Monaco rage

Last time I was in Monaco (my third visit) was not too bad, but today it filled me with Monaco rage. After my morning class, I took the bus there in order to walk to Menton. I had considered just starting at the France/Monaco border (the far side) but decided that would be cheating, so dutifully started at the Casino in the centre of Monte Carlo (on the grounds that I have walked around a fair bit of the preceding Monagasque coastline in the past, so didn't need to do it again). So far, it has been pretty easy to follow my path. Essentially: find the coast; walk. Today I found the coast, but kept having to leave it due to things like beaches and hotels being in the way. Luckily, there was a handy sign pointing to a 'tourist coastline walk' - perfect! Just what I needed! Yet when I got there, the entry to the 'tourist coastline walk' was blocked by one of those metal barrier thingies, with no advice on how the tourist should proceed from here. Every route I tried just led to a hotel, a private apartment block, a sign saying 'no entry', or in one case, the Monte Carlo country club (vom!) I figured that I would have to get up higher in order to proceed without treading on the valuable soil of Monaco's seafront. This involved having to double back the way I had come, in increasing frustration. Finally I found a promising lead - I will say this in Monaco's defence: they are not afraid to install lifts to take the populace up hills. Up the hill was indeed the right way to get out of Monaco, but it had taken me a full hour to get from the Casino to the Monagasque border - this is the black line on the map. To put this in perspective, the red line took me less than an hour and a half to walk. Curse you Monaco!



Anyway, apart from that it was the same old routine. I walked to Menton, as mentioned, and then spent another hour or so walking around the town taking photos. I have been before, but that was in my camera-less phase, so it was nice to get the opportunity to go back - on another nice and sunny day as well.

Talking of sunny, I was in the park yesterday before the GP and noticed I have a faint watch tan. I know tanning is shameful and naughty, but I am still quite pleased. And btw, I have found out that spring has *not* yet officially sprung, it is awaiting the equinox. In New Zealand, the seasons do what we tell them to do and start punctually on the first of the month, but not here. At the end of the month, our clocks go forward as well, so I think we might have a short time of 11 hours' difference NZ-France and then you'll go back and it will only be 10, yes? I can't be bothered working out whether that's better or worse as far as I'm concerned, but anyway. Photos will follow.