Spices at the market in Nice
Another rainy day and our last day on the ship. We docked this morning at the new floating dock in Monte Carlo. The harbor around us was filled with an incredible assortment of yachts, including the one that looked like a small cruise ship with a helipad next to us.
Our private tour today (arranged by our friend) was with the excellent tour guide Sylvie di Cristo. Upon leaving the ship she first drove us through Monte Carlo so we could get a glimpse of the famous Casino, the Cathedral and other sights. The city was preparing for the Formula One Grand Prix coming up on May 16 so there were stands and fences everywhere. Tickets for the Grand Prix sell for between 250 and 450€ pp depending on how much of the racecourse you can see. Monte Carlo is home to a thousand businesses including a number of factories housed in high-rise buildings. Sylvie told us that real estate in the principality sells for as much as 30,000 € per square meter!
We drove along the Low Corniche (the low road) to Nice, our next stop. The amount of traffic heading to Monte Carlo was unbelievable. When we arrived in Nice Sylvie first took us to a hill overlooking the bay. We could see the promenade running along the beach. Around us were lovely homes, some of them belonging to celebrities. Unfortunately the rain hadn’t let up and the beach was empty.
We stopped at the market (one of my favorite things). Alas, the rain limited even the market. Many vendors hadn’t set up because they knew the weather would keep shoppers home. Despite that we saw a number of produce and flower vendors and even a spice stand. I love the smells from those!
Our last stop of our short visit (we sailed at 2 PM) was St. Paul de Vence. The medieval town was almost empty compared to my previous visits there. The little cobblestone streets lined with art galleries, little bistros and boutiques looked interesting in the rain with water cascading over the stones. After wandering around for a little while we stopped in a little café where we warmed up with the most wonderful cup of cocoa I think I’ve ever tasted (and a little fresh apple tart).
It was too bad that the rain didn’t stop but we enjoyed the trip anyway. As we prepared to sail, the skies cleared. Upon leaving Monaco’s protected harbor we did encounter the remnants of the weather system that had slammed Spain that day and caused our dreary weather. We did some pretty good rocking and rolling for most of the afternoon and early evening.
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