Tag: Attraction Review

Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Going to the Chapel

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: CHAPEL OF THE HOLY CROSS

Hopping from trail head to trail head, we soon found ourselves at a favorite attraction in the area – The Chapel of the Cross.  Come along for a visit.

A Little Savoring Side Trip

Confession, while I may not need to hone my skills at savoring a Mickey D’s breakfast, Bill is right that I do not savor enough.  I want to see everything right now and I want to see all of it fast. 

As soon as we caught sight of the chapel, I was ready to zip right up there and take it all in.  Mr. Bill was busy savoring things.  First, he savored a few more trail heads.  Then he drove around a residential neighborhood just below the chapel.  Though I was antsy at the beginning of the process, I did manage to slow down and begin dancing to the beat of his drummer. 

Visiting the Chapel

When you have a favorite place, you keep it pasted on the walls of your brain to retreat there whenever the desire arises.  When you go back to visit in reality, sometimes they have dared to change things.  Sometimes that’s good and sometimes that’s bad.  At the chapel it was a little bit of both.

The experience of arrival was pretty similar.  I think they may have moved the angel statue I was so fond of, but the elevated walkway was much the same and the exterior of the chapel was as it had always been.

However, when you actually entered the chapel things had changed drastically.  A huge life-sized crucifix has been placed inside, dominating the view of the valley from the interior.  I had fond memories of standing inside the chapel, close to the huge windows, looking down on the valley.  Am I allowed to say that I loved the sculpture of Christ on the Cross, but I didn’t like what it did to the chapel?

Instead of being allowed to appreciate the incredible view spread out below the chapel, you are now separated from it.  First, by tables of candles and then by the statue itself.  For some, this might make the chapel a more holy place, but for me, surveying the creation of a man, over God’s creation was a disappointment.  I don’t know how to tell them to fix it.  The copper sculpture needs to be inside to keep the beautiful finish, but the space is really to small for it.  I couldn’t get far enough away from it to really appreciate it and the barricade of candles before it ruined the truly awesome view of the valley.

On other visits I’d had a difficult time dragging myself away from the chapel.  This time, I was in and out in moments.  Once outside you became aware of something else that had changed – the view outside the chapel.  See that enormous house just to the left of center.  They should be ashamed of themselves.  Overly ostentatious and very distracting!

So, I’ve decided to retain my memories of the chapel before these latest additions.  The sculpture and the house will stay and other distractions may be added, but I’m just going to keep my old memories intact and go to the old chapel in my brain.   

After we finished with the chapel we decided to check into our Bed and Breakfast Inn, The Adobe Village Inn.  Join us next week and discover this delightful place to stay.

Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

On to Sedona

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: REVISITING A FAVORITE SPOT

Sedona, AZ is famous as a uniquely beautiful place.  It also has a reputation as the location of energy vortices and some say it is a hotbed of alien activity.  I don’t know about all that.  I don’t see vortices and aliens.  I see something beautiful that God made and just being there brings me a sort of surreal peacefulness.  I believe there are just some places on earth where God showed off a little bit and I think Sedona is one of them.

Getting On the Road

As usual, I woke up very early and entertained myself with reading and crossword puzzles.  I was ready to get on down the road, but Bill was all about lingering.  Lingering aside, I needed to get me ready to go and all our stuff packed up by checkout time, which was 10 AM.  Finally at 8, I started the process and eventually Bill decided it was OK for me to start packing.  Bill waited until the very last minute to leave and that’s just about the time he got an inquiry concerning a possible photography shoot from a new client.  We missed checkout time by 5 minutes.  not that big of a deal, but par for the course.

Bill had a new mantra, “SAVOR.”  That’s a good mantra, but I can’t get very excited about savoring McDonald’s.  In fact, we’d already had a whole lot more McDonald’s that I’m used to on this trip, but here we were again to start our drive to Sedona.  I tried to modify my anxiety to get down the road while Bill savored whatever Mickey D’s breakfast he’d chosen.

