Nice et Monaco
(May 25-27, 2006)
Day 22
In route from Florence to Nice, we discovered that there was a strike in Southern France. So we might have to stop at the border of Italy and France and take a bus from the border to Nice. From personal experience and from what I've heard, it seems the French go on strike habitually. When we arrived at the border city of Ventimiglia, the train stopped, shut down, and remained that way. There were no announcements. No conductors in sight to inform passengers of the situation. Everyone was in a state of wonder. After 45 minutes, the train finally powered on and started moving. But then at the next stop, the train powered off again. This time two police officers walked down the train, checking inside every cabin. Again, the passengers were left in wonder.
Despite the ineffeciency of the trains, the view was incomparable. Our entire route traveled along the coast of the Italian Riviera and then the French Riviera. On one side, we saw rocky cliffs, bright blue Mediterranean Sea, and tiny islands. And the other side, we saw deep valleys and massive green mountains sprinkled with rosy houses. My face was glued to the window the entire time!
Eventually, we arrived in Nice early evening. Checked into our accomodation. And headed to the beach. Nice is not a destination for sightseeing; it is one for relaxation. The main (and only) attraction is the gorgeous beach, where the vivid blue-green sea meets a bed of smooth pebbles. We strolled along the boardwalk, and then settled down onto the beach and skipped pebbles on top of the crystal clear tide.
Day 23
Day-trip to Monaco. The second smallest independent state in the world had been completely transformed into a race track. The streets were lined with stacks of tires, barriers, chained linked fences, and large bleachers. We had arrived during the Monaco Grand Prix (Formula-One race). The previous two days were practice runs, and the following two days were qual's and the final race. Fortunately, were arrived on a rest day because otherwise we would not have been able to access the city without a admission pass. (Many of the Formula One drivers live in Monaco because of there are no taxes). We walked to the Monte Carlo casino, but did not go in because it cost 10 euros just to go in. We then walked down to the beach. There were a few topless sunbathers... too bad they were all old and ugly... no supermodels.
Monaco is small and compact, but super-dense with wealth. Ritzy hotels and resorts are crammed on the slopes of coastal mountains, where every building features panoramic views of the bright Mediterranean Sea. Every other car driving along the winding streets is either a Ferrari, Bentley, Lamborghini, or Rolls Royce. The prevalence of the luxury car in Monaco is equivalent to that of a Honda/Toyota in California. And the waters are populated with large extravagant yachts in pristine white.
We returned to Nice and ate dinner there. I ordered Provençal Beef Stew w/ Ravioli. It was excellent! Kelly ordered Salade Niçoise (local specialty), and Grace had pizza w/ ham and artichoke. And each table had a bottle of chili oil that was so good that we drenched our food in it. We were all very satisfied with the quality of the meal.
Day 24
I woke up extra early so that I could absorb more of the Mediterranean sun. Grace and Kelly had left for Paris before I woke up. I ate breakfast and spent a couple hours at the beach. It was great! There was hardly anyone on the beach. Then, I was headed back to Zurich to meet up with Uli and my cousin, who had just arrived. They were both just starting their vacations.
I love traveling solo. It is so much easier to meet people from all parts of the world. All you have to do is mutter a word or two in English, or sport a book with a English title. And before you know it, you are chatting away with someone you just met. And it all starts with a simple "Where are you from?". Not long after I get on the train, I met a couple from London. They were on their way to Monaco to see the Grand Prix. The husband is a huge fan of Formula One racing, and could hardly contain his excitement. They said the tickets are extremely expensive. And when they arrive in the mail, the package includes earplugs! We also ended up on the topic of driving through Italy, and the husband told me that there is a saying about Italian driving, "The Italian definition of good driving is good hospitals!"
After transferring trains, I met Salsa (I think it was short for "Salsabene"), who was from Montreal (originally from Ottawa). She was Arabic, born in Canada. And just finished undergrad and starting Dental school in the fall. She had already spent three weeks in France. She told me about how she rented bicycles with her friends, rode from vineyard to vineyard in Bordeaux, and got quite sauced up! And also told me that on one of the trains she rode in France, the cart she was on somehow got disconnected from the cart in front! They were stranded in the middle of nowhere for two hours! I never imagined that this type of thing actually could happen! After realizing that it was missing something, the runaway train had to reverse all the way back to reconnect. Now that sucks!
It was another long day of trains and I got motion sickness while winding through the mountains of Southern Switzerland and Northern Italy, but once again I was handsomely rewarded when I arrived in Baden. Uli cooked my favorite, Spätzle! I was fattened up with Salad and then Spätzle plated with Filet Mignon and Asparagus, and washed it down with a glass of excellent Italian red wine (Amorone della Valpolicella). It was indescribably delicious and satisfying! I attacked the food verociously, but still couldn't finish all my Spätzle. This was something I deeply regretted the next day because I was still craving it!
