South of France & French Riviera


Marseille Cathedral

From Barcelona, our ship sailed along the southern coast of France and along the French Riviera, also known as Cote d'Azur.  I really did not know anything about this part of Europe so I was excited to see the cities and towns along this coast.  We also made a stop in Monte Carlo, Monaco.  I had always heard of Monaco and who could forget the story of Princess Grace, an American actress who married the Prince of Monaco (more on that later).


Sete, France

Our first port of call after leaving Spain was Sete, France, which is about 30 km southwest of Montpellier.  It is call the little Venice of Languedoc due to the canals that flow through the city with colorful buildings on either side.  Due to its location and proximity to the sea, it is known for its fresh seafood.








Marseille and Aix-en-Provence

Our second port of call was Marseille, France.  Marseille was a pretty port city.  We did not see much of it as we were there on the third Sunday of October.  Every month on the third Sunday there is a large market that takes place in the center of town, so our tour for the day was changed to Aix-en-Provence.

Sunrise over Marseille


So our morning tour was moved to Aix-en-Provence since the large market was happening in Marseille.  As we pulled into town, there were police vehicles blocking off roads and would not let us pass.  So our very capable bus driver found us another spot to disembark from the bus.  We quickly realized that there was a marathon going on in Aix-en-Provence that morning!  So we had to work our way through the city without getting in the way of the runners, which was a bit difficult, but we cheered on the runners when we crossed paths.


They have such unique doors in Aix-en-Provence.




If you look closely, you can see the lead runners turning just before the fountain.



 






Aix-en-Provence Cathedral - The main entrance today was build in the 17th century and remains attached to the earlier sections seen in the photo below

Aix-en-Provence Cathedral is a multi century building the right of this photo showing the portion that was build in the 11th century, the center portion in the photo built in the 15th century and you can see just a portion of the newest section seen the photo above this one.



In the afternoon, we took the bus through Marseille to the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde which was perched high on the hill overlooking the city.

Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde

Stunning views of Marseille from the Basilica


Old prison on an island off the coast of Marseille


Stunning views of Marseille from the Basilica



View of the Basilica as we pulled out of the port in Marseille



Stunning sunset  as we pulled out of port at Marseille


French Riviera (Cote d'Azur)

As we pulled into port at Monte Carlo we were amazed to see the enormous private yachts in the marina.  You can see the old city of Monaco on the hill in the background of the amazing yachts.


The French Riviera or Cote d'Azur includes several cities, some of the most well known include Monte Carlo, Monaco, Nice, Cannes, and Antibes.  We explored Eze, Nice and Monte Carlo.

Eze 

Eze is a lovely mountain side village built in the middle ages.  It was built high on the mountainside and does not directly face the Mediterranean Sea.  It was thoughtfully built this way as a means of protection, as you can't directly see it from the Mediterranean Sea and was built at elevation so it would be less likely to be attacked and pillaged.   

Eze seen from the mountain side road



View from Eze overlooking the hillside and the Mediterranean.


One of two luxury hotels in the medieval old town of Eze


Old Town Eze


Old Town Eze


Old Town Eze
Old Town Eze

The little village of Eze was so beautiful.  It can become quite crowded in the summer as it is a very small village.  There are 2 luxury hotels present in the old medieval town Chateau Eze and Chateau de la Chèvre d'OR.  You could not see much of either hotel from the public spaces, but they both have the most amazing views!

Nice

Fountaine du Soleil 

Streets of Nice


Opera house in Nice

If you look closely at the lanterns all around the opera house you can see the head of Lady Liberty from the Statue of Liberty that stands in New York City.


Parc de la Colline du Chateau - sits on the hillside above Nice. 


On the hillside overlooking Nice, you can see a fountain and  lush green space.  This is a large park called Parc de la Colline du Chateau or "Castle Hill".  This is a beautiful green space and fountain among the ruins of what once was a castle.   The park is open to the public and overlooks Nice and its beautiful bay.

Beach of Nice composed of stones, not sand.



Monte Carlo, Monaco  

Monaco is a small sovereign state on the Mediterranean bordered by France to the East, North and West.  It is the second smallest sovereign state in the world, the only smaller is Vatican City within the borders of Italy.   Monaco is less than one square mile and is home to approximately 40,000 people.  About one quarter of the population are considered Monegasque nationals and the remaining three quarters are foreigners.   It is currently ruled by Prince Albert II and has been ruled by descendents of the House of Grimaldi since the 13th century.  It has nine administrative wards of which, Monte Carlo is the largest.


Monte Carlo





Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate


Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate


Palace of Monaco



Casino of Monte Carlo

Casino of Monte Carlo - interior Great Hall

Casino of Monte Carlo Ceiling 


Casino of Monte Carlo

The Casino of Monte Carlo is beautiful both inside and out.  It has been featured in many movies including Casino Royale and Golden Eye - James Bond movies, and Ocean's Twelve.  

Opera House of Monte Carlo attached to the Casino of Monte Carlo



Old Town of Monaco at sunset

I promised a little more information about Grace Kelly an American actress who became the Princess of Monaco at the age of 26.  She captured the hearts and attention of the world when she met and married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956.  She was then known as Princess Grace of Monaco.  She lived in Monaco with Prince Rainier and their three children until her death in 1982.  She was killed in a car accident when the car she was driving went over a cliff.  Princess Grace and her daughter Princess Stephanie were injured in the crash.  She had complained of a headache during the drive home and it was later determined that she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage (stroke), which likely was the cause of the accident.  She suffered a second cerebral hemorrhage in the hospital due to the car accident and never regained consciousness.    Her son Prince Albert II is now the ruling Prince after his father Prince Rainier III passed away in 2005.

Monaco is one of the wealthiest principalities in the world and attracts the wealthy due to the fact there is no personal income tax and there is a low business tax.  Due to this reason, it attracts the wealthy from all over the world.  It is a very small and therefore, real estate is very expensive. 

Interesting fact... Monegasque nationals are forbidden from working in or gambling at the Casino of Monte Carlo.  This Casino is intended only for foreigners.

Check back in the coming weeks for articles from...
- Italy including:  Tuscany, Pisa, Pompeii, Mt Etna-Sicily, and
   Polignano A Mare 

- Croatia - Sibenik, Krka Waterfalls and Skradin


@vikingcruises



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