![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhfeHEYJgTPHN-fCoME-z7OLm8vZEZW-bhrFjLpQIDrdmG-Psn3JhWGsMlJr20GN8b5tbeV9Hr1WuQ_3qb4SAwQlQ6_CawEE8zYTavRQfXxS-2vWuZ_S_nbfz1oOzITlUn6DOcw/s320/finger+%25281+of+1%2529-4.jpg)
17 May 2012
The Historic Grand Prix - Make Do and Mend ...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhfeHEYJgTPHN-fCoME-z7OLm8vZEZW-bhrFjLpQIDrdmG-Psn3JhWGsMlJr20GN8b5tbeV9Hr1WuQ_3qb4SAwQlQ6_CawEE8zYTavRQfXxS-2vWuZ_S_nbfz1oOzITlUn6DOcw/s320/finger+%25281+of+1%2529-4.jpg)
16 May 2012
The Historic Grand Prix - the Allards and the 1957 Ferrari Spider that sold for $6.5 million
Note, (in the photo below) how close the cars are to the yachts at Port Hercule.
And in the last photo (courtesy RM Auctions) is a 1957 Ferrari 625 TRC Spider which sold at the Classic Car auction last Saturday at the Grimaldi forum for 4.5 million euros. It's one of only two built by Ferrari. The estimate was 1.5 million euros but with two determined bidders it went up and up and up ... Total receipts at this auction were 33 million euros. Recession? What recession?
1957 Ferrari 625 TRC Spider (photo courtesy RM Auctions)
15 May 2012
The Historic Grand Prix - the Old Lady Bugatti - 1925
This is the oldest car at the Historic Grand Prix. She's a Bugatti 39 built in 1925. I wonder why she has her entry number painted on rather than using the round sticker you see on the car alongside. Perhaps it's because her number plate is painted on too?
The neighbouring car, by the way - painted dark blue - is a Bugatti 37A built in 1926.
14 May 2012
The Historic Grand Prix - Denny Hulme's McLaren
Not difficult to guess what this little boy wants to be when he grows up.
He's sitting in Denny Hulme's McLaren M14A from 1970.
13 May 2012
The Historic Grand Prix - the Shiny Red Maseratis
Two sublime Maseratis and look at the shine. And imagine fixing the bonnet with a beautiful old leather belt.
The model in the first photo is a Maserati 4 CL from 1939. The car in the last photo is a Maserati 6CM/4CM from 1936.
Today is race day in Monte Carlo - the 8th Historique Grand Prix. There will be 226 classic cars competing in various classes, with entries from 20 different countries including 87 Brits and 31 Americans. And the weather, after a misty start, looks good. Vroom, vroom, vroom ...
12 May 2012
The Historic Grand Prix - Jacky Icks' Brabham - and a reminder on the steering wheel
Don't you love this reminder ...
This is Jacky Ickx Brabham BT26 which won the German Grand Prix in 1969 - but it looks like it has a long way to go before racing tomorrow. I'm sure though it made it. These photos were taken on Thursday - the day the officials check out all the cars to make sure they follow whatever the requirements are in their particular class.
11 May 2012
The Historic Grand Prix - Frazer Nash Bristol and Allard
The cars will be racing on Saturday and Sunday. More tomorrow ...
10 May 2012
Planet Solar - Going Onboard
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsWv-tBsvMdtVstl9x4TKtNVMzlauBYP5t0tDdmXJ43ztfbVd-7q1MiZA6m8Hq8UbwAvC8axUvk6_lyroPgRKjeLco9W0CtDSM_GJy8cQJ3L1JUTqBFp-SjL-Zt8Ggm3F3G5Gsg/s320/Planet+Solar+on+board++%283+of+4%29.jpg)
You can see the line of people waiting to get on - and don't you love the beautiful lines of this catamaran in the third photo.
More tomorrow as go on board and get a feel how the crew lived for the nearly two years they circumnavigated the globe.
