Grand Prix Formula One in Monaco

We're in Nice, the weather looks great.  It's the Cannes film festival and the Grand Prix in Monaco.  Both today.  Somehow, with virtually no hesitation we head off to Monaco.  It's a hike to the bus or train.  The front desk guy said either will do.  We head out for the train, since it stops in Eze, and I want to see it, and then goes onto Monaco, which secretly I am not looking too forward to, because I know it's going to be so frigging crowded, commercial, and crowded and commercial.  Anyway, don't let that creep in.  It could ruin an awesome thing.  So, we keep heading for the bus, and asking people which way to turn, every time we feel lost, which seems to be every third or fourth block, and low and behold, we end up closer to the train than the bus, even though they are in opposite directions!!  Oops.  Went straight for the jib jab again.

On the train
As is mostly the case, the train is awesome, and only 3.3 Euro.  Nice.  (especially in contrast to the $50 for a taxi to go 4 miles from the airport!)  Again, I digress.  So, we're on the train.  Beautiful, comfortable, and quickly we are on the rocky ledges of the coast, overlooking massive beautiful villas and mansions, and the yachts.  So many yachts.  Huge yachts.  Very huge yachts.  Everywhere.  It's just too too much.  So much excess.  Still, the water is pure blue.  So pretty.  The hills are gorgeous.  The ride total is like 20-30 minutes and immediately we know the day has already been a tremendous success.

Monaco

Monaco is, also beautiful, dramatic hillsides, huge villas, and more yachts.  And race cars.  Not the F1 cars, but for people driving around town.  On every corner- Lamborghini's, Ferrari's, Bentley's, Audi's - that 12 cyclinder one, where you see the engine from the rear window?  Yep.  So many of them.  Lined up, even.  They literally made the super fancy Porsche look second class, not to mention BMW.  So many people.  So much opulence.  So many concessions.  We did not get the $40 (about $60 USD) euro Grand Prix baseball hat.  Or the $75-80 tee shirt.  We looked though!  And we climbed the rock to the high point of the city.  Gorgeous views, but big metal sheets to make sure if you did not pay for a ticket, you do not get to see the race.  Still, we heard them.  Those engine sounds are incredible.  Instant adrenaline rush.  It was a blast.  So we went to a brasserie and watched on television, with the cars racing in the background.  Really an amazing day.

Jib Jab
Too tired to jib jab now, except;

- i swam on the roof top pool- views of the ocean and hillside.

- i ran the esplanade this morning, the strand off the beach.  when is the last time you went for a run and saw 4 Ferrari's in a row.  Seriously, they were everywhere.