Monaco: another day, another country
We had rushed out of our hotel in Nice to make it to the station in time. In our haste we had left our passports in the room. I sat on the train for the 20 minute journey feeling annoyed with myself. Would I regret this? We were entering another country after all. Surely Monaco would not have strict border controls in place that would send us back to our hotel? We neednt have worried. Getting off the train in Monaco is much like any other station on the French railway system. Within a few moments of emerging from the stations underground tunnels we were at the waterfront, surrounded by some of the worlds largest, swankiest yachts. Monaco is one of the small group of six European principalities and on the face of it has no reason to be a stand-alone nation. It is the worlds second smallest country (after Vatican City), stretching less than two miles from end to end and extending inland only half a mile from its picturesque shoreline. Yet its independence from its only neighbour Fr...