Monaco, Monte Carlo, & Marseille

Bonjour,

This weekend was filled with lots of fun and excitement. I decided to sign up for a trip to Monaco which was awesome and then decided to have a relaxing day at the beach in Marseille

Saturday:  I wasn't sure if I was signed up or not for the trip to Monaco because it was all online. I received an email saying that the excursion was full but then I received another saying that more spots opened up so I responded quickly but because I did not get a response from the last email I was unsure on whether or not I was on the list. Luckily the meeting place was only about 10 minutes walking form my house and there was one of person from my class going on the trip. The bus took about 2 1/2 hours so most of us slept on the way there. Once we got there we were able to walk around and enjoyed the wonderful place that is Monaco. Shortly after we got there, they had the changing of the guard. This brought back many memories from last time I had the pleasure of visiting Monaco, which was 5 years ago. It was great to walk around and enjoy the sights. The one thing I did not have the chance to do last time I was in Monaco was the oceanographic museum so I made sure I had the chance to check it out. I was really glad I did. There were so many cool things. They had an aquarium on the bottom floor which was really neat. There was so many different kinds of ocean life to see. On the two floors above the aquarium, there was a museum which was also filled with lots of interesting things and cool facts. After I finished with the museum I still had time to spare before the group left for Monte Carlo. Since Monaco is so small, I decided to walk around a little more and enjoy everything around me.

Monaco & Changing of the guard

Oceanographic Museum

 

We then left for Monte Carlo. It was great to explore and walk around. When we got there, me and another friend from class stopped at the casino to check it out. You have to get a ticket to go inside (which is pretty cheap) but once we got inside we saw that the line was ridiculously long and that we wouldn't really have anytime to get inside and enjoy it. So, we just peeked our heads inside the main doors to see the inside a little bit. We weren't able to see much but it seemed pretty cool. After that we walked to the beach and enjoyed a little relaxation and some sun. The water was a little cold but it was worth it.  Before leaving I made sure to pick up some souvenirs and even a few post cards. On the way back since I was not sleeping, I enjoyed seeing all the different cities we passed through on the way back and especially the mountains. I cannot get over the view of the mountains here, it is amazing. Once we were back, I grabbed a small dinner and enjoyed the night with a few friends in Aix.

Sunday: Beach day in Marseille. I slept in and enjoyed a relaxed Sunday morning. I then decided to go to the beach with Nikki. I had not ben to the beach yet since I got here so I was really excited. We met up and we took a bus to Marseille and then took the tram where we stopped at view port where the beach was located. Before taking the tram we stopped to get some food. There happened to be a McDonalds in the station, which we were originally going to pass but Nikki had mentioned someone told that she has to try it in France so we figured what the heck. Nikki is not a fast food eater so it is still kind of new to her. I asked her how her burger was and she said it was good but the problem was that she has never had McDonalds in the states so she has nothing to compare it to. I was shocked to hear this because it is everywhere in the U.S. that it is almost impossible to avoid but some how she did. I had just a simple cheeseburger. The burgers here are much better then the ones in the states but we soon regretted the decision to stop once we started walking to the beach.

Once we got the beach it was VERY crowded, but we managed to find a spot. We realized Sunday probably wasn't the best day to go because that is when most people are off of work and can go to the beach and it was also father's day. It is the same day here as it is in the states (Mother's day is not). I almost forget how the atmosphere at the beach in not only France but Europe in general different from the states. Topless is a norm here, people don't really pay that much attention to it since it is so common. After we found a spot, we settled down and just enjoyed the sun. Since there was only the two of us we went it the water one a time so our stuff was not left unattended. The water felt great, and it was great day for the beach. After relaxing for a while on the beach we decided to go so we wouldn't get back too late. On the walk to the train we stopped at this little ice cream shop that had some of the best ice cream I have had in a long time. I was addicted to the strawberry. It was a perfect way to end a nice beach day. Once we got back into Aix we called it a night and rested up for the beginning of another week of school.

Overall it was a great weekend. I was happy I was able to profit from the wonderful weather.

Love,
Nikki