Avignon, Monte Carlo, & Nice

Day 6 - Highlights of France & Barcelona

This early morning business is for the birds! We had to have bags out by 6:30am so we could leave at 7:30am to beat the traffic out of Lyon. I am perfecting napping on the bus even when the tour director is talking or playing a DVD. We stopped at another fancy gas station and arrived in the historic walled city of Avignon around 10:30am. Patricia showed us the Papal Palace and Square before letting us loose for an hour of free time. Avignon is in Provance so they had beautiful lavender shops and other locally made goods. We definitely did not have enough time in Avignon to wander, shop, and grab lunch. 

Next stop, Monte Carlo! Finally, we made it to my heart & soul...the sea! The weather cleared, the sun was shining, and I could smell salt in the air! The drive down toward Monte Carlo was beautiful overlooking the city and the Mediterranean Sea. There was even a Holland America cruise ship in port! 

They city was beginning to set up bleachers and signs for the Monaco Grand Prix that occurs in Monte Carlo every May. 

We stopped our short orientation tour in front of the infamous Monte Carlo casino. It was beautiful! We walked around the casino and watched people play the craps tables. We left the casino and shopped a little in Monte Carlo before it was time to head back to the bus...once again, we could have used more time in Monte Carlo to explore the town. 

We finally made it to Nice where we will spend the next 2 nights. So far, Nice is beautiful and I love these Riveria towns!