We awoke to cloudy skies but there were some increasing patches of blue sky.  Ken walked across the road to buy croissants for breakfast which we shared with the pigeons on our balcony.  We then set out for Nice driving on the coastal road, known as the Grand Corniche, one of the world's most scenic drives.  Tiny fishing villages alternate with palatial villas; cliffs drop to the sea below and roads twist to dramatic vistas at every turn. It is a sublime experience we won’t soon forget.  Some of the highlights we saw along the drive include: Villefranche-Sur-Mer where delightful Italianate houses line the bay of this magnificent, unspoiled village; Beaulieu-Sur-Mer (sometimes called Petit

Afrique because of its palm trees) which is a stylish resort is an oasis of peace and quiet; and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, a lush peninsula that is renowned for its sheltered beaches, abundant sunbathing and celebrity watching.  Although the trip was only 31 km, it took us a couple of hours because of traffic on the very winding roads.  We did a quick driving tour of Monte Carlo before continuing on to Nice.  Nice is the fifth largest city in France with a population of

350,000.  We quickly realized that we would get lost without a proper map so we decided to go back to Monaco.  About 10 km east of Nice, we stopped at Beaulieu-sur-Mer, a wealthy resort known for its quality marina facilities by those involved in yachting, for lunch at the marina.  Then it was on to Monaco.

Another photo taken along the Grand Corniche

A sovereign and independent state, the Principality of Monaco has borders on its landward side with several communes of the French Department of the Alpes-Maritimes; from west to east these are Cap d'Ail, la Turbie, Beausoleil and Roquebrune Cap Martin. Seawards, Monaco faces the  Mediterranean Sea.

Its surface area is 485 acres, of which nearly 100 were recovered from the sea during the course of the last twenty years. Monaco lies on a narrow coastal strip, which sometimes rises vertically upwards with its highest point at 206 feet. Its width varies between .65 miles and a mere 382 yards. Its coastline is 2.5 miles long. The Principality has only one commune, Monaco, whose limits are the same as those of the state. Monaco is divided into five areas:

In 1997, the Principality of Monaco celebrated the 700 year reign of the Grimaldi dynasty.  For more info on Monaco: http://www.visitmonaco.com/index.cfm.

We parked the car and took an elevator up to Monaco-Ville on the Rock - the elevator was built right into the rock.  We wandered around the Old Town with its lovely gardens and the Palace.  Kathryn bought a lovely leather purse that matches her leather jacket.  We found an Internet cafe and sent an email home.  We took a lot of photos here and you can see them in the slide show below.  We also watched a 35 minute film on the history of Monaco which was very informative.

Port Hercule with Monte Carlo in the background

As we were driving out of Monaco, we came to the famous Larvotto Beach, perhaps the single most decadently glamorous beach in the world, where women may go without their bikini tops, but wouldn't dare to be seen without their jewels.  Larvotto is actually a man-made beach, with fresh white sand constantly shipped in to offset Mother Nature's best erosion efforts. Fake or not, the entire principality is so gorgeous and charged with energy that you won't care who made its most famous strip of sand. The Beach was pretty much deserted although the sun did come out.  Ken went for a little dip in the water.  While Kathryn was taking the picture, a big wave came in and completely soaked him.  We then continued back to Menton on the Basse (Lower) Corniche which is closer to the water but more crowded with vehicles. 

We got a great view of Menton from the hill to the west of town as we came home. Ken went back into the room and changed into some dry clothes and then we went down to explore the beach across the street from the hotel.  It is called Garavan Bay and of course Ken had to go into the water again.  We also walked around the yachts in Garavan Port.

We walked into town and had pizza and beer in a small family restaurant.  Ken knew we had been in Europe to long when the waitress (Mama) spoke to him

Ken in the water at Menton beach

We really loved our time in Menton.  It is jus to bad that we didn't have better weather while we were here.