After our cases had to be outside our rooms at 7 am to be taken to the buses, we were loaded onto buses (ours was the blue one) at 7.45 for our trip to Monte Carlo. Our journey took us a bit over four hours, so after two hours we stopped at a large roadside service station come shop/cafe for a welcome coffee break.
We followed the old Roman road route to Monte Carlo. Apparently the Romans made the quickest way possible for their roads, and there were stops, or outposts around every 25 miles, for horse changing, resting etc. the Romans used these roads to deliver messages to the countries they had conquered. Our guide told us that the object was to make the conquered people want to be Romans. They did this by incorporating the gods of the conquered with their own Roman gods. No wonder the Christians would not capitulate to the Romans, and were martyred.
In the French Riviera, there is sunshine for 300 days per year, and the climate is Mediterranean. There are lots of palm trees, acacias, and pine trees. The town of Nice was always part of the "grand tour" that European people took, and lots of wealthy folk settled here in the 19th Century. There is a TVG train from Nice, but it does not have a dedicated train line, so it can't do its usual speed of 300 KPH, until it reaches a little further along the train, so the trip to Paris takes 5 hours. The Cannes Movie Festival brings lots of visitors to the area.
As we crossed the border into Monaco, the five lanes of traffic have to converge into one lane, so there is always a traffic jam apparently. Our first view of the small principality, which is the second smallest country in the world, the Vatican being the smallest. In the distance is Italy.
Once we arrived at our hotel, the Fairmont, which by the way is the biggest one in Monaco, we left our carry on luggage Ina secure room and set off to look for food for lunch. We found a big shopping centre very close to the Fairmont, and ate our lunch in a park that was very nice except for the fact that you weren't allowed to walk on the grass. Of course, that meant there was no where to eat, so we had to sit on a brick wall !
We checked in at three, and at six met with our other travelers, all 80 of us, for a bus and walking tour of the older part of the city, and dinner out at a restaurant overlooking the sea.
In the Cathedral we saw the graves of Princes Grace and Prince Ranier. 90% of the population here is Catholic, even if only nominal. Prince Alfred is the reigning monarch, and is in complete charge, with a Prime Minister under him, whom he chooses. He has recently married and his wife has given birth to twins, a prince and a princess, around 10 months ago. He is already 56 years of age, so we agreed the need for an heir was urgent.
The older part of the city was built on the Rock of Monaco, and this is where the royal palace is. There are superb view from this vantage point as well, again with Italy in the background.
After a fairly ordinary dinner compared what we have been having, we were bussed back to the Fairmont to collapse into bed, as it had been a very long day.
Finally had a chance to catch up on reading your blog.So many expensive yachts I spy :)
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