Petanque at the Palace - Daniel Elena

Another photo of H.S.H. Prince Albert II playing petanque and as you can see one of the other players is no less than Daniel Elena, who is Sebastien Loeb's co-driver in motor rallies. Between them they have won the World Rally Championship 9 times. Daniel Elena is Monegasque. 

The Prince's team won!

Petanque at the Palace! - the Prince

H.S.H.Prince Albert II gets into the spirit of the Pro/Am Petanque tournament. As you can see, he plays a mean game of petanque.

Petanque at the Palace!

Look what was going on at the Place du Palais in Monaco yesterday.  The whole of the area in front of the Palace has been transformed into specially created gravel petanque pitches.   There are several others apart from this one.

There is space for around 800 spectators in the stands, and there's a giant screen relaying the matches.

This event, the Monaco Petanque Masters,  is the result of a collaboration between the Club Bouliste Monegasque and the Palace and is supported by 'Peace and Sport.'

Entry is free to the square and stands with two semi-finals and the final for professionals taking place today, after which the whole thing will be dismantled.

Peace and Sport organised an informal, pro/am tournament, in which Prince Albert and 32 celebrities were expected to take part. So come  back tomorrow and see how His Serene Highness, Prince Albert II plays a mean game of pentanque! 

Cabanas

This is a longer shot of the pool reflection we saw a couple of days ago.  Cabanas at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel.

Chanel Pose

The Chanel boutique is perhaps not the place to pose if you aren't carrying a Chanel handbag.

Pool Envy 2

A corner of the beautiful pool at the the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel.

Shopping Car

Cute car ... and with somewhere to put the shopping.

The Pom-Pom Tree?

Anyone know the name of this tree? The leaves that would indicate - perhaps? -  a type of acacia, but note the seedpods and those white pom-poms. It's in the gardens of Fontvieille, not far from the Princess Grace Rose Garden.

The Other Harbour

Early morning reflections in the port of Fontvieille.

De-Stress

Another photo of the beautiful Japanese Gardens on Avenue Princesse Grace.  If you are stressed - and who isn't? - it's a good place to go and sit and stare at the water ...

The Clean-Up Vehicle

Pretty dapper van used for cleaning Monaco, don't you think? And for sure this will be an electrical vehicle as most public vehicles in Monaco are electric. Looks like it's smiling ...

Escalator Beauty

A beautiful Monte Carlo lady leaving the Metropole shopping centre. She's about to get on the escalator which leads up to the Casino Gardens.

Slipstream

This is Slipstream, a 60 metre yacht with 6 state rooms. It accommodates 12 guests and 14 crew. Slipstream is the yacht that Simon Cowell charters when he fancies a holiday in the south of France. The smaller boat is probably hoping for a glimpse of him ... or one of his ladies. I snapped this at Golfe Bleue at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.

In the last photo, you see the yacht set against the backdrop of Monaco but it was late afternoon and I was shooting into the sun.

Rocks

The rocky coast of Cap d'Ail.

Upside Down

Reflection in the pool near the entrance to the Grimaldi Forum and the Japanese Gardens.  The reflection is of apartments along Avenue Princesse Grace.

The Weird Bicycle

Cap d'Ail

Isn't this the weirdest bike!  The photos aren't anything to write home about but I wanted to show you the bike regardless.  I can't imagine balancing on a bike in this position - can you? 

Arman's Motophant

Arman's Motophant stands on a high plinth in the Chemin des Sculptures, near the circus tent, in Fontvieille. Isn't it absolutely perfectly named?  Vroom Vroom ...

It was created in 1988 by Arman (Armand Pierre Fernandez) an American, who was born in Nice in 1928 and died in 2005.

Morning has Broken ...

It's going to be a glorious day!

One for the Girls

Let's have a nice male body to look at today.  In fact, it's a photo I took in May when the Grand Prix was being dismantled.

Amadeus

This superyacht Amadeus is owned by French industrialist and art collector, Bernard Arnault.  Bernard Arnault is France's richest person and not long ago said he would take Belgian citizenship to avoid the very high French taxes but there was such an outcry he changed his mind! He's the chairman and CEO of the French conglomerate LVMH, the largest luxury-products company in the world - Louis Vuitton and so on.

