The ship lingered along the coastline for another hour or so before heading out for our next destination. We enjoyed many awesome views of sunrise over Corsica before breakfast. 
What a great way to start the day! We spent the rest of the day relaxing at the pools and hot tubs and getting rested up for the next few days of exploring. What a life. . .
Today's tour was the Jewels of the Cote d'Azur. As the tour began, we left Monaco for France and enjoyed a scenic view of the French Riviera along the way 
where the rich and famous like to spend their time. We visited a local flower and vegetable market and walked around the town of Nice 
where the streets are narrow and there are almost as many scooters as there are in the Italian towns. While the beaches of the Cote d'Azure 
may not have any sand, they are a popular place to hang out (e.g. clothing optional) and enjoy the view. From there, we went to the village of Eze 
where we climbed to the top of the mountain along twisting narrow walkways to see the Eglise Paroissial Church 
that overlooks the city. After lunch, we headed back to the Principality of Monaco to the town of Monte Carlo. There we saw the Prince's Palace, 
including the changing of the guard ceremony, the impressive Cousteau Aquarium 
and, of course, the Casino Monte Carlo 
surrounded with Ferraris, Maseratis, Lambourghinis and other expensive toys. After one last look at one of the many small harbors filled with expensive yachts and surrounded by condominiums we could never afford, 
we returned to the ship for some R&R.
on the northwestern coast of Italy where we casually walked through the village down to the seashore - our first up-close look at the diverse lifestyles of small town Italy. From there, we walked a mile or so down the Via dell'Amore pathway 
that hugs the Mediterranean cliffs and even has an area where the local lovers believe that, if they place a padlock on the railing, they will be together for as long as it stays attached. There were some pretty old locks there, too. We finally arrived at the town of Riomaggiore, yet another quaint little fishing village. 
After some browsing around, we boarded a local ferryboat that took us further north to the town of Vernazza. 
It was lunch time and the restaurants were so full of other tourists, we bought some local pizza (yum!) and drinks as take-out and ducked into an alley across the street where it was out of the rain and stood there and ate. Nothing fancy but certainly unforgettable. After much walking (and climbing) around town, visiting old churches and scenic spots, and enjoying another local treat, gelato (chocolate, of course), we boarded a train back to Manarola where the bus was waiting to take us back to the ship. What a day we had. We were tired from all that walking but still looking forward to Monaco tomorrow.
our home on the Mediterranean Sea for the next 10 days. We had a nice room that shared a veranda with our next door neighbors, Ken & Ceil. The ship left port at about 5:00pm and we were on our way.