Pedal to the Metal

It was decided I’d drive to Sedona and that was fine with me.  I jumped in and drove as fast as I thought I could get away with.  It’s a gorgeous drive from the Sonoran Desert of Scottsdale to the Red Rocks of Sedona.  The weather had not been promising before we left Dallas and we had cancelled the four-wheeling adventure, because it sounded like we’d be facing a chilly damp day.  It turned out to be one of those days that has a little of everything in it, but as you can see from the picture above, as we neared Sedona, the sky was incredible.

If you’re taking this little trip, let me make a suggestion.  Do not turn off at the first exit for Sedona.  I completely forgot this advice myself, since I was driving rather than navigating and we entered the town from the south.  The benefit to the south entrance is that you arrive at some of the most spectacular Red Rock formations right away. The down side is you don’t start with Oak Creek Vista and for me, a few moments there, before entering the fabulous Oak Creek Canyon, is the best way to start a visit to Sedona.

Photography Heaven

The spectacular landscape just south of Sedona demanded we get out of the car and start taking pictures.  We drove from one trailhead to the next, using their parking lots to take jaw dropping pictures.  It was still a bit nippy at this point with some drizzle, so we were right to cancel the four wheeling expedition, but it didn’t stop us from enjoying the scenery.  Let me share some of the beauty with you and then come back next week to find out more about our visit to Sedona.

 

 

ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Photography, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

McDowell Sonoran Preserve

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: SCOTTSDALE’S GORGEOUS DESERT GARDEN

Just warning you!  I’m going to rave about the beauties of the desert again. Here’s another warning.  After looking at the map, I’m guess we lucked into arriving at the “Gateway to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve”, because the trail head had parking, potable water, restrooms and other facilities, while the map warns most of the other entrances have nothing.  Sometimes the travel gods just love you!

Sightseers Not Hikers 

Trying to locate the Desert Preserve, Bill found an open house he wanted to visit.  We’d visited another open house earlier in the day, one that would be in our price range and confirmed Scottsdale was not an option for us.  The open house close to the preserve as a million dollar beauty you’d get for closer to six hundred thousand here in the Dallas area.  We were definitely just looking.

Arriving at the Preserve, it was immediately apparent we weren’t counted among the usual visitors.  These folks took their hiking seriously.  They had on hiking gear that made us look like the amateurs we were.  They passed us without so much as a nod of the head or any offers to help people who obviously didn’t know where we were going or what we were doing.  We took advantage of the facilities and then headed out on a stroll of our own.

We definitely didn’t have on the right shoes.  There was a trail, but it wasn’t a nice smooth flat space.  It was laced with deep cuts, from rain water (I suppose) and strewn with pebbles and good sized rocks.   After we had gone maybe 50 yards we reevaluated our desire to hike.  It was just about dusk and since we had no idea what we were doing, we decided to just take photos in the picturesque area we’d happened upon.

Of course, the first thing Bill wanted to do was get off the trail and get up close and personal with some of the unusual flora.  Finally, a passing hiker took notice of us and let us know stepping off the trail was a not only a conservationist’s no-no, there was also a pretty strong chance we’d end up snakebit.  I’m not sure why the hiker thought the snakes knew the difference between the trail and non-trail areas, but the vehemence of her warning about the fauna convinced Bill to get back on the not-quite straight, but certainly narrow trail.

Not a lot else went on.  We took a lot of pictures, which I am happy to share with you and then we went back to our car.  Considering our choices for dinner, we decided we wanted to take it easy and use the kitchenette in our casita.  We found a grocery store and went for comfort food – pot pies.  Back at the resort, we put on our comfy clothes and just vegged. 

Now, while we take some down time, you enjoy the photos.  I’ll see you next week for our road trip to Sedona.

ART, Attractions, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Music, Performing Arts, Road Trips, Shopping, TRAVEL, United States

Waterfront Wine & Art Festival

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: WHO KNEW SCOTTSDALE HAD A WATERFRONT?

