Meandering Around Monaco (and Nice!)

I don’t have a lot of fluff to say about Nice and Monaco.  It’s funny because I’ve heard the names of these cities my entire life and I had a very romantic idea in my head.  But if someone were to ask me for recommendations about France, I don’t think Nice would even make the list, and I would probably say Monaco is worth a three hour visit at most.  But of course we managed to still have a wonderful time. That’s just how we roll. :)  One thing I want to note is our mode of transportation between cities.  I just want to reiterate how unbelievably WONDERFUL train travel is in Europe.  It is the easiest thing in the world.  Usually the train stations are in the city center so they are easy to access, versus airports which are typically many miles outside of the city.  There are no major security lines, the train seats are super comfortable, and I’ve never had trouble finding a spot for my luggage.  I can’t promise every train will have this, but most of the trains I boarded also had electrical outlets for my phone and laptop.  Really fantastic!  

Ok, back to Nice.  We boarded the train from Aix en Provence and arrived in Nice in the evening around 8 p.m.  We made our way to our hotel, the Villa Victoria, and checked in.  This hotel room wasn’t nearly as nice as the Renaissance, but it was certainly fine.  We were pretty burnt out at this point…we had done A LOT in twelve days, so this could also be why I wasn’t overly enthusiastic about these cities.  I’m not entirely sure.  Also, we didn't have much time in Nice so maybe I should give it another chance some day!  Anyway, Erin and I were laughing at ourselves on the train to Nice.  We were both SUCH A MESS.  Of course, saying we were a mess is totally relative.  It’s not like we were camping our way through a desert.  But we both had mysterious bruises, bug bites, chipped nails, blisters, etc.  Erin’s feet look practically mummified from the number of bandaids she was wearing.  We were TORE UP!  Anyway, we dragged our butts to dinner, looking like hot messes, and then crashed hard! 

The next morning we woke up refreshed and wanted to take a half day trip to Monaco and see Monte Carlo.  Again, this was easy and was just a short twenty-five minute train ride from Nice.  Monaco was gorgeous.  First, let me give you a little information about Monaco that I learned during my visit.  Monaco is not part of France, it is a principality.  It is bordered by France on three sides, and the Mediterranean on one side.  It is the second smallest country in the world (only Vatican City is smaller), AND it’s also the most densely populated country.  Monaco is governed under of a form of constitutional monarchy, with Prince Albert II as head of state.  The House of Grimaldi have ruled Monaco since 1297.  Before my visit, all I really knew about Monaco is what I had wielded from that Selena Gomez movie, where she pretends to be some princess and hooks up with a Grimaldi prince.  Embarrassing, but true!  Now, I can say I’m officially in the know.  Ha!  On one side of Monaco is Monte Carlo, which is an administrative area of Monaco, and also the name of the famous casino in Monaco.  In this area there are stunning buildings and architecture and many upscale shops.  We hiked up a pretty steep street to check it out and while I’m glad I can say I set my eyes on it, we both agreed we didn’t need to stay there more than a half hour.  It WAS pretty, though!  Gorgeous views!! 

We proceeded back down the hill, and crossed over to the other side where the Prince’s Palace of Monaco is located.  This involved another super steep hike, but the reward was one of the most beautiful views of the sea.  This palace was built in 1191 and remains the residence of the current royal family.  We did not go in, but it was a pretty amazing fortress and palace. 

After we had our fill of Monaco, we boarded the train and headed back to Nice.  We decided to go walk around near the water.  It was super hot and we thought it would be nice to dip our feet in the famous Côte d’Azur (blue coast)!  The water was so gorgeous and we excitedly walked toward the sea.  We were walking over rocks so I kept my flip flops on the entire time.  We had to descend a little hill to reach the water.  I didn’t really think about it, and just went for it.  Ummm, big mistake.  As if we weren’t beat up enough, my damn life flashed before my eyes when I walked into the water.  There was no sand, JUST ROCKS.  And we both started to sink.  I am not kidding you when I say that I started fearing for my life. Ok, maybe not my life, but I was not sure how I was going to get out.  My feet were sinking into the rocks. That scene from The Neverending Story was flashing through my brain. Just call me Artax for GOODNESS SAKES!  Erin was struggling too, and we were both giggling a bit frantically.  I had to drag my feet out of my flip flops, grab my shoes quickly before they were swept away by a wave, and crawl up that hill barefoot on the rocks.  Oh my word, the pain.  It was horrible, but pretty hysterical.  Needless to say, we were done with the beach.  

DEATH TRAP...5 seconds after I took this pic I started to sink!!

We headed back to the hotel because Erin had to pack and get herself ready to go.  She was having a cab pick her up the next morning at 5:45 a.m. so she definitely wanted to be packed and ready.  After we chilled a bit and Erin was done packing, we headed out for our last dinner.  Our concierge had recommended a really wonderful restaurant called Les Epicuriens and it was a perfect way to end our amazing trip.  Plus, we had a HOT waiter.  So, all in all…a WONDERFUL evening.  More rosé, amazing fish, vegetables, desserts, bread.  Everything was perfect.  Erin and I toasted to our twenty-two years of friendship, an incredible adventure, and many more to come in the future!  So thankful for that girl!  It was hard saying goodbye to Erin the next morning, but I knew I was moving on to the next chapter of my journey.  Next entry will be about my incredible experience in Cannes, France! 
  

YUMMMY!

CHEERS!!!