lunch in Monaco

the standard olive oil and vinegar combination

for dipping some warm and crusty baguette (above)

we enjoyed an assortment of the best quality and full flavored French cheeses (above) and a platter of local favorites (below) served with some greens tossed in a simple vinaigrette

Have you ever had a most perfect day that stays in your mind? It has been months since we came back from our trip but I still daydream about the sights and flavors of each place we visited including a most unforgettable glimpse of Monaco. On board a tour bus from Nice, we drove by magnificent landscaped estates with amazing views from their cliff side locations. We were so impressed with how neat and organized everything is in Monaco.

Built on a cliff, the Oceanographic Museum (shown above) with its ornately decorated facade, impressed us. The renowned oceanographer Jacques Costeau was the director of this museum for about 30 years. Walking around, it was almost noon when we passed a cafe where we decided to have our lunch. The weather was very pleasant so we chose to enjoy our meal outside.

A cute pigeon (above) was eagerly awaiting hand-outs from the kids at the next table. When the place started to fill up by noontime, we realized that our timing was just perfect. What we tried were platters of local specialties and French cheeses. There was no way we will leave France without trying their cheese, and right at the source of the best cheeses in the world, they were as good as they can get.