DAY 11

For the first time on our trip we were told we could sleep in, so we didn’t even set an alarm J. However, we made sure not to sleep in too much because we had the beautiful French Riviera to experience. We started our day by grabbing an espresso and a yummy breakfast. Then we headed straight to the beach, which is full of pebbles rather than the usual sand. We took off our shoes and socks and put our feet into the crystal clear Mediterranean Sea. Our tour guide told us that this was a popular skinny-dipping spot, but after putting our feet in the cold water we didn’t think it was that time of year. But sure enough, as we continued walking along the water, we saw a topless woman taking a dip (and lots and lots of men in banana hammocks)! We then headed up to the highest point in Nice, which used to be a defense fortress for the city. We took some great photos before heading back down to eat a Bruschetta-style pizza for lunch. Later that night we boarded the coach and headed to Monaco for the evening, which is the second smallest country in the world. We saw the Prince of Monaco’s palace on top of the city before heading to dinner. Our dinner included a three-course meal with an artichoke appetizer, our choice of chicken or pork, and a small chocolate dessert. And of course, as much wine as we could handle. After we wined-and-dined, we went to the Monte Carlo Grand Casino, which is straight out of a James Bond movie. The casino was nothing like those found in Las Vegas, and was very quiet and professional (the slots didn’t even make noise). We pretended to fit in with the high-rollers that were there, and split a bottle of Champagne with some of our tour mates. Many of our new friends lost a lot of money playing roulette and blackjack, but we were there more for the experience and decided not to gamble very much. Matt lost a whomping 10 Euro between a round of roulette and a few slots. After a few hours, we boarded the coach and headed back to our hotel in Nice.