Day 2 - Monaco

The coastline of Monaco

I am sitting on a private verandah on the Concierge floor of the HMS Rotterdam, a Holland America ship. The sun is setting and there's a delightful breeze surrounding me with fresh sea air and an occasional whiff of cigar smoke, probably from a passenger in the neighbouring verandah.  I have a small glass of cranberry juice that I've sweetened with a rock candy sugar stick.  Just sitting here watching the yachts parade to and fro in the harbor. I've never seen this many yachts in any one place, but then, I've never been to Monaco. And if the number of yachts are an indication, her reputation of being a playground for the rich and famous and top 1% are indeed true.

But what's taking my attention is not the display of wealth, or the beautiful harbor.  My attention is on the rock candy sugar stick in my juice.  It's mesmerizing watching how it slowly dissolves, little brick by brick to fall on the glass' floor then slowly disappear.

Cranberry juice with rock candy sucker

The girls have gone into Monaco but I stayed behind because I'm too tired, stiff and sleepy.  Didn't rest well due in large part to waking several times during the night because of a ridiculously large, noisy clock that sounds as if someone is trying to come in the room.  Normally I'm not a light sleeper, but this clock sounds as if someone's trying to jiggle the lock and sneak in. And even though I got up and made sure the security lock was in place, that darned clock kept bothering me. So here I sit, watching rock candy melt, listening to the playlist made especially for the trip and glancing up as another beautiful yacht floats by.

My tranquility is being disturbed by my fellow suite owner next door who, after finishing that cigar, is positively coughing up his lungs.  I think he's lighting another because his companion is now yelling at him for smoking.  Now they're going on about the colognes she's bought, and that he has to wear gross-smelling colognes to please her.  Where are my headphones?

More yachts join the never-ending parade. They're in all sizes and shapes, but there's this really huge one that's left. It's about the size of two yachts together and there's a crew walking about cleaning the deck or setting up the deck. I'm now wondering if some of these boats are water taxis coming over from Nice and Cannes because there's just so many of them.

Monaco's traffic jam

Now my neighbors' argument has escalating so I've brought out the headphones. She's still over there screeching. him I can no longer hear. Music indeed has power to soothe and drown out unpleasantness hahahaha!

It's now dusk and the harbour lights are coming on. Not as many small boats in the water now. Even the parade of excessive wealth has slowed. Earlier I could see another big ship in the distance but it's gone. It's either pulled off or swallowed by the cloak of the on-coming darkness.

Here are some pics from Monaco:

Bean poses, Mouse shoots