...
monaco
nice
more photos: nice et monaco
---
next: cinque terre
Day 22
In route from Florence to Nice, we discovered that there was a strike in Southern France. So we might have to stop at the border of Italy and France and take a bus from the border to Nice. From personal experience and from what I've heard, it seems the French go on strike habitually. When we arrived at the border city of Ventimiglia, the train stopped, shut down, and remained that way. There were no announcements. No conductors in sight to inform passengers of the situation. Everyone was in a state of wonder. After 45 minutes, the train finally powered on and started moving. But then at the next stop, the train powered off again. This time two police officers walked down the train, checking inside every cabin. Again, the passengers were left in wonder.
Despite the ineffeciency of the trains, the view was incomparable. Our entire route traveled along the coast of the Italian Riviera and then the French Riviera. On one side, we saw rocky cliffs, bright blue Mediterranean Sea, and tiny islands. And the other side, we saw deep valleys and massive green mountains sprinkled with rosy houses. My face was glued to the window the entire time!
Eventually, we arrived in Nice early evening. Checked into our accomodation. And headed to the beach. Nice is not a destination for sightseeing; it is one for relaxation. The main (and only) attraction is the gorgeous beach, where the vivid blue-green sea meets a bed of smooth pebbles. We strolled along the boardwalk, and then settled down onto the beach and skipped pebbles on top of the crystal clear tide.
Day 23
Day-trip to Monaco. The second smallest independent state in the world had been completely transformed into a race track. The streets were lined with stacks of tires, barriers, chained linked fences, and large bleachers. We had arrived during the Monaco Grand Prix (Formula-One race). The previous two days were practice runs, and the following two days were qual's and the final race. Fortunately, were arrived on a rest day because otherwise we would not have been able to access the city without a admission pass. (Many of the Formula One drivers live in Monaco because of there are no taxes). We walked to the Monte Carlo casino, but did not go in because it cost 10 euros just to go in. We then walked down to the beach. There were a few topless sunbathers... too bad they were all old and ugly... no supermodels.
Monaco is small and compact, but super-dense with wealth. Ritzy hotels and resorts are crammed on the slopes of coastal mountains, where every building features panoramic views of the bright Mediterranean Sea. Every other car driving along the winding streets is either a Ferrari, Bentley, Lamborghini, or Rolls Royce. The prevalence of the luxury car in Monaco is equivalent to that of a Honda/Toyota in California. And the waters are populated with large extravagant yachts in pristine white.
We returned to Nice and ate dinner there. I ordered Provençal Beef Stew w/ Ravioli. It was excellent! Kelly ordered Salade Niçoise (local specialty), and Grace had pizza w/ ham and artichoke. And each table had a bottle of chili oil that was so good that we drenched our food in it. We were all very satisfied with the quality of the meal.
Day 24
I woke up extra early so that I could absorb more of the Mediterranean sun. Grace and Kelly had left for Paris before I woke up. I ate breakfast and spent a couple hours at the beach. It was great! There was hardly anyone on the beach. Then, I was headed back to Zurich to meet up with Uli and my cousin, who had just arrived. They were both just starting their vacations.
I love traveling solo. It is so much easier to meet people from all parts of the world. All you have to do is mutter a word or two in English, or sport a book with a English title. And before you know it, you are chatting away with someone you just met. And it all starts with a simple "Where are you from?". Not long after I get on the train, I met a couple from London. They were on their way to Monaco to see the Grand Prix. The husband is a huge fan of Formula One racing, and could hardly contain his excitement. They said the tickets are extremely expensive. And when they arrive in the mail, the package includes earplugs! We also ended up on the topic of driving through Italy, and the husband told me that there is a saying about Italian driving, "The Italian definition of good driving is good hospitals!"
After transferring trains, I met Salsa (I think it was short for "Salsabene"), who was from Montreal (originally from Ottawa). She was Arabic, born in Canada. And just finished undergrad and starting Dental school in the fall. She had already spent three weeks in France. She told me about how she rented bicycles with her friends, rode from vineyard to vineyard in Bordeaux, and got quite sauced up! And also told me that on one of the trains she rode in France, the cart she was on somehow got disconnected from the cart in front! They were stranded in the middle of nowhere for two hours! I never imagined that this type of thing actually could happen! After realizing that it was missing something, the runaway train had to reverse all the way back to reconnect. Now that sucks!
It was another long day of trains and I got motion sickness while winding through the mountains of Southern Switzerland and Northern Italy, but once again I was handsomely rewarded when I arrived in Baden. Uli cooked my favorite, Spätzle! I was fattened up with Salad and then Spätzle plated with Filet Mignon and Asparagus, and washed it down with a glass of excellent Italian red wine (Amorone della Valpolicella). It was indescribably delicious and satisfying! I attacked the food verociously, but still couldn't finish all my Spätzle. This was something I deeply regretted the next day because I was still craving it!
...
monaco
nice
more photos: nice et monaco
---
next: cinque terre
posted by a(-_-)c at 11:01 PM
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