Hugh Laurie in Monte Carlo

Hugh Laurie and the Copper Bottom Band blew us all away in the Salle des Etoiles at Le Sporting in Monte Carlo last night.  He had us up on our feet clapping to the sounds of New Orleans jazz and blues.  This guy is a GREAT piano player - and he sings, he plays guitar and of course he's the witty, adorable, charming Hugh Laurie we know and love.  A great night - thanks Hugh Laurie!

That's Sister Jean McClain in the last photo and she sure can sing ...

Armagnac 1898

A bottle of 1898 Armagnac on display in the Hediard shop at the Metropole Centre in Monaco.  This was taken through two layers of glass: the window of the shop and the display case - so call the result artistic! Wonder if the Armagnac is drinkable?

The Jellyfish Net - 3

And here's how the jellyfish net appears when you are sitting on the beach - just a line across the water.  Presumably if people use the diving platform that you see beyond beyond the barrier, they'd wear wetsuits or risk getting stung.

Probably best to sit on the beach and look at the posh yachts on the horizon ...

The Jellyfish Net - 2

Another view of the jellyfish net at Larvotto Beach.  This one runs from the centre across to beach of the restaurant, La Rose des Vents with the green Grimaldi Forum building to the left. We saw the Grimaldi Forum, with the rhinocerus on the roof, the other day ... 

The Jellyfish Net

Thanks to the jellyfish net people can swim safely at Larvotto Beach.  It's 07h.30 and a good time to swim before the heat of the day although the sun is already blinding.   The patterns in the water are reflections of the tall buildings on Avenue Princesse Grace.

'Extra Large' at the Grimaldi Forum

You don't see a giant rhinocerus on top of the Grimaldi Forum every day but then you don't have an exhibition called 'Extra Large' in Monaco everyday.  The exhibition presents 50 monumental paintings, sculptures and installations from the Centre Pompidou in Paris and will be on show at the Grimaldi Forum until the 9th September.

From CityOutMonaco (click to see a video) : 'The exhibition includes large-format paintings by Joan Miró, Jean Dubuffet, Matta, Joan Mitchell, Jacques Monory, Pierre Soulages, Frank Stella, Sam Francis, and Yan Pei-Ming; and sculptures and installations by Joseph Beuys, Christian Boltanski, Daniel Buren, Richard Long, Alain Séchas and Jean Tinguely. Also represented will be the work of Sol LeWitt, Anish Kapoor and Bill Viola - all masterpieces linked by one unusual factor - their sheer monumental size.'

The first photo was taken from inside the Japanese Gardens.

La Spiaggia - the Iguana

Remember the animal climbing down the wall at La Spiaggia? See small pic.  Most of us thought it was a cat or perhaps a panther.

Well here it is - a dragon? Or is it a lizard?

It's an iguana!  Thanks so much to R and Jim. 

Early One Morning ...

Monaco, taken from Roquebrune at 07h.15 yesterday. 

There's a new roundabout on the way to Monaco from Menton and miraculously, there were several newly created (and empty) parking spaces nearby.  It's always been impossible to park in this particular place. I crossed the road and snapped.  Should have lugged the tripod out of the car so it's just a hand-held shot.     

Staircase at the Oceanographic Museum

The monumental stairscase leading to the first floor at the Oceanographic Museum.

Lamplight at the Oceanographic Museum

One of the beautiful lamps at the Oceanographic Museum.

Marc Quinn at the Oceanographic Museum - Kate Moss

Marc Quinn has created several sculptures of British supermodel, Kate Moss in contorted yoga poses. "Microcosmos (Siren)" was made in 2008.  A duplicate, made out of ten kilograms of 18-carat gold sold at Sotheby's for $900,000.

No comment ...

Marc Quinn at the Oceanographic Museum - the Origin of the World

Yesterday, we saw a real shell (cassis madagascariensis) from the 17th century that had been carved into a cameo.

Today, here is a sculpture from the Marc Quinn exhibition showing exactly that same species of shell but somewhat larger!  It's made of bronze and is called The Origin of the World ( Cassis madagascariensis) Longitudes. It stands just inside the entrance of the museum.

Much of Marc Quinn's work ties in beautifully with the permanent exhibits at the Oceanographic Museum.

Shell Art at the Oceanographic Museum

These carved shells are on display in a covered glass case in the Oceanographic Museum.  They were carved in 17th century Italy.

The cameos were carved onto Emperor Helmet shells (Cassis madagascariensis), considered the most highly prized shell for carving.

La Spiaggia

La Spiaggia is the beach at the far end of Larvotto, with its own restaurant, beach loungers and so on.  I must have walked along here a thousand times and never noticed the plaque of the late Prince Rainier on the wall above.  And if you click to enlarge the photo below, what about the fearsome animal about to pounce?

Underpass

 

If you walk through the underpass than runs under Place Sainte Devote, you can have fun with the infinity reflections in the mirrored walls.

The Sea Eagle

The sea eagle sits, way up, on a corner of the roof of the Oceanographic Museum.  

The bump on the hillside opposite, which is below La Turbie is known as la tête du chien (the head of the dog).

Chicago at the Grimaldi Forum

Yesterday we saw a man who cleans the windows at the Grimaldi Forum - today the building itself.  In the main photo people are inside waiting to go down to the theatre for a matinee performance of Chicago.

The photo below shows the entrance to the Grimaldi Forum with people spilling out after the performance.

There is a lot of glass to keep clean.

How many windowcleaners does it take to ....

Ever wondered how they clean the glass of the Grimaldi Forum. Here's how - one windowcleaner and three other men to hold the ropes.

Oceanographic Museum - Octopus

Hmmmm, not sure I'll ever eat octopus again...

This guy is really fixing me with his eyes, isn't he? 

Halte MCCC - Monaco's hidden railway station

This rather boring photo is to show you Monaco's hidden railway station.  In fact, it's in France - Roquebrune -  and is open once a year for the Monte Carlo Tennis Masters. 

The station is below the Monte Carlo Country Club, hence its name, Halte MCCC.  To find it you walk on the road, below the tennis, past all the television trucks and the Monte Carlo Beach Hotel, which is below you and onward for about 600 metres.  Turn up a narrow path and eventually you find it ...

As you can see it's pretty primitive and anyone with dodgy knees would find it difficult to get up into the train as the platform is on ground level, not raised.  But for people going to the tennis, of course it's brilliant.

Short Shorts

Short shorts seems to be the way to go this year.  And if I had legs like that, I'd be wearing them too!

This couple are on the promenade that runs from Portier to the beginning of Larvotto Beach, which you see in the distance.

A Plethora of Parasols

Cheek-by-jowl parasols on Larvotto Beach.

Shower

One of the new showers on Larvotto Beach ... if you can tear your eyes away from the dishy guy with the long hair, that is ...

Attitude

Monte Carlo ladies have a certain attitude, don't they?  A certain confidence, I suppose.  Of course beauty helps.