Nice, Southern France
Day 61
It's Labour Day holiday. So we slept in..in our wonderful accomodation...and now we're here in the internet cafe, the only thing open, blogging...and examining the Rose Factor!!!
BUT..from our door...we can see a little cafe....and that's where we're heading...there's no point trying to diet in France! Then we're going to go sit on the pebble beach again...and dream....
See you guys in Italy! (No point dieting there either!)
xxx
Tuesday, 1 May 2007
MONACO - MONTE CARLO and OUR WIN!
Nice
Day 60
When you're in Nice, you have to go to Monaco. And we did. And it was a good escape from stressing about the Roses of Life.
And the trip there was just as magestic as the one to Andorra. Steeper in fact. I can now see how Princess Grace was killed on of the roads going to Monaco. The cliff face is really, really steep. And she was killed on the highest road. There are three...we went on the middle road..came home on the lower road.
We arrived in a tour bus with a couple from Ireland (he was a commediene) and 3 ladies from the US. Great little group and a bus driver who'd lived in Melbourne for a year a few years ago...she was great. Had a commentary all the way there and back..
And once there...we went around the race track of the Grand Prix. Took pics. The drivers go for 17 laps and go up to 245km per hour around the track. Scary. I tell ya......there's no way i'd be wanting to do that past about 50kmh!!!
Walked to Jacques Cousteaus HUGE Aquariam..and saw his first submarine...took pics of the local real estate prices, trapsed around the harbour holding luxury launches, palace...and had dinner at Cafe De Paris after our jaunt at Monte Carlo Casino!!!
And what a jaunt.
The palace was spectacular...the houses where Caroline and Stephanie lived were just gorgeous, the jewellery shops were well...overpriced...the rolexes...geepers...overlooking the riveria but....the thing that blew us away was the cars!!!
In just one street there was a line up of Maserati, Lambourgini, Mercedes, Rolls Royce, BMW's, Porches, Ferrari's...................
Guess what happened???
We unlocked our white Lambourgini and drove out!
Nah, not really...(just pretended and took a pic of Greg next to it!)
What we did..was try our luck at the Casino...our only hope! :-)
So. We put our bags into security, no cameras or mobiles allowed, and no plastic for some reason...and charged us 10 euro each for the entrance fee.
And in we go..tried to have dinner but after he looked at shoes and watch i'm sure he just thought we were mountaineers or something...it's the first time honestly...that i actually felt embarrased about our shoes!!!!
Of course we didn't have elegants jackets so couldn't get into the international section (damn, i wanted to look at the dresses and jewells haha)..
The building was quite beautiful. Ornate rococo and the ceiling was something you could just keep looking at. Didn't look good..us staring way up there for too long tho!
So...off we go...get 20 Euros of chips...
And sit at the pokie...like an old homeless addicted person would. Well, that's what i've always thought people who play pokies look like...what a judgement, i'm sure there are other looks..
We won a few chips, lost a few, felt brain dead as we put coin in, pressed button and watched cards flutter....
THEN! 80 chips were announced!!!! We punched the eject button to get our win...and 80 coin clanging turns...and people looking at us because it was making so much noise (they were only conservative 50c chips) we proudly took our win, redeemed it, and ran!
Ate our dinner at the Cafe De Paris...and paid 55 euro for a cocktail, a cognac and two club sandwiches!!!!
The irish couple later told us they spent E183 for two mains, a bottle of wine and a bottle of water!! E11 for the bottle of Evian.
What a night!!!
What a win!
Monaco was cool :-)
Day 60
When you're in Nice, you have to go to Monaco. And we did. And it was a good escape from stressing about the Roses of Life.
And the trip there was just as magestic as the one to Andorra. Steeper in fact. I can now see how Princess Grace was killed on of the roads going to Monaco. The cliff face is really, really steep. And she was killed on the highest road. There are three...we went on the middle road..came home on the lower road.
We arrived in a tour bus with a couple from Ireland (he was a commediene) and 3 ladies from the US. Great little group and a bus driver who'd lived in Melbourne for a year a few years ago...she was great. Had a commentary all the way there and back..
And once there...we went around the race track of the Grand Prix. Took pics. The drivers go for 17 laps and go up to 245km per hour around the track. Scary. I tell ya......there's no way i'd be wanting to do that past about 50kmh!!!