...although depending on the photos I get today we may hop to the Historic Grand Prix as I'm popping to Monaco later to take shots of those wonderful old cars and their owners. Vroom vroom ...
09 May 2012
Planet Solar teaches the kids
The kids, and many adults, enjoyed the teaching facility at Planet Solar. Here children lean how solar energy gives electricity or enables a fan to turn.
08 May 2012
Planet Solar and the Cloud
A cut-out cloud is used to demonstrate how solar energy works and when it doesn't - when a cloud passes over. Planet Solar achieved its 60,000 kilometre journey around the world using the sun. This model of the vessel whizzes along in the raised pool but as soon as the cloud is held over it, it stops. For this reason, there are batteries on board that store the energy ready for cloudy days and to produce light at night.
More tomorrow ...
07 May 2012
Planet Solar arrives in Monaco!
The catamaran Planet Solar arrived in Monaco last Friday after circumnavigating the globe - and using solar power only. An incredible achievement. The whole of the top surface of the catamaran, except for the viewing bubble, is made up of solar panels. (More on this another day)
In the small photo you see a map of the voyage that started on the 27th September 2010 and finished in Port Hercule, Monaco on Friday. It took 585 days.
The photo below is a photo I took of a photo displayed near the catamaran. This was part of a fabulous display, mainly teaching children about the catamaran and we'll see some of this over the next days, including a visit onto the vessel itself.
06 May 2012
Jimmy*z in Winter
These photos were taken in March when Jimmy*z had taken over what was the old Moods at the back of the Café de Paris. In summer it goes to its usual venue on Avenue Princesse Grace. I don't know if it's open here too. Maybe someone knows?
This reflective ball is at the entrance - you walk down stairs to the nightclub itself.
05 May 2012
Grand Prix - A Ring of Steel
It's that time of year again as a ring of steel goes up in Monaco. Not only for the Monaco Grand Prix but for the Historic Grand Prix too, which takes place two weeks earlier - that's when we see all those wonderful old cars driving around the Principality.
In the photo it was 'Un, Deux, Trois' as these guys lifted a heavy section of fencing into place just outside the famous exit to the tunnel.
Vroom, vroom ...
04 May 2012
The New Monaco Yacht Club by Sir Norman Foster
Stairway to heaven or perhaps simply a stairway in the new Monaco Yacht Club. This is slowly rising on the opposite side of Port Hercule to the present yacht club.
Designed by Sir Norman Foster you can see how it will eventually look by clicking on the link.
03 May 2012
Top Marques - Maro Mehn's Art4Living
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg768w1zBXNPK7pYE7aQFr6zJLVw8KU7Y_qDfNaopZM2hYWDaNYtw6qas66fu3KytAf0tstMMOowGW_PMwq9rQ7Ctnn20NqmKL_qL4TVGe0BbTVabN8bnrVqvp9HkFJGZDbSCpKkw/s320/Marco+%281+of+1%29.jpg)
You'll find his depiction of Michael Jackson (left) and others you see in the lower two photos.
For more information about Marco Mehn and his company Art4Living please click on the link above.
02 May 2012
Tp Marques - Smile for the camera ...
01 May 2012
Top Marques - the Bruichladdich Distillery
Top Marques isn't only glamorous supercars and wildly expensive watches. Meet the Bruichladdich Distillery from the Hebrides. Mark Reynier talks of the emotional days when he first broke the padlock on the Bruichladdich gates and took charge of the charismatic but much neglected Victorian distillery on the far west Atlantic coast of Isley. From those early days to now, it's been a hard slog leading to the success story of a spirit, malted from only Scottish barley and slow-fermented for 10 years but click on the website to read more about the process - it's a love story to a dram of whisky.
Prince Albert met Mark and invited him to the American Bar of the Hotel de Paris where the Prince suggested he have an Old Fashioned made with the bar's Bruichladdich Laddick 10.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)