A day in Monaco
I took a day trip to Monaco from Nice. I actually like Nice more, though it's not as given to pretty pictures. Nice just gets down to the business of having lots of public beaches with blue crystal water, 96 flavors of gelato, painting supply shops, and all else fun in life.
But Monaco looks better in pictures. So on to Monaco, where I've had a childhood wish to walk the entire length of the country. All 4 kilometers of it.
Today, that dream came real.
First off, meet Yoriko. She's my traveling companion for the day and crazy/athletic enough to go along with my scheme without complaint. She's in Nice en route to Paris for a medical conference where she's presenting.
So, Monaco.
Man, it must be a hard life here. I mean, if you can't afford a Rolls, you need a Porsche or a Ferrari to keep up with the neighbors. A modest condo here runs a few million euro. But if that's a little too rich for your blood, why just some iBling?
And if all that stresses you out, why not just relax on your sailboat? The guys in these pics are obviously bloody peasants. I mean, they aren't taking out football field sized yachts like in the main harbor.
Monaco is still a principality. If the Grimaldi family ever fails to produce a male heir to inherit rulership, Monaco reverts to France. Until then, it's a sovereign nation, and the second smallest one in the world. (Vatican City, entirely surrounded by Rome, is smaller.)
Grimaldi. He may be dressed like a monk, but notice the hand on sword. Grimaldi will KICK YOUR ASS.
So, Princes get Castles.
Pretty, no?
For all this, I like Nice more. Monaco is all about swapping yachts, land and dice rolls to get richer. Nice is just about ice cream on the beach. Back to Nice for me!
I took a day trip to Monaco from Nice. I actually like Nice more, though it's not as given to pretty pictures. Nice just gets down to the business of having lots of public beaches with blue crystal water, 96 flavors of gelato, painting supply shops, and all else fun in life.
But Monaco looks better in pictures. So on to Monaco, where I've had a childhood wish to walk the entire length of the country. All 4 kilometers of it.
Today, that dream came real.
First off, meet Yoriko. She's my traveling companion for the day and crazy/athletic enough to go along with my scheme without complaint. She's in Nice en route to Paris for a medical conference where she's presenting.
So, Monaco.
Man, it must be a hard life here. I mean, if you can't afford a Rolls, you need a Porsche or a Ferrari to keep up with the neighbors. A modest condo here runs a few million euro. But if that's a little too rich for your blood, why just some iBling?
And if all that stresses you out, why not just relax on your sailboat? The guys in these pics are obviously bloody peasants. I mean, they aren't taking out football field sized yachts like in the main harbor.
Monaco is still a principality. If the Grimaldi family ever fails to produce a male heir to inherit rulership, Monaco reverts to France. Until then, it's a sovereign nation, and the second smallest one in the world. (Vatican City, entirely surrounded by Rome, is smaller.)
Grimaldi. He may be dressed like a monk, but notice the hand on sword. Grimaldi will KICK YOUR ASS.
So, Princes get Castles.
Pretty, no?
For all this, I like Nice more. Monaco is all about swapping yachts, land and dice rolls to get richer. Nice is just about ice cream on the beach. Back to Nice for me!
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If you're in France and you're told that the train is full, what they really mean is "we have a set number of spaces for railpass holders, there are no more of those spaces, and we don't want to give you a seat that may be purchased for actual money."
If you really need to get on that train, then go ahead and do so. When asked for your ticket, tell them that you have a railpass and you'd like to pay for your reservation now. It'll cost more, but at least you'll actually be on the train; the conductor knows nothing of these ridiculous railpass restrictions.