Monaco - City? Country? Prinicipality? Try all three.

Tucked away in a small corner of the French Riviera is the beautiful country of Monaco. Words cannot do this glamorous, little country justice - but we are sure going to try.

Our day began bright and early with morning breakfast at the College. We then boarded a charter bus (one of those awful Star Liners you see inundating the 110!)and were off for an hour drive East. The ride gave us an opportunity to see the outskirts of Cannes and our first view of the French Alps - covered in snow, of course! We arrived in Monaco at mid-morning and were happy to learn that pick-pockets do not operate in this country. What a relief! Seriously (they seem to be just about everywhere else!)

Monaco is comprised of five different areas and our first stop was the Princes Palais. Here we found the church where Princess Grace (Grace Kelly) married Prince Ranier, as well as the famous palace. Here we spotted some gentleman who we found extremely attractive based on the possibility that they may or may not be royalty! (We liked to think they were!) We ate the sack lunches provided by the College staff on a beautiful cliff, overlooking the bay and Monaco's famous yachts. Marissa MARVELED at the applesauce that were in the lunches - they were in Capri Sun-esque packets that you had to squeeze.

The changing of the guard occurred at noon which has slightly less pomp and circumstance than Buckingham Palace, but is fun to watch nonetheless. The real stars of the show were the giant seagulls that paraded through the crowd looking for food. Poor things - Monaco is one of the cleanest cities we've ever seen. The place is immaculate! After the changing of the guard we spent some time in the marvelous Musee Oceanographique. The interior is like being in a palace - but one filled with aquariums, whale teeth (balene) and submarines.

After the museum- our personal favorite, a trip to Monaco's famous Monte Carlo casino. Most of the AIFS students only gawked at the beautiful building from the outside and central lobby, but we brave few paid the 10 euro admission fee to go where the real action is - the casino floor! The experience was totally exhilarating. After some cautious play in the slots room - we went for big money at the roulette table. Big money for traveling college students is about 5 euro, for the other impeccably dressed individuals at our table - their minimum bets were 1,500 euro. C'est la vie!

With souvenir chips in hand we boarded the bus for a short ride to Eze. Eze is a small medieval village perched on the top of a hill. Overlooking the ocean, the climb to the villages ancient ruins is an exhausting one. On the way, up you get to see little arts and crafts boutiques tucked behind the stone walls of this quaint French village. Once at the top of the ville, we were provided another breathtaking view - the sun setting on the Mediterranean.

Back at school we were able to reflect on a truly magnificent day. Neither of us had experienced beauty like we found in Monaco and will cherish the memory forever. On our travels, it would be easy to be overwhelmed by the sights, sounds and experiences that are being presented to us; however, we constantly remember to give thanks for everything that has enabled us to be here. We are truly grateful for all that we have seen so far!


Sending you love from across the globe --
MoffTar