I took this photograph of Monte Carlo from Monaco's Royal Castle, which overlooks the city. From up here, one can more easily appreciate the true beauty of the French Riviera. The thing which surprised me most about the Mediterranean Sea was the turquoise-blue waters. I thought tropical seas had a monopoly on blues that vivid! On this cloudy, chilly night, that azure color seemed trapped by the atmosphere. While watching day turned to night, the color seemed to progressively saturate itself more and more while gradually fading into darker and darker shades of navy. And sometime in the middle of the process, the sparkling lights of Monte Carlo's skyline and harbor shined just bright enough to perfectly contrast the deep blues of the sea and sky, helping it shine like the jewel of the Riviera that it is.

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