Monaco-Ville: Take Two

As with my morning visit to the French hill town of Eze, my afternoon in the nearby Principality of Monaco was also a repeat visit. Would I see anything that I hadn't seen before in what may be the most glamorous of locales on the very glamorous Côte d'Azur?

Tour Bus at Monaco's Palace Square

Changing of the Guards

One of London’s most popular tourist attractions is the ceremonial changing of the Household Troops with their iconic red tunics, bearskin hats and accompanying brass marching band. Large crowds gather in front of Buckingham Palace and around Victoria Monument to watch the spectacle unfold but London isn’t the only place to witness this traditional military ceremony. Similar events also take place at Windsor Castle and the Prince’s Palace in Monaco.

Changing of the Guard, London

My Bucket List: Living the High Life in Monte Carlo

The tiny principality of Monaco has more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the world. So naturally you’ll find the flashy sports cars, luxury hotels and super yachts to keep them amused. While planning my last visit to the French Riviera I couldn’t resist sampling a little bit of the high life myself by adding two once-in-a-lifetime splurges to my bucket list: a ride in a Ferrari sports car and dinner at a Michelin star restaurant.

Principality of Monaco

Monaco-Ville

Monaco, July 2012 - This was departure day for travellers on the Provence extension of an Avalon river cruise through Burgundy and Provence, but we planned to explore the oldest part of the principality, Monaco-Ville, before leaving Monaco. And the first item on my agenda this morning was a special experience from my Bucket List: a tour of Monaco by Ferrari.

Tour of Monaco by Ferrari

Monte Carlo

St. Remy de Provence, July 2012 - We boarded our motor coach this morning at 9:00 a.m. and reunited with our cruise director to say farewell to Provence. We were about to embark on the final leg of our journey with Avalon Waterways enroute to the French Riviera and the tiny principality of Monaco.

A couple of hours later, Mont St. Victoire rose in the distance as we approached the city of Aix-en Provence for a mid-day lunch stop.

Mont St. Victoire

"P" is for Princess

This is Day 16 for the

Blogging from A to Z Challenge

for 2013.

The letter "P" is for Princess: Princess Grace of Monaco.



American film star Grace Kelly came to Monaco to film Alfred Hitchock's  To Catch a Thief with co-star Cary Grant.

View of Monaco from the Corniche

Riviera Fireworks

Paris, May 2010 - We had just spent three days in Paris on Trafalgar's Contrasts of Europe train tour through England, France and Italy. Our trip to the French Riviera began at the Gare de Lyon, where we boarded the TGV Mediterranee high speed train to Nice. The six-hour journey took us through rolling hills dotted with charming farmhouses and grazing cattle.

The French Countryside