Just a Duck ...

Parc Paysager de Fontvieille.   Just a duck on a rock ... but do look at the wonder of those feathers.

Reflecting on St. Nicolas

The steeple of St. Nicolas' church in Fontvieille reflected in a puddle.

The Film Shoot

 

'24 Hours on the Cote d'Azur'

This is a scene being shot outside the circus tent a couple of days ago.  Perhaps it's a television interview,  perhaps a scene from a film.  Perhaps someone knows ...?

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It is a great honour for me that 14 photos from Menton Daily Photo and Monte Carlo Daily Photo were featured on Carla Coulson's beautiful website, Carla Loves Photography.  Carla is an incredibly talented photographer who has been an inspiration to me so you can imagine how much it meant when she invited me to contribute to her website in the series '24 hours on the Cote d'Azur' - do clink on the link to see the post and and to browse and see Carla's stunning work.  Australian-born Carla has published several books, including Italian Joy, Paris Tango and Chasing a Dream, chronicling her move to Europe, first to Italy and then to France - filled with mouth-watering photographs and inspirational words on how she made a new and fabulous life for herself - in love and in photography.  Thankyou, Carla x

Circus - the Lions are in Town

If it's January and there's a lioness in town, then it must be time for Monaco's famous Festival of Circus. 

We'd probably all rather see beautiful animals like this roaming the wilds of Africa but I have to say the lionesses were rolling around playing like kittens.  When I arrived, three were outside in an enormous run and the rest were being organised to go into the circus tent for a rehearsal - maybe half a dozen lionesses, a lion and a tiger.  Whilst they were gone, the three in the run were jumping up and down every time they heard their owner's voice.

You have to be patient when taking their photo.  Mostly they turn their backs on you - can't blame them. But I waited and waited and eventually this beauty came up and said Hello and rubbed her gorgeous face against the bars.

If you want to see wonderful photos of lions in the wild, see my friend Maggie Calkins' Facebook photo.

Lodola's Ballerina

Marco Lodola's sculpture of a ballerina is seen here with the rear of the casino building as a back drop. If you look carefully you can see the wires inside her - they light up at night.  Most often though, she is photographed from the other side and against the sea.

The Opera House

We're looking at the back of the beautiful casino building in which you'll find the Monte Carlo Opera.  To the left is the Hotel de Paris.  On the right, in the foreground, is Botero's bronze sculpture - Adam and Eve.

The Audi RS 5

This car, the Audi RS 5 cabriolet, was on display in the small area of garden in front of the Hotel Hermitage before Christmas. I wonder why it was on display here and not in a car showroom?

Before and After

I'm not sure if this silver foot is a sculpture on display or publicity for a restaurant on Port Hercule.

Perhaps it simply says 'before and after...'

In fact, it's outside a restaurant called 'Before.' 

Drunken Lamps

Even in in their drunken state these beautiful lamps, reflected in a window, look beautiful.  And below the lamps?  Are they loudspeakers or surveillance cameras?

The new Yacht Club of Monaco

Here's a look at what will be Monaco's new yacht club.  Yes, the red rimmed structure in the foreground looks like a yacht, doesn't it?  Indeed it has been designed to be as 'slender as the liners which used to cruise between England and America in the early 20th century.' The architect is Lord Norman Foster.

The new Yacht Club de Monaco is on the opposite side of the port to the current yacht club.  Building work will be completed by the end of 2013, with a grand opening planned at the traditional summer cocktail for YCM members in 2014.

Dismantling Chistmas

Time to dismantle the Christmas decorations and lights, after which the trees will be taken away.

Reflecting on Coffee

This is a reflection in a brass plant pot.  We are in the café on the lowest level of the Metropole Centre.

Pools and Reflections at Dawn

Another dawn photo.  This time we are looking at a corner of the forecourt of the Grimaldi Forum with its pools and reflections.

Casino

The Casino seen from the rear - perhaps the more beautiful side of the building

The Lifesaver's Lookout

This is the lifesaver's lookout on Larvotto Beach at dawn.

Balustrades

Bulustrades near the Hotel de Paris reflected in a puddle.

Illusion

Things aren't always what they seem in Monaco ...

Winter Mode

A Monte Carlo lady, in her winter gear, crossing Casino Square.

Dawn at the Grimaldi Forum

Dawn breaking near the Grimaldi Forum on Larvotto yesterday morning.  I got up early!

The sculpture is called Le Signe du Temps (Sign of the Times) by the Swiss sculptor, Andre Bucher and was given to the Principality by the Swiss community on the occasion of the Jubilee of Prince Rainier.

Pissaladière/Pichade

A slice of pichade and a chat amongst friends.

Pichade is a dish from Menton and is a kind of pizza: a tomato sauce made ​​with cooked onions placed on a dough and decorated with cloves of garlic, black olives and anchovies.

If it's made without tomato, then it's a pissaladière.

So for anyone interested, here's a few words about it ...

Pissaladière is a pizza-like dish made in southern France, around the Nice, Marseilles, Toulon and the Var District, and in the Italian region of Liguria, especially in the Province of Imperia. Believed to have been introduced to the area by Roman cooks during the time of the Avignon Papacy, it can be considered a type of white pizza, as no tomatoes are used. The dough is usually a bread dough thicker than that of the classic Italian pizza (although a pâte brisée is sometimes used instead), and the traditional topping consists of caramelised (almost pureed) onions, olives, garlic and anchovies (either whole or in the form of pissalat, a type of anchovy paste). No cheese is used in France;[1] however in the nearby Italian town of San Remo, mozzarella is sometimes added. Now served as an appetizer, it was traditionally cooked and sold early each morning.

The etymology of the word seems to be from occitan peis, from the Latin piscis, which in turn became pissalat, (via peis salat, "salted fish" in Niçard).

The Bicycle and the Ferrari

The lady on the left rode her bike into casino square, parked it alongside the Ferrari outside the casino and is taking a photo of it - much to the amusement of the doorman and policeman alongside. They seem rather non-plussed by the whole thing but I'm sure if she doesn't move it soon, she'll be told to do so ...

A French Punch and Judy?

Punch and Judy for children on the Port of Monaco. Not that he looks like the Mr. Punch I remember, so perhaps someone will tell me who he is.

Pale face, sunburned hands, big ears, long nose...? Not sure I'd want to meet him in a dark alleyway ... scary.

Spray

Someone was cleaning a propeller on Port Hercule - so here's a pic.  I liked the spray against the red ...

The Winter Sporting - before it's knocked down ...

The is the Sporting d'Hiver (the Winter Sporting) which faces Casino Square.  It was built by the Société des Bains de Mer in 1932 in a monumental Art deco style, with large rooms and ten-metre-high ceilings and soon it willl be knocked down to make way for a new shopping complex.

It is probably no surprise that many Monaco residents are unhappy about this.

Click on the link to see what will replace it. As a nod to the beauty of the Art Deco, a part of the original interior is to be relocated to the basement. Pity about the rest ...

The Tuk Tuk for 'Fight Aids Monaco.'

You can now take a tour of Monaco in what they call a Tuk Tuk.  It costs 5 euros, accompanied children under 7 are free and part of the proceeds goes to HSH Princess Stephanie's charity 'Fight Aids Monaco.' 

Fly High in 2013!

Wishing you blue skies and may you fly high in 2013!  Happy New Year to everyone!

A Monte Carlo Christmas - Lessons in Life

Sometimes you have to push someone else's world as well as your own ...

A Monte Carlo Christmas - the Bubble

Wish they had these bubbles for adults ...

A Monte Carlo Christmas - the Diving Santa

The Christmas Fair on Port Hercule in Monaco is great fun. Christmas Fairs continue into January so the kids have something to do during their holidays but this fair seems to attract as many grown-up kids as small ones.

Father Christmas is shown in many forms - in the main photo, he's a deep-sea diver and in the other photos he dangles from a tree skimpily dressed as Tarzan.

Verticals at Chanel

Verticals at the Chanel boutique. ... not sure Madame Chanel would have approved of the brevity of the dummy's undergarment ...

Dusk

Dusk on the terraces below the casino.

A Monte Carlo Christmas - Art Deco

Glass balls hang from the Art Deco canopy above the casino entrance.  Click on the link to see them from another angle.

A Monte Carlo Christmas - Reflections in a Bauble

A world in a Christmas bauble.  The Hotel de Paris and the Winter Sporting in Casino Square reflected in a shiny Chistmas ornament.

Happy Christmas, everyone!  May you all have the happiest of days with those you love. 

A Monte Carlo Christmas - 'Be Green'

The photo was taken from the entrance to the Winter Sporting, showing not only the casino and the Christmass trees, but also some of Monte Carlo's beautiful street lamps.

The Christmas decorations, which will remain in place until 6 January 2013, are comprised of 80 Christmas trees, up to 9 metres high and sprinkled with snow; 13 metallic, garlanded Christmas trees, the tallest of which is 10 metres high; 2,500 Christmas baubles; 600 starflash lights; 400 LED garlands; 150 m of gold garlands; 100 strings of silver balls; 700 m2 of white wadding and 46 spotlights. Faithful to its "Be Green" environmentally friendly label and its social commitment, the Groupe Monte-Carlo SBM has ensured that all these decorations are as environmentally responsible as possible. The Christmas trees are from sustainable, regulated farming and the LED lighting system is energy saving. The Christmas baubles are from the Ary-France Centre, which employs people with disabilities.