Across the street from Fashion Square was a mixed use complex project.  My husband the real estate photographer wanted to go take a look.  Once across the street we saw signs pointing the way to the Waterfront Wine and Art Festival.  I was thrilled.  It had been on my wish list, but I didn’t have a clue where there was a waterfront was in Scottsdale or Phoenix.  Having happened upon it without a commitment to be anywhere at any particular time, we decided to check our the art festival.

Admission With and Without Wine  

Bell made from copper fire extinguisher

Following the signs we wandered around until we found the Waterfront.  It cost only $3 a person to get in, if you didn’t want wine.  Bill didn’t want wine.  Had this been a girl’s trip, Deb and I would have ponied up the extra $10 for wine tasting, but I was happy enough to enjoy the art sans the tasting.  What an entertainment bargain it proved to be!

This was a completely different show than the Celebration of Fine Art we attended a few days before.  Like the Celebration, this was a juried show, but the jury for the Celebration was a lot tougher.  Instead of a studio setting, this was more of a retail opportunity with lots of hopeful artisans lurking at the edge of their awning.  In spite of the lurking artists, we enjoyed the visit. 

Worth the Time

Most of the wine was on one side of the canal and most of the art was on the other.  Shortly after we arrived we made our way to the artsy side.  I will confess, while most of the pieces on display were interesting, they didn’t pass the I’d-hang-it-on-my-wall test.  We don’t collect art.  We can’t afford to.  But often we stand in a gallery or at a festival longing to take something off the wall and carry it home with us.  That happened a lot at the Celebration of Fine Art.  Not so much at the Waterfront Wine and Art Festival.

Periodically, there would be musical acts or various things to eat or drink.  We were still very full from our late morning breakfast buffet, so we weren’t interested in the comestibles, but the entertainment was appreciated.  This violinist was among our favorites.  Bill took many pictures trying to capture her pure enjoyment of her own music.  This is as close as he got.

Up Next?

After a sojourn at the festival, it was time to satisfy another of Bill’s requests.  Yes, we made a potty stop at McDonald’s and enjoyed a little hydration break, but that doesn’t count.

Bill wanted to see some desert scenery.  There had been plenty at the golf course the day before, but he’d been otherwise occupied.  I’d hoped to go to the Desert Botanical Garden, but by the time we were ready to see it, there wasn’t much of the day left, so we doubted we’d get our $15.00 worth.  We opted for the McDowell Sonoran Desert Preserve.  Come back next week and enjoy it with us!

Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Dove Valley Ranch

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: GOLF IN ARIZONA

Bill loves to play golf – especially when the weather is nice and Scottsdale in February is very nice! However, rates at Scottsdale Golf Courses caused a severe case of sticker shock.  He wanted to play, but there was a limit to what he was willing to pay.  He did a little research and found exactly what he was looking for.

Just a Little Way Up the Road

Though I provided him with brochures, websites and other tools, I left it up to Bill to find where he wanted to play golf.  Left on my own, I would have either booked him something at our resort or over at the Phoenician.  He looked a little further afield and what he found made for a delightful day.

I love to ride along when Bill plays – not every time, but when I do it, I love it.  Bill chose a golf course about 45 minutes north of the resort.  The drive took us through some lovely desert landscape so we thoroughly enjoyed the commute.

Dove Valley Ranch Golf Club is a public golf course in Cave Creek AZ.  For a public course, it was very accommodating.  Everyone was very nice and eager to be sure you were going to enjoy your game – and the course itself is gorgeous. 

We were assigned to a threesome that seemed to play together often, but they didn’t resent being stuck with this Texan and his ride along wife.  There was a lot of friendly chatter and no one seemed to be much worse or better than their companions.

The New Camera 

My 2019 Christmas present was my own Canon Rebel camera.  Phone cameras just don’t cut if for me, primarily because I enjoy using an old-fashioned viewfinder, rather than trying to see an LED screen.  Bill, of course, has some fancy, expensive, heavy camera for his professional pursuits, but I wanted a camera of my very own.  I’d taken it for a test drive or two since I’d gotten it, but this Arizona Adventure had been its first bit of travel.

