Monaco

Tuesday April 29

We arrived in Monaco on a sunny day, and with the last 2 days being cold and wet we were glad to see the sun again. The view from the ship while having breakfast is hard to beat here, and it's always good to return somewhere you've been before so you can get straight into the sight seeing.

Monaco hosts the Formulae 1 Grand Prix in May of each year so preparations were in full swing to have it ready in time, with grandstands erected, Armco installed around the track, white lines being covered up, big screens and associated telecommunications set up, the pits established and pedestrian walkways built over the track in many spots. All of this takes place while the roads are still used which must drive the locals mad, as well as making it an even longer walk to get where you want to go.

Pit lane

The hairpin bend

As this was our third visit to Monaco we decided to catch a local bus to a medieval town called Eze which is about half way between Monaco and Nice. The only drawback was that the buses only run every 2 hours so it meant we would have limited time there to ensure we got back in plenty of time before the ship sailed! It was only a 20 minute bus ride but the views over the Mediterranean were spectacular as we climbed up the hill to Eze. This fortress town was built so people could escape from marauding pirates and we could see why it would have been a safe haven for them.

The fort was one of those places where you just kept following pathways and steps as you went higher and higher towards the top. Every twist and turn offered either outstanding views or the mystery of another path to follow to see what was around the corner. Of course most of the nooks and crannys now contain shops & restaurants but following are some photos to give you the idea:

After an enjoyable couple of hours we returned to Monaco for afternoon tea at the little French tea house/patisserie we found when we were here in 2011. We couldn't go past their raspberry macaroon treat, with fresh cream and raspberries in between the macaroon - absolutely delicious!

What a way to finish another fabulous day in spectacular Monaco.

 

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