Description: Until I moved to the South of France, my only real frame of reference in terms of Monaco came from two sources: (1) Movies, and (2) Watching Formula One on TV. Therefore, I had two major images in my mind. The first was all the glitz and glamour of the casinos and fast cars that you get from the movies. And, the second was of the harbour and the tunnels taken from the F1 races I used to watch at home when I was a child. It is rare that such images can ever live up to expectations. Thankfully, on my first trip to Monaco, I was able to convert both these images into reality in just a couple of minutes.
I did this by climbing the stairs to the ancient Palais, which sits atop a hill to the west of the port of Monaco. The viewing area of the Palais provides one of the best sights in Europe. You can look down at the the port and across the bay towards the Hotel de Paris and the Casino. The port is a wonderful sight. It is full of expensive super-yachts that shine and glisten in the un The water also reflects the light beautifully up back towards the Palais. The far side of the bay also looked fantasticwith extremely decadent buildings crowning the small hill.
The view from the Palais is magnificent. However, the rest of the Palais grounds themselves are also very nice. The first thing is the actually Palais, which a beautiful white building with ornate featires that is guarded by soldiers in traditional uniforms (complete with funny shoes). Dotted around the courtyard that faces the Palais are several cannon and piles of cannonballs, which go well with the soldiers uniforms in creating a very traditional feel.
Aside from the Palais and its courtyard, the majority of the ground are taken up by a warren of small and ancient streets. These are very nice to stroll around on a Summer afternoon. This is firstly because they are all very nicely built and maintained. And, secondly, because of the overhang on the higher floors, they provide a fantastic amount of shade. The one disappointment in these streets is that the majority of the houses are now taken up by cafes or souvenir stalls - all of which sell the same blend of t-shirts and Formula 1 souvenirs.
The Palais is easy to find as it is situated on a large hill to the west of the port. Admission to the grounds is free, which means the wonderful views cost nothing. It is 19 Euros to take a tour of the Palais itself.
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