Monaco was country #28 that I visited, the last one of my Europe travels. Getting here wasn’t an easy process for me; I flew from Cluj-Napoca to Milan airport, then took a train from Milan Centrale to Ventimiglia. However, there were some problems on the Italian train tracks along the coast, so I had to alight at Albenga and take a shuttle bus to Ventimiglia, arriving at 10pm. This caused me to miss my connecting train to Monaco which departed one hour ago. I did not want to stay out on the streets, so I hitchhiked to the French border town of Menton and caught a night bus to Monaco, arriving around midnight and luckily I had a nice couchsurf host who was waiting up for me. We drank some wine, chatted, took a night tour of the casino before heading to bed.
I was awoken by the bright rays of sunshine streaming into the room the next morning. Who would have expected that it is so sunny and warm even in winter? Yea welcome to the French riviera/ cote d’azur! Me and my new friend, Javiera from Chile, explored Monaco on our own.
This small city state (yes, finally found a country smaller than Singapore!) that is surrounded by France, is a playground for the rich and famous. Come May, swarms of Formula 1 enthusiasts will descend upon Monaco by their luxurious cars, private helicopters or yachts just to catch a glimpse of the race. The are five casinos and numerous sports cars zooming along the streets. Hemmed in on one side by towering limestone cliffs and on the other by two natural harbours, Monaco seems to have been designed in a contest to find the world’s most spectacular yet unmanageable setting. The only directions that this pocket-sized territory can grow are up in the mountains or out to sea.
While Monaco is famous for its casino-generated opulence, there are also spots in the city that are budget-friendly for backpackers like me. From Japanese gardens, changing of the guards ceremony at the Monaco palace to the beach, one can enjoy the sun, sand and sea without any worries in the world. While the beach was a little disappointing because it was filled with gravel and not sand, it was just relaxing to lie there, hear the waves crashing against the shore and enjoy the sea breeze. We also got a chance to enter the casino (free after 2pm) which resembled a grand palace. There were not many gamblers in the general area surprisingly, probably they are throwing big bets in the privates rooms.
It may be small but what it lacks in size, it makes up for it in history, beauty and an exceptional location. Just like Singapore!

along the french riviera

pretty Monaco port

chilling by the beach on a sunny winter day

changing of guards at the Monaco palace

va va vroom