Bill and his golf buddies did their golfing thing, while I drove the cart and took pictures – both of which I enjoyed immensely.  The course, as I have said, was lovely.  Bill was having a good day of golf.  I was thrilled with the beautiful blue sky and all the amazing flora and fauna.

I’ve said it before, I love the desert.  It has a calming and soothing effect on me, but at the same time it just makes me happy.  To me, cactus is both regal and funny.  I think about how long it takes it to grow and wonder at how little water it takes to keep it healthy.  Then I look at the odd shapes it chooses to grow in and I just want to laugh.

As far as fauna is concerned, there was plenty – rabbits, chaparrals, quail and ground squirrels, just to name a few of the animals we saw.  Instead of raving about it all, I’m just going to show you some of the gorgeous pictures I took.

After the golf game, we made a visit to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.  More gorgeous desert scenery, so be sure to come back next week.  In the meantime, enjoy this gallery.

 

 

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Fashion, Museums, TRAVEL, United States

Phoenix Art Museum

Jane Sadek
Museum guide with our Entry Stickers

TRAVEL THERE: AN AIMLESS ART ADVENTURE

In my research for this trip, must-see items in the Phoenix Art Museum did not make themselves apparent.  Going was more of a you’re-here-and-it’s-free kind of thing.  So we stood in the short line and made it into the museum with perhaps an hour to kill.  Here’s what we did in that hour.

No Need for Speed

Front and center in the entry way was an exhibition called Legends of Speed.  It was 20 race cars posing as art.  What we could see from outside the exhibition was lovely, but it cost extra to see it and we didn’t even have enough time to see what was free.  So, we sort of followed our nose up into the European and Western Art areas. 

The Phoenix Art Museum is quite modern.  I don’t mean that all it has is modern art.  I mean the building and its architecture are very modern.  Nothing grand and stately.  More like plywood walls painted white with concrete floors.  Lingering is not encouraged or accommodated.   No conveniently placed benches available to relax as you practice art appreciation.

https://phxart.org/arts/art-deco-hall-c-1925-salon-art-deco-c-1925/

A Showstopper

Almost by accident we wandered into the Thorne Rooms Exhibit.  I say almost by accident, because we did not purposely go to find them, but decorative arts being my favorite art form, we went to the part of the museum where we would be most likely to find something like Narcissa Niblick Thorne’s Miniature Rooms. 

The art deco room you see here is about the size of a shoe box, but their’s nothing small about the craftsmanship.  The brass fireplace tools are exquisite, the murals are tiny hand-loomed tapestries.  The wall sconces are real silver with actual crystal teardrops.

What’s more, this room is just one of many.  Pick a style, any style.  You’re likely to find a room with that style in the exhibit.  For me, it was worth all the craziness of Art Walk to get to spend some time admiring these gems.  I highly recommend them.

The Rest of It

We did not do the museum justice, but time was ticking away.  I’d say we saw most of the second floor.  We found the Western Art and saw everything European, which included their very nice Monet.  We purposely avoided the Modern and Contemporary Art, but that also caused us to miss the Ansel Adams show in the Photography Section.  The Fashion Section was closed, because they were getting ready for a new exhibition in there.  We breezed through the Art of Asia and found the Gift Shop, where I picked up some postcards of the Thorne Rooms Exhibit to put in my scrapbook.

Would I go back to the Phoenix Art Museum?  Of course, if for no other reason than to gaze at the Thorne Rooms again.  They are amazing.  I can imagine if I lived in the area, I would be a member and visit often.  However, I do have to say that it didn’t work very hard to win me over.  The whole thing sort of felt like a temporary exhibit space.  I like my museums to have a certain amount of permanence and gravitas.  PAM seems as if it might perpetually be under construction.  The first “art” you see is a huge red plastic dinosaur and next we encountered race cars.  It was a little like arriving at an amusement part, rather than a museum.

I think art should be approachable and create interest for the masses, but that doesn’t mean it should quit taking itself seriously.  The entry area should WOW you a bit, not remind you of a road side attraction.  So, I’ll not add PAM to my list of favorite museums, but I also won’t kick it to the curb.  We are falling a little more in love with Arizona every time we go through, so I anticipate many more visits.

