Monaco Part 1

Bon jour, mes amies,

Rain and cold were in the forecast, but instead we got a sunny, warmish day.  I was going to travel to Monaco no matter what, but I was glad to have decent weather, and I changed my plans a little.  There's a lot to see in Monaco, so I decided to devote two days to it.  I was going to take the bus down to the old town, but it was so pleasant I walked around the upper town and visited some parks and museums.
I'm having my achoiade with rose this time.  Good.  Salty, but good, and I did truly work up an appetite.
I walked a lot and climbed a lot of hills and steps.  Monaco is very vertical, and public elevators will take pedestrians up and down some places.  The train station is odd as well.  It seems to be all underground with more passages and elevators and not a conventional welcome hall even though it's still SNCF.
But let's have some history!  The Principality of Monaco is really its own sovereign country, the second smallest in the world after Vatican City.  Its status was confirmed in the mid Nineteenth Century and later in the early Twentieth through treaties with France.  Truth to tell Monaco exists only by French sufferance, and I figure the French put up with it because the Principality draws visitors to the area, and they spend money in France.  The treaty states that as long as the Grimaldi Dynasty exists, so does Monaco, which explains the angst about the current Prince Albert's seeming reluctance to marry.  He is married now, and anyway his sisters Caroline and Stephanie have plenty of kids between them.  When I was growing up Princess Grace of Monaco was a huge deal--an American actress married to royalty!  Who could imagine?  Meghan Markle for one.
I followed the signs to the Jardin Exotique, and it's quite a walk from the train station, but I passed a lot of fancy buildings. The garden is a lot of fun with winding paths and, yes, exotic foliage, but the views! Oh my. The views of the port (and its yachts. I wonder if my disdain for giant yachts would survive an invitation to go on one.), the old town on its fortress rock, and the layer upon layer of closely packed buildings and humanity.
Monaco reminded me of Hong Kong--it's packed, and seems a nice place to visit, but I am dubious about living there.
I visited the Anthropological Museum as well.  It's in the Jardin Exotique and the admission is included.  I also stopped in on a public recreation area called the Princess Antoinette Garden with more nice paths and a lot of different play areas for children.  I came upon some animals, too.  One goat apparently thought I had or was something to eat and came right up to me.
I plan to return to the Principality and do the old town and the palace.  Monaco is a class act.  The public toilets are free!
A demain