WELCOME TO MONTE CARLO - DAY 2 Karin, thank you so much for your comments and we are glad you are enjoying the Blog. Bob...We are thrilled that you and Julie will be on this next cruise. We know that you both had plans to be on much sooner but thankfully you are boarding tomorrow. It will be great for you to sail with your son and daughter-in-law. I hope we both see you and get to meet your family. Best to you both. We began last evening with a visit to the Avenue Saloon for a pre-dinner drink. These are the menus from Waterside. We enjoyed dinner at the Prego Italian Specialty Restaurant. We had three courses and the food was delicious. After dinner we attended the Serenity POPS 2019 concert. The POPS concert has been a long-standing tradition of the culmination of the World Cruise. Assistant Cruise Director and former Bandmaster Raphael is very involved with putting this together with input from several on-board musicians. The on-board musicians participate in this performance, along with musicians who are on-board for this voyage. This is augmented with some land based musicians who were brought on the other day along with Acrobats. Others involved included Dancers Curtis & Beverly. It is a team effort. The theme of the shows changes each year and this year's performance was called Casino Royale De Monaco which is very appropriate to where the World Cruise ends. The music included songs by Elvis Presley, The Rat Pack along with songs from James Bond that were originally sung by Paul McCartney and Wings (Live & Let Die) and by Adele (Skyfall). Before the show began the guests could play games at the Casino for prizes. Keith played Black Jack. Six hands were dealt and the guest with the most chips won. Keith was the lucky winner and selected one of several stuffed animals. ![]() We were up later than usual and we slept well as we were docked at the Quay Rainer III cruise ship terminal. We began the day as you are accustomed to with an early morning workout for Keith followed by coffee and breakfast in our room. We then got ready for a tour which Keith organized. Since our first visit in 1998 we have been to Monaco numerous time. Our most recent visit was in October 2018. Monte Carlo has a population of 28,700 and it is a place where the rich live. Those who work their commute from areas outside of Monte Carlo. It is a playground for the rich and the famous. Major Highlights Include: Grand Casino which first opened its doors in 1863. In order to enter the casino one needs a Passport, must be 18 years or older and must adhere to the dress code. Hotel de Paris was opened in 1863 and is located closely to the famous Place du Casino. The Rock is a 203 foot tall promontory overlooking Monte Carlo's Port. It is the oldest of Monaco's area and includes the Palais of Prince, Cathedral and Oceanographic Museum. Palais du Prince is the official residence of the Prince of Monaco and was funded in 1191. Cathedra which was dedicated to St. Nicholas and was built between 1875 and 1903. Many people visit because this is the site where Grace Kelly how became princess of Monaco is buried. Musee Océanographique was founded in 1910 by Prince Albert. The museum includes over 4,000 species of fish. Jardin Exotique is a botanical garden which opened to the public in 1933. It contains several unique species of cacti and other succulent plants. We have visited each of these sites numerous times on our previous visits. When we visited in 2018 we took a private tour which Keith arranged to visit Eze and Nice. We enjoyed the tour so much we arranged with the same tour company to take us on a tour for today. Today's tour focused on Saint Paul De Jence and Antibes. We were met at the port by tour guide Jerome who was our tour guide last September. Jerome and the other co-owner of the tour company Anthony are the tour guides. There used to be more people but after the tragic killings in Nice a few years ago tourism slumped badly. Starting last year demand has increased and it likely won't be long until additional guides are hired. We first visited Antibes which is a historic town, a modern town, a town offering a multitude of events, a town offering enjoyment and leisure, sports activities and nature all rolled into one. It is located between Cannes and Nice. It is known for its old town and for its beauty and wonderful views including the beautiful yachts. Highlights include: The Yachts of the "Billionaires' Wharf". The Pre-des-Pecheurs Promenade which hosts an evening market. The narrow historic streets. The ancient Chateau Grimaldi which is now the Picasso Museum. The parish of Le Safranier with its narrow streets and flowers. We then visit Saint Paul De-Jence is one of the oldest medieval towns of the French Riviera. It is a perfectly preserved medieval village located on a hillside. It is one of the most beautiful towns we have ever been to. We also had lunch there. It is well known for its modern and contemporary art museums and galleries and for its artiste who have lived there. On our way back to the ship Jerome took us on the winding road that Princess Grace had her catastrophic accident on resulting in her death. The road has amazing views. All in all we had an amazing tour and day. ![]() This is today's daily Reflections Program. Cheers, Anne Marie & Keith
2 Comments
Bob and Jeannie
4/7/2019 05:22:16 pm
Keith and Anne Marie, we are so glad that you got to experience St. Paul de Vence, it is truly a memorable place to visit.
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Patricia
4/8/2019 05:14:27 pm
Wonderful conclusion to a wonderful World Cruise!
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