Monaco & Monte Carlo

My friend Maggie and I took a Saturday and went to Monaco and Monte Carlo to rub shoulders with royalty and the rich and famous.  It was a gorgeous summer day to spend on the French Riviera.  Sunny and warm and thankfully we thought to bring our swimsuits.

We stopped in a little seaside town in France to have some breakfast.  We walked the beach and toured the market.

The beach was a bit rocky. :)

After our pit stop we made our way to Monaco where we browsed the city and took a tour of the palace.  We also saw the changing of the guard.

Outside the museum of modern art

The city

We waited for the bride and groom to appear but we ran out of time.

Views in in the park

Statue of a woman and her soldier......very fitting.

After Monaco we went to Monte Carlo and could look down from a hilltop and see part of the Grand Prix race course.  At this point in our day we were sort of tired and decided to find some chairs on the beach and relax.  The sun was warm and the drinks were cold.  I took a little siesta while Maggie read.  We also had a good view of the topless women making out with their significant others. How does one look innocently out on the ocean full of magnificent yachts and not appear to be staring?? It can be quite uncomfortable at times.  For us.....not for them it seems. 

After we had enough sun we went in search of food.  But on our search we made a quick stop into the casino to see how lucky we were.  I won 16 euro and Maggie won a little too.  Basically it paid for our lunch at this delicious French deli. 

The city of Monte Carlo itself is just beautiful.  There are ocean-front resorts, high-rise hotels and clubs on the rooftops.  I can see that it would be a lot of fun at night and especially during the weekends of the race.  The casino was elaborate but it was much smaller than I imagined it to be. The atmosphere inside was nothing like the casinos in Vegas.  There was no music, bars or clubs inside.  In fact, we had to check our bags and purses.  The won't allow any cell phones inside either.

I would love to visit this area again and maybe check out Nice.  The French Riviera is a wealth of natural beauty coupled with the beauty of the towns and villages.  It has the ability to make a person relax and allow oneself to indulge....just a little.