10 March 2014
Combat Naval Fleuri - Mimosa Hair-Do
09 March 2014
08 March 2014
Combat Naval Fleuri - the Young Man
No explanation needed. Just a beautiful young man to brighten our day, along with the mimosa. Happy weekend everyone ...
07 March 2014
Combat Naval Fleuri - the Battle
The battle isn't really a battle! It's mostly people collecting flowers to take home with them! Just a few of the kids throw the flowers back at the boats. And lots end up in the sea.
06 March 2014
Combat Naval Fleuri - the Gorilla
The sun shone and the gorilla had the best seat in the house! What a fabulous day in Villefranche sur Mer, with my friend Sylvie, for the Combat Naval Fleuri (Naval Battle of the Flowers). The boats (these are called pointu) take off for a parade around the port.
Later the battle begins ...
05 March 2014
Rained out at Villefranche sur Mer - the Fish and the Car
Depite the rain, two of the boats were already in process of decoration - one with a fish and another with a car.
The festival is due to take place today with hopefully better weather than Monday when it had ot be postponed due to rain.
More tomorrow ...
04 March 2014
Rained out at Villefranche sur Mer
Yesterday, the annual Naval Battle of the Flowers was due to take place in Villefranche-sur-Mer, just along the coast from Monaco. I went along with my friend Sylvie but it rained and it rained and eventually it was postponed. It will now take place tomorrow. Here you see some of the boats, waiting to be filled with floats made of flowers - which stand, happily undercover, on the edge of the port.
Sylvie and I got rather wet but ended up having a great lunch and drowning our sorrows. We'll go back on Wednesday.
03 March 2014
The Champions Parade - the 'Golden Foot'
This girl has removed one shoe and is trying out for size one of the famous footballer's feet, cast in brass, on the Champions Parade in Monaco.
HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, a keen football fan, made the decision to dedicate part of the Principality’s waterfront to this Walk of Fame of the greatest footballers of all time.
The Golden Foot award is an international football award, given to players who stand out for their athletic achievements (both as individuals and team players) and for their personality.
Ten nominees are chosen by a panel of international journalists based on the criteria that they are at least 28 years of age and still playing. Out of this list, the winner is selected by an online poll, where anyone can vote. The winner of the award, given by HSH Prince Albert II, leaves a permanent mold of his footprints on "The Champions Promenade", on the seafront of the Principality of Monaco.
Since 2009, there has been a charity auction accompanying the Golden Foot event. The auction is held during the gala evening at the Hôtel de Paris, and raises funds for fighting AIDS.
02 March 2014
01 March 2014
28 February 2014
The Antique Car Museum
The entrance to HSH Prince Rainier's collection of old cars in Fontvieille. Here is a Mclaren Mercedes Formula One sports car.
27 February 2014
26 February 2014
Grimaldi Forum
There are always interesting angles to photograph on the forecourt of the Grimaldi Forum. You can just see the heads of walkers and joggers in the background - they are on the walkway below.
25 February 2014
24 February 2014
The Bees are a-buzzing...
Rosemary tumbles over a wall alongside St. Nicolas' Church in Fontvieille. We have sunshine, we have rosemary, we have bees a-buzzing. Spring can't be far away ...
23 February 2014
The Port of Fontvieille and the Tunnel
This is the edge of the port of Fontvieille and the tunnel that runs under le rocher (where you find the Palace, the Oceanographic Museum and so on). If you drive thru this tunnel you come to the main port of Monaco, Port Hercule.
This photo is so typical of Monaco. Extreme beauty alongside roadworks, or massive cranes looming into the sky.
22 February 2014
21 February 2014
The False Pepper Tree
We are on the lowest terrace (behind the casino) looking towards Cap Martin and beyond that, Menton and Italy.
20 February 2014
Waiting for the Lotus
Waiting for the lotus. The pots you see on the upper right are filled with lotus plants waiting to burst into leaf and then glorious flower. The crazy patterns are reflections of apartment buildings on Avenue Princesse Grace.
19 February 2014
18 February 2014
17 February 2014
Locked-in Love
Padlocked love. I've never seen these before in Monte Carlo. I wonder if the authorities will leave them as they do in other towns and cities.
16 February 2014
Japanese Garden - the Greens and the Blues
15 February 2014
14 February 2014
13 February 2014
12 February 2014
Friendship
'Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession. Friendship is never anything but sharing.' - Elie Wiesel
11 February 2014
Piglet and Pooh on Larvotto
“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh?" he whispered.
"Yes, Piglet?"
"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's hand. "I just wanted to be sure of you.”
― A.A.Milne, Winne-the-Pooh
10 February 2014
The Big Jetty
Today, we're on the top level of the relatively new 'digue' or jetty, which is where the massive cruise liners tie up. If memory serves, this structure was towed from Portugal where it was made.
Meanwhile, it's a good place to walk the dogs ...
09 February 2014
08 February 2014
07 February 2014
Walking in Water
There are always a few diehards who swim at Larvotto beach in winter. This guy, though, is walking ... he has walked from one side of the beach to the other.
06 February 2014
The Little Mermaid of Denmark at Larvotto
'The Little Mermaid' looks out over Larvotto beach. She was created, in 2000, with layers and layers of metal by Kristian Dahlgard, in hommage to the Danes who live in Monaco and for the late Prince Rainier III to mark the 50th year of his reign.
05 February 2014
Walk on Larvotto Beach
Larvotto Beach - Hard to believe this was taken only a week ago. Since then we've had endless rain and it's still coming down ...
04 February 2014
03 February 2014
02 February 2014
The new Yacht Club de Monaco
The new Monaco Yacht Club, designed by Lord Norman Foster, looks not far from being finished.
Here is an artist's impression of how it will eventually look. The new Yacht Club de Monaco is due to open this summer.
01 February 2014
31 January 2014
Bateau Bus
The Bateau Bus - Monaco's best kept secret. For 2 euros you can cross the port and pretend you are in one of the luxury yachts. It runs every 30 minutes and is powered by solar energy.
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