Monaco and Nice
Today was our day to visit Monaco. After yesterday I wasn’t too sure what to expect.. I thought Cannes was okay, nothing special.. like I mentioned, it looked it a bunch of rich people walking around with fancy clothes and bags- definitely not my scene. So this morning I was not too excited as Monaco is known for the very very rich and famous. We caught an early train from Nice and were there within half an hour. The first images of the country were absolutely stunning! The ocean and the mountains against the beautiful buildings was breathtaking.. I also like how the modern buildings kind of just blended in with the old palace, etc. It looked like a very well kept little country- I guess if you have loads of money and there are about 37,000 people- it is quite easy to keep the country in good shape. Also, it seems there is a cop for every 6 people! I can see why people with money come here- it truly looks and feels like the play ground for the rich and famous.
We walked up the palace and witnessed the changing of the guards, which was not as elaborate as in London but still nice…We then made our way to the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, which was great fun. We went up to the top floor to check out the cafe that had great views of the water… but the food seemed average and we didn’t want to get stuck with subpar food.. so even though we were hungry, we decided to leave and walk into the old part of Monaco and find a place. Most places were a mix of French and Italian. Obviously Monaco is known for its fancy Michelin starred restaurants but that is not what we had in mind.. 🙂
We chose a corner restaurant with outdoor seating… I ordered the three course meal and started with a warm goat cheese salad- it was delicious! There was a toasted slice of baguette topped with melted goat cheese placed over a mixture of fresh lettuce, tomato and mushrooms with a yummy dressing.
Goat Cheese Salad
Filet of Salmon
Nougat Ice Cream
Did I mention what I was sipping? Well, it was a glass of delicious Rose!! Next came my entree, which was a filet of salmon topped with a white sauce served with mixed vegetables and rice. The salmon was tender and delicious.. the veggies were crunchy and fresh tasting. I was very happy, sipping my delicious wine and people watching. I was looking forward to my dessert which I had already decided on- creme caramel- one of my all time favorites! I grew up with it and love the combination of custard and caramel. Well, it turned out, they were out of it so I ordered the nougat ice cream served with a drizzle of caramel and loads of whipped cream- my favorite… It was soon time to head back to Nice and walk around and go back to the ice cream place!!!
We came back, went to the pool and headed for dinner. Today I had the good sense to make reservations at Chez Acchiardo, a small restaurant in the old part of Nice. We headed there and immediately got a great sense as we walked into the cozy restaurant. We ordered a delicious bottle of Merlot and started the dinner with some yummy foie gras with some yummy condiments.
Foie Gras
It was just the right thing to start the evening off. Next, I ordered a steak with parsley garlic and anchovies and my husband ordered a seabreem fish with a red, puttanesca kind of sauce. Both the dishes were sublime. My steak was out of this world- I guess maybe because I love the combination of parsley, garlic and anchovies… I thought, why haven’t I made this at home before??? Will have to do so very soon….
SeaBreem
Steak with Parsley Garlic & Anchovies
Overall it was a fantastic evening- very good food and great atmosphere. The service was wonderful and we came out very happy and walked over to the ice cream place from last evening- I was looking forward to it all day!! I had the caramel again but this time I paired it with passion fruit and of course topped with my favorite- whipped cream…. tomorrow we are off to Marseilles….
