“Wake up, it’s noon” – “It’s noon!?” – “Well, it’s 11:47am” – “Get out, how is that possible?!” Well that was a bit of an oops and rookie travel mistake (also the first of many things we are blaming on the ample rosé), so we scrambled, got ready and hit the streets of Nice. First stop, random sandwich stand. Might have been the angst of sleeping in, being hungry but that was the best darn sandwich.

After navigating the French train system we arrived in the Principality. Let me tell you watching Rick Steves navigate the train system and actually doing it are two different things, lol. (PS there is no English button and thank goodness for grade 9 French) Monte Carlo – we made it.

The great news about the heat is we aren’t hungry for much more than a salad, and of course a glass of you guessed it, rose! Being tourists in Monte Carlo we did what all tourists do, lunch at Cafe de Paris. The salads were superb, beautiful fresh produce all the colors and flavors that brighten and excite your senses. Next time I would eat inside the restaurant, it was magical in there, taking you back in time.

Of course we wandered into the Grand Casino, marveled at the cars, and wandered part of the Grand Prix route. Let me tell you for those who watch the race, that “slope” they race up towards the Grand Casino – lets just say I would have mutinied if we would have had to walk up it.

Back to Nice for a wonderful dinner at Le bistro Gourmand. Slightly off the beaten path the food was amazing. The French can make an artichoke taste beyond delicious and the duke was indescribable. If they could make it taste like that in the States I’d never eat anything else again!