Larvotto Beach before the crowds ...

Early yesterday morning on Larvotto Beach.  The loungers haven't yet been tidied, the parasols haven't been put up ... they soon will be though.

Different Directions

'Life is not a one-way street. You can go in different directions, but be prepared for those people who act like they own the road.' 

~ Unknown

Marble and Monte Carlo people ...

We're back in Monaco today at the coffee/lunch place on the lowest level of the Metropole centre.

The mixture of marble floors, elegant staircases and Monte Carlo people is always fascinating.

Note: I took these photos at the beginning of June when it was chilly here - hence the clothes.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - Soap

Market in Beaulieu

Look at all the wonderful choices you have if you simply want to buy a bar of soap.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - Spice

Indian spices for sale in Beaulieu's market seem appropriate to show you today as last night, Gorbio (the medieval village near Menton) was 'in Fete' to celebrate the opening of a major exhibition of Indian art 'The Year of India.'

Click on Menton Daily Photo to see the stunningly beautiful and expressive dancer of Bharatanatyam classical Indian dance,  Jessie Veeratapillay.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - the Olive Oil Jar

A beautiful old olive oil jar sleeps next to an olive tree near to the port of Beaulieu.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - Heart for Sale

Hearts for sale in Beaulieu's Saturday market.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - the Old Mail Box

It's great to see they are still using the old mail boxes in Beaulieu-sur-Mer. This one is tucked into a niche in a wall, not far from the port.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - Divers

A dinghy in the harbour of Beaulieu-sur-Mer.  Looks like these guys are pretty serious about it all - off to dive I'd imagine ... or perhaps to work on a project in the harbour?

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - Rocks

Just sea and rocks.  Seems a peaceful something to look at on a Monday morning in Beaulieu-sur-Mer.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - the Market Square

The market square is a pretty one, fountains, old trees, delicate mini- balanconies with tall French windows.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - Villa Kérylos

The Greek Villa Kérylos at Beaulieu-sur-Mer is one of the most extraordinary monuments on the Riviera. Built between 1902 and 1908 in the period the French call the "Belle Epoque", it is a unique reconstruction of an ancient Greek home. 'Kérylos' means Halcyon, often identified as a kingfisher, a poetic mythical bird, considered to be a bird of good omen.

This is a tribute to Greek civilisation by two lovers of Ancient Greece, Théodore Reinach, an archaeologist and patron of the arts and Emmanuel Pontremoli, an inspired architect. 

Monte Carlo Daily Photo has visited this villa in the past, so if you are interested just type in Villa Kérylos into the Search box and all 13 entries will appear. (don't forget to type the accent on the 'e' else it won't appear)

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - Colour!

 Handbags for sale in Beaulieu's Saturday market

'All colours are the friends of their neighbours and the lovers of their opposites.'

~ Marc Chagall

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - View from La Réserve

This is where you'll sunbathe and enjoy the view if you are lucky enough to stay at La Réserve. 

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - Friendship

What would we woman do without our women friends?  We talk, we listen, we sympathise, we encourage - and vice versa.  I couldn't live without mine.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - Flaky

These lovely old shutters are in need of a few coats of paint.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - the Wash Down

This guy is standing almost on top of the boat he is cleaning.  So, instead of seeing the sea and surrounding yachts, we see some of Beaulieu's  beautiful villas on the hillside. Note the reflection.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - Agapanthus

A pretty little garden with blue agapanthus near to the Mairie of Beaulieu.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - Contre-Jour

Shooting into the sun at Beaulieu-sur-Mer.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - Painted Ladies

On sale at Saturday's market in Beaulieu-sur-Mer.

And what or who are these ladies?

How about the handle of a nail file!

