South of France, Monaco, and Corsica
- Only A Plane Away
- Aug 1, 2019
- 3 min read
Our first stop on our cruise on the MSC Seaview was Cannes, France. We had to disembark via tender here which was actually kind of fun (When a port cannot support a large cruise ship, the ship will anchor away from the shore and transfer passengers to land via small boats or tenders). We booked a tour through MSC for a day trip to Nice and the Principality of Monaco. The tour name was a little misleading though because we didn't actually get to stop in Nice at all; it just included a tour through the city.
The bus picked us up in Cannes and we drove through a bit of the city, passing by Palais des Festivals et des Congrès where the Cannes Film Festival is held. The building itself is just a convention hall but it is definitely interesting to picture all of the Hollywood royalty that has been there over the years.
From there, we headed up some winding roads and on to Nice. The drive was about 40 minutes but provided some absolutely beautiful views.
The tour through Nice was nice (haha), but we didn't spend much time there. The city center or the old part of the city looked especially pretty. From there, we continued to climb up the hills and take in more spectacular views on our way to Monaco, the world's second smallest country (the smallest is Vatican City.)
For the first part of Monaco, we toured through their "downtown" and walked through lots of small streets. We also stopped by the palace to see the changing of the guards. We also visited the church where the royal family of Monaco is buried, along with Grace Kelly, or Princess Grace of Monaco.
From there, we headed up to the famed Monte Carlo hotel and casino as seen in several James Bond movies. Monaco is the most densely populated country in the world due to it's small geographic area. However, what it lacks in size, it makes up for in wealth, and that wealth is very much on display outside of the Monte Carlo casino.
Don't feel intimidated; you can go inside! There may be a line, because they will check bags, but all are welcome to go inside, and you don't have to be a high roller.
Heading back down the hill from the Monte Carlo, we walked along some of the roads of the infamous Monaco Grand Prix, one of the most prestigious auto races in the world. After that, it was time to head back to the ship and end our day in the French Riviera.
The other French port of the cruise was Ajaccio, on the island of Corsica. Corsica has been under both Italian and French rule but is currently considered part of France and most people there speak French for that reason. The island is probably most well known as the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte. We could have checked out some of the Napoleon museums, but instead we opted to get out and see some nature and tour the Calanques or cliffs.
We stopped in several towns on our way to the gorgeous rock formations. We grabbed a bite to eat and a few souvenirs in one of the villages along the way.
After touring the Calanques we stopped by a little beach town and tried some chestnut beer (Corisca is famous for chestnuts). The beer was included in our tour price and the cafe had a lovely patio lined with wisteria.
After a few sips, some of us decided to make our way down a little path to the beach and dip our toes in the Mediterranean Sea while the others did some shopping in the little town.
It was then time to load back up onto the coach and head back to Ajaccio and then to the cruise ship. We didn't spend much time in Corsica, but it left us with many great memories.
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