We All Live In A Yellow Submarine

My morning started a bit earlier than usual at 7:30am to prepare for an exciting Mediterranean adventure. With another tasty breakfast of granola and milk, I left 15 minutes later than planned. Not only would I have to run to arrive on time, but I still had to stop and get money to pay for my excursion. I was hoping there would be an ATM in sight when I got off the tram. I got off at Place Garibaldi/The Port and much to my delight I walked right into an ATM. I whipped out my map and navigated my way to the east side of the port/marina. Supposedly the business had "Nice Diving" out front in large blue letters. Dodging cars and crossing streets, it finally appeared on my left. Inside I greeted the swarming helpers and handed over my voucher as I apologized for being late (fortunately it was only 5 minutes).

They sized me up for a wet suit and sent me out to the boat. Made it just in time to go scuba diving off the coast of Nice!

We sat on the boat for a good 20 minutes while the other 15 people prepared their gear for diving. I waited somewhat impatiently all geared up from running and anxious to start my adventure. One of the women who was leading the dives took me up front on the boat, helped me pick out fins and a mask, and gave me a quick run through on diving basics. She told me about the mask and two things I needed to remember for a successful dive: 1. Push in-between your eyes and blow air out your nose if you get water in your mask. 2. Pinch your nose and blow air out your ears to pop them as you descend. Seemed pretty straight forward.

When we reached the diving spot, everyone else on the boat suited up. After a few helpful tips on how to wear a wet suit, I took my time getting dressed. The lady had said something about being the last one on the boat so I gathered I wasn't going anywhere fast. It wasn't until the last two guys left the boat that one of the instructors informed me that I was to wait for Erik with the beard to return before I went back out. Thus began what I think was probably a 1/2 hour wait on a very rocky boat, in the hot sun and a black wet suit. I've never had trouble being on boats, but I hadn't anticipated such large waves for such a continuous time (about an hour since people started leaving the boat). I also didn't want to drink any more water because I already sort of had to go to the bathroom and it's a bit difficult to move around in a tight wet suit with fins on. My guess is a mixture of
heatstroke and seasickness set in and made me rather nauseous. I spent a good 15 minutes just lounging on the bench until Erik and the divers returned.
[mine is the yellow striped one]
Once I hit the cold water--aaaahhhh. All was better. Erik suited me up in a diving vest with a tank on it, tightened my mask and adjusted my air. Off to diving! What a view! Down below in the blue green water was rocky coral coastline with all sorts of ocean vegetation and life. We floated over grasses, seaweed looking plants in pinks, creams and greens, sea urchins, and schools of fish. I even got to hold an octopus that was about a foot long. It was surprisingly soft and fuzzy. The 20 minute dive was just the right amount of time to acclimatize, enjoy and get tired.

Back on the boat I had to peel the suit off of me and try to dry off as quick as I could. It was suddenly much colder in the breeze now that I'd been in such cold water. I was most grateful for the free beach towel from the hostel. We had a selection of juice and wine on the way back to the dock. What a wonderful time!

Quite calm and relaxed, I decided the best move was to grab some lunch and hit the beach for some sun and to make the most of my makeshift swimsuit. I wandered through Old Town where I found a chicken club baguette (lettuce, tomatoes and mayo) and a couple oranges. It's a rather long walk to the beach area, but it was pleasantly sunny. I plopped down on the rocky beach and settled in for a relaxing afternoon. A short hour later I was delightfully more tan and pleasantly full. Enough outdoor time for the day, so I headed to the hostel to get a shower and decrustify my hair from the salt water. Hot water never felt so good!

Dinner was another tasty meal with the ladies Louise and Michelle. Tonight's fare was barbecued pork ribs with potato salad and a green salad. The ribs too effort to eat as the meat was a bit tough, but sometimes you just need BBQ sauce.

Royalty, Racing and Cacti

There's not a ton of sights to see directly in Nice. Thanks to inexpensive public transit, it's easy to see a wide variety of places. When in France, why not go to Monaco? If nothing else, a sighting of the casino is worth the E1 trip there. The bus ride was easy going though full with the train strike in effect. I arrived at the casino stop to lovely manicured lawns and a pleasant park. A short stroll down the hillside and bang! There's the casino in all its splendor. Fountains surrounded by tightly packed tulips in full bloom line the hillside along the path down to the main casino and gardens in-between of exotic flowers fill the open space. High end shops along the street remind you that you are in a lavish place in case you missed the darkly tinted car windows on the Rolls Royce or the Porsche you just passed. Everywhere you go in Monaco the streets and buildings feel light, clean and full of history. Even the underground walking tunnels are sleek stone and brightly lit.