We grabbed some fast food on the way back to the resort.  It had been another long day of sightseeing.  We were tired, but not exhausted in the same way we had been after 10.5 hour shore excursions in Italy.  The next morning we had to pay the piper.  Come back next week and I’ll explain what I mean. 

 

 

Accommodations, Architecture, ART, Attractions, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Performing Arts, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Bagpipes in the Desert

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: WESTIN KIERLAND RESORT OFFERS UNIQUE ENTERTAINMENT

Remember how I was reeling from lack of sleep when we got to the Westin Kierland Resort, but all the staff was trying to welcome me with more information than I could grasp.  Well, I figured I had misunderstood them when they told me I could go hear a bagpiper at the Dream Weaver Canyon on various evenings, but they do in fact have a bagpiper that comes and plays their bagpipe.  It was actually pretty cool.  Let’s go!

Farewell Phoenician

It was almost as hard to quit taking pictures at The Phoenician as it was to say, “No, thank you, we don’t want anymore, tea or dessert.”  We backtracked out of the resort through the golf courses and made our way back to the Westin.  Along the way we stopped to pick up another gallon of water.  You have to stay hydrated in the desert.

The Bagpipes Are Now!

Getting back to the hotel via the grocery store took a little more time than we anticipated, so we screeched into the parking lot and trotted into the hotel, hoping we could find the Dreamweaver Canyon.  The canyon is actually a patio outside the hotel and by the time we got there, all the good seating was gone and lo and behold, as advertised, there was a kilted bagpiper entertaining with his bagpipe.

It really was a cool experience, but it was also quite incongruous.  The Dreamweaver Canyon area is by a small man made lake beside a golf course.  In the lake is modern non-figurative sculpture.  There’s also a fire-pit.  What that has to do with kilts, Danny Boy and the theme from Outlander beats me.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Since seating was at a premium we found ourselves wandering around taking pictures from every possible angle and then just for the heck of it, we took pictures of each other.  I will also admit that while I like bagpipes, I’m really only interested in hearing a song or two.  This guy played for what seemed a long time and the more he played, the more people started wandering off to other places, so by the time he quit, there was actually room to take a seat around the firepit.

Photo Safari  

After the last lonely note had sounded over the fairway, we took a little photo safari around the lobby.  We were all done with our photo taking until we walked out the front door and were overwhelmed with the sunset. 

You might think we’d already done enough for one day, what with shopping at the Quarter, having tea and the Phoenician and then hearing the bagpipes, but no, the day is not yet over.  I was as surprised as you are.  Mr. Bill was ready for action and I had done my homework, so as soon as we got back to the room, we reorganized for another adventure and headed to downtown Phoenix for yet another adventure.

Enjoy these photos from our photo safari and then come back next week to enjoy the Phoenix First Friday Art Walk.

ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Scottsdale’s Celebration of Fine Art

Jane Sadek
https://celebrateart.com/history/

TRAVEL THERE: PUT IT ON YOUR BUCKET LIST

Remember that marvelous Scottsdale Visitors’ Guide I ordered online for free.  Well, on the events page, they listed Celebration of Fine Art and a few pages over was a full page ad.  From there I went to the celebrateart.com website and I immediately knew there was at least one thing I was not going to miss in Scottsdale.

Celebration of Fine Art

If art is your thing or one of your things, you need to plan a trip to Scottsdale during the Celebration of Fine Art.  They have it every year during the months of January through March.  It’s more than just another art show or gallery.  One hundred artists come to Scottsdale and for three months they set up their studios right there in the big white tents. 

What’s more, this is the art bargain of the world.  Tickets are only $10 each and they will get you into the tents for the entire three months.  Unfortunately, we were there such a short time, we only spent a few hours in the tents, but if I lived anywhere near there, I would probably be there every weekend. Even the parking is free.  I’ve spent a whole lot more to get into an art event and have gotten a whole lot less out of it.

