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| Monaco Harbor |
We came to Nice to hang out and just enjoy the area with the only objective being to take a side trip to Monaco. It's only about 10 miles from Nice as the crow flies, but not by any other means. We opted for the bus because it's a little more scenic than the train. We were told to get a seat on the right side of the bus, which we did, and was very good advice. It cost a $1.50 for a 45 minute ride along an amazing coastline through half a dozen little villages all perched on a cliffs along side the Mediterranean . Once in Monaco we walked through the market and on up to the old town and palace. We must have walked up and down several hundred stairs getting to where we wanted to go. Sylvia was not very pleased with my choice of routes. There's a very nice aquarium by the palace that we went through and it probably had more varieties of fish than I had ever seen in any other aquarium. The trip up there is worth it, even if just for the views.
After the aquarium it was getting time for lunch so we walked down the hill to the harbor and found an outdoor cafe on Princess Caroline street which wasn't hard to do because the street is lined with outdoor cafes. We just recovered there and had a salad and a bottle of rose. We were in no rush because the next stop was Monte Carlo and it was all uphill again. To get there you walk around the harbor, where they were getting ready for next week's yacht show; and by-the-way the entrance fee will be $165, I'm sure it'd be worth it because these were BIG boats. The climb up the hill was not easy but it's so beautiful that you hardly notice it. Once there, I was totally impressed with the automobiles parked in front of the casino, money, money, money. In order to get in the casino we had to show passports and pay ten euros each. The casino is stunning, just like in the James Bond movies. I'd love to own the nearby tuxedo shop. We didn't spend too much time there, just looked around, had a coupe de champagne and left...in awe. A walk through the gardens took to us to a bus stop for the ride back to Nice.
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| BIG boats |
Back in Nice and tired of walking/climbing and too tired for a lively discussion, we decided to have an early dinner close by the hotel. We saw a nearby brasserie call L'Ovale and boy did we get lucky. It had a typical southwestern French country menu and it was open for dinner at 7. Sylvia ordered a Country Pate salad, Veal with Chanterelle mushrooms, and a Tiramisu. I had Foie Gras, Cassoulet de Canard (sausage, duck confit, and white beans), and Creme Brulee . Absolutely brilliant! A terrific bottle of wine was obviously necessary. It's hard to believe, but all this for less than $70. Stuffed we went back to the hotel and I was asleep in no time. No plans for tomorrow, but I'm sure something will come up.
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| Appetizer |
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| Entre |
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| Desert |
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