I longed for a map of the province. My Lonely Planet guidebook is rather ungainly when you are trying to walk, see the sights and blend in a bit to not be the obvious tourist. I planned to head N from the casino and then to the W where there was a lovely Jardin Exotique. I made my way uphill where street signs were scarce and nothing matched with my book when I consulted it. After about a half hour of wandering, I finally located a street in my book. Somehow I had wandered out of Monaco and into Beausoleil--noticeably marked by the change in scenery and the more modest housing. I headed back downhill and followed a main road W until I happened upon the train station. A map of the local bus routes was out front which helped me navigate to the garden. Basically I followed the bus route until I saw signs for the garden. Check out their website: http://www.jardin-exotique.mc/

The views and the plants were well worth the trip. Inside are terraces filled with cacti and succulents--in the corner of France! The garden was started by Albert I in 1902 and later Prince Grace Kelly encouraged it's care. During building a cave was discovered at the bottom of the garden which Prince Albert insisted be opened to the public. In 1955, a Prehistoric Anthropology Museum was added which included some of the human and animal finds from the cave. The garden was delightfully peaceful and an excellent way to unwind after spending an hour wandering aimlessly and hiking uphill to the garden. Word to the wise...take the bus there. The cave was a nice aside at a sultry and humid 18.65C. I've seen many before, but none in France and none with a tour given in French.

Having spotted stairs heading toward the palace area on the way to the garden, I was one step ahead for my descent. I actually did one better by taking the elevator down a couple levels to the road I wanted to be on. Surprisingly I ended up in the middle of a park on the hillside. I walked back past the elevator and was in a parking garage. Fortuitously though below the parking floor listings was a stack of city maps! If only I had known to come here 3 hours ago! Navigating to the palace as a cake walk now. I easily made my way down 12 stories in the elevator to the road and another 3 sets of lengthy stairs to the palace.

Situated on a peninsula overlooking the Mediterranean and up a steep rampway winding back and forth is the Monaco Palace. The royal family of Albert II currently resides there who shares the space with about 250 some skilled caretakers divided into groups such as masonry, groundskeeping and cooking. Apparently a palace requires significant support. I circled the old walled fortress which has been modified repeatedly since its inception. What is visible today has not changed much since the 17th century. I paused at the Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium which catalogued a great deal of marine history from the 1800s during Albert I's reign. He was eager to learn about ocean life and commissioned trips by Dr. __ (I can't remember his name nor can I find it online) on the Princess Alice II to study, preserve and explore the seas. Later on he founded the present museum. I must say it's quite strange to see a squid or a fish preserved in a jar of chemicals from 1859. The displays of the tools and equipment they used was very informative. Much of their gear was designed by the exploration team to fit the exact needs they had. Weather indicators, harpoons, preservation processes, nets and the like were all finely tuned to the study. The Aquarium downstairs was equally impressive. Colorful and more bland species of fish floated and sped effortlessly through tanks of water. The only lighting on this level was blue lights which gave the feeling you were in a submarine.

A short walk down the road from the museum takes you right to the palace. I was eager to check out the tour to learn more about the royalty of Monaco. Turns out they give you an audio guide as part of the tour price (not usually the case) and you can see 14 rooms in the palace. My personal favorite was the last one where it says you are in the grand hall and the tour is over but the room is about 6'x6'. Now that's what I call "grand." There was a screen up, so it could have been larger. No, the best room was probably the Throne Room. I saw the actual throne for coronations and there are great portraits of the royal family many generations back. The best was the stunning one of Prince Ranier III with wife Grace Kelly and their two daughters Stephanie and Caroline and son Albert II. I was even greeted by the current Prince Albert II on the audio guide. Next door and included in the palace tour was the Napoleon Museum. Bits of random memorabilia from Napoleon's life. Like the cradle he gave to his adopted daughter or the booties and gown he wore as a kid. The best piece was a letter written by Louis XII in his own hand conceding the land of Monaco as its own principality.

After a busy day wandering the land of Monaco, a good rest at the hostel was in order. Dinner was two enormous slices of turkey with some kind of wine reduction brown sauce (tasted great), a side salad and rice with sun-dried tomatoes and herbs. Filling and a wide range of flavors.

Old Town

This morning was moving day to a different hostel. This one promises to be far better than yesterday's as it was rated number one in 2009. It's nice to already know a bit about the city and the transit system. I called the toll free number for the hostel and got the low down on how to get there. All I had to do was take the E1 tram to the Comte de Falicon stop and the hostel shuttle would pick me up. Everything went as planned. I checked in, but the rooms hadn't been cleaned yet since it was before the 10am checkout. I put all my things in the storage room and enjoyed the free breakfast with 12 kinds of cereal--or muselix as they call it. Nothing like a bowl of granola and milk. I haven't had milk since the US!

