VillaFranche and Monte Carlo - day 5

For our second port of call, the quaint French village of VillaFranche, was a tender stop so we had to catch the ferry/tender to the dockside where a flurry of waterfront restaurants waited for our return for lunch. First mission was to catch the train to nearby Monte Carlo, Monaco, made famous for us more recently when our Charlene married Prince Albert. So the South African flag was compulsory and I waived it at the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace.

This is my yacht.. ha ha.. only about $10 mil. We just missed the Monaco International Boat Show but many of the boats were still on show.

This little car is my Ferrari.. mmm

Steep hillside Principality of Monaco, that I first visited in 1979. I had just finished my BA degree and had bought a little campervan with my brother, travelling with him for 3 weeks through Europe from Amsterdam to Austria, Italy and Mote Carlo.
 

Right here at the quayside, I had telephoned my grandfather in Jan 1980 with the last franc in my pocket and my grandfather confirmed that I had passed my exams completing my BA degree. He gave me one or two subject results then my money ran out and the call ended abruptly. I only got the rest of my results a week later in Amsterdam.

The view of Monte Carlo from the royal palace on the hilltop

Bought Kate-Lynn one of these bags and we got some ceramic plates in this llittle shop

Knock knock Princess, are you home?

Waving the SA and Monaco flags at the changing of the Palace Guard. I was once Guard Commander of the State President in South Africa in 1976 during my national military service.

The view of the dockside on the other side of the Palace and hill

The Royal Palance of the Prince and Princess of Monaco

Mc - is part of my surname and my son's school nickname was Mc; so when we discovered that Monte Carlo was MC country, we just had to have the cap and number plate. Knew there was a place in the world for us and our Princess.

Another first - muscles in creamy wine sauce with a bottle of white wine on the VillaFranche dockside before re-boarding our ship. Yummy.