Monte Carlo, Monaco

“I love walking in the woods, on the trails, along the beaches. I love being part of nature. I love walking alone. It is therapy. One needs to be alone, to recharge one's batteries.”

Grace Kelly

What an incredibly beautiful place. When we pulled into the cruise port that was only opened in 2003 in the harbor at Monte Carlo and it looked so striking. The water was a rich blue color and watching waves break on the rocks was spectacular. The sun was shining and it was just lovely. We looked up at the city of Monte Carlo which was densely populated with buildings. The city looked clean and vibrant. The yachts that were at the marina were incredible. I've never seen so many beautiful yachts and ones that were so large before. You could just smell the money there. Monaco is the worlds second smallest country having only 487 acres with only the Vatican being smaller). Ninety-nine acres of this small country have been reclaimed by the sea. This is the home of high rollers and the home to Formula One Grand Prix. The city of Monte Carlo is located along the Mediterranean Sea and is considered the most luxurious country in the world.  It has a population of 3,500 residents.

We were anxious to get off the ship and have a full day in Monte Carlo. We heard if you walk to the left of where the cruise ship ports you can get an elevator to the top of the Le Rocher area. That saved us a lot of time instead of walking up the hill with the crowds.   Le Rocher is on the south side of the port and is where the charming old town and Royal Palace are located. Our first stop was to go to the Oceanographic Museum which is a part of the Institute founded by Prince Albert I. The aquarium has over 6000 species and was open in 1910. At one time, from 1957 to 1988, Jacques Yves Cousteau was the director. What an amazing building. The building goes from the Le Rocher area on top of the rock, down to the sea floor.

This was amazing to see as the building itself had so much character. The displays were fabulous especially the jelly fish display. One room has skeletons of some very large fish hanging from the ceiling. There is so much to see but we had to try to limit our time there since we only had the one day. We did spend about three hours strolling through the museum and really enjoyed it.

After leaving the aquarium, we went to see the changing of the guard in front of the Prince's Palace. It happens precisely at 11:55 every day. It is really something to see. We went inside to see the Palace after but were only allowed in certain areas as Prince Albert was there at that time. This palace was built in 1191 and they fortified it to protect it from enemy attacks. We found it very interesting and loved looking at how the monarchs lived in Monaco. I loved it more as our beloved, Grace Kelly (the American actress) who married Prince Rainier III in 1956 and became Princess Grace of Monaco lived here. I loved the romance of this story and was saddened to see her pass from a car accident on September 14, 1982 when she was only 52 years old. It was the fairy tale story that every young girl dreams of becoming a princess. After Prince Rainier's death on April 6, 2005, his son Prince Albert II took over as the reigning monarch of the Principality of Monaco.

We also visited the beautiful cathedral of St. Nicholas Cathedral where both Princess Grace and Prince Rainier are buried. What a great resting spot for them and what an honor to see that and to be able to send prayers up.

We walked around the town and enjoyed the narrow streets and little shops and restaurants.  Some of the deli's had there sandwiches on display.  We stopped and had a lovely meal at a quaint restaurant and sat in the alley and people watched. What a neat city.

We went back to the port and got a taxi ferry to the Fontvieille District where the Place du Casino is located. We walked in and looked around but didn't play. It looked very fancy. We enjoyed looking at all the amazing and expensive vehicles outside the casino more than even being inside. I guess that is where those with money go. We walked through Fontvieille Park and Princess Grace's Rose Garden which was just amazing. Her favorite flower was the rose so in this garden Prince Rainier had planted over six thousand roses bushes with more than 315 varieties in her honor. This is a gorgeous park and well worth the visit. We also got to see part of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix circuit which was very neat as the roads are very curvy and goes right through town. It is hard to imagine cars going at a high rate of speed going through town and taking those curves fast.

There is so much more to see here but that was all the time we had. What a fabulous day. So blessed to have seen this most beautiful country and hope to return someday. This was a great stop. Now onto Marseille, France. Watch for my next blog.   Au revoir – till we meet again.