So I wouldn't lose a day of discovery time, I went down to Old Town in the SE corner of Nice and sampled the flower and food market. What a wonderful array of sights, sounds, smells and colors. Bunches of fresh flowers and baskets of peppers filled tables. You could purchase flavored olives or bulk spices. It's ridiculous how great these markets are. I'm incredibly jealous of the fresh and local food people in Europe have. The rest of Old Town is filled with small shops, restaurants and touristy goods. The charm of the old buildings and sea views is quite lovely though. I made my way to the far E side and started to climb Chateau Hill to the large park on top. An old fort used to reside there. On my way up a huge cannon blast went off. Perhaps they do renactments?? After that sirens sounded ear piercingly at varying times for quite a while. The hill is terraced into different levels as the path winds up to the top. I happened across a huge waterfall first and then the lookout over top of it. There are no remains of the fort, but the quiet and the green space was excellent.

For the afternoon I decided to take a side trip to St. Paul de Vence. Just an hour bus ride to the NW of Nice is a tiny medieval walled village. Filled with the typical small shops and quiet side streets, I wandered around enjoying the sweeping views of the surrounding countryside. I was tempted to buy some deliciously scented soaps, but have been trying not to accrue more weighty souvenirs. I did find some lovely handmade paper cards with real flowers pressed into them. It was nice to be in a quiet town away from cars darting by you and motorcycles cutting in front of you on the sidewalk.

I'm excited that the hostel offers a cheap but filling and nutritious dinner each night. It's far enough from the restaurants in town that you have to make an effort to go out and that can get expensive quick. Tonight's meal was a fish fillet in cream sauce with shrimp and scallops with tagliatelli pasta and a side salad. Nothing like a good meal after a long day of sightseeing. I also met two ladies tonight who are friendly--Louise from Melbourne and Michelle from New Zealand (working in the UK). We had some lively conversation tonight and hopefully more to come in the time I'm here.

Grazie to Merci

Today was a travel day from Riomaggiore, Italy to Nice, France. The long journey of 5 hours began around 9am and finished close to 4pm. Fortunately on my way out of town I ran into Mu and Hannah both of whom I met in Napoli and hiked Mt. Vesuio with. They had arrived yesterday, stayed in the same hostel as me, but in 3 different buildings our paths didn't cross. It was great to catch up with them before taking the train to Genova and then Ventimiglia: the last town before the Italy/France border. From there I would catch a more local train to Nice.

It was a smooth trip to Genova and I was able to get some quality reading done in my Jane Austen book. Pride and Prejudice down, Mansfield Park up next. I met another traveler from Minnesota about my age heading to Lake Como. Having a 45 minute wait for the next part of my journey I snagged a salami sandwich and chowed down on some olive crackers and these tasty wheat cookies I found in Riomaggiore. Made for a good lunch.

The trip to Ventimiglia was slow as this is one of the only trains that passes through many of hte smaller towns on the way toward France. We hit every stop and sometimes sat there for 20 minutes. You could tell when we were close to France. The architecture changed from the straight forward Italian to more embellished paintings around windows and cornices. Windows took a narrower and taller shape. House colors faded out a bit from the Italian brights.

It's strange transitioning from one country to another. Gearing up for a new language by learning new phrases and numbers starts to tax your brain. You gain a new perspective on the country you were just in by encountering a new culture. Italians are passionate and easily spurred to emotional responses from what I've witnessed. Their language flows together, but is easy to distinguish words. People speak relatively slow unless agitated or upset.

Sentences and syllables are drawn out for emphasis. Whenever public transit has arrived they move forward in a mob as if that will somehow help everyone getting on or improve their chance at getting a seat. There's usually one person (often elderly) who will stand right in front of the door to be first. Often there is a conversation with a nearby person about how they are somehow entitled to get in before anyone else.

The usual anxieties of making sure you detrain at the right stop accompanied my travel. All went well and I arrived in Nizza (Italian) or Nice (French). The hostel was literally down the street and around the corner from the train station. I was glad I didn't have to drag my bags around or try to figure out how to use the transit system just yet. With all my gear settled, I went out to find some dinner at a restaurant my guidebook suggested. La Table
Alziari in Old Town is a citrusy colorful place with really good food. I sampled the fried goat cheese salad (slice of goat cheese on a piece of thick bread grilled together) and a stew with carrots and mushrooms over pasta. I think the meat was lamb since the menu didn't mention boeuf (beef--learned this one from Julie and Julia). What a tasty meal! The stew was rich and meaty and the salad was light and pungent. It was a long walk to get here (about a half hour), but definitely worth it!