We loved this show.  We walked in, paid for our tickets and before we could even get our bearings, we were overwhelmed by a larger than life statue of a Native American being carved at the first booth.  For the next few hours, we walked awestruck from one booth to the next.  In each, we were able to see the artist working away at something new.  Bill was enchanted and stopped to chat at every booth. 

I liked the fact that there was every sort of art you could imagine.  Various mediums, from sculpture to painting to weaving.  You name any material you want, from canvas to plastic, and someone was doing something with it or to it to make it art. There were modern deconstructed pieces cheek to jowl with classical figurative and landscape paintings.  Too often you go to a show and there is booth after booth where everyone is virtually doing the same thing.  That was certainly not the case here.

Another marvelous thing was the quality of artist’s work.  I’ve been to juried shows where I wondered who the jury was.  This show was the best of the best of the best.  There just wasn’t anyone there that made me wonder how they got their spot.  It was all obviously high quality with great artistic value. 

Eventually, our senses were just worn out.  We could not begin to take in even one more art piece or chat with one more artist.  We were done, but we had not even scratched the surface.  We walked back towards the entrance, making sure to pass by those artists who were our favorites. 

We wanted to take something home from virtually every booth, but we managed to get out of the tent empty-handed.  The price tags easily discouraged us from impulse shopping.  It was fine art and the value was there, but we’re only visual collectors, in part because we just can’t afford to be otherwise.  

Time to Check In

It was about time to check into the Westin, but we had a few errands to run.  First of all, we needed water, but instead of picking up individual bottles at a convenience store, we found a grocery store and bought a gallon.  It wouldn’t be our last gallon on this trip.  The calories from Bill’s French Toast had all been used up, so he grabbed a burger at Jack in the Box.

I was on my last leg.  We’d been up since the wee hours and while Mr. Bill can grab a nap sitting in a terminal or in an airline seat, it really doesn’t work for me.  We navigated our way to the resort and got checked in, but we did run into a little problem there.  Come back next week and I’ll tell you about it.  

 

 

ART, Attractions, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, Shore Excursions, TRAVEL

Monte Carlo Redux

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: DOING MONACO RIGHT

While I may never get a chance to undo my unglamorous daytime visit to Monte Carlo, I did get to have some time in the city without regrets.  In fact, I traveled to the Prince’s Palace in a caravan of black SUV’s with the CEO of Celebrity Cruises.  I thought that was pretty cool.  Join me for this very fun shore excursion.

Opportunity Knocks

Our originally booked shore excursion in Monte Carlo never really had the Museum Girl Stamp of Approval.  Then one day, not long before the cruise, I got an email informing me of new events aboard our cruise ship.  The CEO of Celebrity was going to be on board and there were going to be special events just for her.  I’ll confess, I’m not a very good groupie, even of people like Samantha Brown that I adore.  I’ve seen her in person, but I wasn’t willing to stand in line to meet her personally.  I don’t go to concerts.  I don’t collect autographs.  I don’t buy sneakers based on a celebrity spokesperson.  So, the idea that I had the opportunity to meet a corporate big wig meant virtually nothing to me.

However, when said corporate big wig can provide me with access to something I would like to do, that I’d have no access to otherwise, well then, said big wig has my attention.  So, when Celebrity invited me to a wine tasting at the Monaco Yacht Club and a private showing of the Prince’s Palace, well OK, I’m in.  The price was a bit of an ouch, $304 per person, but I was still holding on to $151.20 of on board credit, so with Bill’s permission I booked it – as did the rest of my crew.

Meet Me at The Club

The Club on Celebrity Edge wears many hats.  At night, it’s an uber-cool disco that plays host to various entertainment, including acrobats.  During the day, it serves as a meeting place for shore excursions.  For this very special event, The Club was our gathering spot.

I could tell right away this was not going to be your run-of-the-mill shore excursion.  No brightly colored stickers, guides with signs or earpieces for this shore excursion.  Instead, we were given attractive metal badges in the shape of the Celebrity “X” logo.  Ours were orange.  I don’t know about everyone else.

