One of Renie’s favorite French slogans is “In France, the trains are always on time.” The railway system is indeed a marvelous thing and everyone in France relies on it at least some of the time.

From our little town Villefranche-sur-Mer, the journey to Monaco is twenty minutes and costs less than 2€. Monaco is mountainous and glitzy, crammed with skyscrapers squeezed in among the few remaining villas in the commercial area. The first rounds of the Monte-Carlo Masters tennis tournament were playing out with thousands of spectators in the stands. We passed numerous blocked streets and construction sites on our walk down to the port where preparations for the Monaco Grand Prix (May 26-29) are underway. We couldn’t help gawking at the Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Mazarrattis, etc. that were valet parked around the famous casino.

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(Days 1 – 10)

WE’RE FINALLY HERE.

Thirty-four hours after leaving Little Rock, we landed in Nice (LR-Dallas-London-Nice on American and British Air). We stayed in a chambre d’hôte which is like Airbnb used to be – a bedroom and bath in a private home with breakfast provided by the host. It was modest and completely acceptable and safe in an excellent location. We were anxious to explore the old town and signed up on line for a free guided walking tour. When we were in Spain a few years ago, we discovered these tours where the guides, who are usually advanced students, wear red tee-shirts, carry red umbrellas, and work for tips. They are excellent.

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