Day 5 - Tuesday April 18, 2023 - Monaco

By Ellen Outten


Monaco, it is truly just like all the pictures in all the picture books and TV shows you have ever seen.   We had a perfect weather day, approximately 70 degrees and bright blue skies.  

Our tour was the "Leisurely Walking Tour of Monaco" lasting approximately 3 hours.  Our ship was tied up right in the center of the country.  Monaco is a principality and is only about 2 1/2 miles long and 15 streets wide.  The mountains behind the city are the Alps.  

Our guide met us at the ship and we walked to "The Rock" or the Old City.  This is where the Palace of Prince Ranier is located as well as the St. Nicholas Cathedral where Grace Kelly and Prince Albert I, her husband are buried.


The aquarium or acquatic museum.  Built because Prince Ranier loved the sea

Statue of Grace Kelly in the public gardens just outside the palace

The church and the view from in front of St. Nicholas Church

It was a pleasant walk, slow and while "The Rock" is well above the country, there are many escalators and elevators to get you up to that height.

Our guide was very informative.  Monaco is so small, and the mountains you see are in Italy and France.

The first mountain is France and the one in the background is Italy

We stopped often to take in the views.  At 11 a.m. we were able to catch the changing of the guard in front of the Palace.  The palace isn't a very imposing building from the outside.  St. Nicholas Church is a more interesting building outside but not ostentatious inside.  


The grave of Grace Kelley                  Altar                Artworks throughout the church


We left the church and went to the Palace of the Prince of Monaco, Albert II.  

The Palace of Prince Rainier

Views from in front of the palace - you can see the grandstands of the Monte Carlo Grand Prix race
The harbor with our Viking ship (largest one on the right in the foreground)
We had some free time to shop and have a coffee.  

                                                           11:00 am changing of the guard


The famous Casino de Monte-Carlo with the green domed roof.  This is where the 007 James Bond movies were filmed.  They charge $18 euro to get in just to see the place but you get $10 euro back to play with.  
The palace from below (near our ship         Our Viking Ship, Viking Sky

Casino de Monte-Carlo

The way some of the rich and famous live

At 3:00 pm we were lucky to get a reservation and permitted to go up on the ship's bridge.  The 2nd officer gave us a tour and let us sit in the captain's seat.  What a great afternoon!






Views from the brdige


Dinner tonight was Coc Au Vin, creamer spinach and mashed potatoes. A shrimp cocktail appetizer and fromagerie for dessert.

10,760 steps today!















 

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