We were in the South of France during the Formula 1 race in Monaco, which is a short 45 minute train ride from Nice. We were told repeatedly that it's crazy to try to drive to Monaco for the race so we bought train tickets and went for Saturday Qualifying. Our friend in Nice recommended Saturday Qualifying as a cheaper and easier alternative to a full race day. He also recommended getting tickets for La Rascasse, where we could hang out on the hill and see a good part of the course.

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Around Monaco

We didn't actually spend that much time watching the practice and qualifying and instead walked around and checked out the rest of Monaco. We walked up the hill to check out the scene there. Up there was a really nice park and the Musée océanographique de Monaco, which was run by Jacques Cousteau for many years. Outside the museum is Jacques personal Yellow Submarine. Past there was the cool Cathedral and the old town where we got some lunch. At the other end was the Prince's Palace and the overlook with the most amazing views of Monte Carlo.

We then came back a couple days after Formula 1 left town to visit the world famous Monte Carlo Casino. Channeling our inner James Bond, we dressed up and paid our €10 cover and were shocked to find that as fancy as it is the gaming there isn't that great. We also learned that right across the street is another casino that was "lower end" and a bit more fun.

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