Walked to Jacques Cousteaus HUGE Aquariam..and saw his first submarine...took pics of the local real estate prices, trapsed around the harbour holding luxury launches, palace...and had dinner at Cafe De Paris after our jaunt at Monte Carlo Casino!!!
And what a jaunt.
The palace was spectacular...the houses where Caroline and Stephanie lived were just gorgeous, the jewellery shops were well...overpriced...the rolexes...geepers...overlooking the riveria but....the thing that blew us away was the cars!!!
In just one street there was a line up of Maserati, Lambourgini, Mercedes, Rolls Royce, BMW's, Porches, Ferrari's...................
Guess what happened???
We unlocked our white Lambourgini and drove out!
Nah, not really...(just pretended and took a pic of Greg next to it!)
What we did..was try our luck at the Casino...our only hope! :-)
So. We put our bags into security, no cameras or mobiles allowed, and no plastic for some reason...and charged us 10 euro each for the entrance fee.
And in we go..tried to have dinner but after he looked at shoes and watch i'm sure he just thought we were mountaineers or something...it's the first time honestly...that i actually felt embarrased about our shoes!!!!
Of course we didn't have elegants jackets so couldn't get into the international section (damn, i wanted to look at the dresses and jewells haha)..
The building was quite beautiful. Ornate rococo and the ceiling was something you could just keep looking at. Didn't look good..us staring way up there for too long tho!
So...off we go...get 20 Euros of chips...
And sit at the pokie...like an old homeless addicted person would. Well, that's what i've always thought people who play pokies look like...what a judgement, i'm sure there are other looks..
We won a few chips, lost a few, felt brain dead as we put coin in, pressed button and watched cards flutter....
THEN! 80 chips were announced!!!! We punched the eject button to get our win...and 80 coin clanging turns...and people looking at us because it was making so much noise (they were only conservative 50c chips) we proudly took our win, redeemed it, and ran!
Ate our dinner at the Cafe De Paris...and paid 55 euro for a cocktail, a cognac and two club sandwiches!!!!
The irish couple later told us they spent E183 for two mains, a bottle of wine and a bottle of water!! E11 for the bottle of Evian.
What a night!!!
What a win!
Monaco was cool :-)
OFF TO NICE
Day 59
Nice, France
Hotel Dupiemont
We left beautiful Paris at lunchtime, but we hadn't eaten. So just before we got on the train we bought our poulet sandwiches (huge rolls with salad) and organge juice and water and off we headed to our train. For the first train experience we actually got it right! Right train, right seat. And it was a fast train which was better than we thought. Off to Nice, on the border of France and Italy, and very near Monaco..ohlala.
As usual, went looking for accomodation as soon as we got here...and because it was late we wanted to settle in before lugging our stuff around and eating dinner. We found a hotel which we thought looked reasonable....Hotel Dupiemont. Pretty close to the city centre and a hotel, not a hostel. Had kitchen facilities inside so we thought that was a bonus.
Unload, unpack. Go to the toilet. Condoms in the toilet..ew!@ GROSS. Turned me off straight away..checked out bathroom...wet floor....ew. Checked out the bed..like Goldilocks..and wondered who'd been sleeping in our bed! Used sheets. Ew.
We'd paid for one of the three nights we planned....so i showed the host the room and asked for new sheets and towels and we checked out the next day. My tolerance level was practically zero. Dunno, just couldn't stand staying another night, especially after the host didn't do anything about the bloody condoms and the toilette wouldn't flush them away....it had one of those weird systems that fill up behind the toilet...and made a rattling pumping sound as it diverted the flush.
That night...we looked for more accomdation...and found a nice hotel. Cheaper than the previous one..what's with that...the nicer ones are cheaper?? 40 Euro a night. Not bad...in Aussie..that's what...$60 which is ok. $30 each.
While we were out 'househunting'...we met a British guy who gave us a run down on Nice and the politics. Seems there's a tramway being built in the middle of town and has been getting built for 3 years..and maybe another 3! There's also a holiday on Tuesday and the trains possibly don't run...they could be on strike a few people said. Gosh..lovely Nice..with all it's politics!
We went to the Old part of Nice which is gorgeous..lots of restaurants...and because i was feeling like a worn out rag..i went SHOPPING!! Hehe..well, we both did, Greg ventured into the women's shops with me...hilarious!
