asian girl with hat monte carlo summer agirlnamedclara
Travel

Nice Trip: The Mademoiselle of Monte Carlo

When in France, there are many interesting places to visit. This week, let me take you for a short walk in Nice and Monte Carlo.

At the time I’m writing this blog, it’s been more than two weeks since I returned from my summer holiday. But I’m still experiencing post-holiday blues.

I miss them… My travel friends.

The sun, the sea, and the beauty of Nice and Monte Carlo β€οΈπŸ›³οΈπŸŒŠ

Ah, for your information, Nice is in France while Monte Carlo is in Monaco.

Yes, Monaco is another country! And Monte Carlo is the most famous district in Monaco, especially for its casino, private yachts, supercars, and glam life πŸ’Άβœ¨πŸŽ²

From Nice, you can go to Monaco by train. It takes around 30 minutes and costs you around €3.

What a Nice First Night in Nice, Thanks to Wayne’s Bar

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Our train from Avignon to Nice was delayed because there was an error.

So, we and all passengers from the earlier train had to cram with the passengers who booked the ticket for the next train.

It was a really hot day and the AC didn’t work well. Luckily, all of us managed to get a seat!

train from avignon to nice france agirlnamedclara
I thought all of our trains would be like this…
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Got myself a tuna sandwich for lunch. It was nice and less than €3!
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The sweaty and crammed train ride to Nice… what an experience!

Apart from that incident, my first day in Nice ended with a bang thanks to my tour leader, Aaron.

He helped me to find the item that I wanted to buy. Then, at night, he took me and Radha, my travel friend, to a nice bar with a cool live band.

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Thank you, Aaron, for taking this photo πŸ˜„
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Dinner at La Giostra

“All of us had fun and danced on the table last night,” I told Gareth. He didn’t join us.

“Oh, really? Are you sure it wasn’t just you?”, he asked in suspicion.

“Yes, ask Radha! Boys and girls, we all danced on the table,” I smiled at his disbelief.

wayne's bar live band nice france agirlnamedclara

Also read: “Day Trip and Bar Crawling in Tallinn, Estonia”
Also read: “Vitamin Sea in Porto & How Financial Goals Saved Me”

Playing Models in Nice, France

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From left to right: Radha, Gareth, Radha’s mom, me, and Aaron

We started our Nice walking tour in the morning. It was another hot, sunny, summer day in France.

I think I no longer cared if my sunblock really worked. I just wanted to enjoy the moment and took advantage of the nice weather for some photo shoots πŸ˜πŸŒžπŸ“Έ

Nice was nice. Lol… really.

The view was beautiful, I couldn’t help to stop to take some photos. So, again, Gareth and I took turns to be the models and photographers.

asian girl colorful dress smile sea yacht background nice france agirlnamedclara
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man brown long hair sun sea yacht background nice france agirlnamedclara
girl colorful dress walk on street large tree nice france agirlnamedclara
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man brown hair cap look up in alley nice france agirlnamedclara

We had a free time after that before departing to Monte Carlo at 3pm. I blasted the AC of my hotel room and rested for 30 minutes to cool myself down and re-applied my sunblock.

Then, I walked around to find Zara (because it’s the sale season) and grabbed a lunch. It was a looong walk, but I’m grateful that I wanted to find the shop because it led me to some interesting findings.

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Double fillet-o-fish for lunch. I think I sweat off all of the calories πŸ˜‚
#summer #superhot #longwalk
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For example, I didn’t know that a Nice Jazz Festival was being held! Though I didn’t go inside to check it out, I was happy enough with the live entertainment by Aaron Lordson.

God, his. voice. He ROCKED the day!!! For making my day, I won’t hesitate to mention him on my blog.

aaron lordson singer contact nice france agirlnamedclara

Take note, guys, in case you need a great singer when in Nice, France. Perhaps for special occassions, like birthdays, weddings, or proposing to your soulmate? πŸ’

By the way, I know it’s a long post… If you’re still reading up to this point, thank you!

Here’s one of my favourite songs. Click and enjoy it while continue reading the blog 😊

I heard this song from the radio when I was a kid

Also read: “Eiffel… I’m in Love”
Also read: “Exploring Louvre & Angelina Paris on Bastille Day”

The Mademoiselle of Monte Carlo

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Radha, Gareth, and I had a huge expectation about Monaco. But apparently, the glam and bling only existed in Monte Carlo.

From the train station, you could take a bus to Monte Carlo. Prepare €2 or a credit card for the bus ride (one person per card)!

rolls royce in front monte carlo casino agirlnamedclara
Spot the crack, circled in red

Our biggest “whaaat” lied on the huge crack on the casino’s building. Like, it’s one of the main buildings, frequented by tourists.

How come nobody fixed it? It didn’t live up to the glitz, glam, luxurious image of Monte Carlo πŸ˜…

Apart from that, everything was luxurious. You can see many supercars, people dressed in high-end brands, beautiful stores, beautiful sea view, and big yachts…

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Not sure if it’s a gold-plated or 24k gold Rolls Royce 😢
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When I was in Monaco, I just realised that the country’s flag was similar with Indonesian.

Me: “Eh? Why is there an Indonesian flag in Monaco??” 😢

Gareth: (chuckle) “It’s the same colour as the Indonesian flag!” πŸ˜„

When I googled the facts, actually, there are some differences between both flags.

Indonesia’s flag is longer and has brighter shade of red. However, the Monaco’s flags that I came across were identical to Indonesian!

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Let the Indonesian Monaco flag ceremony begins…
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Thank you, Radha, for taking this photo!
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We also visited Saint Nicholas Cathedral aka Monaco Cathedral, where Princess Grace Kelly was buried. It was beautiful. I lit a candle and prayed… I hope He answers my prayers.

By the way, if you like to collect fridge magnets when travelling like me, DO NOT buy fridge magnets at Monte Carlo. Why?

Because I bought one for €7, while I could get the same thing for €1-2 at the shops near the church.

For someone who earns in Ringgit, I could feel the pinch! (€1 = around RM5)

grimbergen beer dark chocolate cake nice france agirlnamedclara
I found my favourite beer!

When travelling, sometimes, I don’t feel hungry much. Maybe because I rushed here and there in Nice, so I had no time to think about having proper, three meals in a day.

Plus, I almost used all of my money and still had two days in Barcelona + needed to book a taxi to the airport. Gosh, I thought I was being lenient enough with my summer 2022 budget, but I was wrong.

Switzerland WAS costly. I was in Switzerland before visitting Avignon, Nice and Monte Carlo. If you’re planning to visit Switzerland AND France, loosen up your budget a bit or you’ll miss the nice things.

Alright, this blog post is the summary of my two days in Nice and Monte Carlo, France. I hope it’s not too long for you. Have a great week ahead! 😊

Also read: “From Montmartre, with Love”
Also read: “It’s Back to Normal But I Feel Tired Easily”

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