For the first time in France - part 5

THE FIRST TIME behind the Iron Curtain Part 5: The flight from Paris to Nice, a domestic flight on Air France "nothing particularly remarkable not remember all the humdrum and pleasant. The same more spacious than in his native Aeroflot chairs, such as more friendly and more friendly flight attendants. At the airport we talked to taxi drivers. It turned out that in these regions flourish the same methods of cabs that we have. The only good news was that the local taxi drivers, unlike their counterparts in Paris, did not disdain to transport four passengers in one car (see Section 4). Yes, that's the trouble, you know! Things have turned out for one car too many. (Although, as I wrote, we did not do shopping. For example, your obedient servant, bought in Paris only a doll of Mickey Mouse on the memory of Disney Land.) We politely asked to take two taxi. We have to go, of course, was nowhere and we agreed. But it became clear that things-it turns out, one car can fit. If, in addition to luggage, does use the passenger compartment floor and knees passengers. Rates generally keep quiet about, because it is almost ten times greater than the then price in Ukraine. We settled into a comfortable two-story hotel at two hundred meters from the central area of ??Nice. On a nice hotel service I've already written, so I will not repeat. Let me just say that this hotel was once a year or two of our spacious Parisian refuge. Oh, I forgot to mention one of the main differences from the utility shovel. Water! Tap water in Paris, and Nice was a bluish tint. And it is suitable for drinking. I immediately felt sorry for all the people at the same time scoop. Especially Crimeans, because there the water worst in Ukraine, I think. More precisely, there is no water at all, through the pipes serve some sort of a red suspension of iron salts. My companions were tired from the road and decided a couple of hours sleep. And I decided not to waste precious time and a stroll around the city. Camera with him did not take, because the front was another four days azure coast and the limit of the films in Paris, I noticeably exceeded. The purpose of my walk was to find a nice internet cafe and try, as there they have things with speeds of Internet channels. By the way, I tried to ask passers-by on my broken English, "ebaut nearest Internet cafe. Nobody, of course, I did not suggested, because the city more resort than a business. However, about ten minutes we talked (which, of course, loudly said to my then English, but still!) With a married couple from the UK. He was sent to Spain to watch race on the Formula-1 ". I envied them quietly, and incidentally remembered how to ride here frantically searching the Internet calendar of local football fights and found nothing, and yet the dream was to go to Western European soccer. True, in fairness we must admit that now, especially on the eve of Euro 2012, a football more and more visits our region. Search for local providers to succeed. Three blocks from the hotel found an internet cafe where I was successful at a reasonable price, took advantage of French internet service. To a tee in accordance with the proverb "Whom Shaw and kurtsi millet. But I wanted to send yourself an E-mail «from there." Send, receive. What a joy! And the speed was quite respectable. Exact figures can not remember, but the relation with the Ukrainian realities were in favor of the French service providers in 6-8 times. Slightly deviating from the topic I will say that for 9 years Ukrainian reality has leaped forward. When I tell my Skype-partner on the Ukrainian mass of Internet service at speeds under 100 megabits for $ 11 a month, they are modestly silent envy. My childhood friend, who is now a permanent residence in Germany, last year told me to do terrible things. I do not know how to really, but in his words - honestly, honestly. It turns out there they have a firm-analog-to-our-UTEL Internet service is not provided, but loses its wires in the lease to other providers. The subscriber, of course, can choose the provider. But, if for some reason the ISP subscribers would not like to terminate the contract ahead of time is impossible. You can not pay. But the Internet service on your telephone line to obtain from another provider will nizzzya! And sit there without the Internet, and because the contract almost two years! Another man, an American, complained that he does not use in hot weather, his house in the mountains, because there is no internet and television. When I asked him why he's not put the plate to even watch TV, even without the Internet. But he said the satellite TV, complete with Internet access costs $ 100 per month, with the contract for a year! Well, just particular mockery of U.S. and German antitrust committee of the oppressed workers of these countries! I'm not talking about a painful Hotmail e-mail with kutsymi drawers. When I sent this American video a couple of hundred meters, so as not to suffer with a deposit-file systems, I put the file in a drawer at UKRNET. My friend liked the service, and even had a little "fight" with tech support UKRNET to work correctly theirs English interface and my friend would be able to use it. Why are there! If not ours, of Russian origin, the American would not have created Google's, they would be there ... Oh! Well, it's me, of course, kidding. Now we return to Nice. More precisely, it is not in Nice and the Principality of Monaco, where we went by train the next morning. As everyone knows, the capital of his called the Monte-Carlo, Principality was to the French franc currency area, but legally an independent state. Somehow, all the time running through my mind an old tune "thug" songs "Podkinte me a ticket to the Monte Carlo, I bother theirs gamblers. Dozed for an hour with little in the comfortable chairs in the wagon, we started the study of this "reserve" the millionaires and billionaires and immediately realized how far we are from these peaks the financial ladder. All life in the principality of life in different cities for ordinary mortals. If the new Mercedes while in Ukraine was not a lot, in France, they lacked, of course, the Monte Carlo method, as we understand this technique and for the car, few believed. Is inescapable taxi drivers. At each corner of the warping and were parked Bentley, Ferrari and Lamborghini. It was very fun to watch as the driver of the Bentley was stopped by the local "cops" because I wanted to pass on the central square, which was then blocked. According to our concepts of Asian drivers such an expensive car can go wherever he wants, no matter on any traffic-inspection! What we have now, as we all know, continues to happen. And there - no! Carrier beat his fists on his chest (exaggerate), he urged, but the custody order was adamant. Immediately, we realized that we are in a city that is special for the minds of millions of people around the world, because here is the oldest track racing Formula 1. " And now here preparing for the next arrival, and the future road race has hung a banner appropriate: Shopping in Monte Carlo were also some "not so". More precisely, we store something not seen in the Soviet nor in the French sense of the word. In the heart of Monte Carlo many times we have seen how the building drives a luxury car. Passenger or a passenger disembarks, goes to the door without a sign and walks inside. No windows. But through the doorway, we still saw a few times that it still shop. It turns out they all are just personal VIP-clients chtol? Signs, and the small size, we came across a couple of times on the doors, where they lived and worked doctors or lawyers. We have begun examination of the central square where is located the famous casino. It turned out that there can go and play on the slot machines on the first floor, which we did. One of us even had a small "plus", winning a little money. In order to play on the second floor needed a suit and tie, but we, of course, does not pretend to "pull" a couple hundred tysch in the casino, and therefore not very much and upset. The right of the casino is located a hotel, around which were gathered over a hundred people - reporters, onlookers, and many taxi drivers. We began to be interested in it, one expects a suite? We were told that he must leave himself, Michael Jackson (the kingdom of heaven be upon him). We walked for about twenty minutes, but the paparazzi of us have turned out not very good, so no one except Philip Kirkorov, we have not seen. Then we had breakfast in a summer cafe nearby, just across the hotel facade. I ordered the soup, do not you like to sparse after the Paris-Chinese mushrooms for five days. The soup was average, but above the liquid namostili thick, under a centimeter thick "crust" of breadcrumbs. But the waiter told us that he often serves here Princess Stephanie of Monaco. However, he could exaggerate. Then we went for a walk, as always without some preliminary plan, just "on location". I did some general plans for the city from different points, the benefit of the Monte Carlo is located at the "rugged terrain", to use the Military Staff dialect. Then we went deep into urban neighborhoods to examine the house where they live Monte Karlovci are easier. Immediately landscape has become less elite but still flavorful and quite European. Around the same components that we have seen in Paris. Here and the parking of motorcycles and cars are no longer as fashionable. All very neat and pretty, and road markings, and sidewalks, and ornamental plants: The only thing we found here not typical for Paris, it's a fruit and vegetable shop in the open air, quite in keeping with the ex-shovels countries, except that tilt more thorough and large: On the way back we went to a museum of oceanography Cousteau. We did not know what is in Monte Carlo. As I said, we tried not to spend valuable time to communicate with guides and study of advertising booklets, and covered with uncharted territory of "square-cluster" method. In the big room we admired the reconstruction (or maybe even true), skeletons of prehistoric fish and animals, and then went to see the living inhabitants shlubin and shallows. It was only later, when I can see the Marine Aquarium in Barcelona, ??I realize that's a good tank. But then, in Monte Carlo, I do not know, and close association with marine life has left an indelible impression. Shooting with flash was forbidden, however, as a typical "scoop", I neglected once the ban and "shuganul" camera real shark: In Monaco, already two harbors. It is understandable why. Looks like many local inhabitants do not for one boat per capita. Between Havana is located upland, which perfectly visible both mooring complex. Here's harbor, which is already among us in the frame: And here's another: Ax breathtaking number of vessels. And the vessel is slightly larger than average, we were told by one of the boats, about a thousand U.S. dollars a day! Right there on the hill, is located pretty palace, as we understand, the residence of the local princes: If you look at pictures you can see the guard in the booth. Periodically, he comes to light, and throws a pretzel with his personal weapon, like a three-line rifle. After admiring the palace, we headed toward the station and drove in neighboring Italy to visit the city of dreams for all lovers of Italian music of Soviet San Remo. Start material: End of Material: See also: How to rest in August