Day 3 • 12 Night Mediterranean Greek Isles Cruise

This is post number 2 in my week-long series documenting my husband and my cruise on Royal Caribbean International's ship, Brilliance of the Seas.

Read Days 1 & 2 ~ Traveling & Barcelona, Spain

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Sunday May 8^th 2011 ~ Nice & Eze, France ~  Monaco

We set up an 8:00AM wake up call. The cruiseship makes it really easy with a interactive phone-based system to do so. We went to the gym, hubby exercised, I did my physical therapy exercises.  After the gym we hit up the Windjammer Cafe for breakfast then off the ship for our super long but GREAT tour of Nice, Èze & Monoco.  

Waiting in the theater of the ship for our tour to leave. (image: glamazini)

 

We absolutely LVED Nice, especially the flower market & the Promenade des Anglais. Nice really reminded us of the Virgin Islands (where I was born and raised) from the moment we tendered.

Villefranche/Nice as the boat tendered. (image: glamazini)

 

Adima right after leaving the tender boat. (image: glamazini)

 

Our excursion ticket. (image: glamazini)

 

 

They gave us these nifty walkie talkies called "whispers" for hearing the tour guide even when we are far away.  We pretty much got these on every tour and they were extremely helpful, especially when we were in busy areas with lots of tours , tourists and noise.  (image: glamazini)

 

The harbor.  (image: glamazini)

 

 

The harbor.  (image: glamazini)

 

 

Nice.  (image: glamazini)

 

 

The flower market.  (image: glamazini)

 

The flower (and vegetable etc.) market.  (image: glamazini)

 

 

Adima on the Promenade des Anglais.  (image: glamazini)

 

 

Promenade des Anglais.  (image: glamazini)

 

A royal wedding billboard.  (image: glamazini)

 

 

The hills, the style of buildings, the color of paint, the architecture, the view of the harbor with the cruise ships … all of it.  It looked like home, and made me realize how much the architecture of the Virgin Islands was influenced by the European settlers. Apparently they made it look like the places they typically visited on holiday in Europe. Who knew.  

 

The harbor in Nice, France above. (images: glamazini) The harbor in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands below (image: julianjortfolio.com)

 

Moi in Nice.  (image: glamazini)

 

 

 

We love loved Èze as well.  It was cozy with a hide-away feel.  

 

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Adima in Èze.  (image: glamazini)

 

Us in Èze.  (image: glamazini)

 

Èze.  (image: glamazini)

 

I bought 2 rings in a little shop and saw a real scarab bug like from the Egyptian artifacts! 

Hotel sign in Èze.  (image: glamazini)

 

Me at part of the little hotel in Èze.  (image: glamazini)

 

Èze.  (image: glamazini)

 

Èze.  (image: glamazini)

 

Lunch in Èze.  (image: glamazini)

 

Lunch in Èze.  (image: glamazini)

 

At risk of sounding like a broken record, we also loved Villefranche & Monaco because it all looked like the Virgin Islands to us.  

 

On our way to Monaco.  (image: glamazini)

 

On our way to Monaco.  (image: glamazini)

 

On our way to Monaco.  (image: glamazini)

 

 

We saw where the Grand Prix is held every year and even walked on the track!  We saw where Grace Kelly & Prince Rainier were married and are buried.  

Monaco.  (image: glamazini)

 

Cathedral in Monaco where Prince Rainier married Grace Kelly.  (image: glamazini)

 

Cathedral in Monaco.  (image: glamazini)

 

Inside the Cathedral in Monaco.  (image: glamazini)

 

Inside the Cathedral in Monaco: Grace Kelly.  (image: glamazini)

 

 

We saw where Prince Albert is getting married in July of this year and went inside the Monte Carlo Casino (weren't allowed to take pictures).

 

The Palace in Monaco where Prince Albert is getting married in July.  (image: glamazini)

 

The Palace in Monaco.  (image: glamazini)

 

 

Great aerial of Monaco.  (image: glamazini)

 

 

Our walking tour. & #0160;(image: glamazini)

 

The Grand Prix raceway.  (image: glamazini)

 

The Grand Prix raceway.  (image: glamazini)

 

 

The Grand Prix raceway.  (image: glamazini)

 

 We were finally able to exchange our U.S. dollars into Euros in the casino.

Outside the Monte Carlo Casino.  (image: glamazini)

 

Outside the Monte Carlo Casino.  (image: glamazini)

 

A Bugatti Veyron  (image: glamazini)

 

 

The Monte Carlo Casino  (image: glamazini)

 

This tour was loooog.

 

On my way back to the ship.  (image: glamazini)

 

We were one first to get off of the ship and on the last tender boat back! 10:45AM – 7:30PM    

The tender boat ahead of us next to our ship.  (image: glamazini)

 

Sunset  (image: glamazini)

 

 

I was delirious and we were both hungry from the long day and workout that morning.  We went to dinner in the dining room (2 of the couples at our 8-seater table were not there) and had a nice night.  Near the end the waiters came and sang happy birthday for me (hubby tipped them off) and brought me a slice of cake.  The next day was Livorno, Italy and I was soooo excited to finally see Tuscany! 

 

See you for Day 4!

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More Amazingly Glamourous Posts (yay) -

1. Days 1 & 2 • 12 Night Mediterranean Greek Isles Cruise
2. Day 5 ~ Royal Caribbean Intl. Mariner of the Seas ~ 7 Night Mexican Riviera