Beaulieu, Monaco, April 19, 20

 We were pretty tired after our day in Monte Carlo at tennis and Jane and Norman had a very busy day themselves hiking up very high in Beaulieu.

So, we decided to have a quiet day. We did a lot of chatting and took a few short strolls. We all walked down to the little beach closest to us and later a short walk in the neighborhood. We went to eat at the Vent d'Anges for dinner.

Norman had pizza, Mark had duck and Jane and Barbara had grilled vegetables. Afterwards, we went to their apartment (which is cooler as it has cross breezes) and sat on their deck having decaff cappuccinos and lemon sorbet.
  On the 20th, we had a much busier day.

We got an early start and picked up bus 100 into Monaco, getting off at the Place des Armes. We then caught bus 1 up to the Palace area. As we got there early, we were among the first into the Grimaldi's Palace. It was a pretty good tour with an audio guide that took us through the history and the sumptuous rooms, including the throne room.

    The weather made us feel like we were at the Riviera - blue skies and mid-to-upper 70s. (In fact, we complained a bit about the heat. It has been a rough, late spring at home, so..we shouldn't complain!)

    We had combination tickets to the Palace and to the Aquarium. (19 Euros each) So, we walked to the Aquarium next. Rather than tour immediately, we went to the roof and had a relaxing lunch at the snack bar area in the shade on comfy chairs. We had almost left because the restaurant looked a bit expensive and didn't appeal to us, but a nice Englishman told us about the snack area around the back. Another stroke of luck.

    So, refreshed, we spent the next few hours in the aquarium and a little in the museum. The setting is spectacular high on the cliffs of Monte Carlo and the building is magnificent. It was built of stones from La Turbie. The Museum was inaugurated in 1910 by Prince Albert 1st, a monarch who was a real scientist. Jacques Costeau directed the museum from 1957 - 1988 and we were a bit surprised that there was little mention of Costeau in the museum.
    We enjoyed the fish tanks, marveling at the amazing variety of fish - colors, shapes, sizes etc. Very entertaining. One grouper is named in honor of Grace Kelly. It is polka dotted and chosen because Grace Kelly's wore polka dot dress in an unnamed Hitchcock movie.

     We decided to walk back down into Monte Carlo as it was a short walk and all downhill. The view afforded us a good look at the stadium seating that has been put up in preparation for the Grand Prix.
      From there - back on Bus 100 and our last evening in Beaulieu-sur-Mer. One last baguette, one last pate and one last trip to the SuperU with Jane and Norman.
       This has been a good 2 weeks, especially once the rain stopped.