Getting out of the train, this was my first glimpse of this micro-nation

The train goes effectively underground, as this small country is carefully compacted tightly together.

There can be an outdoor seaview above a shopping mall, which is above a car park which is above the railway line.

This is where I stayed in Nice, not Monaco.   Well, somewhere near here.   I don’t think the hostel is there now.  Because it was 2005, no one had a smart phone, so gasp!  you can actually get to know and chat to strangers, and have some friends to explore and see places.   Something I miss now.   Nice and Cannes are pleasant places, but very touristy and after a few days there it got a bit samey.

A lot of my holiday / blog exploits is about trying find a way to do something cheap in place where many people are spending big wads of cash.   So several of the days I wanted to get into Monaco, it was a quick train ride away.

This train ride was actually less than 20 mins!  along the sea front.

1. Monaco, my first tiny country – 2. Train in from France – 3. Hairpin bends – 4. soon….