We’re closing in on the final days of our stay in Nice and the western Côte d-Azur. It has been the best part of an already great trip. This studio has been the most entertaining of the 50+ Airbnb’s that we’ve stayed in to date (3 more to come). Our hosts just had us over for an aperitif and antipasti to chat about the good times of life, their’s and ours.
Truly staying with a local vs. a hotel is a difference of magnitude 10.
You have to compare real life vs. vacation. Why are you here? To interact and to have a new perspective on the world or relax and rejuvenate your life back home? Both work, no right or wrong. Just ask what do you want your money to do? Accumulate or to provide experiences? Especially when you have children, you have to think long term (to a point), otherwise you have an opportunity to expand your horizons.
We have a very sweet life back home. We have friends and family, safety and security, a nice home. We’re thankful for our many blessings, but yet there can be more given the right circumstances if you’re so inclined.
Anyways, our trip to Menton (men-taun) was very easy. Walk to the train where the ticket agent gives us our best options. Then for €12.5 total each we secure trains that take us to Menton, 30 minutes to the east, then back to Monaco (where the grand prix has finished just two days prior), and back to our home in Riquier. Taxation for the people at it’s best, subsidized travel is the great equalizer.
Menton station leads us to the old town, where of course we climb the ancient stairs into the past. Why are there never any cellars into the ancient past?
Menton fronts on the Med and is home to about 30,000 people. It is the home of the Lemon Festival Carnival which happens every year in February. Lemon trees (and orange trees) abound along the promenade and courtyards. Yellow is a predominant color in the area because of them.
The main landmark of Menton is the Basilica of Saint-Michel the Archangel. Built in 1619, it has been repaired and was refurbished on the outside as recently as 1975. Needless to say it is a steep hike up the narrow streets and alleys to reach it, and further still to the ancient cemetery at the top of the hill. The views from both positions are worth it and provide a spectacular view of the city and surrounding area.
The local beaches are a major attraction and the azure color of the water is a highlight.
Back to the station for the second leg to Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo. Arriving at the station we exit to chaos on the streets. There is still all manner of barricades blocking off pedestrian walkways and some streets. There are piles of scaffolding stacked up where cars would normally be parking and still 10s of 1,000s of grandstands to be unassembled and removed for use next year. I naively thought 2 days would be enough to free the city and get back to normalcy, but it will be a week to 10 days before the city is restored.
Still there is grandeur all around. The architecture is top tier and in every direction. We start walking hoping to find the information center close by, but it is above us by the famous casino. The heat is building and were trying to get our bearings and thankfully a shop keeper and then a bus driver steer us in the right direction and soon we are heading uphill by bus to the casino area. This is the steepest terrain that we have encountered yet and walking was out of the question. We’re released near the info center and get the lowdown on the major parts of the city, with the casino as the epicenter. We walk downhill towards the casino (what a great concept, walking downhill) and stand before it in minutes surrounded by Bentleys, Rolls, and Ferraris. Shows of excess are the norm and the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo’s luxurious facade and the Hotel Hermitage behind it epitomize what life with no constraints will bring you.
Our friend Ted said on his visit to the casino last year he entered into the front public area and ordered the infamous James Bond vodka martini, shaken not stirred… Bloomfield, Ted Bloomfield. ‘What was that monsieur? We have never heard that line before’. So that was my goal… Dennis, Krahn Dennis, er no I mean duh…
But standing before the mammoth doors were a security team wanding all entrants that were not dressed appropriately and they were going through any backpacks that they might have. Hmm… do I really want to expose the everyday contents of our backpack in front of the milling crowd of chauffeurs and helicopter pilots? A roll of toilet paper, an almost-clean t-shirt that smelled of Eau de Barn, and a package of corn plasters would draw the most attention. So I thought we could snap a few photos of the outside and call it done.
Behind the casino the views were beautiful and the opulent yachts were tethered in their slips, with the larger ones anchored outside the harbor because of their sheer magnitude. One was easily larger than a battleship and had 6 decks, including dual helipads; avarice at it’s extreme.
After choking on the greed we did our usual, walk uphill heading for the train station with a food stop along the way. Carol is the original Restaurant Whisperer and given enough time she will sniff out an exceptional eatery, in this case on a sidewalk of a busy street where it would be least expected.
Soon enough we were on the third train and then arriving at our home station in Riquier. More stairs than we hoped, but a well-rounded day and a quiet evening for reflection.
Our last full day is tomorrow and then off to Marseille. Till tomorrow mes amis.
Blue Delivery 