Day 68 Grande Corniche and Monaco

This was a bigger day than expected. Our intention had been to do the Grande Corniche - the high road of one of three routes from Nice to Monaco, and then see Menton at the other end. Like a few of our joint plans, it didn't quite unfold that way. After getting to Nice we had a few unintentional detours before getting on the D2564 that was the Grande Corniche, or scenic high road. The high point literally and figuratively was La Revere, an impregnable fortress on the highest hilltop overlooking the coast. The vistas there were just splendid, marred a little by the smoke from someone's burning off. We cannot comprehend this antideluvian attitude to air pollution, which seems to be prevalent here. We have seen this mar the clean air every day in the Vence area.

Nearing the end of the Corniche we were determined to have our picnic at Cap Martin in Menton. After a detour to a carpark on the east side we found a dog-free park (actually an old olive grove with ancient olive trees) in which to have lunch in benches in the shade - very pleasant indeed, even if there was not the desired view. This coastal area, the Côte d'Azur has just stunning scenery. After lunch we decided to split up - B wanted to walk to Monte Carlo / Monaco (I had never been clear on the difference), while I escorted J & H to the same area by car. We had been warned by Shirley the landlady's notes that parking was "murder" in the principality and this proved to be correct. We first tried the car park at the casino, but after waiting five minutes to enter, a warder glanced at the number plate and discerning that it was foreign (i.e. non-Monaguesque) he waved me off saying it was full. We eventually found a car park in the port area.

We walked back up to the casino and had refreshments there in the Café du Paris (since 1868). The service was slow and the refreshments expensive, as one might expect, but they were necessary because of the warm day. They must do a killing in mid-summer. Along the walk up I discerned (later verified) preparations for the F1 Grand Prix and the layout of the port area suddenly because familiar from the TV coverage (think Murray Walker) of past F1 events. I was struck by the insanity of F1 speeds on these streets.

Prior to our rendezvous with B we ascended the long ramp to the Grimaldi palace and square on the heights. A fabulous location for sure, with magnificent views to the hills behind the town - this really is a small place!

We caught up with B at the appointed hour after I had taken in the cathedral  - very nice galleries and plenty of unremarkable stained glass. The cupola over the altar seemed Romanesque. We retraced our steps to the car park and B reprovisioned at a Casino supermarket. The intended drive back to Vence via the A8 was ruined by the unexpected closure of the connection to said road at Monaco for reasons of bouyon. This meant we had to return via the RN (route national), actually the Moyen Corniche. This soon became a car park, all the way to Nice, some 17 Km. Progress through Nice was almost equally slow. It took us almost an hour and a half for what should have been a half hour journey. Surprisingly, it was quite stress-free.