Monaco, Monaco

I woke up today after 08:00, shaved, showered, dressed, grabbed my camera and tripod, and walked downstairs. I was planning on just walking out of the hotel and starting my day of sightseeing at 09:00, but I decided to enjoy breakfast instead since it is included with the room and since I was actually up early enough to enjoy it and since I didn’t have much I wanted to see and do today so I could actually take time to sit down and have a breakfast. I ended up having coffee, Greek yogurt, toast with Nutella, a pastry with some chocolate inside, a croissant with jam, and a piece of French bread with butter. After breakfast, I walked out of the hotel and headed towards the Casino et Salle Garnier (i.e. the Monte Carlo Casino and Opera House). I made my way past apartment buildings and hotels, uphill, to the casino. I walked past a shopping area and finally reached the Place du Casino, just outside the front entrance; from here, I took a number of photographs, but I did not bother entering inside since I was not wearing a tuxedo (or even a sports coat, which is recommended and most likely enforced – this is not Vegas). After viewing the outside of the Monte Carlo Casino, I walked northward, along the waterfront, to the Grimaldi Forum, an upscale and modern-looking shopping center that was closed today (Sunday), as well as the next day. I then walked through the nearby Japanese Garden before continuing on northward, to Larvotto Beach. I was tempted to go back to the hotel room, put on bathing shorts, and return to the beach, but I was in dire need of getting caught up on typing my journal entries and I decided I would have to put off any leisure time until I reached Pamplona, Spain (just nine days away); also, after sunbathing in the nude in Croatia and Slovenia, it seems silly to wear swim trunks at the beach or anywhere for that matter (honestly, the majority of beaches in the world should be clothing-optional and the prudes can have select beaches that are clothing-must and the shy nudists can have select beaches that are nudist-mandatory; the rest of us can live and let live and enjoy the naturist lifestyle whenever we please – this is glimpse of the world as it should be). I then turned around (after having come close to the northern terminus of Monaco (it truly is a microstate)) and walked back to the Grimaldi Forum. I then walked to the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco and entered inside (admission was free today and there was an official photographer taking pictures of what looked to be some of the contributing artists). I walked around the two floors of the museum, looking at the mostly contemporary (i.e. not-very-talented) artwork and exhibitions (seriously, I could be a modern artist if I adopted a nouveau Warhol look and pillaged dump yards to build my avant-garde compositions). Sure, there was some interesting stuff inside, like Camille Henrot’s ‘Grosse Fatigue’ (a video with various video footage that attempts to tell the history of the universe) or Lourdes Castro’s ‘Grand Herbier d’Ombres’ (an inventory of shadows from about 100 different botanical species) or Hans-Peter Feldman’s ‘Shattenspiel’ (an exhibition that has various rotating objects and lamps that project the shadows on a back screen), but even this stuff required little to no imagination – is this the appeal of contemporary/modern art? the fact that most people who view this stuff could do it on their own? does this perceived capability make them appreciate it all the more since they can imagine themselves accomplishing such artistic feats? blech. I don’t know. As stated, there was some interesting stuff here, but I think we give too much credit and adulation to artists that don’t deserve it; let’s face it, most are hacks who couldn’t hack it in a real occupation if their hack depended on it. Ah, fuck it all. I miss the Renaissance and Baroque paintings of Italy already. Anyway, after the “art,” I walked back down to the waterfront and followed it southward to the Rainier III Auditorium building. Next, I returned to the Monte Carlo Casino and Opera House where I took some more photographs (now that the sun was a bit higher and not as much in the way). I then wandered around Monaco some more, taking the high road to the western border with France (I’m not sure how close I came to walking out of Monaco and in to France (perhaps I did?), but I was certainly close to doing so, coming at least 10-50 meters to the border (of course they have an open-border policy so it doesn’t matter anyway). I then walked through the Parc Princesse Antoinette, where I had splendid views of the Genovese Fortress walls and Palace before descending downhill. I then made my way to the Monaco-Monte Carlo Railway Station where I enquired about purchasing a ticket to Paris for the morrow; however, I found the ticket price (137 euros) rather extravagant; it is most likely cheaper to fly. I then tried to find a place to buy bus tickets, but found none. I then walked to the supermarket near Port Hercules that I went to the night before and I bought some raspberry lemonade, fruit juice, a cranberry Redbull, a Monacan beer, paprika Doritos, and salsa. I then returned to my hotel room (after 13:30), snaked on the Doritos and salsa, drank my juice and beer (the beer was “okay”), and had my Redbull, all while researching the next leg of my journey (i.e. Paris), booking my dorm bed in a hostel (incredibly expensive – I will state this now: “Fuck France”), and reserving my train ticket to Paris (also ridiculously expensive at 132 euros – seriously, “Fuck France”). After taking care of that unpleasant monetary business, I got to work on my oft neglected digital journal. This took up most of my day, but I felt a sense of duty to complete it; after all, I’ve kept it up for over 400 days, how could I stop now? I worked on the journal late in to the evening before venturing out to eat dinner (after 21:20). I decided to eat at Stars n’ Bars Monaco for nostalgic reasons (I have never been to Monaco before, let alone this particular restaurant, but I have been to the Stars n’ Bars in Abu Dhabi and I have a lot of fond memories of that establishment – truly great times with great friends). Upon reaching Stars n’ Bars, I took a photograph in front of the sign and then sat down for dinner, where I ended up having a bacon cheeseburger, French fries, a potato salad, and a beer, After dinner, I returned to the hotel and worked on my journal some more. After midnight, I opened the bottle of Italian red wine that I had procured I Genoa and drank that to my delight; the wine was crafted from Grignolino grapes (from Asti, in the Piedmont region) and was rather tannic and tasted of raspberries, apples, and vegetal flavors; like most wines from the Piedmont region, I enjoyed it. I drank my wine and continued to type away on my laptop (completing all but one journal entry) before going to sleep around 03:00.