One thing i've noticed...i tell ya...is the girls in Europe are all skinny! And wear the tightest jeans!! Noticed that in Spain and France. Gawd....tell ya...reminds me of a book Kath was telling me about one day when we were having our girls coffee and chat....it's called, "French Girls Don't get Fat!" she said. And she said...they don't eat...they savour!
We've been savouring alright. French food is so YUMMY. It's the way they serve it...arrange it..and the way it tastes. The sauces are so light..and taste so beautiful. The french can really cook, we've decided! Still can't wait to taste in Italy though..
Anyway..re the shopping. There was a sale on...and who can resist a sale. I bought 3 tops!!! Now..the question is..what do i leave behind so my pack is at the right comfortable weight so i can carry it...!
By the way...backpacks are easier to carry up and down the million stairs there always seems to be...than a suitcase with wheels....
Okies..going to just tell you about Monaco..Monte Carlo...and Our WIN. Next Page!
hehe
By the way....DOCKERS BEAT MELBOURNE!!!! What a team!!!!!! Go boys~
Nice, France
Hotel Dupiemont
We left beautiful Paris at lunchtime, but we hadn't eaten. So just before we got on the train we bought our poulet sandwiches (huge rolls with salad) and organge juice and water and off we headed to our train. For the first train experience we actually got it right! Right train, right seat. And it was a fast train which was better than we thought. Off to Nice, on the border of France and Italy, and very near Monaco..ohlala.
As usual, went looking for accomodation as soon as we got here...and because it was late we wanted to settle in before lugging our stuff around and eating dinner. We found a hotel which we thought looked reasonable....Hotel Dupiemont. Pretty close to the city centre and a hotel, not a hostel. Had kitchen facilities inside so we thought that was a bonus.
Unload, unpack. Go to the toilet. Condoms in the toilet..ew!@ GROSS. Turned me off straight away..checked out bathroom...wet floor....ew. Checked out the bed..like Goldilocks..and wondered who'd been sleeping in our bed! Used sheets. Ew.
We'd paid for one of the three nights we planned....so i showed the host the room and asked for new sheets and towels and we checked out the next day. My tolerance level was practically zero. Dunno, just couldn't stand staying another night, especially after the host didn't do anything about the bloody condoms and the toilette wouldn't flush them away....it had one of those weird systems that fill up behind the toilet...and made a rattling pumping sound as it diverted the flush.
That night...we looked for more accomdation...and found a nice hotel. Cheaper than the previous one..what's with that...the nicer ones are cheaper?? 40 Euro a night. Not bad...in Aussie..that's what...$60 which is ok. $30 each.
While we were out 'househunting'...we met a British guy who gave us a run down on Nice and the politics. Seems there's a tramway being built in the middle of town and has been getting built for 3 years..and maybe another 3! There's also a holiday on Tuesday and the trains possibly don't run...they could be on strike a few people said. Gosh..lovely Nice..with all it's politics!
We went to the Old part of Nice which is gorgeous..lots of restaurants...and because i was feeling like a worn out rag..i went SHOPPING!! Hehe..well, we both did, Greg ventured into the women's shops with me...hilarious!
One thing i've noticed...i tell ya...is the girls in Europe are all skinny! And wear the tightest jeans!! Noticed that in Spain and France. Gawd....tell ya...reminds me of a book Kath was telling me about one day when we were having our girls coffee and chat....it's called, "French Girls Don't get Fat!" she said. And she said...they don't eat...they savour!
We've been savouring alright. French food is so YUMMY. It's the way they serve it...arrange it..and the way it tastes. The sauces are so light..and taste so beautiful. The french can really cook, we've decided! Still can't wait to taste in Italy though..
Anyway..re the shopping. There was a sale on...and who can resist a sale. I bought 3 tops!!! Now..the question is..what do i leave behind so my pack is at the right comfortable weight so i can carry it...!
By the way...backpacks are easier to carry up and down the million stairs there always seems to be...than a suitcase with wheels....
Okies..going to just tell you about Monaco..Monte Carlo...and Our WIN. Next Page!
hehe
By the way....DOCKERS BEAT MELBOURNE!!!! What a team!!!!!! Go boys~
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