Amadeus was built  in 1969 as a research vessel and was converted to a superyacht in 2007. She has an icebreaker hull.

Beach Prices at Larvotto

Neptune Plage. This is what a day on Larvotto Beach will cost you.

Workout

This triathlon athlete is running along the promenade above Larvotto Beach, around this pool and fountain and back again. 

Symphony in Brown

Symphony in brown ...

Wibbly-wobbly

The railings of apartment balconies reflected in the pool of the Japanese Garden.  Note the white fish.

Contre-jour on Larvotto Beach

Taken against the sun on Larvotto Beach. That's the edge of the jelly-fish net in the foreground.

Picasso in Monaco

Picasso at the Grimaldi Forum.

Sharing his Cloak

We are in the beautiful neo-classical church of Notre Dame de l’Assomption in Eze village.  The church was reconstructed between 1764 and 1778 after the original fell into ruin. It was classified as a National Monument of France in 1984.

Here, under an archway, is this golden portrait of Saint Martin sharing his cloak.

Dry Garden

I'm not sure if those bamboo poles are a work of art or a dry garden - perhaps both?   Today we are on the enormous pontoon in Port Hercule - this is where those massive cruise ships tie up and this strangely shaped building houses the lifts, offices and access to parking.

Fun for Hire

These fun little cars are available for hire outside Stars 'n' Bars on the port of Monaco. Aren't they great and perfect for visitors! You see them whizzing about the Principality - and so easy to park!

Black Hat

A black hat for the lady who serves in this bar in Monaco's market.

Tuiga

It's painstaking work keeping Monaco's beautiful gaff cutter, Tuiga, in great condition.  She celebrated her 100th birthday in 2009 and is the flagship of the Monaco Yacht Club.

She was originally comissioned by the Duke de Medinacelli, a close friend of the King of Spain, Alphonse XIII.  Tuiga has known ten owners in 100 years.

In 1995, seduced by the slender lines of this yacht – regarded by Eric Tabarly as 'one of the world’s most beautiful yachts.' - H.S.H. Prince Albert II expressed his desire to own her, benefiting from the support of the 'Tuiga Committee.'

A Mirrored Rolls

Walking through the Park Palace shopping complex it's fun to photograph the mirrored pillars and whatever they reflect. 

So we have a Rolls Royce and a sports car (at that time on display) and a lady walking past the flower shop.

Light, Shade and Calm

Everywhere you look in the Japanese Garden, you'll find perfect vistas, reflections, light, shade and calm.

Fractured Stone

More reflections from the Japanese Garden. Today: fractured stone.

The Reflection of Life

François Truffaut said:

 'I have always preferred the reflection of life to life itself.'

Le Tour Odeon

Well, it's hardly the most exciting photo in the world, is it?  But if you don't live in Monaco, or nearby, meet the Tour Odeon (Odeon Tower).

From Wikipedia:

Le Tour Odéon is a double-skyscraper currently being built in the Principality of Monaco. It's the first high-rise in the city-state to be built since the 1980s.  At 170 meters high, Tour Odeon will be the second tallest building on Europe's Mediterranean coast, after Gran Hotel Bali (186m) in Benidorm, Spain. Had Tour Odeon been built in neighboring France, it would be among that country's 10 highest buildings. It will be the 199th tallest building in the world - by floor count - upon its finish date.
Building Height : 170 meters, 50 floors.
259 residences, including 73 for-sale private luxury residences (including 2 Sky Duplex apartments of 1,200 m² each and 1 Sky Penthouse of 3,300 m² over 5 floors).
10 subterranean levels with 543 parking spaces.
Retail shops, offices and business centre. Wellness center including spa, a fitness center and a swimming pool.
Both the building's architecture and the shadows it casts on the cityscape have been criticized since the beginning of the project. In particular, residents of the adjacent French twon of Beausoleil have criticized the building for blocking the views and above all diminishing real estate values. An association was created, and the mayor called for discussions between French and Monegasque authorities.  After a construction incident, some locals attributed the tower the nickname 'Odious Tower' The project continued as planned.

Click on THIS LINK to read a Daily Mail piece about the  £250 million penthouse, the most expensive penthouse in the world! 

Getting the Lowdown ...

A view of the sea through the railings that are part of the wall overlooking Larvotto Beach.  That's the handrail running along the top.