On a trip to Nice, we went to Monaco for the evening for dinner and then went to the Monte-Carlo…read moreCasino. The building is absolutely stunning, inside and out. Outside, there were lots of beautiful people and plenty of fancy cars parked around. You have to pay to go inside, but we wanted to grab a drink and soak it all in. The whole place has that classic James Bond glamour. If you're feeling lucky, make sure to bet on black!

This is definitely a tourist must see - the exotic cars parked in front of the casino, the…read moreexquisite architecture inside and outside the building, the historical, grand hotel next door, and the boutique (very expensive) shops all around the casino. The slots area shut down from 12-2pm so we went for lunch next door. We lost a combined $500 in about 10 minutes and didn't see anyone win anything. It's walking distance to the train station and the view of the very luxurious yachts was something to see.

One of a handful of touristy spots to check out in Monaco - in a country this small this palace is…read moreconsiderably large! It is located on the elevated old city walled part of town (or really country), you really can't miss it since coming up the pedestrian walkway this imposing, regal building sprawls across the north side of a large cobblestone square. During certain times of the year (end March to mid-October) it's open to tourists for tours, but the months are fairly limited since it's very much the living and working quarters of the Monaco monarchy. Appears there are beautiful frescoes and grand staterooms you can view inside. If you happen to be there during those months tickets are €6 for adults and €3 for children, with combo tickets possible if you want to visit both the palace and the prince's royal car collection (€17 and €8 respectively, I guess someone has to pay for the upkeep of those cars and that's the tourists). Otherwise for the rest of the year you can catch a glimpse of the daily changing on the guard in front of the palace at noon. Nice views of Monte Carlo and the harbor along the old city walls by the palace.

The palace is in easy walking distance from the Cathedral of Our Lady of Immaculate where Prince…read moreRainer and Grace Kelly were married and buried. It is also near the Musei Oceanographique made famous by Jacque Cousteau. At the top of the rock the palace sits in a large public square surrounded by apartments of the rich. Formula 1 race car drivers and others. From the palace you can see the yachts of the rich and famous docked in the bay. At 12 pm there is a changing of the guard which always attracts a crowd. Admission to the palace is 8 Euros and comes with an audio-guide. You can purchase a ticket online or at the entrance. Tickets are fee on some Sundays.The guide takes you through lavishly decorated state rooms that are strategically focused on photos of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainer, their marriage and life together. The architecture and history of the family is also mentioned. Many of the photos where taken by the media and government promotional releases. Grace Kelly is much loved in Monaco. The guide also elaborates upon the key features of the palace which are ornate and house fine furniture and artwork. I liked the armory and Throne room. The dress that Grace Kelly wore at her civil marriage in the palace is on display. as are correspondences and extracts from newspapers and film. Photos of the interior are not allowed. The entire tour takes less than an hour.

Teach the staff how to treat people with respect and accept that bad things happen and they can…read morehelp solve them October 2024 We were looking forward to coming to Cabanon de Le Corbusier and purchased our tickets way in advance. We were staying Northwest of Nice and left at 8:00 am for a 10:00 am tour. We tried to load the address on our car - since there is no street address number, the car would not take the address. So we used our Google Maps. We came down the hill and saw the sign for the Cabanon and Google Maps said we were here. We were not there, but we did not know that. I got out of the car and walked around looking for the building. We asked two different groups of people. The first did not know and the second group did, but they did not know how to get there without looking it up on their google maps. Their conclusion was to go the railroad station. Not sure why our tickets did not just give the train station as the address. After all of this we called the staff to say we were coming late and they said too bad - so sad. You are out of luck. We drove there anyhow. They made a bad situation much worse. 1) Did they try to make any accommodations - absolutely not. 2) It was so bad that when we asked to go to the bathroom for some in our party - the receptionist said there were no restrooms around the area - they actually had one and let ticket holders use it - we had six tickets and she was saying no restrooms around. 3) They had 11:00 am visit open without anyone going into the building and we asked if they would just give us a ten minute tour and Amy, who apparently was in charge - said "NO"!. I ran a not for profit for 37 years and we worked to get to yes, never to say no so quickly. Did she do anything to acknowledge that we had driven nearly two hours - that we were probably 900 feet away, just up above and maybe - just maybe she needed to try to do something. NO!!!!!! I have never been treated like this by any museum, cultural facility in my life and in particular in France. One of the staff acted like she wanted to help. Although even her solutions were not helpful. As with most customer issues, these issues have been known to the organization before. I believe they have known that google maps does not get you to the building, have they done anything to solve that? Have they tried to get a number on their address so that car maps can get you there? Have they put any signage up to the area where google maps says you have arrived to solve this issue? Have they trained any of their staff not to dismiss people who have arrived late with some type of accommodation other than you can see it from the outside? In the organization that I ran, my staff would have been trained to resolve issues not make them worse. Did they even try to give us our money back - that was not the option we wanted - they do not offer to give your money back - in fact they say you do not get your money back - but you can write to an address. Save your time - save your money - I am certain this is a worthwhile thing to look at - but if something happens you will run into a buzz saw that shows no mercy and solves no problems. I do not normally turn into an ugly American - but folks and their procedures/attitude can bring it out in anybody.

