and shopping. From the train station we hiked down the side of a mountain through a tunnel only to find that we would have to go up again to get to Monaco-Ville which was atop another mountain. One thing you have to know is that to get anywhere in Monaco you have to take stairs or elevators. It reminded me of the game Chutes and Ladders. After climbing the next set of stairs we arrived at place du Palais (Palace Square). Following Rick Steves' 
direction once again, we started at the wall where you can look out over the principality which has amazingly remained an independent country for almost 800 years. In the square we saw a statue of a woman with a fishing net which is dedicated to Prince Albert I who had a fascination with the sea. During his reign he built a gigantic aquarium which was under the direction of Jacques Cousteau for 17 years. Also in the square there is a statue of Francois Grimaldi, the renegade Italian who disguised himself as a monk and captured Monaco in 1297. He then began the dynasty that still rules, Europe's longest-lasting dynasty. The current ruler, Prince Albert II, is his great-great-great...grandson. Prince Albert II occupies the palace and his sisters, Princesses Stephanie and Caroline, live nearby.
From here we took a narrow street to the Cathedral of Monaco where centuries of Grimaldis are buried, most recently Princess Grace who was killed in 1982 and Prince Rainier who died in 2005. It is a beautiful cathedral both inside and out and stands in an ideal place overlooking the port and the sea. By this time we had worked up quite an appetite so we walked back to the center through a well-manicured garden and found the perfect boulangerie a block off Palace Square. I had a delicious crepe (surprised
?) and C had a yummy pesto, tomato baguette sandwich. We ate and walked through the streets and down the stairs that led to the port. I have never seen yachts so big as the ones there! Strolling along gazing at each one we marveled at these beauties of the sea. We then climbed up to Charles Hill, otherwise known as Monte Carlo, where the casino stands and were once again, awestruck! We both enjoyed gawking at the several Jags, Bentleys and Ferraris that were parked in front of the hotel and casino and watching in wide-eyed wonder as yet another Ferrari rolled up, the owner 
jumping out and tossing the keys to the parking attendant and dashing inside. Incredible to think that until the late 1800's Monaco was one of Europe's poorest countries and today has the world's highest per-capita income.
The casino is another experience. Though we didn't pay the 10 euro to go into the private gaming rooms we did wander around through the lobby that divides the casino and opera house. We also spent some time in a side room which houses the slot machines. It was early evening by this time and as we walked back outside we watched several couples emerge from the hotel dressed in their finest on their way to their evening events. It was soon time to catch our train back to Cannes so we hurried up the stairs, then down the stairs, then up the elevator that took us to the train station. After such an exciting day we were ready to sit and enjoy some quality food. Back in Cannes, we walked along the boulevard that parallels the sea then meandered away from the beach and into the central part of Cannes. It was there we came upon a whimsical
cafe called Il Teatro tucked away off the beaten path. Everything looked delectable and we weren't disappointed. I ordered the risotto and C ordered the eggplant tagliatelli. For dessert we had another fondant au chocolat, which was once again...heavenly! We of course couldn't consume it without mention of our sister-in-law, Lindsey. Happy birthday, Lindsey! Wish you were here!
1 comment:
Yeah but did you have fun?
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