Monte Carlo's famous casino and square was taken over yesterday morning by a film crew who are making 'Cloclo' based on the life of Claude François.
Claude François was an incredibly popular singer in the 1960s and '70s in France. His formula for success was adapting British and American rock and roll hits for the French market. If you've never heard of him, then think of the Frank Sinatra classic 'My Way' which he co-wrote with Jacques Revaux. The song was known in France as
Comme d'habitude (As Usual). Paul Anka supplied the words to My Way.
In March 1978 he's returned from a gig in Switzerland to in his Paris apartment in order to appear, the next day, on '
Les Rendez-vous du Dimanche' with TV host
Michel Drucker. While standing in a filled bath, he noticed a light bulb that wasn't straight, tried to straighten it with his wet hands and was accidentally electrocuted. His tragic death at only 39 years of age brought a wave of public sympathy for a French national treasure.
The part of Claude François is played by Jérémie Rénier (seen coming out of the casino in this photo) who bears a remarkable resembles to the late singer. However, despite is pretty boy look, Francois was a tortured soul and not always the nicest of people. Well, we'll all have to see the film, won't we?
An spray of roses over your lunch table? This is the Pacific Restaurant in the Metropole building on Avenue des Spelugues.
It's not easy to find a private mail box in Monaco. Eventually I found these three in a small street at the back of the Hotel Hermitage. 
These actresses had to walk in front of the Casino Gardens in animated conversation. The couple in the last photo are waiting for Claude François to leave the Casino - at which point they will look across and stare at him. See yesterday's post.
And if you are still hungry as you leave the restaurant you could always grab a tomato...
Sometimes you spot little gems amongst the high rises. This was taken on Boulevard Princesse Grace.
The Grimaldi Forum taken from high up in the Formentor building. Behind the Grimaldi Forum you can see an area of trees, which is the Japanese Garden.
We're back at ArtMonaco, just for one day - in any case, it finished ages ago - but I forgot to show you the rhinoceros!
This is the most my camera will see of the Monte Carlo tennis. It's impossible to park in Monaco at the moment with the tennis and also with Top Marques, the car show. I pulled up as I drove out of Monaco at an illegal place, pushed my camera under the bars of a metal barrier and grabbed these shots. Because of the barrier I couldn't get the angle to see the centre court but you can see the spectators watching the match taking place on it. In the smaller photo you see the clubhouse on the right.
The Perspex nude by Moldovian-born artist, Anatoly Rotar. He now lives and works in the Ukraine.
Helmut Grill is an artist who works in several mediums including photography in which he produces dreamlike fantastical creations.
