Nice - Monday 14 August

We had a wonderful day today with our tour guide, Ingrid (of Kultours). Ingrid is a Rick Steves recommended guide and is also top-rating on Trip Advisor. I had booked her months ago as our guide for two full days.

Ingrid picked us up at 8:30am in her very comfortable and air conditioned Mercedes 6-seater van, and off we went for a very relaxed-paced, informative day. The focus area of today's tour was in the areas to the east of Nice.

We visited places all along the coast and back into the hills, stopping along the way to see spectacular views and take photos. We started with beautiful views over Nice itself, and then made our way to Eze-Le-Village before the crowds arrived. Ingrid was incredibly considerate of my knee and took the more gradual but also less crowded route up into this 'crow's nest village'. She was greeted with 'bonjour' and a hug by numerous people she knew there along the way. She took us along the more interesting side routes, telling us some of the history of this amazing village, built high on a rocky outcrop to avoid the pirates. There are only 33 residents here now, and some craftsmen, and most of the village now consists of two hotels, with rooms scattered individually around the steep and cobbled lanes, not all connected. A tough job for the person doing room service! She was allowed to take us into one hotel's bar area, and we also came upon a hotel baker who was making pain au chocolat and who gave us each a bit of the chocolate. We stopped for a coffee in another tiny bar and enjoyed relaxing in the shade there. I then waited there while Ingrid escorted the others (apparently steep and difficult steps for me) up into the Jardin d'Eze for spectacular 360 degree views over the sea. They also saw planes flying directly overhead and dipping down into the sea to scoop up water into the plane itself, and then take it back to fight a fire further back in the hills.



We then continued inland along some steep and narrow roads to a spot near Turbie for a spectacular viewpoint looking down across Monaco, then to see the ancient Roman Le Trophee des Alpes (this road was originally built by the Romans).



We then continued along the road, marvelling at the steep rocky outcrops, towards Sainte-Agnes (for lunch at a restaurant with spectacular views down to the coastline below).






After a lovely lunch (including ham, prosciutto and cheeses for me, lovely salmon for David) we walked back to the car past a big concrete bunker area, built as part of the Maginot Line. We then continued down to the coast again; through Menton, across the back of Monaco, and then towards Nice, coming through Beaulieu-sur-Le-Mer. We stopped at for a tour of the amazing Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and gardens in Villefranche. Ingrid was allowed to park inside the gates of the villa to save a longer walk in the heat. She then escorted us on a tour through the house and around the gardens. It was beautiful and interesting but also very hot (29C) and we were all beginning to wilt and need more water. Finally we were driven back around the port of Nice and onto the promenade area that was heaving with traffic and people on the beach (we've struck a holiday weekend extending to Tuesday).



We all freshened up with showers and then headed out to find an outdoor table at a bar, trying to avoid smokers (almost impossible). We certainly weren't hungry, but appreciated the chance to sit and relax with cool drinks. It had been an excellent day!

Monaco - Friday 11 October

It was great to find out that another ship had cancelled their berth, and so the Ruby Princess was able to dock in Monaco, rather than use tenders to get passengers to shore. This took a lot of stress off the need to get back to the ship one load at a time.

As we headed for breakfast, an urgent announcement came over the speakers, interrupting the message being given at the time - a 'code one message' calling for staff to go immediately to Caribe 509. Obviously some sort of medical emergency for some poor traveller (actually, we found out in the evening that it was a heart attack). I would have to say that this cruise comprises mainly people over the age of 60, and the balance is probably tipped more towards the over 70s - quite different than our 2009 cruise on the Crown Princess. Also, Jan says that we're pretty much the only ones she's met on board who aren't on our second or third cruise this year!

It was lovely watching the sunrise over the ocean while we had breakfast (it was no doubt a lot warmer than when Ross and Liz last watched their special sunrise). We walked off the ship at 8:20 am, knowing nothing would be open but that there'd be plenty to see. I had read up on the best ways to get up to the Old Town and other key sights on 'The Rock', without needing to do a steep climb or use stairs - elevators and escalators are provided all over the city, to make moving around easier.

We enjoyed revisiting the gardens at the top, and wandering around the narrow streets of the Old Town. It was good to get into the square in front of the Palais, and see the views from all sides there, before it got too crowded.