This past weekend we visited Cap Modern. The tour includes E-1027 designed by Eileen Gray and other…read morebuildings build by le Corbusier. It was fantastic and I'm so glad to see that these buildings are being protected and restored after years of neglect. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and maintained her composure despite some rude people who showed up an hour late for the tour and then complained the entire time. The area around the site is lovely, with bright green blue water and a beach just below. I'd recommend staying for a swim when you're done your tour. Things to note: - You need to book tickets in advance. - You can request an English tour if you don't speak French and they'll try to accommodate you. - There were loads of mosquitos at the site and we were unprepared and so were pretty much eaten alive (seriously, I have about 30 huge mosquito bites). Bring bug spray if you don't want to suffer the same fate. - The house is still under renovation and finishing it could take awhile. It's interesting to see as a world-in-progress but don't go thinking it's all going to be finished and polished.

We happen to pond the fort on a holiday Monday after visiting the town of EZe…read more We wanted to have a little picnic time and started driving up the hill. When we got to the parking lot. The views are amazing and we had a nice time. The fort was closed because it was a holiday but it looks pretty cool. Fun fact during world war II, the Nazis used it as a POW camp for allied air crews. It's definitely worth visiting and having a picnic up there.

All the way at the top of Monaco is the palace and palatial grounds. Very ornate work all out of…read moremarble in Romanesque fashion. There are many souvenir shops and cute places to get a quick bite to eat.

The monument was built in 6BC by the Roman Emperor to celebrate the victories of Caesar Augustus…read moreover the tribes of Gaul. Well worth a visit as it is quite impressive, La Turbie is a nice little mountain town and the view back down to Monaco is stunning. If you like this period of history, find the book "Caesar: The Conquest of Gaul" which is his personal diary of his years spent fighting the Gauls and misc. Germanic tribes. It's available on Amazon.com. See the website link for more info about the monument and the museum.

If you are a history buff as I am, you will thoroughly enjoy this experience. Upon looking at this…read moremonument, you think it has remained thorough the ages, but it has actually gone through many changes and reconstructed to what historians believe it to have looked like during the reign of Caesar Augustus when he conquered the Gauls. Truly fascinating how original parts were able to be located and what the structure was used for during all the 'ages'. I absolutely loved my time in La Turbee and hope to go back with my family. The surrounding village is pretty much an unchanged medieval town. Make sure to pay for the actual guide at the Trophee as it is truly worth it!

Stunning location and excellent dining. The beauty here is beyond belief. Incredible service at our…read morerestaurant that overlooked the castle,river and village. Again, I could attempt to describe this place but words cannot express. Let's just say stunning !!

Here's the download on this seriously off the beaten path secluded hippie artist village:…read moreDating back to as early as the second half of the ninth century, this little village has been operating autonomously, sans the government of Genoa, since as early as 1429. An earthquake in 1887 led to a series of eviction orders by the police and the tiny city remained in ruins until the mid 20th century when Italian immigrants began to illegally settle. Following the artistic revolution of the 1960's, a small group of international artists claimed the village and began to rebuild the destruction out of the original materials and remains of the ruins, despite the police eviction order. When the Italian authorities arrived at the village to enforce the order, they faced a rowdy group of angry artists and international media representatives. They backed off, and the village has been in the hands of these open minded crafters ever since. We enjoyed glasses of wine, a plate of parma, and fresh vegetables for a seriously low cost (say 11 euros total) aperitivo as we simultaneous took in the expansive view of lush green hills rolling down to the Italian Riviera. The local artisans sat and talked in groups at the tables, and also on blankets out in the nearby field. Conversation, smoking and drinking wine seem to be the modus operandi during the evenings here, and they are in no hurry to serve you or anyone else. Please, be respectful and don't come with a touristic attitude.