Monte Carlo

We arrived at Monte Carlo shortly after 7am, and anchored just outside the harbor as the Oosterdam was due in also and for what ever reason had the dock. The day was not looking very good with temperatures in the low 50’s and a light rain falling. Sharon and I decided that, since we were going to be in port until 11pm, we would wait until after lunch before we made the decision to go ashore or not.

As the morning progressed, we could see the clouds starting to dissipate and the sun trying to break through. The day progressively got better and by the time we finished lunch the sun was out, the temperature had climbed into the high 50’s with a partly cloudy sky.

After arriving at the dock, we followed directions and went off to the left side and found the elevator to the next level, which put us outside the Oceanographic Museum. Walking away from there we found the Cathedral where Princess Grace was married and is buried. After touring that, we were off to find the post office to buy some stamps for our grandchildren’s collection.

We then walked through some of the small alleyways with their quaint little shops and found ourselves at the Princes Palace. From there we decided to take the Petite Train that Monte Carlo has for a tour of the city. That was really nice, lasting about an hour and going through some of the old parts of town, and up to the Casino and then returning to the Oceanographic Museum.

We then decided to get ambitious and walk back around the harbor area to the Casino. While it’s not really that far of a walk, trying to figure out where we were at was at times difficult, as was trying to find the elevators to get up to the higher levels. But we did finally make it and got some really great up close shots of it.

All in all we managed to stay in town almost six hours and really got to see a lot of the city. I highly recommend however to forget about the map the ship gives you, and as soon as you get ashore look for the tourist information booth and get a more detailed map from them. The city is very pedestrian friendly, however there are a lot of stairs and hills so beware of that.

The picture I have chosen shows some of the yachts of the rich and famous in the harbor along with the Prinsendam and Oosterdam.

Tomorrow we are in Livorno Italy and are on a tour to Pisa and Florence. Until then, Cheers!!