So Monte Carlo on the whole is very cool, lots of Money in the Habour in the form of Yatchs and Sailboats. The Buildings are all built into the cliffs, and the cliffs are steep.
The Grand Casino as it is called is a bit of a farce, Mainly Slot machines and a few BJ and Roulette tables apparently - I say this because you have to pay to go into the Casino $10 Euro, Which is about $13.00 $US. We headed down the road to the Fairmount Hotel which had a craps table - It was cold as ice Dropped $100 Euro and hightailed it out of there zero atmosphere.
We are leaving France to today to head to Berlin. Here is my summary of France
Beautiful Women are everywhere especially in Paris
Tipping is extremely confusing - Some places add a tip to the restaurant bill & some don't, Taxis add tips when you pay in cash but rely on cash tip if you pay with CC.
If you don't speak French they could care less about you. Even my daughter who studied french immersion all through school is put off as she gets shut down right away by speaking a different dialect.
Now some positives.
It is less expensive than I thought it would be - Public transit, Taxis, Meals, Booze etc - No fees at ATM's although i am sure we are getting killed on Exchange.
The Buildings in Paris were beautiful the museums and shops are very cool the fashion is awesome.
Also the open spaces in Paris were very nice lots of parks and plazas the people watching is fun.
Off to Berlin - where we are staying in old east Berlin which is now suppose to be very hip and trendy.
The Grand Casino as it is called is a bit of a farce, Mainly Slot machines and a few BJ and Roulette tables apparently - I say this because you have to pay to go into the Casino $10 Euro, Which is about $13.00 $US. We headed down the road to the Fairmount Hotel which had a craps table - It was cold as ice Dropped $100 Euro and hightailed it out of there zero atmosphere.
We are leaving France to today to head to Berlin. Here is my summary of France
Beautiful Women are everywhere especially in Paris
Tipping is extremely confusing - Some places add a tip to the restaurant bill & some don't, Taxis add tips when you pay in cash but rely on cash tip if you pay with CC.
If you don't speak French they could care less about you. Even my daughter who studied french immersion all through school is put off as she gets shut down right away by speaking a different dialect.
Now some positives.
It is less expensive than I thought it would be - Public transit, Taxis, Meals, Booze etc - No fees at ATM's although i am sure we are getting killed on Exchange.
The Buildings in Paris were beautiful the museums and shops are very cool the fashion is awesome.
Also the open spaces in Paris were very nice lots of parks and plazas the people watching is fun.
Off to Berlin - where we are staying in old east Berlin which is now suppose to be very hip and trendy.
Just finished a 4 hour walking tour of Berlin. Tour guide was amazing Studying his masters on German men and women who have influenced the history of Berlin. What luck, Guide was an encylopedia.
Berlin is very interesting place - Germany it self has only been around since 1870 as a unified country,and it seems like Berlin has always been trying to catch up like a little brother to Paris, London and the US. Only problem is little brother is both smarter and more motivated due to his low self esteem.
Saw some pretty amazing Historical Sites and learned interesting things about Berlin architecture. Once again I love the large buildings and plazas with wide open spaces. Don't get much of that in Vancouver where the land is so damn expensive the only thing you can do is build a tower on it.
Berlin is very interesting place - Germany it self has only been around since 1870 as a unified country,and it seems like Berlin has always been trying to catch up like a little brother to Paris, London and the US. Only problem is little brother is both smarter and more motivated due to his low self esteem.
Saw some pretty amazing Historical Sites and learned interesting things about Berlin architecture. Once again I love the large buildings and plazas with wide open spaces. Don't get much of that in Vancouver where the land is so damn expensive the only thing you can do is build a tower on it.
