Not much has changed here since I was last here.  It still has that wow factor.  Opulence abounds with the extreme yachts in the harbour, the posh cars, Mazzeratis, Porsches, Rolls, yadda, yadda, the somewhat modern buildings (compared to most areas of the Mediterranean) that climb the mountain side of this extremely small principality.   There are quite a number of cranes indicating that they are still erecting more buildings. There is so much money here that it is almost vulgar.  To enter the famous Monte Carlo Casino, first you have to have to be wearing “proper” attire, show government ID such a passport and pay the entrance fee of 10€….. Just to go in to take a look around.  Several of our couples brought tuxedos, top hats, formal gowns and facinators planning to walk in the casino, putting on the dog.  I believe I posted a picture of them waiting for the hop on hop off bus in their fabulous outfits.  Funny!  Good for them.  Most people though, wouldn’t want to or didn’t have space in their luggage to carry all that gear all the way from home.

A number of us didn’t hang around in Monte Carlo but traveled by train to Nice, France.  The closest I had ever got to Nice before was from the inside of a bus high on the hillside.  That was back in 2011.  Anyway, the train was an adventure.  One has to buy a ticket at a selfserve kiosk that only has instructions in French.  It was a struggle for sure.  Then it was down lots of stairs only climb up the same number to get to the other side of the tracks.  We get there and find out from another of our travelling 42, that we were on the wrong side to go into Nice.  So back down and up the other side.  If you know me you know I have a real hard time with stairs.

Nice, especially the Old Town which is really just older than the rest of the city.  It’s all old by our standards.  We visited the flower market that I understand is everyday., walked through the narrow pedestrian streets….immaculately clean, stopped for lunch on a plaza restaurant, took the hop on, hop off bus where we drove along the seaside street where all those people were killed by the man driving a truck during celebrations a few months back.  Part of the tour was along an area overlooking the water, much like driving along Dallas Road in Victoria.  Only here the roads are more narrow and more twisty.  We returned to Monte Carlo by bus……a charge of 2€…. Cheap!  The drive back was quite beautiful.  It is much more scenic than the train.

It was a good day……especially since the weather cooperated.