We went back to the Cathedral, where Princess Grace was married, and she and Prince Rainier are now buried.

By 10 am we were ready to use the discount vouchers we'd picked up in a tourist booklet and go into the Oceanographic Museum. This was set up in the early 1900s by Albert I, and the renowned Jacques Cousteau was a dIrector for many years. We both found it absolutely amazing, and were so glad we had gone in. It had the best displays we had ever seen in an aquarium. We spent a couple of hours there and then headed slowly and carefully back towards the ship because my knee wasn't coping.

My legs are starting to 'give up the ghost', my ankle is getting quite swollen when I'm on my feet for a few hours (the one I broke about 3 years ago), and an area a couple of inches below my right knee is finally flaring up and catches badly. When it gives out I'm not sure I'll be able to walk.

After lunch I got lots of photos of Monaco from up on the deck, then we enjoyed sail-away with the spectacular views. Then we headed back to our cabin and began packing..... After a while we had a break in the bar and the Barrows joined us and we compared notes from our day, and looked ahead to disembarkation in Barcelona tomorrow.

We had our last dinner on the ship, and farewelled the team who had served us so well. We sat beside two women from Philadelphia, and they were interesting - one works in 'Wealth Management' and we had a good chat about politics.

We attended our final Show, first featuring a Comedian, and then singer, Paul Stone. We had a few final laughs thanks to our Cruise Director, and then headed to bed. Everyone seemed subdued tonight, perhaps feeling sad about leaving the cruise and their holiday ending...

Monaco

Loving getting all the emails and comments - thanks! This will be fast cos I'm on the ship.

We had an eventful pickup by bus in Rome - lots of confusion, but we made it after the driver had at one stage parked on the side of the road and deserted us for 10 minutes without a word, blocking in a parked car with an irate woman driver, then later he hit a small car, then he thought we were all going to the airport instead of the port!

The ship is gorgeous! We boarded quickly and easily and then found our cabin and headed to the buffet for lunch. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the ship. Then we met the other Cruise Critic people from our roll call (over 100 people) and we all felt that we knew each other already - great to put names to faces. This was over drinks as the ship sailed away. (Before that was the muster drill to practise what to do in an emergency). Then we headed to dinner at 8.15 pm and sat with two other lovely couples and had a lovely dinner. After that it was straight to bed and a very good night's sleep - calm seas - and we woke up in Monaco.

We had to be tendered in to the port, that was no problem, then we walked around taking in the sights - a lovely place - very clean, tidy, smart. The yachts we walked past in the marina were amazing!

We walked up the steep hill to the old part of the city and wandered around the little streets, saw the Palais du Prince and the Place du Palais (square) - the views from up there were spectacular; and then took the little tourist train that took us on a 30 minute tour with commentary, around the rest of the country (! - second smallest in the world). We only saw the Casino, without a chance to get off, and decided not to take the time to trek back over to it after the train tour. Everything was busy and the streets are all getting set up for the grand prix in about 3 days - so not the best views there. Back up the 'rock' in the Old Town (Monaco-Ville), we wandered through some beautiful parks with lovely sculptures and fabulous views - it being a gorgeous day of 29 degrees and clear blue skies. We noticed how clean it is compared to Rome - no cigarette butts all over the footpaths in Monaco! No graffiti, no rubbish lying around!

We went into St Nicholas Cathedral, where Princess Grace and Prince Ranier were married, and are now buried. We wandered back through the Old Town streets (not being a very big area) and we decided not to go into the Oceanographic Museum. We bought some cheap water at a little grocery store down the hill (cheap compared to the ship prices - thanks for the tip on where to get this, Bev!) and small bottles of sparkling wine - no souvenirs except my photos, and headed back for lunch around 1 pm. At the buffet again, and it was nice sitting with Bev from Cruise Critic (Sydney) and hearing her stories of other cruises she has done.

Now we're doing the laundry and then will venture out to the pool to relax and read. Then, oh so strenuous, back for dinner tonight - ps - gluten free worked out well - very nice - I had shrimp cocktail, prime rib roast with veges, and then flourless chocolate cake with berries for dinner last night - David had pasta alfredo, then fish, then flambeed bananas!

Not sure if I'll get photos up - may try for just one or two.