[R] Nice and Monaco

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Fountain

We really enjoyed our short stopover in southern France, and found that it really is “nice in Nice”. We arrived in Nice on Thursday afternoon after a lunch stop at Aix-en-Provence. From the coach we had our first view of the beautiful pebble beach with its crystal blue waters and throngs of people. We didn’t have time to stop then though, as we needed to check into our hotel and get ready to head out to Monaco for dinner, and later, the casino.

All dressed up, we made or way over the winding hills to Monaco - the home of the rich and famous. Along the way we were spoiled with breathtaking views of the bays and marvelled at the impressive houses on the hillside, many complete with pools on the roofs or terraces overlooking the bays. When we reached Monaco we could see the money everywhere - an impressive array of cars including brand new Ferraris and Lamborghinis lined the streets (even the taxis are Mercedes) and flashy boats filled the marina. After admiring the views, we decided not to join the majority of our group for the organised dinner, and instead we had pizza and crepes next door with the rest of the group. After dinner we headed to one of the casinos in Monte Carlo with some of the rest of the group. We didn’t spend much, but others on our tour made (and lost!) a bit of money.

Later, after driving back to Nice, our tour group went out for a couple of drinks, and on the way back Brandt had a late night swim - the first of the Contiki group to test the water. He was also the only one brave enough to stay in for any length of time.

With the next day free day to ourselves, we had a good sleep in before heading down to the beach for the afternoon. Nice has a pebble beach with round rocks about the size of large mandarins so it made walking along the beach barefoot rather uncomfortable, though lying on the beach was still surprisingly comfortable. After a swim, we dried in the sun for a few hours before heading back to our hotel to go out for dinner.

This morning we are saying goodbye to France and hello to Italy as we drive to Pisa via the Cinque Terre villages on the coast known as the Italian Riveria.

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Photos

Street in Aix-en-Provence
Our lunch stop on the way from Avignon to Nice

Cathedral of Monaco
Where Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier.