The Portier Fountain

More blue. Here is the Portier Fountain which sits in the centre of the roundabout which leads to the Voie Rapide - to the Avenue Princesse Grace - up to the Casino - and is part of the hairpin bend that leads to the famous tunnel you see at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Getting in a blue mood...

Getting in a blue mood...ready for our Theme Day on Thursday. Blue sea, blue sky - the obvious in Monte Carlo, I suppose, but tomorrow and on Theme Day, there'll be something different so do come back. Today, tho, we are on Larvotto Beach - this was taken 9 days ago - weather still warm as you see.

Hommage a Princesse Grace

This beautiful sculpture/fountain was created by Guy Lartigue in 1970 in hommage to Princess Grace of Monaco. Made of copper, brass and bronze, it stands on the eastern end of the Promenade de Larvotto, just above the beach. You can see more of this artist's work at this LINK - where you'll also find a photo of the sculpture taken at night.

Motophant

This sculpture by Arman, created in 1988, stands in the Chemin des Sculptures in the gardens of Fontvieille. Arman (Armand Pierre Fernandez) an American, was born in Nice in 1928 and died in 2005. You can read more about this celebrated artist HERE.

Pelouse pour Chiens

In the gardens of Fontvieille, there is a small fenced area reserved for dogs - a doggy toilet. See photo below. Hope the dogs can read!

Imagine

This beautiful yacht, Imagine, is currently moored in the harbour of Cap d'Ail. Below you see a guy - music while you work - cleaning the decks. You can read more about this 49 m (161 ft) yacht, which was built in Gulf Port, Mississippi, HERE. (Scroll down the page)

The tall apartment buildings you see are in Monaco (Fontvieille). The harbour is in France - Cap d'Ail.

Japanese Garden - 10

Green and blue and rocks - another shot of this wonderfully peaceful and beautiful garden with the Mediterranean in the background.

Woman smoking a cigarette

This sculpture called 'Woman Smoking a Cigarette' is by Fernando Botero and was created in 1987. It stands in the gardens of Fontvieille, near to the circus tent. Botero was born in Colombia in 1932 and is famous for his wonderful inflated shapes. Personally I adore his work. Do you?

Lunch on the beach

On Larvotto beach, in fact. Taken two days ago, the normally calm Mediterranean is still churning from the winds of the previous day.

This little piggy...

...went to market. Well actually he went to the foire in Monaco. Every October there's a big Fair in the circus tent in Fontvieille. You can buy anything from a new kitchen, to designer office chairs from Italy costing 1500 euros, to wines, to cheeses, to meats. There are stands from Morocco, India, Russia - many countries are represented - selling local artisan-made products. My favourite is always the Moroccan stand with its wonderful lamps, mirrors and pots.

This stand is called Divin Porcello and comes from Budrio in the province of Bologna in Italy.

Beach Hotel

The sea is churned up today, following yesterday's fierce mistral. Today, just a bit of a breeze which is heavenly. This is looking at the Beach Hotel, Monaco which is, in fact, on land leased from France. Restaurant La Vigie is located on the land jutting out to the right.

Police boat

In sharp contrast to the gleaming white yachts: the police boat.

Anyone for golf?

A Smart car parked in the port area this morning and fairly near to Stars 'n' Bars.

Maternity

There are other sculptures in the Principality by the sculptor, Emma de Sigaldi. This one, located in the gardens opposite the Place des Moulins, is called Maternity and was created in 1966. You can see another, by the same artist, at THIS LINK.

Monte Carlo Ladies - 6

I couldn't resist photographing this Monte Carlo lady as I crossed the gardens opposite the Europa Residence on Boulevard des Moulins today. The contrast between Monte Carlo ladies and those who live in the hill villages is vast. Take a look at these Gorbio ladies who live just 13 kilometres from where I took this photograph.

Japanese Garden - 9

This enchanting garden, designed by the landscape architect Yasuo Beppo was commissioned by the Prince Rainier for Princess Grace. It covers 23,000 square feet right next to the Mediterranean and has been blessed by a Shinto High Priest. The garden is an authentic work of art that unites stone, water and vegetation in the most marvelous harmony. The pine and olive trees are pruned in the pure tradition of the Land of the Rising Sun.

(Back home from Germany - thanks so much for comments).

Hanging flowers - 2

These hanging baskets are on the other side of rue Princesse Caroline to the ones you saw recently at THIS LINK.

Japanese Garden - 8

A traditional part of any Japanese garden.

Pilote

In contrast to yesterday's Riva, here is one of Monaco's pilot boats - very necessary to bring in some of the super yachts that visit the Principality.

Riva

A Riva - surely the best and most famous motorboat in the world. If you click on the link, and then go to archives, you'll see some of the older models, like this one.

(I'm in Germany to judge the Old English Sheepdogs at the Bundesseiger show so forgive me, but I won't be able to comment much before getting home on Monday evening. )

Japanese Garden - 7

You've seen the little boy before, but I hope you'll enjoy seeing him again, this time with his mother and sibling, watching the fish in the Japanese gardens.

Miss Moneypenny

Just over a week ago, Lois Maxwell, who played Miss Moneypenny in 14 of the James Bond films died in Australia aged 80, so this is a small tribute to her. Lois Maxwell was the definitive Miss Moneypenny, secretary to M, who was 007's boss, of course.

Old Monaco

This old photograph was for sale in the Vide Grenier at the Fête de la Branda in Gorbio last Sunday. The seller told me it was taken in Avenue de Grande Bretagne in Monaco.

Doriana - 3

Life on a yacht - well, if you are one of the workers, there's scrubbing and polishing and sorting the ropes and goodness knows what else? Can't be bad, come to think of it! This is the beautiful Doriana - see and read more HERE and HERE.

Open Air Cinema

The Open Air Cinema on Le Rocher has now closed for the season. I took this photo in the summer. You can sit on the normal white chairs, or, if you don't mind paying just a little more you take one of the soft green loungers - well worth it except, with the wine you can buy, you could possibly fall asleep. Best of all, though, as you watch the film, glance up to your left and you see the Oceanographic Museum rising up in all its shadowy glory.

You can see a clearer view of the cinema, looking down from above, HERE.

Hanging flowers

Hanging baskets in rue Princesse Caroline, which is the pedestrian street running from the port to rue Grimaldi.

Eglantine

This shot probably shows reasonably well how the cemetery of Monaco is constructed on many different levels - in fact, many more than you see here. And each level is named after a plant or flower, making it easier for visitors to find a particular grave.

Josephine Baker 1906 - 1975

Above, you see part of the grave of the Josephine Baker, which she shares with her fourth husband, the orchestra director, Jo Bouillon. Singer, entertainer, civil rights activist, humanitarian, Josephine Baker was easily the most successful black woman of her time . Born Freda Carson into poverty in St. Louis, Missouri, her ticket out was her comedic and dance abilities, which powered her rise to early American fame on Broadway. Tiring of performing in demeaning minstrel reviews, she jumped at the chance of a career in Paris where the Jazz Age fuelled heady interest in the then sensual and exotic African-American culture. She was known as the girl 'who danced her way through the 20s and 30s dressed in bananas.' (Click on THIS LINK to see a YouTube performance).

Josephine Baker was very close to the Principality of Monaco. After she was bankrupted, following the badly handled management of her well-known estate in the Dordogne, where her 'Rainbow Tribe, the 12 multi-ethnic children she had adopted, used to live. She sought to prove that children of different ethnicities and religions could be brothers. She was helped by Princess Grace of Monaco, who offered her a life-long accommodation in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and invited her on several occasions to take part in charity performances. A moving anecdote from the artist's life in 1974: at the opening of the Sporting Monte Carlo, Josephine Baker stood in for Sammy Davis Junior, who'd been taken ill at the last minute. He should have been the star performer at the Monegasque Red Cross Gala. Retired from the stage, the artist rose to the challenge and made an unexpected comeback, amazing the audience who gave her an incredible ovation. The following year, during a final Parisian revue based on her life, she suffered a stroke following her final performance and died three days later. You can read more about this amazing woman at THIS LINK.

Sergeant Louis Prouven

Why this young man has a blackened face, I don't know. I noticed several statues in the cemetery suffering this affliction - pollution, perhaps?

Louis Prouven died in the Battle of Verdon, at Fleury in the Meuse in August 1916. I don't know why, but graves from the Great War, that terrible war (as if all wars aren't terrible) affect me greatly. You can see another at Menton Daily Photo HERE.

His Excellency, le Baron Edouard Imberty

Prepare for a few days more at the cemetery - I'm on a roll...

This imposing sepulchre is in honour of the Baron Edouard Imberty, who was born in Menton in 1806 and died in Monaco in 1874. He was the Governor General of the Principality of Monaco and the ex-President of the Tribunal and had many honours bestowed on him by Turkey and Tunisia, amongst others as well as the Legion of Honour. There is a Rue Imberty in Monaco, presumably named after him.

Daily Photo Theme Day: Cemeteries/Tombstones

Monaco's cemetery is situated just below the Princess Grace Hospital. Not the greatest placement of a hospital, I'd venture to say. Perhaps there was no choice - the Principality of Monaco, after all, is very small. So there you are, sick in your hospital bed - you look out of the window and there before you is the glorious Mediterranean, but look down and you realise you are staring at descending terraces of graves. Several famous people are buried in the graveyard: Josephine Baker, the entertainer and Leo Ferré, the designer amongst them. This grave belongs to the Famille Ange Giordino. I'll post more photos from this beautiful cemetery over the coming days.

Today, being the 1st of the month, is Daily Photo Theme Day. Do please take time to visit the other cities in the Daily Photo family taking part in today's theme:

St. Louis (MO), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - New York City (NY), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Mainz, Germany - Hyde, UK - Arlington (VA), USA - Cape Town, South Africa - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Toulouse, France - Arradon, France - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Joplin (MO), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Seattle (WA), USA - Baziège, France - Baltimore (MD), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Sequim (WA), USA - Stayton (OR), USA - Stockholm, Sweden - Austin (TX), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Greenville (SC), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Nashville (TN), USA - Tenerife, Spain - Manila, Philippines - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Jacksonville (FL), USA - River Falls (WI), USA - Chateaubriant, France - Quincy (MA), USA - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Inverness (IL), usa - Lubbock (TX), USA - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Moscow, Russia - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - Crepy-en-Valois, France - Minneapolis (MN), USA - New Orleans (LA), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Toruń, Poland - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Christchurch, New Zealand - London, England - Paderborn, Germany - The Hague, Netherlands - Selma (AL), USA - Sunderland, UK - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Stavanger, Norway - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - Weston (FL), USA - Portland (OR), USA - Forks (WA), USA - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Boston (MA), USA - Sydney, Australia - Wellington, New Zealand - Montpellier, France - Jackson (MS), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Petaling Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Evry, France - Saarbrücken, Germany - New York City (NY), USA - Santa Fe (NM), USA - North Bay (ON), Canada - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Cypress (TX), USA - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Paris, France - San Diego (CA), USA - Wichita (Ks), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Prague, Czech Republic - Zurich, Switzerland - Budapest, Hungary - Paris, France - Saigon, Vietnam