Saturday, February 7, 2009
Got up early, had breakfast, got ready, then went to the market again which was bigger because it was Saturday. We bought a few super cheap apples then caught the bus to Monaco which was about 45 minutes for only €1. It was such a scenic drive, that was worth it in itself! Got off at the Hotel Paris right next to the Monte Carlo Casino (two really famous places) then walked along the port. Really pretty with TONS of super expensive stores. All of the most expensive things in the world are easily accessible within about 1 square mile: Cars? Check. Clothes? Check. Yachts? Check. Mansions? Check. Food? Check. Jewelry? Check. Climbed up to the Royal Palace (same family in charge of Monaco for 100’s of years) and saw a car drive in which all of the guards waved at, I’m convinced it was the Royal Family. J The cathedral where Grace Kelly and His Majesty Your Highness Sir Prince Reneir or whatever he’s called got married was really close. There was an amazing view of the port, the bay, the city, and the ocean. We’re really confused on what exactly Monaco is because it has its own government, laws, and taxes but nobody refers to it as a country. They call it a “principality”, we didn’t have to show passports, they speak French and use the Euro. It’s quite tricky and I still haven’t quite figured it out. Anyway, we came back because there wasn’t much else to see. We bought fresh focaccia bread and split it on a bench by the sea. The sun finally peeked out and we laid on the rocks by the shore for a while listening to the waves and soaking up the warmth. Ahhh! There were tons of people out and about and when the sun was ducking under we did some more souvenir shopping. Bought goffres with ice cream and sat in the plaza, mmmm. Came back to the hostel and napped, packed up, had dinner, used the internet, bummed around, showered, then went to bed!
PS found out tons of news from home – lots of babies coming in August, Jamie’s getting divorced, Sue broke her wrist and ribs, and Mom is getting her gallbladder removed – holy smokes!
