Casino de Monte Carlo

Here's the famous Casino with the Mediterranean behind it. If you imagine a square, the Casino forms one end of the square - the Hôtel de Paris is to the right - the Café de Paris is to the left - and opposite the Casino, and behind your photographer, are the Casino gardens.

Les Thermes Marins de Monte Carlo

Les Thermes Marins de Monte Carlo is a beautifully appointed and modern gym/spa situated opposite the main port of Monaco. This beautiful pool opens onto a sun terrace overlooking the port - there's also a restaurant alongside with a menu of fresh and healthy food. If you work out on the machines you do so with the yachts in the harbour before you. You can have massages, beauty treatments, saunas, work-outs. If you stay at the Hôtel de Paris or the Hôtel Hermitage you can walk through to the spa in your white towelling dressing gown following a special underground tunnel. You can read more at this link.

Where's Johnny Depp?

Walking on the terraces below the Casino today, I saw this lovely ship approach the harbour. I looked for Johnny Depp but unfortunately he wasn't aboard. Later, eating lunch, I was lucky enough to see her tie up almost bang in front of the restaurant. The third photo shows a close-up of the pilot boat helping her in. I don't know her name or where she comes from but I'm sure Johnny Depp would know...

A walk in the park

This family are taking a stroll in the gardens of Fontvieille. You can see part of the sculpture, posted yesterday, in the background.

Servi Muti

This statue called Servi Muti (Silent Servants) stands just outside the Princess Grace Rose Garden in Fontvieille. It's by the Italian artist, Roberto Barni.

Columbus Hotel

This is the Columbus Hotel, situated in Fontvieille, opposite the Princess Grace Rose Garden and two minutes from the Heliport. It's owned by the Scottish Formula One driver, David Coulthard and Glasgow hotelier and Monaco resident, Ken McCulloch. The hotel was opened by Prince Rainier in 2001. Click on this link to see pics of the beautiful modern yet relaxing interior.

Princess Grace Rose Garden - 5

One of the entrances to the wonderful Princess Grace Rose Garden in Fontvieille.

Pause café

This area is outside the main supermarket of Monaco. It's called Carrefour and is in Fontvieille: the area reclaimed from the sea. You can see le rocher in the background where you'll find the Palace. If you walk up the steps you'll come to the Museum of Antique Automobiles - for a photograph click here.

You can pause for a coffee or sandwich before or after shopping. Office workers come here for lunch. The photograph below is of the opposite side of this area and the supermarket itself is beyond the arches. You can see another photograph of the supermarket here.

Walk or ride up?

This is taken from the pedestrian street, Rue Princesse Caroline, in the port area. The steps (plus escalator) lead up to some narrow streets with little restaurants and eventually, to Monte Carlo's market in Places d'Armes.

Casino Gardens - 2

This photograph of the northern part of the Casino gardens was taken from the Winter Sporting, which is where you'll find the main cinema of Monte Carlo. These gardens have many beautiful and rare trees and are always kept in beautiful condition. You can see another photo here.

Ovale

Unusual 'port-hole' windows in a building near to the walking street of Monte Carlo. Presumably they'd be the bathrooms or loos? Perhaps hallways?

For the children

This statue is opposite a children's playground in Fontvieille. It's just by the circus tent and near to the gardens posted yesterday. Sorry I don't know the name of the sculpture or the artist. As you can see it was raining and so I ran for cover. Wimp! I've a feeling this statue could depict a nursery rhyme or children's story and hope one of you knowledgeable people will tell me. Maybe it's the old woman who lived in a shoe - but I don't think so?

Hazy lazy days of summer...

This pool is in Fontvieille, near to the circus tent and to the Princess Grace rose garden. Do you remember feeding the ducks or other birds in your childhood?

Apartment ON the sea

The area surrounding the new port of Fontvieille - and this includes the circus tent, the heliport and the Princess Grace rose garden is on land reclaimed from the sea. Here you see some of the attractive apartment buildings - all on reclaimed land.

Monte Carlo Ladies - 3

Walking the dog, talking on the telephone. This little Westie looks unhappy but in fact he or she is, I suspect, very old. The lady was very gentle, walking at the dog's slow pace. Not that I think she could have walked too fast in those shoes!

Pogoria

Amongst all the massive modern yachts, you sometimes find a gem like this tall ship, the Pogoria. She is tucked away to one side of the port - more or less in front of Stars n' Bars. She was built in 1980 in Gdansk for the Iron Shackle Fraternity which is a marine educational project sponsored by Polish National television. You can read more at this link.

Dismantling

Monaco after the Grand Prix. It's lunch break time for some of the many workers you'll see all around the Grand Prix track, dismantling the enormous stands.

Princess Grace Rose Garden - 4

The rose gardens are never less than immaculate. Here one of the gardeners collects fallen leaves. The Meilland rose below is called Violon d'Ingres.

