Seeing the French Riviera in one day is impossible. However, we had one full day so we decided to see as much as possible. The day trip was really just a scratching of the surface – if even that – but it was worth it.

After walking around Genoa in the early morning, we set out for our day trip to Monaco and the French Riviera. The 2-hour drive was fairly easy until we got to the hubbub of traffic in Monte Carlo. We drove to the casino but searching for non-existent parking frazzled us too much.

Car horns beeped, motorcycles sped by us – everyone seemed to be in a hurry. I was surprised by how many skyscrapers loomed. Even though the population is only 48,000 (smaller than several US universities), it is crammed into a tiny space less than 1 square mile. We decided to leave without stopping – a decision I don’t regret. (more…)