Monaco is a 20 minute train ride from Nice. With Andy's senior discount, our return tickets were €13.60. The train was packed, but there were seats for most people, unlike on a train trip from Reading to London.

The Grand Prix is on 23-25 May, and the stands, pit lanes and catch fencing were being set up. The Grand Prix takes a month before and a month after, so the residents can only enjoy their city for 10 months without the disruption it brings. We walked most of the circuit, then took a tourist bus to see the rest. The circuit is tiny, the bends much tighter than they look on TV, and the straights are short.

I hadn't realised how small the Pricipality is: 2 square Km, much of it reclaimed from the sea. The harbour was full, mostly big luxury boats, though we did see a few inflatables like ours!

We were able to go inside the Casino, though cameras and bags had to be checked in, so have no photos of the lavish inside with its painted ceilings and marble columns. The theatre is another building we recognised from films, in fact there are so many elaborate buildings which we vaguely recognised from films or TV, it's hard to know where to start in describing them.

The castle reminded me of Disney theme parks, it's too perfect for a 1533 castle, but since the Royal Family lives there, I suppose they want comfort rather than an ancient crumbling ruin.

There were high-rise blocks crammed in every tiny corner, and the traffic was unbelievable - Ferarris, Lamborghinis, Jags, Bentleys and Alfa Romeos jostling for road space with motorbikes and buses, average speed probably around 10mph max. I'm so glad we didn't attempt to drive there as all the carparks were full and the driving/parking was unbelievable.

In the harbour we saw massive cruisers, far bigger than those in San Tropez, cruise ships and then, weaving their way across the harbour, 3 boats with bright sails being towed by an inflatable boat. A children's ride, it seems, a step up from brightly painted horses on a carousel!

The cheap train fare was offset by the price of drinks - €10 for 2 small beers. Forewarned about the prices, we had bought prepacked salad and had a picnic in the beautiful park next to the theatre.

I've loaded 2 albums of photos, one for the GP fans!