French Riviera, Cote d’Azur (Coast of Azure) in French, is known for its glamour & geography. Besides hosting the Cannes Film Festival and Monaco Gran Prix, the playground of the super-rich hosts half of all superyachts in the world every year and 90% at least once in their lifetime! For me, the geography is more compelling- the western foothills of the Alps called the Maritime Alps (as luck would have it, we were in the eastern end of the Alps last October during autumn- Julian Alps in Slovenia) meeting the Mediterranean Sea and creating a stunning coastal landscape.
I also discovered a piece of history when a colleague took pride in the Italian heritage of the region.
Flying into Cote d’Azur
Nice Cote d’Azur airport is the primary arrival port to enter this region of France including Monaco. After Paris, this is the busiest airport in France and highest number of international connections!
Monaco
From the hotel, next to Cap 3000 mall, a 30 min train ride from St Laurent du Var station to Monaco Monte Carlo (operated by TER, one way, 35 mins, 8 euros, 8 stops, bought tickets in the vending machine). As we walked out of the station, the majestic yachts along the Hercules Port are hard to miss. After puttering around for a while, we took bus #2 up the hill to the Rock of Monaco overlooking the dazzling Fontvielle port on the Mediterranean Sea. After a short stop to pick up a customary souvenir at the Oceanographic museum, strolled through a small garden to the Palace of Monaco. From here we walked down back to Hercules Port and walked up the steep winding streets to the famous Monte Carlo casino. Sipping an overpriced Limoncello Spritz, we soaked in the vibes as the evening wore in. Our Monaco “grand prix” ended not with a checkered flag, but a rainy bus ride back to the train station.
Watching the cyclists in unison was fun and reminded watching the tour de France in Champs Elysees in 2009:
Carros Village
An evening drive up a steep road to the 12th century medieval village of Carros
Nice Promenade and Old Town
Evening & day walks along the grizzly promenade dotted with grand hotels, residences, bars on one side and the gravel beach on the right. A few steps inland is the cosy old town of Nice.
Conclusion
This small part of Southern France was just a short stop on my journey. Perhaps a more immersive experience awaits?