to leave the Ferrari and the Lamborghini parked out front on our way past but it was a memorable evening! We spent our last night in the city of Nice. We walked along the seaside promenade and got our yacht peeping done at the marina. There was an old fort area on top of a huge cliff. We both decided that we would have to miss the views because our feet could not take a hike up the steps. Then, we rounded the corner and found an elevator that took us straight to the top so we enjoyed the views on our walk down the hill. The beaches in Nice are made of rocks so I don’t think I’d like to do a beach vacation on the French Riviera…I’ll stick to sand beaches. We finished the day with a trip to the cathedral and the famous Fenochio gelato. The gelato was very good but I look forward to my daily binge of Italian gelato that is yet to come! Our observation over the past month of traveling: Before we left the States, I thought the narcissistic levels of people these days was just an American trait. I am happy and sad to report that narcissism is a world wide event and covers almost every age group. The amount of pictures people take of themselves is flabbergasting to me. I could reenact every single pose at this point: the duck face lip pout, the single leg hip thrust, the over the shoulder backward glance, the tongue to the side of the mouth, the backward head tilt, the hair shake and all combinations of the above. It is astonishing. People will take these pictures in even the holiest of places right next to people praying. They will take them in front of a bush. They will take them while they are walking and filming at the same time. I really want to stop them and tell them no one thinks they or what they are doing is that important but I believe it would break their hearts. Even the tuxedo rental guy said he constantly had to stop fitting so that people could take their own picture in the mirror. So, for those of you who see yourself in the above description…put down the camera, look around you and live in the moment instead of trying to impress people who do not matter. Years from now, you want to remember the moment at the cathedral, the view of the sea or even that bush…take the picture with your mind and the memory will be even more beautiful. Ratings for Monaco/Nice Overall: 8.5 Monaco/7 Nice Points of interest: 6 Ease of communication: 8 (most people spoke English thank goodness!) Ease of transportation: 9 Friendly people: 9 Monaco/For Nice…they are French… Food: 9 Cost of living: 3 Weather: 10 Bill’s favorite thing: The Monte Carlo Casino Sally’s favorite thing: Bill in a tuxedo! Okay…the other views were amazing as well…. Off to Italy and after 30 years of being away, I am ready to see her again! Our schedule has been a bit tossed due to sold out hotels and crazy prices in Italy but we are adapting. So hang on and get ready for a ride!
1 Comment
Katie Bedford
10/4/2022 09:58:58 am
You both looked so great on casino night! I haven't seen dad in a tux since I was a little girl!
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AuthorSally Miller Archives
May 2024
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