Big Boys' Toys...

...or should this post be called Cars and Boats and Planes, tra la la - except I think that song was Trains and Boats and Planes, wasn't it?

I walked around the main port of Monaco today. Never have I seen so many yachts - in the port, spilling out of the port, out at sea. In addition, there are three or four massive massive cruise liners - one in port, the others anchored out at sea. Most of the yachts in the section of the port in this photograph had crews hard at work cleaning up and preparing to the next playground, ready for the owner to jet in and have fun.

Do you ever think 'where did we go wrong?' I always thought by the time I was 40 I'd have a personal masseur every day and a box of Kleenex in every room. (Yeah, well time was when loo roll had to do to wipe my nose!) So time passed, life got better and now I've got a box of Kleenex in every room. The masseur somehow didn't materialise and as for Big Boys' Toys...I missed the boat. Do I care? No way, José!

Princess Grace Rose Garden - 3

Why not relax on this bench in a corner of the Princess Grace Rose Garden. We could sun ourselves and chat and then perhaps walk around and look at more roses. This lovely one is called Gites de France.

Vista Palace Hotel

This hotel, which looks as if it's about to fall off the cliff is the Vista Palace Hotel. Built on a rock, 333 metres above Monte Carlo, it's actually situated in Roquebrune-cap-Martin. The views are stupendous over the Principality and in the other direction across to Menton and Italy.

Monte Carlo Ladies - 2

Monte Carlo Ladies are a breed apart and I'd like to introduce a few of them to you over the coming weeks and months. Most are locals. They dress to walk the dog, they dress to go to the supermarket. I will only present a rear or side-view to give privacy.

This smartly dressed lady may not be a local tho. She is walking alongside the Louis XV restaurant in the Hotel de Paris and so perhaps is staying there? Perhaps she works there. I don't know. I find when I photograph a person, my imagination runs away with me and by the time I get home, I know her whole life, which of course I don't. What do you think this lady is doing and why is she walking towards the entrance of the Hotel de Paris on Casino Square?

Theme Day: A view from my room

No, it's not my room! (See Menton Daily Photo for that). This was taken from the balcony of good friends in Monte Carlo who live over the Start/Finish line of the Monaco Grand Prix. He is a well-known retired British racing driver and lives out his retirement years in the perfect place.

To see other views from other rooms around the world, please click on the links below.

Seattle (WA), USA - Manila, Philippines - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Toruń, Poland - Baton Rouge (LA), USA - Seoul, Korea - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Vantaa, Finland - Madison (WI), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - Cleveland (OH), USA - Chicago (IL), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Omaha (NE), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Stockholm, Sweden - Grenoble, France - Lubbock (TX), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Arradon, France - Hyde, UK - Joplin (MO), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Kansas City (MO), USA - Naples (FL), USA - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Manila, Philippines - Sydney, Australia - Stavanger, Norway - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - London, UK - Chandler (AZ), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - Singapore, Singapore - Hamburg, Germany - Sydney, Australia - Tenerife, Spain - Moscow, Russia - Lyon, France - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Villigen, Switzerland - Anderson (SC), USA - Oslo, Norway - Evry, France - Hayle, UK - Mumbai, India - Kitakami, Japan - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Los Angeles (CA), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - La Antigua, Guatemala - Paderborn, Germany - San Diego (CA), USA - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Madrid, Spain - Lyon, France - Selma (AL), USA - Shanghai, China - Baziège, France - Cologne (NRW), Germany - North Bay (ON), Canada - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Stayton (OR), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Austin (TX), USA - Hong Kong, China - Trier, Germany - Joensuu, Finland - Paris, France - Greenville (SC), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Cork, Ireland - Bastia, France - Vancouver, Canada - Brookville (OH), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia

Far more than a flower

This statue of Princess Grace stands in a corner of the Princess Grace Rose Garden in Fontvieille. The words on the plaque below were written by the Princess.

Monte Carlo Ladies - 1

You'll find benches like this all over Monte Carlo. Good place for a chat and to watch the world go by.

Really so sorry I've not commented lately. After the 10 hour drive from a crazy busy dog show (which I'll write about on my Postcards blog) I now have a dreadful sore throat and cold. Collected my wonderful new car yesterday and promptly bashed it today! I'm not a happy camper. The car is automatic and unfortunately it doesn't hold in Drive - just slips back down my very steep track. Volkswagen tell me the slope is too steep to hold the car. They might have told me this when I ordered the damn thing! Don't ask, just don't ask.... but I will get around to comments soon and try and make up for my absence.

A mix of styles

This building is a couple of streets in from the main port of Monaco.

Port of Fontvieille 2

A quiet corner to recover after the chaos of the Grand Prix. This is part of the harbour in Fontvieille - in the background you can see terraces that house the zoo. I've heard mixed reviews of this zoo and haven't so far plucked up the courage to go. One day...

