Science, Photography, and Trip Reviews
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French Riviera & Monaco
Tour of Scenic & Historic Sights
French Riviera, Monaco, Eze, & Nice
Mediterranean Sea & Beaches
Cathedrals, Market, & Old Town
Globus, Avalon, & River Cruise
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Yachts docked at Monaco with view towards the Rock. |
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River Cruise Monaco/Nice to Paris
We were on a Globus Avalon small-ship river cruise tour that started in the French Riviera and Monaco, which is explained here, and where we spent one night on the tour. From Monte Carlo we were taken to Arles, France on the Rhone River to board the Avalon Scenery for our seven-night cruise through Southern France. We were headed north in the Rhone River and then the Saone River. For details of our river cruise including shore excursions go to the different regions in the following order: Provence, Rhone Valley and Alps, and Burgundy. From Beaune we were taken by motor coach to Dijon. From there we took a high speed bullet train to Paris, where we spent two nights. From Paris we did an excursion to Versailles. For details of the ship and onboard activities go to Avalon Scenery. Contact Us for more information.
Monaco
Monaco is a very small country that is surrounded by France. It is quite beautiful, and to live here you need to be very wealthy. Property is so expensive it is sold by the square meter (17% more area than a square yard). The picture at the top of the page of docked yachts was taken from the Hotel Fairmont Monte Carlo looking toward the Rock. Monaco is where Princess Grace lived and tragically died. She and Prince Rainier III are interred in a tomb in the Monaco Cathedral. The royal family live on the Rock in the Palais Princier, which dates from the 1200s. Many people go to Monaco to gamble in the Casino Monte-Carlo. The casino is quite attractive and worth seeing even if you do not gamble. But note that You have to pay an admission fee to enter any of the game rooms. Monaco has a highly rated oceanography museum.
Medieval Village of Eze
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Medieval hilltop village of Eze. |
High on a hilltop between Monte-Carlo and Nice is the medieval village of Eze. It stands out when seen from below because you cannot miss the ochre colored church with the bell-clock tower. It is the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, which was built in 1764. The village is known for its ruins of a medieval chateau, gardens, and views of the Mediterranean Sea.
Nice
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Nice on the Mediterranean Sea. |
Nice is very attractive city with many houses built on slopes overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, as seen in the picture above. The Greeks were here in the 4th Century BC. Later the Romans settled here. By the middle ages Nice was an important port. The Old Town of Nice is where you find the narrow streets left over from medieval times. It was fun to explore these old streets.
Cathedrale Ste-Reparate
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The dome of the Cathedrale Ste-Reparate. |
The Cathedrale Ste-Reparate is a cathedral dating from 1650, when construction on the present building began. The interesting dome, shown above, is covered with colorful ceramic tile.
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Nave of the Cathedrale Ste-Reparate. |
The nave of the cathedral, seen above, is quite impressive with gorgeous colors and artwork. There are also ten beautiful chapels, and one is pictured below.
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A chapel in the Cathedrale Ste-Reparate. |
Nice Market
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Market in Nice. |
Not far from Old Town is a very large market where you can buy many vegetables, fruits, and other foods as well as numerous crafts. There were also many presentations of gorgeous flowers. One example is shown below.
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Flowers in the Nice market. |
Pebble Beach
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Pebble beach in Nice. |
The Mediterranean Sea is a short walk from the market. The beach, covered with pebbles, will certainly attract crowds.
River Cruise Monaco/Nice to Paris
We were on a Globus Avalon small-ship river cruise tour that started in the French Riviera and Monaco, which is explained here, and where we spent one night on the tour. From Monte Carlo we were taken to Arles, France on the Rhone River to board the Avalon Scenery for our seven-night cruise through Southern France. We were headed north in the Rhone River and then the Saone River. For details of our river cruise including shore excursions go to the different regions in the following order: Provence, Rhone Valley and Alps, and Burgundy. From Beaune we were taken by motor coach to Dijon. From there we took a high speed bullet train to Paris, where we spent two nights. From Paris we did an excursion to Versailles. For details of the ship and onboard activities go to Avalon Scenery. Contact Us for more information.
Photos by Sunny Breeding. We sell images and prints.
