San Marino, The Diplomat and Depeche Mode

Friday, February 21^st

Oh, tiny countries, how I adore you! On my European vacation, I've already visited the tiny countries of Liechtenstein and Monaco and later in the travels, I'll visit Vatican City, the smallest country in the world.  But in this installment of my journal, I travel to the oldest republic in the world, San Marino...!

A few fun facts about San Marino:

• established in 301 A.D.
• population of 29,000
• a total of 24 square miles (1/3 the size of Liechtenstein or Washington, D.C.)
• ZERO traffic lights in the entire country

To fully appreciate San Marino, we need to start with a quick (and painless) history lesson.

Italy became a country fairly recently, in 1861. Prior to that, Italy, Germany and other countries were made up of a bunch of individual city-states and kingdoms. So the individual cities that we know today within Italy (Venice, Verona, Milan, Florence, etc) were once kingdoms or republics.

In the 1400s, this is what Italy looked like:

If you look within the purple area, the Kingdom of the Papal States, you'll see a small yellow dot - San Marino!  San Marino was created in 301 A.D.  A Christian stone cutter from Croatia named Marinus fled religious persecution from the Roman emperor Diocletian and hid out high on Mount Titano (San Marino's highest peak).  He founded a small community of Christians and protected them from persecution.  The owner of the land eventually gifted the land to Marinus and the name was changed to San Marino. (The story reminds me of the Founding Fathers of U.S.! )

In the mid 1800's, the individual city-states were unified slowly into the nation of Italy, but San Marino remained independent.  Today, it is the SOLE remaining independent republic from this period in world history.  Okay, okay, history lesson over! 

San Marino is old, unique, a political relic but it's also GORGEOUS!

I drove into the hill, checked into my hotel and set off to explore the country. 

I was particularly excited to get a San Marino passport stamp, but the office was closed. I walked around the old town and after just 30 minutes, my thighs are burning. I’ve been to some extremely hilly towns and cities on this trip and San Marino is one of them! Everywhere you turn is another set of stairs, another hill. It’s gorgeous, though, and well worth the butt and thigh workout!

After lunch, I climbed all the way to the top of the hill and was informed by a snotty lady working the cashier desk that the entrance fee was 3€, cash only.  I had a credit card and 2.50€ in change.  She shut the window in my face. Niiiiice!  I asked a passerby where the nearest ATM was… at the bottom of the hill, naturally.  I decided to head back to my hotel spa, where I got a massage and body scrub, then got cleaned up and went downstairs for dinner. That’s where my trip got REALLY interesting!  

The Diplomat

At the table next to me at dinner was another single woman and I overheard her speaking English to the server. In between courses, I smiled, said “hi” and we struck up a conversation.  She seemed thrilled to chat and after a few minutes, she asked to move over to my table and we continued chatting and eating. I learned that she is a U.S. Diplomat.

[For security reasons, she asked that I not publish her real name or location on my blog or social media, but mentioning the region was okay. So I’ll omit any specific details and will call her Mary. She's a U.S. Diplomat currently serving in the Middle East.]

As we ate, we discussed our careers, our travels, and our lifestyles as single women traveling. I talked about my life, my career, my uncertainty about what to do next and my love of traveling the world.  She shared stories from life as a diplomat, her love of travel and the pros and (very few) cons of her job.  I was fascinated!  The job and lifestyle sounded amazing to me and of course, it’s an amazing opportunity to serve your country. Mary encouraged me to look into a job as a US Diplomat. She explained that they’re looking for people with a wealth of random knowledge about pop culture, American history, world history, and a variety of other topics. (I have that!) More importantly, they’re looking for people who like to travel the world, who are comfortable being alone, people who are well spoken, at ease in any situation, can strike up conversation and who are willing to move around every 2-3 years.  She said our dinner conversation was evidence of my aptitude of all of those things. Um, yeah! 

As we finished dessert, we agreed it was serendipitous that we’d met. Honestly, what are the odds that two women with so much in common would be at the top of a mountain in one of the tiniest countries in the world... at the same hotel, at the same restaurant, seated at tables exactly next to one another on the same night?  Before she headed off to bed, she asked if I wanted to tour the city with her the next day and I happily agreed. I went to bed, wheels turning in my brain.

The next morning after breakfast, Mary and I walked around town. We visited the Parliment building, and the offices of the where the country is run. I got my photo with a member of the Sammariese Military Police 

We toured the building, which was gorgeous.

