Off the Couch and On the Road

Despite the obvious, ‘I am grateful for a roof over my head and food to eat’ basics, nothing makes me happier than a hot, sunny day and beautiful boulevards of shops, parks and cafes by the beach. The soft, yellow sand beach, I should say. Which is why I couldn’t live anywhere else but home.

And Cannes.

Because Cannes is the perfect beachside town and small city combined - Louis Vuitton and Prada overlooking the beach, down the street from gelaterias and cheap shoe stores. There were yachts parked like private school girls lining up for roll call, and families playing ball games on the sand. The soft, yellow sand, I should say.

I loved Cannes. I walked the stretch of coast from one end of the film and arts obsessed town to the other, and made a desicion to bypass an expensive cruise to St Tropez and return to Cannes the following day. After paying on the beach, I discovered the most amazing chocolatier, which displayed homemade french chocolates in all flavour and sizes - and if Australian customs were any less stringent I would have spent a fortune.

But I settled on tasting the fresh hot chocolate, which arrived with two small samples of the chocolates and fresh cream. And I looked skywards into the endless blue and racked my brain to work out a way to stay longer, but I had already booked my flight and accomodation, damn it. And so I had to go.

The trainride home that second afternoon was a somber one. ‘I never wanted to leave,’ I confessed to the girls sitting opposite, nodding my head toward the coastline.

‘Me neither,’ she replied glumly, and we rode back in silence as I prepared myself to say goodbye to France. Until next time, of course.

-Sarah

Monaco, one of the most veautiful and prestigious countries in the world, and the second smallest (the smallest being the Vatican) was in fact a touch more normal than I expected. But still fantastic - a good looking royal family will do that every time (you wait until William’s King, everyone will love the British Monarchy).

As I only had a day in Monaco I made my way up to the Royal Palace first thing to watch the changing of the guard, then through the tiny alleys of the old quarter down to the National Aquarium, built in 1912 by Prince Rainier I to continue his life’s work in marine science and exploration.

Following the aquarium, tired from being pushed around by a million kids wanting to see ‘Nemo’, I took a hlaf-hour mini-train ride tour around Monaco, seeing the famous casino, gardens and city centre. Apparently one of the safest countries in the world, every street is covered in video surveillance and the world reknown police force has one officer for every 15 residents.

The cathedral, just bear the palace and aquarium, had tourists lining up outside the door - mystefying until I realised it was the burial place of Princess Grace Kelly. It was a lovely church, adorned with flowers from fans, and held the tombs of every prince of Monaco scince it’s inception.

A final walk back past all the yacht and Ferrari workshops, and a detour to visit the church of Sainte Devote, built in 304AD, and I arrived back at the station to take the 20 minute train ride back to Nice, wondering whether Price Albert had any hot sons. He does, doesn’t he?

-Sarah

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