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - Street Smart

Street fashion in Beaulieu-sur-Mer.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - the Gran Caffé

The Gran Caffé, opposite the market in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, is a good place for a chat before crossing the road to buy the day's fruit and veggies.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - the Fish Man

Beaulieu has a really good Saturday market.  Meet the fish man - serving one of his customers with one half of a large fish.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - Perfection

This is one of the many public gardens in Beaulieu-sur-Mer - an area is in front of the port.  Beautiful pots, perfect flowers, automatic watering.  Beaulieu always seems to me to be what the 'perfect' Riviera town would be if we had to imagine it - Belle Epoque villas, yachts in the bay, classy, (don't you hate that word) pristine, a 'dream' of the Côte d'Azur made real. 

Note: the cyclists - not long now and it will be that time of year again - the Tour de France.  You regularly see the Tour de France cyclists practicing on our roads and hills.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - the Beach

We're in the beautiful town of Beaulieu-sur-Mer today - it's just along the coast from Monaco towards Nice.  Monaco - Cap d'Ail - Eze - and then Beaulieu.  So let's spend a few days here - and why not start on the beach.  If you look carefully you can see the terrace of the Villa Kerylos, on the left.  Click the link to see photos taken in 2009 when we explored this stunning Grecian villa.

Blake's Phantom - Wax

Many of you know that from time to time I have the immense pleasure of taking photographs in the Monaco studio of Blake, the well-known Canadian sculptor.

Here he is holding his latest 'Phantom.' She has been painstakingly created out of wax and is kept in a large container of water before she goes to the foundry to be cast in bronze. The wax is kept in water to keep it cool in the heat and so that it doesn't deform. This is a very delicate sculpture and it's held together with small rods, all welded together.

Over-dressed

This is a scene you often see on Larvotto Beach.  Nearly everyone in beach gear and suddenly you spot a man in a suit or in a shirt a trousers - doubtless an escapee from one of the many conferences held during the year at the nearby Grimaldi Forum.

Hot Pink

A server at a bar on Larvotto Beach. 

Love the hot pink but it so clashes with the orange parasols ...

Thos lazy, hazy days of summer ...

'Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Dust off the sun and moon and sing a song of cheer ...'

Confusion

If you look at the mirrored pillars inside the Park Palace shopping centre, you can get rather confused - especially when there is  a Rolls Royce and a Triumph sports car on display ...

The Giant and the Passers-By

Here's another 'Giant' sculpture, this time inside the Metropole Centre. I like the delicate summer fabric of the girls' clothes, as they float by, compared to the solidity and weight of the sculpture - and neither aware of the other ...

Tattoos in the Casino Gardens

Not a Monte Carlo lady today but a visiting English couple showing off their tattoos.

Tatoos always fascinate me - body art - and I often wonder what I'd have done if I were brave enough to stand the pain.  But I'm not ...

Monte Carlo Ladies and their Dogs

A Monte Carlo lady walking her dog on the end of that long lead - as you can see in the smaller photo.

The Cruise Liners

The cruise liners get bigger and bigger and on the days they are in Port Hercule, Monaco gets more crowded!  This one, Carnival Legend, takes 2124 passengers, has 930 crew members and is 963 feet long.

This photo was taken from Larvotto Beach.

Six Hands, Two People

Here's half of yesterday's photo but blown up larger.  Count the hands ...

(see small photo below if you missed it)

The Giant and the T-Shirt

There I was photographing this 'Giant' outside the Metropole Centre, when the doors opened and this beautiful couple walked through. Don't you just adore the three hands on the young man's t-shirt?

I assume the sculptor is called Alviati (written in small letters after the title of the piece) but can find no reference to him on the internet.

Is this finally summer?

Oh... let's have a beach scene. The sun is shining, yachts out at sea, pretty clouds hover over the horizon - perhaps summer is finally here. We've keep thinking this and then the wind comes up, it rains, it's cold. But so far, so good...

This was the far end of Larvotto Beach yesterday - La Rose des Vents, which is a private beach and restaurant.

Market - the Queue

In Monaco's market, you'll find individual sellers with their fresh veggies and fruit -  and always a queue of customers.

Monaco Grand Prix - Ferrari reflection

It's a bit of a grey day in Monaco, so here is some Ferrari red to cheer us up.  This guy is one of many Ferrari workers, cleaning-up after the Monaco Grand Prix.