Monte Carlo or bust!

The start of my day was like most... woke up, talked to Mau, got ready, then left my room.

I rented my bike for 24 hours so I locked it up in a rack nearby. I was relieved it hadn't been stolen through the night. I happily took the bike over to the shop down the street and when I returned it, I was happy to know I rented without incident. Spoke too soon of course. I didn't realize that the bike seat was gone! Some asshole had stolen it through the night and I had to pay 25Euro to replace it. At least it was cheaper than if the bike had been stolen...

Foul start to my day... but I continued as planned and trekked on through.

I decided to spend the day in Monte Carlo, Monaco; just 20mins away. I hopped on the train and got there in no time. The view was amazing... I could see the ocean view along with small towns facing it. The water was incredibly blue and I could imagine sea life thriving there in such serene areas.

As soon as I got off the train... I was in search of a map or a tourist office. Surely they would have one at the station, considering that's where people arrive. But of course that would be too practical...

I wandered along the streets, not sure where to go. I saw a beautiful piece of architecture high above me nearby. I decided that would be a good place to go. I found out it was the Palace of the Prince of Monaco, whom actually still resides there today.

The view from the castle took my breath away. I had never seen an ocean view like that one. You could see the entire area of Monaco, which is pretty much a city on a hill. Well several hills... which I soon found out would be extremely hard to navigate.

I walked along the huge palace surroundings which is about 2km wide. Amazing gardens with 18th century architecture. I love old places... especially ones of luxury like castles. This one was of no exception. I could sit there for days, watching the seagulls fly above the deep blue ocean as they welcomed private yachts from other shores. We were so high up that the birds barely flew above my head, nestling in the trees nearby. There was also a bustling city beneath me, full of life and ready for exploring.

After 2 hours up on a gorgeous castle on a hill (and yes Sonia my prince charming is back home... lol); I walked down to see what else Monte Carlo had to offer. I soon realized that I would be getting no where fast. The entire city is built on hills, so there was no simple way to get anywhere. You could see a block or two in front of you- down the hill, but to get there would not be an easy task. The city was basically a maze of streets, with hidden corners and sidewalks that could take you underground.

I came to Europe to be adventurous, so now was a good time to start. I found a local bus stop and hopped on, hoping it would take me somewhere interesting. Good call, because I somehow found the tourist office! I got the map I had been looking for. I saw a sign that said Monte Carlo Beach, that sounded pretty relaxing, so I opted for that. The lady at the tourist office showed me on the map the "easiest" way to get there. "Easy enough," I thought. I was completely wrong.

I walked the way the lady had told me to... to Place de Moulins. "Take the lift," she said. What lift? And where? I couldn't find it anywhere. After walking back and forth for 15 mins, I found it... it was hidden on the side and was basically the parking lot elevator. "Sweet," I thought... on my way for sure. Nope. I got to the end of the lift and thought, "Okay, now I just have to walk it." I mean I could see the ocean, it was in front of me. If I could walk straight ahead and cross streets like in L.A., I would have been there in 2 mins. After walking down the hill and walking in zigzags for 20mins... I was lost. Now what? I looked over my map again, and realized I needed to take another lift! So I made my way back up the hill. I was certain I wouldn't find it... but amazingly I did. I took that lift down, got off and knew I was closer. I could see the ocean close to my eye level. I could smell it... but now what? I still couldn't see a clear path to it. I found a random tunnel that led down below. Hesitantly I followed it. After a few wrong turns to the left, then back to the right, then back to the left again... I somehow found myself really close to the beach! I could see a path! I had made it! It only took me 2 hours to figure out how to get there! But nevertheless it was my accomplishment for the day! I had to stay and chill, reap the benefits of my hard work.

After an hour, I headed back. I didn't want to walk back up since my feet were killing me. I found a bus stop and luckily it was the same number from before. Good ol' #6! I could've taken the bus down to the beach all along! It took 8mins to get back to the place I had started! Oh well at least it was an adventure.

I hung out for a little bit longer, exploring the expensive shops inside their decadent and extremely outlandish malls, with expensive chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. That's when I realized how extremely rich this area was.

The entire city was clean and beautiful. Expensive shops, expensive cars, amazing apartments with amazing views. I think you'd have to be a royal emperor or something to live here... or an heiress like the Hiltons. I'm just a simple girl from L.A... definitely not my neck of the woods.

Overall Monaco is a beautiful city. Come visit, it will be worth it... but one day is all you really need to see it. It's small but gorgeous... still a sight worth seeing. But don't expect a crazy hip scene, go elsewhere for that.

Monte Carlo or bust? Definitely not a bust.