Vanity and three piece suits
Nice, I missed you so.
Promenade Anglais, you have my heart forever.
And ever.
Because we are not forward thinkers, we booked both our inbound and outbound flights out of Nice, so we had to backtrack to where the epic journey all began.
I wasn't mad, at all with the opportunity to go back to Nice and see the other half of the city.
Twist-eth my arm...
Stayed the the Le Meriden on Promenade Anglais.
The bed? -- That is a European king.
Which means two twins bed pushed together.
Am I the only one who didn't know this?!
While we were in St. Tropez my shellac manicure began to chip (gasp!), so, I walked over to MAC, painted said chipped nail from the sample display and left.
Judgeth away.
Vanity prevails (always), you would/will not catch me with a chipped manicure.
Ever.
90% certain the nail polish didn't match perfectly, but thieves, they cannot be choosers...
Blessedly, there was a spa in our hotel (the thought never crossed my tiny mind to google a nail salon, beavis Marcia) so I dropped off Mark to nap along with our bags, and got my nails did.
Ahhh, clean cuticles.
Upon my return Robyn and Jay popped the bottle of bubbles they bought to celebrate our engagement as we all got dressed for the evening.
It was over this bottle of Moet that we began chatting about how we envisioned our wedding day.
Memories.
The next day we day tripped -- to Eze and Monaco, but first, we went in search of Villa Nellcotte, a secluded mansion in Vieux Nice were the Rolling Stones recorded Exile on Main Street.
Our concierge gave us directions (which happened to be in the direction we were headed anyway) and we were off.
Group selfie, included.
There are two ways to reach Eze and Monaco, the high road, or the low road. Take the low road (along the water).
The views -- sweet child of mine are they breathtaking.
First stop -- Eze. A medieval city set atop a mountain, complete with a boutique luxury hotel nestled inside.
I lit no less than four candles in that church, by far my favorite (church) memory from childhood -- lighting candles and saying prayers.
And, because I'm a sap, I cried.
Man how the years fly by...
Look out from the tippity-top of Eze
Homage to my (work) camera and Iphone. Without them I wouldn't have photo reminders of such a spectacular vacation with wonderful friends, and soon-to-be family.
Nice in all its glory.
Lunch.
Pizza and Salad, forever and ever.
Amen.
Monaco was next.
Tip: Eze and Monaco are a totally doable day trip from Nice, the drive was about 2 hours (including stops) one way, besides, all the roads wind around like mad, so it seems further than it actually is. Keep in mind I did zero driving the entire trip so I could be completely wrong.
Casino Monte Carlo
Yes, you heard right, this is their casino.
Some of the 007 movies casino scenes were shot here.
To enter you have to check your bags (purses and phones included), show your passport, and pay ten euro (about $13-$15 US).
You then receive a ticket with your name and country of origin.
So fancy.
The casino itself didn't do anything for me, but I don't gamble, so there's that. The high roller rooms (blocked off the the general public by beefy security) were palatial and ridiculously awesome, so I people watched like a champ.
To the man in the custom made three piece suit tailored to perfection and personal bodyguard, gone with your bad self.
Hiked up to the top off Monte Carlo where the palace and Monaco Cathedral where Princess Grace was buried.
Once back at our hotel, we took naps, freshened up, and I did what I do best -- found gelato.
Which happened to be my best laid snacking plans ever, because we went on an epic hour(s) long quest for food, on foot. Wherein Marcia became voraciously hangry -- Hanger + Marcia are not a good match.
Thankfully, we (finally) found Zen Japanesse.
Worst. Service. EVER.
Fantastic food. We over ordered due to the serious hunger we were all experiencing, and everything was just delicious. But I'll warn you once more. Worst.service.ever.
The twelve day holiday overall -- was so unabashedly incredible I think of it often with fondness and awe. Gosh I'm supremely blessed.
EXILE ON MAIN from Marcia Ginger on Vimeo.
