French Riviera

The French Riviera is located on the Mediterranean coastline
in the southeast corner of France. Here you can get 300 days
of sunshine per year and enjoy 115 kilometers of beaches,
there are 14 ski resorts and now over 3,000 restaurants.
It is now the second most visited French city after Paris.

We stayed in Nice for two nights which has the largest population
in the Riviera. As we drove in i remember passing by the airport
and seeing hundreds of private jets, the water was crystal clear
and it was our first time seeing the topless sunbathers in Europe.
It was a gorgeous sunny day and i after two weeks of traveling
this was the first time i felt like i was on a summer holiday!

After checking into our hotel, i walked barefoot down the
street and headed straight to the the beach to dip my toes in
the Mediterranean sea! This was also the first time i had experienced
no sand at the beach, which for an Aussie took some time to get
used too. You could tell the locals from the tourist just watching
them get out of the water and walking along the pebbled beach,
and i defiantly looked like a tourist!

We then took a stroll along the Promenade des Anglais,
and the waterfront was alive with water sport activities,
yachts and beautiful people. We walked up to the
northern end and up the stairs which offered a picture
perfect view back over the coastline.

We also checked out Place Massena, which is the main square
of the city. There are some beautiful colourful buildings and a
water fountain inside and is a popular hangout for street performers.

That afternoon we had a group dinner and took a stroll along
the waterfront to see the sun setting, There is plenty of night life
in the area too, with bars, clubs and restaurants opened till late.

The next day we caught the train into Cannes,
It was so picturesque, more beautiful beaches, cafés and boutiques stores.
I have always wanted to go here as this is home to the Cannes
film festival which is held in May and attracts Hollywood's biggest stars.
The esplanade was alighted with palm trees and cut outs of famous
movie characters. We walked up to the Palais des Festivals et des
Congrès, which has been hosting the big event now in it's 64 year.
You can take your picture on the red carpet and see the celebrity hand
prints in the sidewalk, there is also a museum inside.

We also took a stroll to the Old Town, that is full of character and
checked out all the private yachts in old port Harbour.

Later that evening we crossed the border into Monaco,
the second smallest country in the world. It has an estimated population
of 35,000 residents, all who must be extremely wealthy to live here,
They do not pay any income tax and are also not alot to gamble in the casino.

Our first stop was a photo opportunity looking back over La Condamine,
the old harbour. We also seen the Saint Nicholas Cathedral, where the
Monaco Royal's marry and where Grace Kelly was buried.

The Monaco Grand Prix has been held annually in the streets of Monaco
since 1929 and we drove along some of the track and got to see the
infamous, hairpin corner.

We than got the chance to go inside the lavish, Monte Carlo Casino.
It was cool to see all the sports cars lined up outside and the
casino has featured in three James Bond films.
You have to show your passport and pay a fee to enter,
i had a bet inside and ended up with a small win that
covered my entrance fee!