This is the Parliment office, where the wto

I managed to get my passport stamp (hooray!) and I found a Christmas shop where I was able to pick up a Christmas ornament. Next, we went to lunch at a place Mary wanted to try…and the food was delicious!  She also introduced me to soppa freddo…a type of ice cream that was particularly delicious! 

It turns out, Mary is a HUGE Depeche Mode fan and had traveled from the Middle East to Italy/San Marino for a concert in Bologna later that night. My parents were also spending the weekend in Bologna, so it seemed like a sign to me.  In 35 years, I've never offered a stranger a ride, but I offered to drive Mary to Bologna. We checked out each others passports (she had a special Diplomatic passport!), I googled her real name and found enough information that I was convinced she wasn’t a crazy sick lunatic.  She probably had some government agency look into me and then, we were off! 

The drive went quickly and again, we talked non stop.  We chatted about our love lives, careers, more about the diplomat lifestyle, our families, travels and current events.  It was fun to have a travel buddy.  Before I knew it, we were pulling into her hotel and exchanging email addresses.  Mary was off to see Depeche Mode and I was off to surprise my parents…!

Life never ceases to amaze me.  I think it was serendipitous that I met Mary in San Marino.  It feels like we were destined to meet for some reason.  At the very least, we had great conversation, I learned a lot about the life of American Diplomats and made a new friend.  Maybe it will lead to an exciting new career for me, maybe not. 

But whatever happens next, this reminds me that smiling and saying “hi” to the person sitting next to you just might change your life. Or at the very least, your day.

Caio!

                               

Tiny country: MONACO!

This is part of 4 posts on Nice, Monaco, Carnavale and Antibes and Cannes.

• All about Nice, France. Check it out...! 
• If you want to read about Carnavale... Check it out...! 
• My tiny country profile of Monaco...read below!
• Antibes and Cannes is where I fell in love with yachts. Check it out... !

************

About 45 minutes up the coast from Nice is the 2nd smallest country in the world...the Principality of Monaco.

Now, if you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll know I'm planning to visit 4 tiny countries on this trip: Liechtenstein, San Marino, Monaco and Vatican City.  I love learning about their tiny rules, regulations and histories!

A few fun facts about Monaco:

• home to only 35,000 people but 125 nationalities
• 0% unemployment and 0% income tax
• citizens of Monaco are NOT allowed to gamble or visit the casinos, including the famed Monte Carlo
• Monaco has a small military of about 100 people, but no navy or air force
• France is responsible for defending the country if attacked by another nation
• Monaco has a massive police force, with just 500 police officers for 33,000 people.  
• the Monaco Grand Prix has been held since 1929. 
• It takes 6 weeks to set up the circuit and 3 weeks to take it down 
• the flag is identical to the Indonesian flag

Sunday afternoon, we drove from Nice up the coast to visit the tiny country. It was a cloudy day but warm and the drive was nice. The water was beautiful and I just wanted to drive all day.  

We arrived and parked in the marina area...not realizing how far we were from the Monte Carlo, which you can allllmost make out high on the hill behind us.

The marina area was very pretty... lots of cafes and restaurants spilling out onto the sidewalks and great views of the country/city built into the hill.

And of course, what's a marina without some boats?

But this is Monaco... so the boats put all other boats to shame. There are yachts...

And then there are YACHTS....(look at the very top of the photo...)

After checking out the yachts, we started the trek up the hill. It was surprisingly hard to find the Monte Carlo casino, but that was probably just because we came up the hill in a strange way. But it made for some great views!

We saw this plaque dedicated to Princess Grace of Monaco.  Of course, we Americans know her as Grace Kelly, the actress who met Prince Ranier III of Monaco and married him in 1956.  Isn't that every little girls dreams, to marry a prince? Sadly, she died at the age of 52 when she accidentally drove her car off a cliff near Monaco.  It was nice to see this tribute to her.

 Walking around in Monaco, you realize quickly there is no shortage of opulence, wealth and gorgeous architecture!

Apparently, Monegasques appreciate the finer things in life.

French...

 And Italian...

Finally, this sign let us know we were on the right track.

In my head, I could almost hear the James Bond theme song starting up.  (James Bond visits the famous Monte Carlo casino in at least 2 Bond movies... Never Say Never Again and Golden Eye. I think there might be a third, but it escapes me at the moment!)

