Monaco

When so close to Monaco it just makes sense to venture there for a quick visit. We took the train from Nice and 20 minutes later we were in Monaco. This sovereign city-state is the second smallest and most densely populated country in the world. At only 2.02 square km, it has a population of just over 36,000 and none of its citizens pay any taxes thanks mostly in part to the Monte Carlo casino; the main tourist attraction in the country. None of us being big gamblers, we did check out the casino however none of us wanted to pay the 10 Euro entry fee just to see the inside of the gambling area. You can take a peak at the atrium for free which is all marble floors with ornately decorated ceilings. You are. Not permitted to take pictures inside which is a shame because the atrium is quite beautiful.

One of the first things I noticed upon arriving in Monaco was how clean it is. There is no sign of litter anywhere. The other thing I noticed is how the riches of the country are very evident. The train station had marble everywhere including the floor. Not your typical train station.

We walked up the hill to the Prince's palace. From there you have incredible views of Monaco. We enjoyed a pleasant menu du jour at one of the restaurants found on a side street while still having a slight view of the castle. Afterwards we walked through the gardens which we originally thought were the Jardins Exotique but realized they were actually part of the palace grounds. The walk through these gardens afforded fantastic views of the Mediterranean as well as one of the marinas with numerous expensive yachts moored.

We read that engineering is a top profession in the country and that the average per capita income is roughly $188k Euro. Even though this info is a little dated, it helps explain all the expensive yachts and cars we saw....Ferraris, Maseratis, BMW's, Porsches were all common cars on the streets.

While we didn't spend any money on the casino, Z and I did enjoy a cafe au lait at Cafe du Paris and people watched. The Cafe is located just beside the casino and the cost of our two coffees was just over the casino admission fee. We also took one of the local buses which gave us a great view of the different areas within the country. The Monaco Grand Prix happened a few weeks earlier so we thankfully missed that on our visit. I can only imagine how busy it would be and not sure how traffic is managed because they race through the streets. You can still see some of the signs.

We took a bus back to Nice so that we could enjoy a scenic ride back and also so we would be dropped off closer to our apartment. We spent a great few hours in Monaco and had to make our way back to Nice for the evening because we had tickets to see a French Cabaret show.

                                              View overlooking marina. 

                                                     Path leading to palace. 

                                           Prince Albert II's palace. 

                                         Some of the many yachts in a marina. 

                                          Overlooking another marina. 

                                           Saint Nicholas Cathedral. 

                                         Musee Oceanographique in background.