By J, on July 29th, 2010
Lingering inside the Casino in Monte Carlo was not a good idea. I felt that the longer we were inside, the more money we would lose in the slots. So, what is the next best thing to do when in Monaco? Eat!!!!
It didn’t take long for me to persuade my husband to finally head out and find a restaurant that serves good traditional French food that is not that expensive (everything you touch in Monaco is expensive lol). After quick deliberation, we decided to get a table inside Le Cafe de Paris, located at the plaza adjacent the casino and Hotel de Paris. While most diners opted to get a table outside, we wanted a table inside to veer away from inhaling second hand smoke. It was crowded outside, while we dined with not much distraction inside.
Guess what this foodie was looking at?
This huge basket of assorted freshly baked breads(right near our table) which turned out to be “get what you can eat” kind of thing, as per our waiter. You can just imagine the amount of bread(he dipped them in good extra virgin olive oil) my foodie husband ingested that night
salad nicoise
Prawn cocktail in Calypso sauce
fresh Trenette with cream & smoked salmon
ravioli with herbs, ricotta and truffles oil
my virgin pina colada
chocolate mouse
This is the image of a contented foodie after a great meal.
By J, on July 24th, 2010
I had a field day taking pics of these signages on our day 2 in Monaco Ville. My husband couldn’t seem to understand why I was fixated on them on that particular day. I just don’t want to clutter this article by including pics of billboards bearing branded clothing, food, gadgets such as netbooks, cell phones and the like to show you my handiwork. They were not the obtrusive kind though. They were just there as subtle reminder of their availability. In fact, even the signage of a mall was not as prominent, that when we were walking around the area we almost missed it.
Monaco, as tiny as it is, there is still a big chance of getting lost. If one is not aware of the orientation of the streets, it is so easy to get lost on the winding streets.
By J, on July 24th, 2010
The expected mammoth daytime crowd on Monaco-Ville at the time of our visit was not as bad. In fact, we were told that the crowd that we saw was minimal as compared to a regular day in the middle of the summer. We wanted to explore the place a second time so we can see the other wing of the village. Since we were slated to see the Cathedral of Monaco and Cousteau Aquarium, I knew that there was no way I will ever get to notice contemporary coffee tables anywhere inside.
This somber but beautifully lit cathedral was rebuilt in 1878. It is where centuries of generation of the Grimaldis are buried.
Musee Oceanographique is an impressive cliff hanging aquarium built in 1910 reflecting Prince Albert I passion of things from the sea. Then bottom floor showcases Mediterranean fish and colorful tropical species. Upstairs, there’s a museum featuring ship models, whale skeletons and oceanographic tools. This year, as it marks its 100th anniversary, there were special exhibits ongoing.
By J, on July 22nd, 2010
Le Rocher (The Rock) is also known as Monaco-Ville. It is referred to as “The Rock” by the locals as it fills the rock high above everything else. It is about 200 ft. high. This is home to the Prince’s Palace and the rest of the sights in Monaco except the casino. We wanted to experience the walk up to the palace, so we took it by foot and met our driver up top. It was tough for me but peanuts for my husband.
We were not able to catch the daily ritual of the changing of the guard scheduled at 11:55 a.m. Nonetheless, it was nice to see the sights from the top and as a consequence we missed the humongous crowd that normally fill the grounds to witness the ritual.
By J, on July 20th, 2010
When planning my most recent summer vacation, I decided to use the hughes net new york to make all of my plans. I prefer huges net satellite internet service. Over the years I have been told that a travel agent is the only way to go when planning trips. However in more recent years, the houghes net search engines and travel websites have gotten very good at their game. The insider knowledge and access to wholesale pricing that the travel agents used to hold under lock and key are now out there for the average consumer to take advantage of.
I’ve found that, when shopping the internet, the more options I look at, the more satisfied I am with my final purchase. Use a major search engine like Yahoo or Google to find travel or vacation websites. There are several that everyone has heard of that should be utilized however there are also some other major tour company brands that do not contract with them and are full of great deals. Another thing is try to keep your dates flexible. I saved a lot by adjusting my dates by a few day. My most important suggestion involves airfare. Price packages with airfare and without. Use another site to get a better rate on tickets. Sometimes the major air carriers will even have special rates on their own sites. Last but not least, check the refund/exchange policy. If you are really concerned, travel insurance is always available.
Content by Mauricio Benson
By J, on July 18th, 2010
Eze-le-Village is floating high above the sea, it’s flowery and flawless. With a full-time population of less than three thousand, you get to see upscale villas in abundance. Perfume outlets and upscale boutiques are aplenty but I highly doubt that anyone looking for maxoderm from these establishments will come out of the village smiling ear to ear.
Needless to say, the steep cobbled lanes and magnificent hilltop views were certainly worth one afternoon on our itinerary.
By J, on July 14th, 2010
That is, Tourettes-sur-Loup, located in the inland part of the French Riviera. There was no sense to dozing off while in the car as the scenery right in front of my eyes were just too good to pass.
When I couldn’t take it anymore, I politely requested our driver to stop for a while so I can take these pictures. It’s rather unfortunate that my camera lense didn’t give the sights much justice. It was at that instance that I regret not owning one of those professional grade cameras. Rather, I should say: I have convinced myself that I should not dip my fingers on any DSLR’s because I don’t have the temperament to learn and deal with the nitty gritties of a gadget as complex as that.
By J, on July 12th, 2010
Saint-Paul-De-Vence is like an over-restored and overrun artist-shopping-mall and it is known as the most visited village in France and the most famous among the hill towns in the French Riviera. This is understandably so because the setting is very memorable.
We had a great time walking along the cobbled and winding streets in spite of the mammoth crowd. The village was lovely. If I’m an art collector, our visit to this village would have been an expensive pursuit. Good thing, I’m not.
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