Saint Paul de Vence

After waking at 5AM and looking to the BowCam for any sight of land I showered and grabbed the camera and computer and headed for cyberland to wait for the sun to come up. About 6:15 the sky behind the ship was a rich pink and lights were appearing off the port side. There is a new pier in Monte Carlo but they were setting up a fireworks barge and we had to drop anchor off shore. A flotilla of tenders carried everyone to shore where we contracted with a taxi to take us to Saint Paul de Vence. We had originally planned a HAL excursion but found out it would be returning to the ship at 12 or 12:30PM and our reservation at L’Colombe D’Or was for noon. Gerard Fontaine picked us up at the pier within 5 minutes of calling him. He was driving a new Mercedes crossover that I had not seen before. It was very comfortable and got us to St. Paul in under an hour. I took his number to call him when we wanted to return. The drive was charming and picaresque but hardly prepared us for the beauty of St. Paul. We passed a small dirt plaza where older gentlemen were playing petanque. We watched for a while then headed into the village. We walked up through an ancient gate to an artistically cobbled road that was wide enough for small car but certainly nothing larger. Most of the shops were galleries of modern art and most of it wasn’t very sophisticated. Picasso, Leger, Miro and Chagall must be turning over in their graves at what now passes for fine art. But nothing could sully the beauty of this place. The first thing Dotty said when we started to climb into the village was “I could live here.” It must be a sentiment that gets echoed in these corridors 100s of times a day. After an hour of sightseeing and people watching we headed to the restaurant. We were seated under a lime tree with a view down the valley. The menus were huge Chagall-esque affairs with everything a bright crayola French. We ordered the fresh crudités and the hors d'oeuvre. What arrived at the table was a basket of fresh produce [radishes, celery, beets, zucchini, etc.]; it was accompanied by a terrine of pate, olives, bread, anchovy sauce and hard-boiled eggs. It was enough food for 8. The hors d'oeuvre consisted on 14 ramekins filled with the most incredible and varied treats. We had deep fried anchovies, red cabbage “slaw,” Sautéed mushrooms, blood sausage, marinated fish, stewed fish, saffron rice with peas, corn and bell pepper, huge white beans, garbanzos, lightly oiled and grilled sun-dried tomatoes, green cabbage “slaw,” Tiny stuffed and baked zucchini, lentils, and I guess one more I can’t remember. I had a wonderful sole with a dijonaise, Jim & Dotty both had steaks, Craig Had shrimp and an enormous mixed green salad that must have had 3 sliced tomatoes… not 3 slices but 3 tomatoes, sliced. We washed it down with the house Rose that was perfection. We called another cabbie, Daniel, one of 2 in St. P dV and rode back to the ship. BTW, one never asks for a cab in Italy, France or Monaco. They don’t seem to know the word. It is taxi and only taxi. The fare is pretty steep on the Cote d’Azur… 120 Euros each way. The standard fare listed at the port to go to St.PdV was 130 Euros. Tomorrow is a restful day at sea.

Monte Carlo

We arrive in Monte Carlo on Sunday, 9 August at approximately 8AM. We must return to the ship by 5PM. A tender will meet our ship to take us ashore.
Monte Carlo (Occitan: Montcarles, Monégasque: Monte-Carlu) is one of Monaco's various administrative areas, sometimes erroneously believed to be a town or the country's capital. The official capital is Monaco-Ville and covers all quarters of the territory.
There seems to be a strong police presence, Monaco is a very safe, and crime-free location. It has one of the highest public-to-police ratios in the world. Also every public space is blanketed with cameras. Any kind of disorder may produce an overreaction and the attendance of many officers.
Monte-Carlo is known for its casinos, gambling, glamour, and for sightings of famous people. The permanent population is about 3,000. Monte-Carlo quarter includes not only Monte-Carlo proper where the famous Le Grand Casino is located, but also the neighborhoods of Saint-Michel, Saint-Roman/Tenao, and the beach community of Larvotto. It borders the French town of Beausoleil (formerly known as Monte-Carlo-Supérieur).
Founded in 1866, Monte-Carlo has a name of Italian origin meaning "Mount Charles", named in compliment to the prince then reigning, Charles III of Monaco. The specific mountain is the escarpment at the foot of the Maritime Alps on which the town stands. Monte-Carlo is home to most of the Circuit de Monaco, on which the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix takes place; it also hosts world championship boxing bouts, the Monte Carlo Masters, European Poker Tour Grand Final and the World Backgammon Championship as well as fashion shows and other events.
Monte-Carlo has been visited by royalty as well as the general public and movie stars for decades. The quarter of Monte-Carlo was served by tramways from 1900 to 1953, linking parts of Monaco. The Monte-Carlo Rally is one of the longest running and most respected car rallies, and marks the start of each rally season as the first event on the World Rally Championship calendar, but the rally takes place outside the Monte-Carlo quarter.
Monte-Carlo is one of Europe's leading tourist resorts, although many of the key tourist destinations are located in other parts of Monaco, including such attractions as Monaco Cathedral, The Napoleon Museum, The Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium, and The Prince's Palace, all of which are located in Monaco-Ville.
The Jardin Exotique (Exotic Gardens) is a fascinating experience. Many rare plants from around the world are presented in a walking tour that is quite memorable for the views as well as the flora. Due to the rise in altitude, the microclimate of the area is mostly desert, so there are many examples of desert plants, including unusual cacti to see. There is also a grotto (cave) that has scheduled guided tours. The admission is a bit steep (€8). There is a Japanese Garden right by the Grimaldi Forum. Entry is free.
We hope to visit Saint-Paul de Vence [one of the “perched” villages]. Holland America offers a 4 hour excursion. It departs Monaco on the Middle Corniche road that winds along the coast as far as Nice, where we will drive through town, passing the famous Promenade des Anglais. We will then head inland to St. Paul de Vence--a medieval city with an imposing silhouette. Perched high upon an escarpment, St. Paul de Vence is the quintessential fortified town of Provence, and its ramparts are still amazingly intact. Painters such as Modigliani, Signac and Soutine met at a local café which has since become the sumptuous Colombe d’Or. The main reason for this visit is to see The Foundation Maeght. Inaugurated on July 28th 1964 by André Malraux, then Minister of Cultural Affairs, this architectural ensemble was entirely conceived and financed by Aimé and Marguerite Maeght to present modern and contemporary art in all its forms. Painters and sculptors collaborated closely in the realization of this Foundation with Catalan architect Josep-Lluis Sert by creating frequently monumental works integrated into the building and gardens: the Giacometti courtyard, the Miró labyrinth filled with sculptures and ceramics, mural mosaics by Chagall and Tal-Coat, a pool and stained glass window by Braque, a Bury fountain...A true museum in nature, the Maeght Foundation is an exceptional site that contains one of the most important collections in Europe, with paintings, sculptures; drawings and graphic works from the 20th century: Bonnard, Braque, Calder, Chagall, Giacometti, Léger, Miró... Matisse lived near Vence and designed and built the Rosary Chapel nearby. Marc Chagall is buried in St. Paul's cemetery. His mosaics turn up in unlikely places including a baptismal font in a church in Vence and the wall of a private garden. We will return to Monte Carlo via the freeway.