Glitzy Monte-Carlo in Monaco
The second stop on our cruise was the glamorous Monaco. Known as the playground of the rich and famous, Monaco is the smallest country in the world next to the Vatican. But what it lacks in size, it makes up for in style with almost everyone wearing something branded, including the police!
Like sur Mer, this was a light, relaxed day, which really helped with my jetlag. Well that and all the cappuccinos and espresso shots that my cousins and I were taking!
The only downside to this stop was that it was raining non-stop the whole day. Ergo, I couldn’t take pictures of the beautiful parks, architecture and cars to protect my camera from the elements. And when I say cars, I mean cars like the Bugatti Veyron which is apparently a common sight in this place and NOWHERE to be found back home in Manila.
* Casino de Monte Carlo which I mistakenly thought was the setting of my favorite James Bond movie, Casino Royale (sorry Skyfall fans!!) Too bad it was raining pretty hard; would have been great to walk around the plaza. The casino itself is rather snooty, with a dress code requirement of a coat-and-tie for the gents and a fee to enter.
* Cathedrale de Monaco, which I thought was pretty small to be an actual Cathedral (well compared to the ones in Rome, London and even Manila!) Contains the graves of the Grimaldi royals including…
* … that of Princess Grace Kelly, which my mom really wanted to see.
* The short walk from the Cathedral to the Grimaldi Palace. Trying not to slip too much on the path.
* For some reason the cannons reminded me of Super Mario 3.
*The Palais du Prince aka the House of the Royal Family, the Grimaldis. Note to self: have cannons at future home for dramatic effect.
* Wandering around the charming side streets with the exceptionally overpriced tourist traps! Seriously, the magnets, shot glasses and shirts I got here are even more expensive than the ones in Paris and London.
* Such an amazing view of the Monaco Port, which for some reason reminded me of my hometown, Cebu, maybe because, like Cebu, Monaco is situated near both the sea and mountains. It was at this point that I developed a weird craving for sisig, baked mussels and garlic rice!
Like sur Mer, this was a light, relaxed day, which really helped with my jetlag. Well that and all the cappuccinos and espresso shots that my cousins and I were taking!
The only downside to this stop was that it was raining non-stop the whole day. Ergo, I couldn’t take pictures of the beautiful parks, architecture and cars to protect my camera from the elements. And when I say cars, I mean cars like the Bugatti Veyron which is apparently a common sight in this place and NOWHERE to be found back home in Manila.
* Casino de Monte Carlo which I mistakenly thought was the setting of my favorite James Bond movie, Casino Royale (sorry Skyfall fans!!) Too bad it was raining pretty hard; would have been great to walk around the plaza. The casino itself is rather snooty, with a dress code requirement of a coat-and-tie for the gents and a fee to enter.
* Cathedrale de Monaco, which I thought was pretty small to be an actual Cathedral (well compared to the ones in Rome, London and even Manila!) Contains the graves of the Grimaldi royals including…
* … that of Princess Grace Kelly, which my mom really wanted to see.
* The short walk from the Cathedral to the Grimaldi Palace. Trying not to slip too much on the path.
* For some reason the cannons reminded me of Super Mario 3.
*The Palais du Prince aka the House of the Royal Family, the Grimaldis. Note to self: have cannons at future home for dramatic effect.
* Wandering around the charming side streets with the exceptionally overpriced tourist traps! Seriously, the magnets, shot glasses and shirts I got here are even more expensive than the ones in Paris and London.
* Such an amazing view of the Monaco Port, which for some reason reminded me of my hometown, Cebu, maybe because, like Cebu, Monaco is situated near both the sea and mountains. It was at this point that I developed a weird craving for sisig, baked mussels and garlic rice!
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