Here, There and Ireland, too!: Nightmare in London and Nice is Nice!

Well, I am certainly behind the 8-ball getting this blog rolling. I really got behind in London with my ill begotten night there. First of all, never stay at the Ibis at Heathrow Airport. This is not a bargain under any circumstance.
They said that there was an airport shuttle to the hotel. Upon arriving one must make their way to the central bus station to get the shuttle. I could be still looking for it. I took a cab- $15 for a .6 mile ride. (it was more to get back to the airport in the morning!)
Ah! The Hotel! Or should I say prison cells with one window that does not stay open wothout A/C. Lovely! The internet was $17 for the night. The Hamburger in the bar was $20. A Joy!
I could not wait to get out of there.
The next morning, I headed for Nice. My flight and bus ride to Nice were easy and uneventful. My hotel, The Star Hotel, is a 2 star place in a neighborhood. The Hotel has a lot of character and the A/C works.I am on the 3rd floor and I have a lovely balcony and I love sitting out and watching the daily lives of the local citizenry.
Once settled in I began my exploration of Nice. I started with the beach. The beaches were not the sandy ones I had anticipated. They are rocky and not very good looking. The water, however, is a magical blue. They are crowded with people with their umbrellas as the sun is relentless. I decided that the first thing to do was to have lunch at one of the many beach restaurants. I made my way down the stone steps and picked one out.
The service was slow and the food was mediocre, but the experience was priceless. Mastercard took care of the $50 bill for the pizza, sparkling water, coffee and tip. I keep saying to myself- Once in a lifetime!
Due to the time difference, sleep came easily.
Today was my day to go to Monaco. Rick Steeves says the best way to get there is to go by bus. I did along with 300 other people. The bus was packed but the scenery was beautiful. The harbors, the hillside villas-(On the Riviera, they are villas not homes!), the yachts and, OH Yes!, the money.
It took about an hour to get to Monaco and I got out at the entrance to to the palace. The road was so steep they had a defibralator available on the way up. In my shape that made it less stressful to make the climb. The climb was worth it. The panaramic views were magnificent. The Harbor was beautiful and filled with money.You could see Monte Carlo on the opposite peninsula. It was a great experience.
From here I caught the bus to Menton, the next town over and the the last one before you go into Italy. It is small and does not have the glitz of Monaco and the some of the other beach towns that I went through.
Well I am back in my hotel relaxing. Tomorrow will be my day in Nice. Until then....