Monaco

Just a short drive or train ride from Nice, the Principality of Monaco is another great place to wander, particularly Monaco City (Monaco-Ville), the historic old town city on a bluff extending into the Mediterranean.  Monaco City is the south-central ward of the Principality of of Monaco and contains the Prince's Palace, Saint Nicholas Cathedral, the Oceanographic Museum, gardens, chapels, and residences on narrow streets packed with tourists.

 View of the port from Monaco City

Descending from Monaco City, it's a short wander to Monte Carlo, the administrative region that contains the famous complex with the Casino, the Opéra de Monte Carlo, and Les Ballets de Monte Carlo.  Outside the Casino, are, pre-race, parked cars that will compete in the upcoming Grand Prix.

 

Grand Prix soon

Walking away from the Mediterranean, the streets and paths from the Casino lead up hilly, narrow ways winding around the modern city.

Up the hill in Monte Carlo, Monaco City across the harbor

There are stairs everywhere that provide steep shortcuts between the streets for those of us on foot.  Monaco is a great walking city and a fabulous day trip from Nice.

Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters

The Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters is part of the tennis tour, played in April on clay courts at the Monte-Carlo Country Club in Roquebrune Cap Martin, France, next to Monaco. The Monte Carlo tournament was first held in 1897 and became part of the "Open" events in 1969.   This is the first major European tennis tournament in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Wold Tour Masters 1000

In 2015, Novak Djokovic was the winner and in 2016, Rafael Nadal, the 9th time he has won this title.

We stay in Nice and Laura and Jennifer take the TER regional train from Nice to the Monte-Carlo Country Club station, between Monaco and Roquebrune Cap Martin.  The TER drops them 600 meters from the entrance and only stops at this station during the tournament.  Walking to the station in Nice, we see a steady stream of players and spectators heading the same way.

The venue is intimate and the spectators are close to the action, with spectacular panoramic views of the Mediterranean.

The TER arrives

And stops right at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters

 Nestled between the hills and the sea in Roquebrune Cap Martin

                     Monfils                                    Rafael Nadal                  Good view of Nadal

                         Isner on the practice court                        Practice courts

                                         Tsonga                                               Nadal

  Practice courts are right on the Mediterranean

Match Play!  Great competition in the best venue!  And, if you can take a break and look away from the tennis, the Mediterranean is in the background

 The stands are small for an intimate experience

For lunch, a very civilized baguette sandwich and glass(es) of champagne.

 Lunch at the tournament

After a day of great tennis, it's back on the TER and a quick return trip to Nice.

We have dinner in Nice and pick up our luggage and head to the airport.  Our tennis doesn't end at the tournament.  At the EasyJet check-in line, we watch a player who lost to Djokovic (Laura and Jennifer's last match before heading back to Nice) try to change his ticket home (apparently leaving earlier than he thought) and negotiate the fees.   We feel bad for him, to be ousted and then have to pay more, but EasyJet is not as sympathetic.  A half hour later, we're checked in and heading to security, he's still discussing it with them (negotiations continue).