Monaco and Southern France

Saturday the ship arrived at Monaco. We took an extensive tour, first to Nice. There we decided to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art, which had exceptional exhibits of Calder and the French sculptor Niki de Sainte Phalle. Then we rejoined our group on the bus which drove to Eze village, high up in the mountains. We had a wonderful lunch at a restaurant, Le Pinocchio. They first served a true salade Nicoise, followed by a fricassee chicken in a white cream sauce with roasted potatoes and veggies. Jim had a pasta dish, since as a Vegetarian he did not want to eat chicken. All of this was washed down with a bottle of rose and a bottle of red wine, both from Provence. We chatted at lunch with a therapist from Fort Lauderdale. Best of all at lunch was the dessert, our favorite: the chocolat au fondant, a small chocolate cake with a molten, warm chocolate interior. Then the bus drove back to Monte Carlo, again in Monaco. We saw the church where Princess Grace was married and is now buried. We also visited the Royal Palace where she lived with Prince Ranier. Then we took a tender back to the ship for some relaxation in the afternoon, before dinner. Tonight we are looking forward to a fireworks competition the harbor.-Dan