Today, we shal be discusing in detail the sheer brilliance of the act of "getting lost in semi-rural france". Although this work has been attributed some serious critic appreciation, it still has a few aspects worth pondering about. Let us start with the first question, "How the fuck do you get lost in the first place?". To the uninitiated, the answer might be quite simple, something like, "You have to be a complete idiot". Well, although, the above answer explains part of this elusive act, it still does not explain how a complete idiot could get lost in a country where pretty much everything (time tables and routes) is published and clearly written out.
Let me give you a hint, the french dont like english much!!! And all those brilliant signs and information boards are all in, you guessed it, French!!!
Monday, October 09, 2006
Tales from Germania - Episode Cote-d-azur
Well, to start with, anyone even remotely familiar with the german countryside can tell you that "cote-d-azur" is not a part of it. But since I am presently sitting in Munich, it shall be fair enough to continue where I left off in february, The tales from germania series.
So, it is october, and I find myself again in Europe. This time it is in the lovely french countryside in the most romantic province of cote-d-azur. Literaly translating to "The coast of the Blue seas", actually meaning, "I dont wanna go back to India". So there I was on a train, hugging the mediterranean coast, on my way to Monaco. The scenic hills on one side punctuated with small french riviera towns and villages, and the wide expanse of the mediterranean on the other. You could pass through some ten french towns in the 30 minute ride from Antibes to Nice.
Monaco is the world's second smallest country. It is about 2 square kilmeters and has a population of roughly 32,000 . It also haapens to be the world's most densely populated country and also the world's richest. If I were to rant off a few words about Monaco, I would say: gorgeous, Casino, F1, Marina, Aquarium, Ferrari. That is in short what I am going to write about.
So I set out from Sofia-Antipolis early in the morning and walked into the bus-station. A half-n-hour ride into Antibes and then by train to Monaco. Antibes is pretty little town, but thats a story for another time. The first thing that srikes you about the station at Monaco is the fact that it is in a tunnel. The station is sort of inside a hill. And in character, it is in stark contrast to the other open-air stations of the other riviera towns.
So, it is october, and I find myself again in Europe. This time it is in the lovely french countryside in the most romantic province of cote-d-azur. Literaly translating to "The coast of the Blue seas", actually meaning, "I dont wanna go back to India". So there I was on a train, hugging the mediterranean coast, on my way to Monaco. The scenic hills on one side punctuated with small french riviera towns and villages, and the wide expanse of the mediterranean on the other. You could pass through some ten french towns in the 30 minute ride from Antibes to Nice.
Monaco is the world's second smallest country. It is about 2 square kilmeters and has a population of roughly 32,000 . It also haapens to be the world's most densely populated country and also the world's richest. If I were to rant off a few words about Monaco, I would say: gorgeous, Casino, F1, Marina, Aquarium, Ferrari. That is in short what I am going to write about.
So I set out from Sofia-Antipolis early in the morning and walked into the bus-station. A half-n-hour ride into Antibes and then by train to Monaco. Antibes is pretty little town, but thats a story for another time. The first thing that srikes you about the station at Monaco is the fact that it is in a tunnel. The station is sort of inside a hill. And in character, it is in stark contrast to the other open-air stations of the other riviera towns.
I got busy getting myself a country map of monaco, they had pretty good ones at the station itself and then stepped out into the sun. The weather immediately raised my spirits to a new high. Monaco that day was bathing in the "perfect weather for tourists".
Monaco is in fact a collection of two major natural marinas buffeted by rising cliffs. The lower city embraces the marinas - this is also where you will find the F1 track and the casino. The upper city is built up on the hills surrounding monaco- this is where you will find the palace and the older city.
Monaco is well suited for the pedestrian tourist, or alternatively you could hire one of the many scooters. All in all, with a day ticket for the local bus service and a good pair of shoes, you wont need much else.
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