Circus! - the Camels

Camels in Monaco! One of the acts appearing in the Circus this year is this troup of camels - they have two humps. Apparently the two hump camels are less common than the one hump ones.

Take a look at the one below - you've not want him to kiss you, would you?

Circus! - the Clown

The circus is back in town! Monaco's famous International Festival of Circus is in its 35th year.

Each day the clowns board the special circus car and drive around the Principality - here's one of them, make up ready but not yet in full costume.

The Monte-Carlo International Festival of Circus is an incredibly prestigious event amongst circus folk and it is Princess Stephanie who has the final say as to which acts from around the world (comedy, acrobats and animals) will be invited to perform and compete for the various awards. Her father, the late Prince Rainier, was passionate about circus and so is the Princess. You see her around the circus all day long, chatting with the performers and trainers and making sure everyone, including the animals, are happy.

Black Cat for Luck

We are a couple of streets north of Monaco in Boulevard de la Republique in Beausoleil. Cats are so agile, aren't they? This one had no problem in walking along a narrow ledge and then jumping onto the railing.

Right foot forward...

Right foot forward...at Larvotto. A family in step with each other.

Regrettably more fur, but you'll always see real fur in Monaco - perhaps this coat isn't?

Garnier's Casino

The back of the beautiful Casino building. It was designed by Charles Garnier, architect of the Paris Opera House. Construction of this beautiful Belle Epoque building started in 1858 and finished in 1863.

Fans and Feather Boas

The Lanvin windows in Monaco are 'happy' and fun too - male mannequins with fans and feather boas - all great fun.

Photographers

There's always something or someone to photograph in Monaco...

The Faux Poivrier

As you see, the rain has gone - we had glorious sun for two days (well, a part of each day) but we are now back to overcast skies - in fact more overcast than this. We are on the terraces below the Casino - it's lovely to walk here and sit under a False Pepper Tree if we want. That's Cap Martin in the background and beyond is Menton and then Italy.

Phone Call...

Sometimes a photo can be cropped and used twice! This is the right-hand half of a photo you've seen before... click HERE.

What the Stars Foretell...

Seems Monte Carlo ladies read magazines on astrology.

Niche

There are so many sculptures in Monaco - this one is above the entrance to the opera house in the Casino building.

Brassed Off

Are some banks in Monaco a bit too grand?

Spring already?

These two think it's Spring with much wooing going on...but what's he doing with his head inside her beak?

View from Moods

The photo was taken from the gardens outside Moods, the nightclub at the back of the Café de Paris. On the right you see the Fairmont Hotel. In the distance, we are looking at Cap Martin.

Lady in Black

She came to me one morning,
one lonely Sunday morning,
her long hair flowing in the midwinter wind...

The 'Coco' Chanel Classic Suit

Don't you just love these dolls in the Chanel shop? Each one is wearing 'Coco' Chanel's classic 1950s suit.

Reina Mariana

Queen Mariana in silhouette. She stands below the Casino and was sculpted in 2004 by Manolo Valdés, the well-known Spanish artist who lives in New York.

Pole Vault

The roots of this magnificent tree in the Casino Gardens make a temporary home for some wooden poles - or perhaps they are a permanent support for the tree?

Through the trees darkly...

Whilst waiting for the sun - when will it return? - at least the clouds make interesting patterns over the back of the Casino building.

A Not So Pristine Monte Carlo...

The morning after New Year's Eve in a normally pristine Monte Carlo - broken champagne bottles on the terrace below the Casino.

In the smaller photo - neatly stacked: two empty bottles and a couple of glasses. Bet they woke with a headache...

And below - well some people were obviously reduced to paper cups! These had been stuck in an olive tree outside the Hotel de Paris.

The Morning after the Night Before

The small courtyard of The Living Room - a piano bar/night club in Avenue des Spélugues - the morning after New Year's Eve.

It must have been a good night!

Theme Day - Favorite Photo of 2010

On the first of January each year, bloggers in the City Daily Photo community post their favourite photo of the previous 12 months. Here's mine - a shot of the magnificent Oceanographic Museum, seen through the legs of Damien Hirst's enormous sculpture 'The Virgin Mother.'

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and peaceful 2011 and thankyou SO much for your visits to Monte Carlo Daily Photo.

Please click here to see other bloggers' favourite photos of 2010.

Palace

Despite the blue skies in this shot, the sun isn't back yet ...although it's promised for tomorrow which will be a great start to the New Year.

This photo of the Palace was taken at the end of November and is perhaps a fitting photo to end 2010 and welcome 2011, when Monaco will celebrate the Wedding of HSH Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock.

Glitter

'Fortune is like glass - the brighter the glitter, the more easily broken.'

~ Pubillius Syrus - Roman author 1st century B.C.

Mother and Baby

The Casino Gardens. See how the baby twines around the mother...

A Monaco Christmas - Deck the halls...

All decked out for the holidays - the side entrance to the Café de Paris.

Coffee Break

Shoppers take a break in the coffee shop on the lower floor of the Metropole centre.

Pearls

The window of an exclusive perfume shop in a tiny street above the Casino Gardens.

A Monaco Christmas - Christmas Candles

A Christmas candle is a lovely thing;
It makes no noise at all,
But softly gives itself away.
~Eva Logue

Happy Christmas to everyone! May Santa bring you something really nice but most of all I hope you have a loving day with family and friends and of course your pets. Thanks everyone so much for your visits to this blog. Really appreciate it!

A Monaco Christmas - Bearing Up

Polar bears in the Metropole Centre. Outside - endless endless rain...

A Monaco Christmas - Hôtel Hermitage

A row of Christmas trees welcomes visitors to the Hôtel Hermitage.

A Monaco Christmas - High Heels

You'll find these in the Metropole centre.


'Yet if a woman never lets herself go, how will she ever know how far she might have got? If she never takes off her high-heeled shoes, how will she ever know how far she could walk or how fast she could run? '

~ Germaine Greer

A Monaco Christmas - Just a Load of Balls...

We're inside the Café de Paris building looking towards the small casino that houses some gaming machines. This is not the real casino of course - that's the beautiful Belle Epoque building across the square. I've seen day tourists from the cruise liners walk in here thinking it's the real deal.

A Monaco Christmas - the Casino Christmas Trees

The garden immediately in front of the casino is filled with Christmas trees strewn with lights that change colour every few seconds.

A Monaco Christmas - Snack on the Port

There's a Christmas Fair on the port - rides for kids, pressies to buy and snacks to eat in the sunshine...