Day Trips from Aix Part 2 - Monaco and Soccer

Monaco seemed like a fun destination for a road trip that would show us some of the French Riviera without committing us to that area. It is an easy day trip from Aix, only 200km away, with many options for scenic detours and stops along the way.  We elected to first drive the "Grande Corniche" road which took us up high along the clifftops, offering sweeping views of the Mediterranean far below.  It is a route that was built by Napoleon I and follows an ancient Roman route. On our way we stopped for a picnic in the shadow of the "the trophy of Augustus" which was erected in 6 BC in honor of Octavian, following the submission of the peoples of the Alps. Unfortunately we could not walk the grounds as it was closed, in a very civilized French way, for their two hour lunch.  We did enjoy walking around the perimeter, through the old town of Turbie.

From the picnic spot, the views of the Mediterranean and the towns along the mountainside were beautiful.

Peering down at Monaco

During our picnic we had a hint of the glamour and excess of Monaco while watching an outrageously dressed couple meander to the look off and then call their driver to come back to pick them up.  One was wearing a black brocade jacket with a Spanish bull embroidered on it, the other had geometrical glasses in different shapes and calf skin mules.  The clothes were most definitely expensive and outlandishly high fashion.  We all had fun making guesses at who they were: famous designer, artists, Spanish, Italian?  Without answers but our appetites whetted for the excess of Monaco we started the descent from the mountain perch to seaside. 

I have fond memories of a day trip to Monaco as a teenager while vacationing in France with my family.  I remember seeing outrageous cars and exuberant excess.  After hearing so much about cars from my sons in the past few months (remember the Tesla experience in Dubai!?)  I thought it would be fun to show the kids Monaco as an antidote to all the nature, art and culture we had been steeping ourselves in.  Turns out Monaco delivers on the glamour, excess and cars.

Apparently these are expensive.
We watched a guy hop out of one and get into another.
He was accosted by some young French fans for selfies.  The kids were practically vibrating with excitement.
  When I asked the teens who the guy was (after he zoomed off) they told me he was a YouTube star (I think).
We googled the heck out of the internet but couldn't identify who he was.

As luck would have it the afternoon we were in Monaco was the electric car grand-prix.  We squeezed alongside crowds of fellow tourists and gawkers and tried to catch a peek as the electric cars zoomed (quietly) around the streets.  It meant we couldn't wander down to get a closer look at the mega yachts, but it was a unique experience.

We bid farewell to Monaco, happy to have checked that stop off our list but not compelled to visit again, and made our way via the lower Corniche road that meanders along the coast line, back towards Nice.  I had a mini battle with my mind over not going to see or do everything we could do in the area - museums, botanical gardens, etc, but we were packing a lot into one day and I was having, yet again, a remedial session in the lesson "you can't do it all." But what we were doing was super cool: we were heading to Nice for an evening soccer game at the Allianz Riviera stadium.  We joined the throngs of fans making their way to the stadium and followed the crowds to a Burger King which was jammed with pre-game families.  It was a rare fast-food experience in France but seemed to be an accepted pre-game meal.

The game was late in the season so the standings in the league were already determined, but the cheer squads were still boisterous and the play was fast.  One of the most interesting parts of the game was that the referee was a woman.  This shouldn't be notable, but it is.  Her name is Stéphanie Frappart and she is the first female referee in the league (Ligue 1).  The row in front of us was a group of women who had signs cheering her on.  A cool twist to cheering for players.  

All in all, our day trip down the French Riviera to Monaco and then back to Nice for a professional soccer game in a huge stadium was a jam packed day of new sights, sounds and experiences.  We drove the easy highway back to Aix, arriving late at night, tired but full of new memories and stories.