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  Nice, Provence, France
Tuesday, July 8, 2008

mood: impressed

Nice tends to have a reputation with travellers as a place that you come to get to other places. Which made me a little wary of why it would have such a title, but i was pleasantly suprised as i really enjoyed my first stop in France. Sunday morning was spent doing some girly shopping with Deborah, one of the NZ girls that i had been spending some time with, and then later in the afternoon we all got a little dressed up and caught the 30min train to Monaco to live a little of the rich and famous lifestyle.

The train station is directly opposite the port in Monte Carlo, so we took a jaw dropping stroll along the waterfront and admired the truely amazing array of superboats that dock in the marina. I have never seen anything remotely like it. They are pure luxury, fully crewed to meet your every whim and desire, and ready to sail you halfway around the world if you so wish. Crazy.

We then walked up to the famous casino, unfortunately i nor anyone else was willing to pay the 10€ entry fee, but we stood in the lobby and that was impressive enough, huge marble pillars and exquisite decorations. You could see through to a little of the gaming floor, and it seemed equally as impressive, although a little smaller than i imagined. Definately not as big as Crown, but i guess they only need room for the rich people, not all the ferals back in Melbourne haha.

We also hung around the front of the casino, where all the expensive cars get parked so that us poor backpackers can oogle and wish our hearts away. There were 2 red Ferraris parked out the front, and i saw at least 3 others drive past within the 10 or 15 mins we were there. I was kind of over them by the time finished our car-watching, it seemed like half of Monaco drives them!!! We also saw a variety of Porche, Mercedes, Astons, Bentleys, Lambos, anything that looked half impressive. The racetrack winds right past the casino, so most people who go out to cruise the strip drove past where we were standing. I took lots of photos of the pretty cars.

The other very impressive thing is the way that they look after their public gardens. the grass is so lush and green, the hedges are manicured to perfection, and the roads and paths are so clean. There is no rubbish anywhere. There are also strict rules in terms of what you can do in the parks, ie. no sitting on the grass, no picnics, no children playing games etc. It makes the whole area feel more sophisticated and very high class. And they have alot of people to police it, there are cops EVERYWHERE. Its the highest ammount of police per capita in the world.

At the casino we met up with a girl who was a friend of a friend of Deborahs that lives in Monaco, and she showed us around the town. After we finished watching all the cars we went for a stroll down the main beach (which is actually fake, the sand has been shipped in) which was nice but overly expensive in terms of food and souveniers, and then caught a bus back to the port and had dinner in a mexican steakhouse style restaurant next to the water, which was my little splashout for the week as i dont get to eat out much anymore, trying to save money and all. We then saw a little more of the harbour and the boats, and wandered up the hill to the old town, through some more parkland and eventually to the Palace where Prince Albert lives, high atop the hill, overlooking the principality. The old town was spectacular by itself, its made up of old buildings and cobblestone streets, and is overflowing with little cafes and restaurants. We also sat for ages on the stone wall near the palace, overlooking the port, watching as dusk set in and the lights in the city started to come alive.

When we made it down to the bottom of the hill again, there was a company offering drives around the F1 circuit in a Ferrari, either driving yourself (85€) or as a passenger (45€). John, one of the guys, decided that this was an opportunity not to be missed, and although he wanted to drive it, i think it was a little daunting having to think about driving on the opposite side of the road while in an incredibly nice car, so he opted to go for the cheap option and played passenger. He seemed to enjoy it. I though wasnt that willing to hand over 45€ for 8 mins in a car. But thats just me.

By the time we had finished all that we wanted to see, it was getting quite dark, and so we got gelati and crepes and sat down by the harbour to admire all the boats that were now lit up and sparkling. It was about 10.30pm when we started to head back to the train station to go home, but finding that some of the trains had been cancelled and the next (and last of the evening) would not be leaving till 11.59pm or something, we changed plans and headed back to the casino to see it at night. It was actually a god-send, as it was one of the most beautiful sights i have seen while i have been away. The hill leading down to the casino is a big strip of parkland, terrace style - stepping gently down, and full of fountains and sculptures, with the Casino at the bottom, glittering with weath haha. We took lots of photos and stood there taking in the atmosphere for quite a while before we had to head back to catch our train. We happened to walk past a red F40 (i think thats what its called) Ferrari parked outside a hotel, and apparently this is a big deal of a car as Mark and John were almost making out with it. I think they said that its like the best Ferrari money can buy. I wasnt impressed i must say, the owner hadnt cleaned it in at least a week, so it was covered in dust and finger smudges. Yukky. 

Anyway, it was evident when we were back in Nice, as the graffiti and rubbish filled streets stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the cleanliness of Monaco. And there were no pretty cars anymore. Well, not as many.

Monday was another late rising day, it was even cloudy and raining when i woke up (though still quite hot and humid) and it was early afternoon before we headed out to do a fleeting visit of Cannes. The town was very busy as i think they had a meeting of the european union or something like that there, so there were police and people everywhere. We wandered the beach boulevard, then left the boys to sunbake with all the topless women on the beach while Deborah and i climbed up to the old town and checked out the castle up there, and admired the views.

We only spent a few hours in Cannes before going back to Nice, where we had a supermarket dinner, and then later did a nightime stroll through Nice down to the beach and through the old town. It was about 10 or 11pm and the beach was buzzing, the weather was just warm and you could hear the waves crashing on the beach, and there was even a guy playing bongo drums off in the distance. I loved Nice, it was really beautiful and although i didnt see Brangelina (who were apparently in town - very disapointed) i dont know where it gets its bad name. It was vibrant and i wish i could have stayed longer. Its definately the playground of the rich and famous.

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