Monte Carlo, Monaco 
May 9, 2011
..... 5/9
Well, we made it to Monaco. 


The drive from Lake Como to Monte Carlo only took a little over 4 hours - and Tom did another fine job driving....this time without GPS once we left Italy.  It seems the rental car's GPS only had maps loaded for Italy - which Tom only discovered when he was programming our Monte Carlo hotel.  So, wish us luck again tomorrow when we venture to Cannes and Nice, before we head to Milan for our final night - before our flight on Wednesday for home.

The drive was very pretty with lots of lush green hills and mountains - AND LOTS of tunnels....too many to count.  But, it was easier to go through the hills/mountains than up and over them!!

Our hotel overlooks the harbor with lots of beautiful ships and yachts.  In the distance we face the Palace where Grace Kelly & Prince Rainier lived - and now their son, Albert II lives as His Royal Highness.





As we began walking around Monte Carlo, we saw a lot of activity and discovered they are preparing for the Grand Prix of Monaco which will occur at the end of this month.  So, ONCE AGAIN we planned our visit perfectly…to be gone before this major event (just like the Royal Wedding in London, and the Pope’s visit to Venice). 

We took a tour of Monte Carlo and saw a number of sites including the Palace, the Casino, some beautiful architecture and charming streets, and lovely gardens.  Speaking of the Casino – no, Tom did not win enough to buy the red Ferrari that he is standing next to in the photo.  In fact, he told me that we were running out of money, so look at the restaurant he booked for our dinner tonight!













Actually we had dinner on a rooftop restaurant overlooking the harbor with the Palace in the distance (just like the view from our hotel room) as the sun set on another beautiful day.




Tomorrow we drive to Cannes and Nice, and then back to Milan for our final night, before we board a flight on Wednesday morning to return home. 

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