Monaco Street - the Appreciative Audience

The market traders were probably not best pleased when their customers stopped buying their fruit and veggies and stood entranced by the performance.

Tomorrow - the finished dish!

Monaco Street - Reflections in Brass

Reflections in the brass instruments of Les Taras Goulamas.

In the first, the musician's face and looooooong arm. In the last, you see most of Place d'Armes, the market area of Monaco.

Monaco Street - Chopping to the Music, tra la

Whenever a new ingredient is added to the pan of snails the band plays and the music gets faster and louder by way of encouragement - see last photo. Above, the tomatoes are being chopped as quickly as possible in an effort to keep up with the music - that's why bits are falling off the board.

Meanwhile - in the smaller photo - life goes on in Monaco's market as a trolley packed up with shoe boxes is wheeled past the action.

Monaco Street - more Monte Carlo Ladies

Large sunglasses seem to be de rigueur amongst the audience.

Monaco Street ...next add the Pastis!

So the snails are cooking and Alain pours in a glass or two - or three - of cognac. The recipe on the Taraf Goulamas website calls for pastis but the bottle on the table looks more like brandy to me.

The onions have to be added and later the tomatoes and whilst each stage of the dish is being cooked, the group tour around the market playing to us all - as in the smaller photo.

Monaco Street - the Monte Carlo Lady

Suddenly in the middle of the performance, this lady wanted to be photographed with the performers - and as you see, they didn't mind at all!

Meanwhile, someone keeps an eye on the snails by photographing them.

Tomorrow - back to the cooking and the music.

Monaco Street - Death to the Snail!

Not for the squeamish...the snails are about to be poured onto the fire. But before that there is the ritual of praying for the snails as the musicians walk in a line and then each player drops a solitary snail into the pan as he says goodbye.

A reminder of the great website of Les Taraf Goulamas if you missed it yesterday.

More tomorrow...

Monaco Street - the Musicians and the Snails

Meet the group Les Taraf Goulamas who can cook snails whilst they play great jazz!

But it wasn't as simple as that. We had ritual and music and much laughter.

Tomorrow...mourning the snail!

Monaco Street - the Snails

We're back at Place d'Armes today - Monaco's market - and more of MONACO STREET. How does a man with a plate of live snails fit into street theatre? Well you'll have to pop back tomorrow for the answer. Please do!

Jimmyz and the Summer Sporting

Jimmyz Night Club and the Summer Sporting on Avenue Princesse Grace - at the far end of Larvotto Beach (see yesterday's post).

Larvotto Beach

We've not left MONACO STREET forever - we'll be back to see more street theatre at Monaco's market - but let's have a weekend on the beach.

We are looking down on Larvotto Beach from the 19th floor of the Formentor. The peninsula you see in the distance is Cap Martin. Beyond that you'll find Menton and then Italy.

Note the jellyfish nets in the water.

Monaco Street - Pourquoi du Piaf takes a Bow

A last look at this great group of performers. The juggler, the dancers, the singer and the accordian player take their bow.

Tomorrow...we'll go to the beach for the weekend and then back for more entertainment.

Monaco Street - The Audience and the Man who Didn't See...

The audience loved the performance except perhaps the man in the photo below who walked right into it - without seeing...

You can see more of the little dog HERE.

Monaco Street - Pourquoi du Piaf! (the Dancers)

These dancers were mesmerizing. So good, so involved, such brilliant dancers and fabulous choreography. He is Raphael Thiers, she is Morena Di Vico and the choreograher is Lisie Philip. Click on the link to read about La Compagnie Antipodes.

Monaco Street - The Programme Lady and the Designer

The lady on the left with the red and black shoes handed out the programmes - I imagine she works for the Direction des Affaires Culturelles de Monaco. The lady on the right I'd noticed earlier and had taken her photo as she crossed the road. She asked if I'd taken her photo. 'Yes,' I said, 'I was rather fascinated with your outfit.' She told me she is a designer from Germany and then asked if I would send her the photos - which of course I will.

Monaco Street - Pourquoi du Piaf!

Monaco has just had a weekend of great street theatre with performances taking place during the day and evening in different parts of the Principality.

We are in Monaco's market at Places d'Armes and have been listening to chanson sung by this lady, Dany Dean. Here she is in a short theatrical piece where she ends up dancing with the juggler, Farice Dominici. They are part of La Compagnie Antipodes who specialise in dance for public spaces. The name will fool you - they are French, based in Nice - not Australian!

Dany sung many of the great Piaf chansons - she has a great voice - and we were even handed a printed version of La Vie en Rose so everyone could sing along. More tomorrow...

Le Grand Tour

Monaco's latest tour bus - le grand tour! There are twelve stops taking in the whole of Monaco. You can get on or off as often as you like. A day ticket costs 17 euros for adults and 7 euros for a child. Included in the 12 stops is the Bateau Bus stop and the complete tour lasts approximately one hour.

As you can see in the smaller photo, there is a running commentary in your own language via individual disposable head sets.

It's Theme Day in the City Daily Photo community and today's theme is BRIGHT COLOURS. Click on the link to see colour from around the world.

A Weekend in Monte Carlo - 2

And then there were four...

See yesterday's post for the first two Rolls Royces to arrive for a weekend in Monte Carlo.

A Weekend in Monte Carlo

You'd have thought the Monte Carlo Rally had arrived last Saturday. I was crossing the Place du Casino when suddenly four Rolls Royces drove up and parked outside the Hôtel de Paris.

But of course it wasn't the Monte Carlo Rally (that will take place on the 19 - 23 January 2011 and will celebrate the 100th year of this great event).

In fact, as the owner of one of these beautiful cars told me, they'd all driven down from the UK for a weekend in Monte Carlo.

Zen

The Japanese Garden in Avenue Princesse Grace is probably the most relaxing garden in Monaco. There is water everywhere, carp in pools, reflections, changing vegetation and it's cool in this heat. Lean on a bridge, look down into the water and go zen...

Marriage in Mind

The forthcoming marriage between Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock is something everyone in Monaco is looking forward to. The big day will be July 9th next year. This shop on Avenue Princesse Grace is already getting ready.

Vanity Fair features Charlene Wittstock. (Click to view)

Learning Dior

Dior in Avenue des Beaux-Arts. This little one could grow up to have rather expensive tastes...

Cleaning up La Note Bleue

Almost 9 a.m. and it's clean-up time at La Note Bleue on Larvotto Beach.