From The Club, we made our way down to the tender-loading area and on to the port. No wandering around lost this afternoon.  Instead, we were shown to our celebrity-worthy, luxury black SUV.  

The Monaco Yacht Club Wine Palace

So, they had me at Yacht Club and sealed the deal with Wine Palace.  The Celebrity website said, ” Revel in the late-afternoon sunlight as it illuminates the terrace of the Wine Palace of the Monaco Yacht Club.”  I want to tell you it really was a lovely event, but I also have to tell you that whoever wrote that sentence had never been to the Monaco Yacht Club Wine Palace.

I imagined a lovely open air terrace, in the harbor of Monte Carlo, with the salt-flavored breeze lifting my hair from my shoulders.  Waiters would wander among us offering tasty tid-bits while a sommelier offered sips of wine.   What I got was a small two-story wine boutique with not so much as a balcony.  It was a nice wine boutique, but I have no idea what it has to do with the Yacht Club.  It is, however in the same building, so what do I know.

After I let go of the picture they had drawn for my imagination, I was able to have a very special time, but I do wish I hadn’t had to do the mental exercise.  Things got better from this point and I want to tell you about it, so come back next week.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Cruising, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, International, Shore Excursions, TRAVEL

Tourist Tales of Monaco

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: SCENERY TO DIE FOR AND A CASINO

There’s a reason Monte Carlo is a playground for the rich and famous.  Everything is pristine, beautiful and very, very expensive.  I rode along in the tourist train, eyes wide open, taking pictures as fast as I could with my phone.

Gawking at the Other Half

All the boats are yachts and all the cars dreams on wheels.  Beautiful people stroll along the streets with tiny little well-groomed dogs and chat with one another in shady cafes.  It is not crowded.  Normal people can’t afford to be there.

The train left their parking area across from the Jacques Cousteau Aquarium and first wandered down a hill past the harbor where all the yachts were docked.

The streets wound around the harbor offering spectacular views, like this shot Bill got of our ship.  I rode along, primarily people watching and not paying too much attention to where we were, because Bill had informed me we’d be staying on the train and hurrying back to the ship.  That was fine with me.

Quick, Get Off the Train

Suddenly, Bill was impatient with me, because I was not getting off the train.  I thought all that had been decided.  I knew our friends were getting off to go to the casino, but I failed to see what that had to do with me, since I was under the impression we were going to stay on board.

Things had changed and I hadn’t gotten the memo.  Soon the whole crowd was standing on a sidewalk deciding what to do.  Without map or guidebook I didn’t have a clue.  I was just there.

The crowd trotted off and we followed.  Come to find out, we were headed to the Casino.  I hadn’t wanted to be in Monte Carlo in my lounging pajamas in the first place, but I really had no desire to go hang out in the Casino during the day with all the tourists.

I had hoped we’d get all dressed up and visit the Casino in the evening.  I understood there was only a slim chance of this, but it’s what I wanted.  I’m still allowed to dream.

The Casino

We went up the stairs, had our bags checked and entered through a bunch of fancy glass doors.  The lobby is all about giving tourists someplace to hang out so they can say they have been to the Casino in Monte Carlo. It is also the only place the tourists can go.

Here it is.  This is what it looks like.  The building is absolutely gorgeous, but you can’t see it for all the tourists and the giant gambling display.  I couldn’t help but wonder whether the beautiful people glide past this in the evening or they just have the display up during the day.  I guess I’ll never know for sure.

The Rest of the Tour

After wandering around the lobby, snapping a photo I shouldn’t have and taking a potty break, we went back outside, waited for the tourist train and rode back to our starting point.  Finding our way back to the infamous escalator was easier than finding it in the first place.

At the dock, the tender loading station was set up with beautiful flowers, cold washrags and lots of fruited water.  In spite of my chagrin at being on a tourist train, looking my worst and my disappointment at being a tourist at the casino instead of a patron, I still have to admit, it was a gorgeous place.  Enjoy these photos and come back next week for a different sort of look at Monte Carlo.