Where’d I Park My Ferrari (Monaco – Country #11) and More France

Monte Carlo and Monaco Ville

If Dave counted freaking Scotland, I get to count Monaco. I took a gorgeous 20 minute, 3 Euro train ride from Nice to Monaco. The train traveled through Dirty-Rotten-Scoundrel sounding towns like Beaulieu-Sur-Mer and Villefranche-Sur-Mer, and I made a mental note to return on a bike to check them out.

Anyway, what can I say about Monaco…….it is shockingly beautiful with gorgeous parks, huge yachts, and more nice cars than I have ever seen in one place in my life. Seriously, there were Porches, Ferraris, Bentleys, Lamborghinis, and other cars that I wasn’t able to identify – I only knew they were cool because people were taking photos of the cars as they thundered by. Being right on the border with Italy, there is a striking mix of Italian and French - the language is French but the coffee (finally a proper cappuccino) and food are mostly Italian.

I was in Monaco on a Sunday so, as in most of France and Italy, all the shops were closed. Which was fine by me, I don’t think couldn’t afford anything there anyway. So I checked out the casinos and decided they were a good place to use the restroom, had lunch on the beach (more pizza - I have a problem), and wandered over to the medieval fort and castle. Once my feet got tired, I found quiet places to read and contemplate existence. Overall, not much “There” there in Monaco. My 6 or 7 hours in the tiny country was plenty.

Could there be a more perfect spot to read?

 

Monte Carlo harbor.

Back to France - Train De Pignes

I adore train travel. I think it is the fact that you are required to sit down and do nothing - no movies, no internet (for now), nothing really to do except relax and watch the countryside pass by outside your window. There is no fighting over navigation, finding gas stations, or annoying drivers honking at you. Knowing the crowds that would invade Nice on Saturday, the Train De Pignes was just what I needed.

The train begins in Nice and travels northwest into the Provencal mountains, terminating at Digne les Bains (about 4 hours away). I only went as far as Entraveux, which was about 2 hours away. The Train De Pignes is definitely not the TGV, but rather a fairly slow haul from village to village along the Var River.

Entrevaux is a tiny village with a badass fort and medieval village. It is striking (see photos), but the town was really quiet in April. Given that the Train De Pignes runs only every 2 hours, I had a choice: 1) no sipping a coffee or having a long lunch, instead it would be a quick tour around the town and up to the fortress, or 2) a long day in a fairly tired little town where most of the shops were closed. I chose the power-tour, though regretted my decision at the top of the fortress where I found one of many trails that crisscross the mountains. Dammit! To be fair, I had no idea how long the trail was, or where it went. Perhaps it was better I took my photos and came back down……or perhaps I’ll always regret not hiking that trail on the right there.

To the top, can you see the winding path to the top?

 

Almost there.

 

The fortress at the top, WOW.

 

Rolling Again and Nude Sunbathing Photos (not really)

Again today I braved ridiculous headwinds and hills on the 125lb rental bike. I rode to the towns I saw while on the train to Monaco, Beaulieu-Sur-Mer and Villefranche-Sur-Mer. OK I can only post so many photos of a gorgeous hillside and sparkling blue water. These towns had a lot of that loveliness. They also had a lot of really white, very friendly Brits, who were all about 75 years old. Surprise – an unbelievably giant cruise ship was anchored in the deep water bay at Villefranche.

When I got back to Nice, I stumbled in the most amazing flea market. I was obsessed with the linens and art, but (as I kept reminding myself) I have a tiny flat. I didn't buy a thing, except for several scoops of gelato to keep me occupied while browsing.

And, I did it! I had to. After my bike ride, I spent a glorious 10 minutes (it wasn’t that warm after all) on the beach reading with my top off. I am officially French. It wasn’t particularly liberating or anything, just a bit cold. No one really even looked, but then there was a lot of other, more significant boobage on the beach today. People probably thought I was a dude. So for all you pervs, no photos. That was a ploy to get you to read to the end……

Boat, big boat.

Pizza again, good god - I am eating salad the rest of this week.

 Everyone please send good mojo Dave’s way. He is having his eye surgery on Thursday (while his horrible wife goes to Prague, I am evil incarnate). He is in good hands at the Moran Eye Center in Salt Lake City, but I know he is nervous and could use whatever prayers/positive energy you can send him. Thanks peeps!

My dinner the last night in Nice, I miss that husband of mine.