A tale of 2 cities : Monaco

Turns out, the rain really can put a damper on a day of touring a new location. We took the train early this morning from Ventimiglia in Italy, back through France to Monaco, to spend the day in one of the richest, most elegant places in the world. First, Mario had the best coffee all trip at the station, and needed that to be mentioned first, and I'd have to agree. The capuccino was delicious.

We knew that it was going to be a wet day. In fact, we planned for it, packing jackets and umbrellas and wet bags to keep our things protected. There have been rainfall warnings flashing on screen during our research, and the radar was pretty clear in showing the massive storm system that was going to engulf the entire area come this morning. It was no lie. We barely made it to the station when the rain began to fall, and it fell ALL. DAY. LONG.

A quick 30-minute train ride, diving in and out of tunnels, and hugging the coastline, though offering none of the spectacular views, and we find ourselves in the station tunnel under the layers and layers of buildings that make up Monaco. Don't believe any map you've ever seen of the place - it is built like a layer cake, one road practically on top of the other, one building overhanging the one below it. Why so many people want to cram themselves into this tiny little principality, and not have room to stretch out, is beyond me. Needless to say, navigating it all was a REAL challenge.

Casino Monte Carlo

From now on, you have to keep in mind that we were juggling raincoats and umbrellas, with soaking wet feet and damp clothing, trying our best to find our way and stay as dry and happy as possible.

Like any self-respecting visitor of Monaco, our first stop HAS to be the Casino Monte Carlo. This place made Monaco what it is today. In fact, while we stopped for lunch yesterday, on the Grande Corniche, we hypothesized on what it was that made Monaco the place it is today, so rich and glamorous. I may be paraphrasing, but it all comes down to the fact that Monaco has a big rock with a view that everyone wants, gambling, and then the train came through. If you want a REAL quick and dirty explanation, think of Monaco as the Las Vegas of the French Riviera - just don't repeat that out loud, someone might take offence.

Inside the Salle d'Europe

Inside the Salle Medecin

The Casino is a very high-end place now, gorgeous halls with tall ornate ceilings, drinks that are more expensive than a meal for two, and they require you look the part when visiting. So the entry hall, the Atrium, is the only place completely open to the public, and clearly everyone is congregating here to get of the rain. The marble floors are sopping wet, and two valets are posted at the doors, who's sole duty is to shove every dripping wet umbrella into a very specifically-made umbrella bagging machine. I am mesmerized that such a thing even exists I almost forget why we are here! Dressed in our best travel outfits, Mario and I pushed past the crowds to get tickets to visit INSIDE the casino, to walk the halls where 2 James Bond films have been shot, and countless A-list celebrities have come to try their luck. No gambling for us, we're just here to soak up the atmosphere(and maybe dry off a little). And it feels just as grandiose as expected - even the bathrooms, which I make a point of using. For the record, they were very swanky, and smelled incredibly wonderful.

We rushed across town, or tried at least, nearly got lost in some underground parking, just to make it to the Marché de la Condamine before it closed for the afternoon. There are plenty of places to eat, but this glorified food court is one of the best, and affordable, locations in Monaco. Plus, it allows you to try a whole bunch of different things at once, so when you want to taste some of the local specialties of the French Riviera, this is the way to do it. I had been craving the Tourte de Blette since I read about it, since I have been baking a sweet Swiss chard pie for what seems like forever, and never knew it had origins in this part of the world. I was looking to compare the flavour and technique. On top of that, there is a chance to sample the famous Menton lemons in pastries on offer here, so you KNOW we got some of those, and maybe a glass of wine or two to wash everything down with. We are trying to forget about the deluge of rain falling outside the Marché, after all - the museums can wait.

World's large marine cabinet of curiosities	Marine-themed mosaic flooring

What better way to work off a nice, hearty lunch, than with a grueling climb up the aforementioned rock with a view? We navigated the maze of vertical streets up to the top of Le Rocher, where the Prince's Palace, and the Musée Océanographic, are situated. Anywhere I looked during my research put the museum at the top of their list for great places to visit in Monaco. They forgot to mention that it becomes a veritable den of small, excited children when there is rain falling. Anyone with family seemed to have found themselves visiting the aquariums at the very same time as us, and though I can completely understand why, it certainly didn't make *our* visit very enjoyable. There are A LOT of aquariums to look at, to stand in front of and stare endless at the myriad of bright fish swimming in front of even brighter corals, each one seemingly curated to look like a painting. But each aquarium was crowded by 2 and 3 small families, hogging all the room with giant strollers, small people propped up on displays to see better the fish that seem to be hiding from so many fingers and hands being drawn across the glass. I think I was just overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people - in the upstairs galleries, there was less commotion, mostly because there was more "boring" history of Monaco's past in marine exploration and scientific research, and so very much not interesting to little people. We certainly did not spend the suggested 2 hours there!

Charles Leclerc's Ferrari, 2019	Cars and carriages
Ferrari and Porsche	Formula One cars

Our final stop of the day of trying to hide from the rain in Monaco was at the Car Collection of HSH The Prince of Monaco. This is one Mario and I have both been looking forward to, as there is a significant amount of Formula One cars in the collection, as well as other very good-looking vehicles. Also, having walked along some of the turns and curves and the pit straight of the Monaco Grand Prix during our walk, this seemed like the best way to cap off the day. We made sure to walk a few blocks further and tour the Fairmont hairpin, too - if you know, you know.

Le Tunnel

Fairmont Hairpin, the slowest on the F1 calendar

Giant yachts in the Monaco marina

After all of this, we decided enough was enough and that it was time to head back to Italy. Curiously, we managed to last a full 8 hours walking the streets of Monaco in the rain, and were still in relatively good spirits by the end of the day. The best feeling came when we arrived back at the campground, and peeled off the soaking wet shoes and socks. My feet have never been so wet!