7/27: Monte Carlo Day Trip

On our first morning in Nice, we traipsed downstairs for a 3€/person "Express Breakfast.” It consisted of a cup of coffee and two croissants. While dining on our expansive repast, we discussed our plan for the day. I was mostly certain that trains ran frequently from Nice to Monte Carlo (the capital city of Monaco), which was less than an hour away from us. We planned to spend the day there, exploring what we could. The skies were still very overcast, but we hoped the rain would hold out for our venture.

The trains indeed ran frequently to and from Monte Carlo, so we didn’t have to wait long at the station. The train’s route took us along the famous Cote d’Azur (Azure Coast), and the tracks mainly paralleled the coastline. The view would have been much more beautiful in sunny weather, but it was still a pleasant ride despite the occasional rain showers we’d begun to travel through.

When we arrived at Monte Carlo, the skies had fully opened up. We debated powering through the downpour, but there was nowhere specific we wanted to be and we didn’t know if there would be much shelter once we arrived at our unknown destination, so we killed some time exploring the--very nice--train station.

The entire principality of Monaco is only ¾ of a square mile in area, making it the second smallest country in the world behind the Vatican. The train station at Monte Carlo serves the entire country, per se, so it was understandably well tended. We actually discovered two or three underground pathways with moving sidewalks that transported commuters from the station to one of three different wards in the country.

We chose tunnel number one, which transported us southwest in the general direction of La Condamine, where I vaguely remembered from a trip I took here with my college friends Andrew and Rob back in Spring 2003. The rain let up as Annie and I exited the tunnel, so we quickly hunted a café for lunch. We ordered pizza and a plate of cheeses, with a Heineken and panaché (beer & lemonade, what we saw as a "Radler" in Germany) to wash it down.

After lunch, we ascended a long staircase that topped a rock promontory overlooking the harbor. Somewhere at the top was the Palace Princier(Prince’s Palace). I’d been up those very steps with my friends, so began to feel comfortable with my bearings of the city.

The top afforded great views over the harbors of Monte Carlo, and the Prince’s Palace was very easy to find: There were two guards marching back and forth in front of the gate.

We walked around this small hill with its narrow streets, and everything was noticeably very clean. Around a bend we found the city’s Oceanographic Museum, then looped back and descended to the harbor level. Navigating our way through the circuitous streets, we found the water and gawked at yachts of many different sizes moored there.

Above: "I'll take one of each, please."

A boardwalk led us around the harbor to the other side, where I knew a casino stood. We made our way back uphill on this other side, past many high-end designer stores, to the main casino that shared space with an opera house.

We would've had to pay 10€ each just to enter the casino, so we turned around and found a cheaper place two doors down that had every manner of slot and poker machine you could imagine. I encouraged Annie to try her luck on a slot machine. We spent 5€, and she actually made back 6€ before I encouraged her to keep spinning and we lost it all. No matter--we have dozens of dollars more where that came from.

Exiting into a slight drizzle, we navigated our way through the streets as best as possible toward the closest train station entrance, then caught a train back to Nice. There may really be more to Monte Carlo, but unless you’ve got major cash to blow or arrive on a Formula-One race weekend, your options are limited.

Above: Speed Racer posing with kids.

On our arrival back in Nice, the sky still threatened rain, but it was our last day in Nice and Annie hadn't seen any of it. We walked from the station southeast along the main drag where the Carnival parade floats drive, until we hit a pedestrian promenade that led into the Old Town district. This area was comprised of narrow, mostly pedestrian alleys, shops and apartments, each building a different color, with slatted shutters and clothes hanging from lines outside the windows.

We followed the occasional sign directing us to the Chateau, which was the old castle atop Nice's main hilltop, majestically overlooking the city. I had several flashbacks to my college trip with Drew and Rob, particularly as we located a small waterfall on the hilltop, and then at the main "Panorama"--the postcard view from the top where the chateau once stood.

Above: 2003 versions of Andrew and me. So many moons ago.

Annie and I admired the clear blue water, the rooftops of Nice, and a multi-colored church dome in the near distance, then tried to find a more direct way down on the path to our hotel.

Above: I have MUCH prettier company this time!

On the way we found the Tour Belladonna (Tour means Tower in Italian), which had a staircase descending to street level.

Deciding to try a different path home from the beach boardwalk we’d walked yesterday, we turned down the first inland block onto a pedestrian-only promenade lined with bars, cafés, restaurants, and street vendors. Despite all odds, I found myself shocked to find Les 3 Diables (The Three Devils), a bar that we’d haunted on one great night back in 2003. I felt obligated to stop for a beer, for old time's sake, and Annie humored me (what a doll!). I drank a blonde ale and ordered a hefeweissen for Annie, then we walked home to do laundry.

We moved quickly because the laundromat closed at 9, but we were excited to get our last round of laundry done in Europe! We returned to the hotel to quickly hang/fold, then jetted back out for a late dinner. A low-key pasta joint attracted us, so Annie satisfied her jones for gnocchi and cheese. I had penne arrabiata, and we split a 1/3 liter of red wine. After dining, we walked home to do cursory packing for our morning departure to Cinque Terre, Italy. Alas! Our last night in France…

Monte Carlo & Nice July 27 Album:

Monte Carlo/Nice: July 27, 2011