It was another early morning to board the TGV Mediterranée. Due to our traveling over the lunch hour, we were invited to pack a picnic lunch for the train. Matt and I enjoyed bread, cheese, sausage, wine, and macaroons for dessert while passing through Burgundy and Provence as we made our way to the south of France.
When we arrived to Nice, on the French Riviera, we checked in to our hotel and took a walk. We were located in an area with high end shopping, cafes, and restaurants. We returned to the hotel to prepare for dinner and enjoy a cocktail on the rooftop bar.
At dinner we sampled Rosé wine, a specialty in the area, and enjoyed a large group setting.
Following dinner we made our way to Monaco with plans to enjoy an evening at Monte Carlo. On our way we listened to stories about Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco and her untimely death driving through the windy roads of the area.
When we arrived to Monte Carlo, Matt was in heaven.
He referred to it as 'Vegas' Big Brother'.
To actually play, you have to be dressed black tie, pay a cover, and be prepared to lay down some serious cash {500 Euro a hand}. We didn't qualify as black tie, so we settled for the touristy part of the casino, some slots and one black jack table. We ordered a drink {Jameson for Matt, red wine for myself} and walked around admiring the elaborate decor and even managed to sneak a peak at a high rollers table. It was just as you would imagine in the movies... men dressed in suits, surrounded by young beautiful women, smoking cigars and sipping cocktails. We made a stop at the slots to say we gambled and then continued the dream of a high rollers lifestyle as we gazed in the windows of some high end stores, including Hermés, Christian Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Prada.
|Saturday, October 6|
***I should probably start by explaining my shoe situation. I was so darn proud of myself for packing responsible footwear. I had all flats and a pair of boots. I didn't try to sneak in one pair of heels. What I didn't take into account was the amount of walking I would be doing {I don't think I have ever walked so much in my life, especially with no 'day off' inbetween}, nor that my feet would swell in the plane causing trauma to the my tootsies from the get go.
I had some pretty severe swelling on the plane, my feet were unrecognizable and I was sporting a bit of a cankle. That evening I threw on boots, that I have probably worn 2-3 times, and trampled all over London. Repeat the following day. By the end of the day, I had some pretty mean blisters on my pinkie toes. There were a few random runs to pharmacies in Paris to stock up on bandaids and others strange treatment tools. Within a day or two, my blisters were no longer an issue but my big toe was killing me. After a few days of walking like a fool, I was diagnosed with 'turf toe'. Isn't that cute? Due to my avoidance of my pinkie toes, my big toe went into overdrive. By the time we arrived in Nice, we decided it was time to buy a pair of tennis shoes/walking shoes and start the healing process. From here on you may notice my white Converse in pictures. I wore those by day and if we had an evening with minimal walking I switched to flats. At this point, my boots were banned by Matt.***
This was one of the few mornings that we didn't have a wake up call for a scheduled tour or travel day, so we enjoyed getting in some extra sleep and taking our time preparing for the day.
This was how I got ready. Aside from London, these were the blow dryers in each hotel. It was like a vacuum cleaner attachment that was hot to the touch.
We made our way out, seeing the sites and shopping both indoors and outdoors at the markets.
For lunch we stopped at an outdoor cafe. Matt enjoyed some delicious beef carpaccio and I had a Greek salad, with so much feta that I didn't finish it all. It may have very well been the first time that I didn't finish all the feta placed in front of me.
After lunch we took a stroll along the Mediterranean Sea and climbed a tower for a stunning view of the city.
In the afternoon we stopped for some espresso and a treat, while we people watched.
Later that afternoon we boarded a bus for a scenic tour along the 'Three Corniches', three roads carved in the mountain side that offer dramatic and inspiring views. The Grand Corniche is where scenes from 'To Catch a Thief' were filmed with Grace Kelly.
We made our way along the Moyenne Corniche, to the city of Eze, known for its Medieval walls. We took a tour of the Fragonard Perfume Factory, where we learned just how many flowers it takes to make a scent. Following a stroll through the walled city of Eze, we had a traditional Provencal dinner, accompanied by live accordion music, played by an older gentleman who continually lost his teeth. Perfect dining entertainment.
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