Mediterranean Cruise Day 7: Nice/Monaco

I was really excited for this port--I've always wanted to go to Nice. The start of the day was interesting, as we had to take a boat (our emergency boats) to get to shore (no docking area for a cruise ship as big as ours). The ride was cramped but lasted just under 15 min.

Once there, we met up with our tour guide and hopped on the charter bus. First we went to Nice, and the drive was very pretty. Our first stop was Vielle Ville (old town), where they have a daily farmers' market that is 10 times better than ours.

I was desperately seeking socca, a flat, pancake-like food that I had seen on the Travel Channel. Unfortunately, the only vendor that was selling it said she wouldn't start making it until 9 a.m., and that's the time we had to return to our bus--I was really sad!

Kristin and I ended up buying some oil, Balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper shakers in the form of clay humans.

Then we were off the Monaco via a scenic drive through Nice. The neat part is that it's built into a mountain side, so as we climbed to the top the view got prettier and prettier.

Finally we got to Monaco, a small principality filled with rich people (the cheapest apartment is 1.5 million euros). As a result, many of the workers commute from the surrounding areas. Principality, as we came to learn, means a region governed by a prince (thus, "kingdom" is a region ruled by a king).

From where the bus parked we walked right by the residences of the princesses. (Apparently, they are often seen out and about in public, like regular citizens.) Then we got to the palace, which was nice but not humongous. The changing of the guards, in fact, was pretty bland.

Kristin and I walked the side streets in the area and did some shopping plus got something to eat. We didn't have much time before we had to scramble back onto the bus again.

Our final destination was Monte Carlo, the famous casino in many movies (including James Bond). We were originally told it wasn't going to open until 2:30, but for some reason it opened at noon when we arrived. I was excited to gamble there, but the 20 Euro admission charge was disappointing. After some slots, I played some roulette. I bet 10 Euros (two 5-Euro bets) the first time and lost. The second time I was going to play Kristin's birthday (well, the squares around it) but chose another quad at the last moment. I wish I had played the 19th (as in, Aug. 19), because the winning was 18, and I would have won 8x5=40 Euros for the quad. Oh well.

I forgot to mention: as we drove to Monte Carlo, we took the same road on which the Formula One race takes place.

Now it was time to head back to the dock. It was a bit sad to say good-bye to our final port. I would definitely go back and vacation in Nice some time and take the time to explore the city (and have socca).

Back on the ship, Kristin and I packed, lifted weights, then relaxed by the pool again. And, based on a dare from her, I wore my speedo the entire time (sunning and using the jacuzzi). Sorry, no pics!

Then we had dinner at Le Bistro, a french restaurant. I ran the gamut of food, ordering the l'escargot (snails) and frog-leg soup, amongst other things. Then we walked around the ship and took pictures everywhere. Back in the room, we sat on our balcony and drank our remaining beer. I also picked up the wine that the ship took from us at each port.

It was a windy but beautiful night. We turned in early because we had to disembark at 9 a.m.