(Just walked in the door - thanks so much for everyone who has commented whilst I've been away. Will try and catch up over the next few days - now it's wine time after a 10 hour drive and holds up for snow at the Gottard pass in Switzerland!)

Grand Prix Day!

Grand Prix Day! Tout le monde is in town. Vroom vroom.....

Port of Fontvieille

Let's have a little peace away from the chaos of the Grand Prix. This is not the main port of Monaco but the smaller and very pretty port of Fontvieille.

Pit lane

The stands you see in the centre of the photograph are new this year - they face the pit lane. On the right in the background, you see the area of Monaco known as le rocher - the Rock (where you'll find the Palace, beautiful little streets and the Oceanographic Museum).

Security

This man is putting finishing touches to security for the Monaco Grand Prix. The Formula One cars will whizz past here and on past the swimming pool.

Tomorrow at the crack of dawn I'm leaving for the north of France to go to a dog show - the Euro-OES-Show in Gerardmer. (OES = Old English Sheepdog) Hope, with luck, to be able to post each day from the hotel computer. However, forgive me, but I won't be able to comment. Back on Monday night. woof woof

Smart

You see Smart cars all over Monaco. A very sensible car, of course, for such a tiny place. They are used in business, as here, or privately owned. Also many of the public transport vehicles in Monaco are electric, as opposed to petrol or diesel. Do you see Smart cars in your city? Do you have electrically run vehicles in your city?

...the unexpected

I'm in a 'doorways' mood today. One is on Menton DP and this on Monte Carlo. This gate is a couple of streets in from the port. Perhaps not what you'd expect in Monaco, eh? Always expect the unexpected...

Away from the craziness

Did you think I'd made a mistake and posted a Menton photograph on Monte Carlo DP? Not so, this is one of the many small streets tucked away behind the port. You'll find shops and little restaurants in all these streets. It's much more tranquil than the bustle of the main roads, especially now it's nearly Grand Prix time. Amazingly, this little street is only a few yards from the Start/Finish line. Vroom vroom - just warming up...

Window to the sky

I couldn't resist this mixture of a modern facade reflecting the old buildings opposite. The sky appears to have windows that open. Now that would be nice if it were real, wouldn't it? This building is near to the police station and one or two streets in from the port of Monaco.

Almost ready...

The stands are in place, the yachts are moored and the liners are arriving - it's almost Grand Prix time!

Automobile Club de Monaco

The Grand Prix of Monaco is organised by the Automobile Club, whose windows display photos of past winners. There is a Ferrari engine on display as well as various trophies. The Club itself, provided you are a member, is a great place to go for lunch. Almost like an English Gentleman's Club and really good, cheap food too. I've eaten there a couple of times when I've been lucky enough to have been invited to lunch by a member of the Club.

Princess Grace Rose Garden - 2

Let's get away from the chaos of Grand Prix preparations and take a walk in the Princess Grace Memorial garden. It's the right time of year now - the roses are blooming and not a marked leaf or a greenfly in sight. This is just one corner. I'll show more another day.

Cage of steel

Grand Prix preparations have been going on for weeks and the stands and barriers are still being put up. This is shot just before the Start Finish line. You can only cross the roads in a few places where special gates have been left open. For the three days which include the trials and the race itself, you cannot take a car out of a garage without a special permit that has to be applied for in advance. Then you can only drive at certain times. Otherwise, you are stuck. That's it. Monaco is surrounded by a steel cage. I took these photographs yesterday and we still have ten days to go. I'll show more over the next few days.

Here you see gates that will eventually close down the pedestrian street of Monaco.

And here is how you walk from the pedestrian street to the supermarket or the bank or wherever you want to go.

Heart attack!

If you've got to have a heart attack, then have it in Monaco. You'll find these machines all over the place - or rather the person who saves your life will. This was taken facing the port - on the left you can just see a part of the stands up and ready for the Grand prix which takes place on the last Sunday of this month.

An orchid for my lady

There is a small street in Monte Carlo, Avenue des Beaux Arts, which is known as the most expensive shopping street in the Principality. It's jammed with THE most expensive shops, Yves St. Laurent etc and in the midst of the designer shops is a wondrous flower shop. Here is just one of their offerings. Some orchid...

Up we go...

There is an enormous carpark below the casino gardens - it goes down many many levels into the bowels of the earth, with exits and entrances on each corner. This is the escalator that brings you out just by the Café de Paris. The escalator doesn't move until you step on it and then, off you go. Escalators and lifts get everything moving in Monaco - ease from one level to another - although in this case it's simply to get out of the car park. There is a beautiful indoor garden just before this moving staircase. As I've perhaps said before, all parking in Monte Carlo is free for the first hour.