SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1
We planned only one day in Monaco. It turned out to be warm and sunny, strangely warm for December. I wore only a short-sleeved shirt with my jeans jacket, not the wool coat and long-sleeves I was used to.
MONACO
Monaco is uniquely about the show of money from architecture and shops to people walking the streets. Women don large diamond rings, have faces that have been lifted and Botoxed; bodies that are bone thin and tight from exercise; hair dyed and primped; and clothing from the best designers in the world, but on so many faces, there were shadows of anxiety. And too often, for me, there were young women hanging off the arms of older men.
Maseratis, Alfa Romeos and Rolls-Royce raced along the narrow streets, streets lined with palm trees and decorated for Christmas. Flocked white and red pines, and boughs with gold and red tinsel filled shop windows. After passing an assortment of real estate offices, jewelry stories, clothing boutiques, spas and investment brokerages, we bumped into a small farmers market, bought a baguette and marvelled at the high prices.
GRAND CASINO, GARDENS AND A FAKE OCEANFRONT
The main tourist attraction is the Grand Casino. It’s gardens are as contrived and ridiculous as the people walking through them, with Gucci bags and in high heels. Naïve, overwhelmed and overly-impressed tourists ate and drank at an outdoor restaurant next to the Casino.
We followed the perimeter of the Casino down some side steps toward the ocean in order to leave the glitz and walk along the water, but it turned out not to be on the water at all but instead a walkway along a large photograph of the waterfront. It could be the city was extending landfill in order to expand the little kingdom into the sea, and develop more prime real estate or another casino, but it was the most ludicrous sea walk I’ve ever experienced.
TO THE BUS STOP AND A RIDE TO THE COAST
Less than satisfied with Monaco, we climbed many steps back to the main street, walked to a bus stop and caught the 100 bus to Nice. It was about 1:30 PM, plenty of time for lunch and a walk when we got there.
The ride along the coastline passed through charming towns positioned on hills with a view of the light azur-colored sea. There were old, balconied buildings, small restaurants and bars and what appeared to be ordinary (meaning not so wealthy) people. The bus made many stops along the twisting coastline. We got off at the Port of Nice. Had we continued on to the city center, we would have run into a large yellow vest protest.
PORT OF NICE
But we were in a peaceful place, on the docks, with many outdoor restaurants and relaxed groups of family and friends leisurely eating fish, drinking wine and enjoying the December sun. We joined them for our own relaxing lunch. I had fish and a glass of wine. Chloe had a beautiful lentil salad.
After lunch, we followed the lead of the French weekenders and walked along the dock and craggy waterfront. Sun bathers scattered on the rocks below, some swimming. The pace was to walk, stop and look below, walk a bit more and stop again, and so repeat.
After some distance, we went down to the sea, along the rocks, passing couples stretched out on bathing towels. The water was clear, bright green where shallow. As it deepened, it turned a slight blue.
ALONG THE COAST
On the other side of the street near the last bend, the hill ascended steeply, and we climbed up to a beautiful mansion. The greenery was dense, the ascent steep but when we reached the top we had an exquisite panoramic view of Nice and the ocean.
On the way back to the dock as the sun set, we looked inland, noticing the decorative, but tasteful, three to five-story apartment buildings. My favorite was La Mamounia, a white building with red awnings over large terraces. It reminded me of Morocco.
Night had just fallen when we arrived back in Monaco. The Christmas lights dazzled the streets. We cooked vegetables for dinner and packed to leave the next morning.
