Reefie 3

Monaco-Ville (week 31)

Don't be fooled by Yolanda's coat - it's +14C

We fled to the Riviera this weekend to escape the (relative) cold and snow of the Pays d'Aix.  With visions of Grace Kelly navigating cliff-top roads we set out for Monaco.  We had to settle on the visions of Grace Kelly, however, having completely failed to find any of the Corniche roads (there are three of them).  In fact, the highway numbers for the Corniches, which we looked up in the guide books, do not exist according to our car's GPS.  The boys didn't mind, since the toll highway goes through lots of tunnels, at a cost of €16 for a one-hour trip (Brignoles to Monaco).  We also had some difficulty finding our hotel, weaving in and out of the especially narrow one-way streets and, incidentally, weaving between Monaco and Beausoliel.  Eventually, we found the place and slept in Beausoleil, France, while the car was parked a block away in Moneghetti, Monaco.

Our first outing was to tour the main tourist area in Monaco-Ville.  We walked from our hotel, taking a quick look at the Saturday-morning marché in the Place d'Armes, then from there up the stairway (and along the fortifications) to the Palais Princier.  The palace is closed to tours for the winter, as is the Napoleon museum located therein.  Besides, the royal family has just celebrated the arrival of twins (now 1st and 2nd in line to the throne,), so they probably wouldn't want tourists traipsing through their home at naptime.  We watched the changing of the guard ceremony, then walked along the western cliff-top garden path to the Cathédrale Notre-Dame Immaculée, where we paid our respects to the aforementioned Grace Kelly, interred in the cathédrale as Gratia Patricia, Principis Ranierii III.

Continuing along the path, we arrived at the Musée Océanographique de Monaco.  Prince Albert I was an avid oceanographer and commissioned (and participated in) several oceanographic research expeditions with his personal laboratory-laden royal yachts.  It is clear from the building (and the staircases, chandeliers, etc.) that the museum opened in 1910 and was championed by a royal patron.  The exhibits are altogether modern, however, including a compact but very nice aquarium, a vast collection of harpoons, and a shark exhibit (that points out that <10 people a year die of shark attacks, as compared to 2000 from crocodiles and 800,000 from mosquitoes).  Andrew got re-re-acquainted with some reef sharks (only black-tipped this time), David enjoyed identifying the whale skeletons, and we all got the chance to pat a shark in the "interactive" pool.