Monaco

Despite the inclement weather, we decided to spend the day touring Monaco. With umbrellas in hand, we made our way to the train station and arrived within the hour. This is a photo of the train stop in Monaco.

I really didn't know what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the place. It was a mix of old and new with some ultra-modern buildings. The country is built on the cliffs of the Mediterranean and I can't imagine what it would be like to build some of those structures. It was also very green and lush, probably because of the rain we've had recently. Fortunately for us, the rain stopped shortly after our arrival and the sun even shone for a brief period of time. 

Port Hercule with some of the yachts and modern Monaco in the background.

Here are a few facts that I have subsequently learned about this country. Monaco is the second smallest (area of only 2.02 km) and the most densely populated country in the world (just under 38,000). It is a premier tourist destination for the rich and famous (except for us) because of the climate, scenery and gambling. Tourism is its main source of income. Apparently, it has also become a major banking centre and well-known as a tax haven. It has the lowest poverty rate and the most expensive real estate market.

One of the girls in my class lives in Monaco and commutes the 13 km. to school in Nice. She recommended that a visit to Monaco should include a walk around Port Hercule, a visit to Le Musée Océanographique, the palace and its gardens and a walk-about through some of the streets and shops. My cousin's wife Linda also wanted to see the casino. So, that is exactly what we did. We literally walked up and down all day except for a brief lunch break. My thighs may never be the same! 

From the port, we headed along the sea wall toward the museum.

There were signs warning folks not to swim if the sea was rough. There were stairs to get in, but I expect getting out would be more diffiicult.

Once around the bend of the sea wall, we came across the backside of this magnificent building - Le Musée d'Océanographique. It was literally built on the edge of the cliff and we were all amazed by the engineering ingenuity.

This if the front of the Le Musée and it was also impressive. The building was a pet project of Prince Albert 1 and was opened in 1910. It houses a museum and a huge aquarium on the bottom two floors (my favourite part!)

One large tank had hundreds of jelly fish.

A black sea urchin among other crustaceans.

Vibrant coloured fish and coral.

After the aquarium, we walked to Le Palais Princier de Monaco (Prince's Palace of Monaco). It was a fairly modest palace from the exterior with a lone guard on patrol. Unfortunately, it is closed to the public from November 1 to April 1 so we were unable to see the State apartments inside.

One of Monaco's finest.... in a smart car.

Our last visit of the day was to Monte Carlo to see the famous Monte Carlo Casino. On route, we passed high end shops such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Van Cleef & Arples etc. There is no shortage of wealth in this part of the world. This beautiful building was the hotel across from the casino.

The Casino itself which originally opened its doors in 1858.  Take note of the Jaguars, Porsches, Bentleys outside the buidling. We watched several clients roll up and hand their keys to the valet to park their vehicles. Apparently,  Monocans (citizens of Monaco) are prohibited from entering the gambling rooms in the facility, but I could not find out why. Interesting, n'est-ce pas?

This is the park directly across from the Casino which was decorated with the flags of Monaco in preparation for November 19, National Day in Monaco.

Monaco was a very attractive country and we were all pleased to have taken the opportunity to visit. Tired, thirsty and hungry, we made our way up, yet again, to the train station for our return trip to Nice.