And then, I was busy photographing this gorgeous building....

I didn't realize that behind me, we'd finally found the world famous Monte Carlo casino...!

 Here's a better view... (i.e. a photo I didn't take!)

The casino has a strict dress code, does not permit smoking, doesn't allow residents of Monaco to enter, and of course, you must be 18 years old. It also doesn't open until 2 on Sunday, which we didn't realize.  We decided to have lunch at the Cafe de Paris right next door. It has a huge patio with extraordinary views of the casino and courtyard, where all the fancy cars are parked. 

It was at the Cafe de Paris that I ate the most expensive cheeseburger and fries of my life.  I paid  27€, or about $37.50.  And it wasn't cooked enough. I'd asked for med-well. It came med-rare. When he came back to the table 30-ish minutes later, the waiter was very snooty and seemed annoyed when I only ate half of my $37.50 burger.  He asked if there was a problem and I admitted it wasn't cooked to my liking.  He seemed hostile the rest of the meal, as though I'd done something to offend him. $37.50 gets you lots of French attitude.

Oh, but there are two things more worth remembering than the snotty French waiter.  

1. The two women lunching next to us ordered RAW hamburger patties with french fries.  My mom, dad and I almost died! In my entire life, I've never seen anything like that. Just a raw ball of meat on a plate. They are it with a fork and acted like it was delicious. Yuck!

2.  I'm 98% certain Ralph Lauren was sitting at the table behind us. He was tall, white hair, dressed impeccably and wearing a pair of loafers that cost more than my first car. Probably more than all of my cars.  

After lunch we headed over to the casino. The interior was gorgeous! 

                                        

The bathroom had way too many mirrors - a girl could get lost in those mirrors.

The bar was made of these draped, gorgeous crystals.

Mom and I explored every inch, including this empty staircase to nowhere. Photo op!

We gambled a bit, and my mom was the big winner. She pocketed almost 9€ you guys!

But perhaps my favorite part of the Monte Carlo was the area outside, where all of the expensive cars were parked.  I've never seen so many expensive cars all in one area.  Lamborghini's, Ferraris, Maserati,  Mercedes Benz and Rolls Royce, all lined up one after the other.

My mom looks so adorable next to this Rolls Royce...

But, the only way to tell the residents from all the others is this, the coveted Principality of Monaco license plate.

After looking (drooling) at the cars for awhile, the afternoon was winding down and it was time to return to Nice. The sun was starting to set as we walked down the hill to the marino where I parked the car. We walked slowly, looking at the architecture, the yachts, the beautiful, blue water that stretched out into the horizon forever. We looked in shop windows, pointed to things of interest, and tried to absorb every sight, sound and smell. We wandered past one shop window displaying Grand Prix trophies and winner photos.

I think we all did our best to walk as slowly as possible.  Because really, I doubt anyone ever wants to leave Monaco...

Tiny Country Tour: Liechtenstein

February 12th and 13th - Liechtenstein

I like doing unique things. I read an article a few months ago that referenced Vatican City as the world's smallest country, which I knew, but the article also mentioned that Vatican City had this distinction despite having ZERO permanent residents!  Did you know that?

I found that fact so delightful, I started researching the world's most minuscule countries to see what I could learn about these pint-sized places. Some of them are far flung island locations that I may never visit... but I learned that 4 of the tiniest countries are in Europe.  I decided it would be fun to visit them all and add some (very rare) stamps to my passport!

The 10 Smallest Countries in the World  (smallest to "largest")
1. Vatican City (Italy)
2. Monaco (France)
3. Nauru (island in the South Pacific north east of Australia / Indonesia)
4. Tuvalu (island in the South Pacific north east of Australia / Indonesia)
5. San Marino  (Italy)
6. Liechtenstein (Austria/Switzerland)
7. Marshall Islands (islands in the South Pacific north east of Australia / Indonesia)
8. St. Kitts and Nevis (Caribbean)
9. Seychelles (island off the eastern coast of Africa, near Kenya/Somalia)
10. Maldives (islands off the southern tip of India, east of Seychelles)

**********

The first stop on my Tiny Country Tour is Liechtenstein, the 6th smallest country in the world.
Liechtenstein is nestled between Austria and Switzerland. It's just 4 miles wide by 15 miles long... slightly larger than Manhattan (which is 2.3 miles wide by 13.5 miles long).

Liechtenstein is surrounded on all sides by the Alps.  There is a gorgeous, vibrant green valley between the mountains and a river winding through the valley. When I started researching Liechtenstein months ago, I was fascinated by how much it looked like the setting of a fairytale. You'll notice this blog post is crammed full of photos. I don't think anyone could ever explain the beauty that is Liechtenstein. You have to see it to believe it.

I know what you're thinking... "sure, but thats just a photo meant to look charming."
I understand.  I thought the same thing until I got here.  But, I can assure you...it absolutely looks like these photos, you guys. It's gloriously clean, picturesque, colorful (even in February), quaint, charming and everywhere you look, you're reminded of a fairytale.

This natural beauty draws outdoor enthusiasts to Liechtenstein in droves.  The country is famous for it’s hiking trails – 248 miles of hiking trains zig zag across the tiny country of just 61 square miles. That's a LOT of hiking trails. If you enjoy hiking and the outdoors, add Liechtenstein to your list of places to visit. 

A few fast facts about Liechtenstein.  

The legal drinking age is 16, women just got the right to vote in 1984, it's the world's largest producer of dentures an it's still rules by a Prince who lives in a castle high atop the hill (just like in a fairytale!) 

The Royal castle

Liechtenstein itself has 35,000 residents and is made up of 11 districts or neighborhoods.  Vaduz is the capital city with about 5,000 residents.  I stayed in a neighborhood that is built high into the mountain, Treisenberg. Now, Treisenberg is a bit tricky to get to.  My GPS took me up a nerve shredding road that lacked guardrails and was only wide enough for one car.  It was like a horrible game of chicken.  Halfway up, a BMW raced up behind me and stayed on my tail the rest of the way. 

It turns out, my GPS is an asshole and took me up the “residents” way.  There is a much safer, well-maintained, freshly paved road which I took on my way back DOWN from Triesenberg to the valley floor / Vaduz below.  That road is reminiscent of Lombardy street in San Francisco, but has plenty of guardrails!

I stayed at the Hotel Oberland, which I strongly recommend if for no other reason than it has the best view of any hotel in the entire world.

I asked for a room with a view and holy smokes, they provided it! My room looked out onto 2 mountains, the valley below, the river and Vaduz.  When I first looked out the window, I was downright giddy.  I knew immediately I made the right choice to stay in Treisenberg.

I spent much of the next 12 hours checking the view to see how the setting or rising sun changed it.  It should come as no surprise that the view was absolutely stunning each time I looked, even when it was hazy and overcast.

I didn’t do much that night in Treisenberg – I went for a long walk up in the hills, stunned by the views.

Then, I got cleaned up for dinner. I didn't feel much like exploring after my long walk, so I ate dinner at my hotel. I had an excellent meal of filet mignon, mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables and a few glasses of wine. Liechtenstein can be a bit pricey. With the conversion, I think I paid around 60€ for dinner.. definitely one of my more expensive meals!

The next morning, I woke up early and watched the sunrise, the sun illuminating the mountain across from me, inch by inch, slowly. 

I remember thinking "This sunrise is one of the most beautiful things I'll ever see." I took plenty of photos to try to capture the moment.

I had breakfast and slowly headed back down the mountain to the valley and Vaduz. I walked around the town and visited the tourist information office for my passport stamp.

And finally, I toured the postage museum because postage is a huge source of revenue (and pride) for Liechtenstein.  It was a hoot!

They have 100s and 100s of pull out display cases for stamps from Liechtenstein.  It's a stamp collectors dream.

After the postage museum, I had to leave beautiful Liechtenstein. It's by far the most gorgeous scene that's ever been in my rearview mirror.

*********

I came to Liechtenstein because it was tiny...a novelty...something to cross off an arbitrary list.  But I learned something huge here. This country is so much more than a handful of stats and an entry on a tiny country list. It's a grand country with a big landscape. It's a hidden gem, a beautiful, peaceful corner of the Earth. It's a place that deserves to be admired for it's merits, not it's tiny size.  As I've learned and re-learned many times in my life, you cannot judge a book by it's cover.

Below is my favorite photo from my time in Liechtenstein. During the sunrise, suddenly the clouds turned this amazing shade of pale pink.  A few seconds later, it was gone. This photo reminds me to pay attention, to truly see what's in front of me and appreciate it.

And it's a great reminder...even small things can make a big impact.

Sunrise view from Trisenberg, overlooking Vaduz in the valley below