Monte Carlo Ladies - 1

You'll find benches like this all over Monte Carlo. Good place for a chat and to watch the world go by.

Really so sorry I've not commented lately. After the 10 hour drive from a crazy busy dog show (which I'll write about on my Postcards blog) I now have a dreadful sore throat and cold. Collected my wonderful new car yesterday and promptly bashed it today! I'm not a happy camper. The car is automatic and unfortunately it doesn't hold in Drive - just slips back down my very steep track. Volkswagen tell me the slope is too steep to hold the car. They might have told me this when I ordered the damn thing! Don't ask, just don't ask.... but I will get around to comments soon and try and make up for my absence.

A mix of styles

This building is a couple of streets in from the main port of Monaco.

Port of Fontvieille 2

A quiet corner to recover after the chaos of the Grand Prix. This is part of the harbour in Fontvieille - in the background you can see terraces that house the zoo. I've heard mixed reviews of this zoo and haven't so far plucked up the courage to go. One day...

(Just walked in the door - thanks so much for everyone who has commented whilst I've been away. Will try and catch up over the next few days - now it's wine time after a 10 hour drive and holds up for snow at the Gottard pass in Switzerland!)

Grand Prix Day!

Grand Prix Day! Tout le monde is in town. Vroom vroom.....

Port of Fontvieille

Let's have a little peace away from the chaos of the Grand Prix. This is not the main port of Monaco but the smaller and very pretty port of Fontvieille.

Pit lane

The stands you see in the centre of the photograph are new this year - they face the pit lane. On the right in the background, you see the area of Monaco known as le rocher - the Rock (where you'll find the Palace, beautiful little streets and the Oceanographic Museum).

Security

This man is putting finishing touches to security for the Monaco Grand Prix. The Formula One cars will whizz past here and on past the swimming pool.

Tomorrow at the crack of dawn I'm leaving for the north of France to go to a dog show - the Euro-OES-Show in Gerardmer. (OES = Old English Sheepdog) Hope, with luck, to be able to post each day from the hotel computer. However, forgive me, but I won't be able to comment. Back on Monday night. woof woof

Smart

You see Smart cars all over Monaco. A very sensible car, of course, for such a tiny place. They are used in business, as here, or privately owned. Also many of the public transport vehicles in Monaco are electric, as opposed to petrol or diesel. Do you see Smart cars in your city? Do you have electrically run vehicles in your city?

...the unexpected

I'm in a 'doorways' mood today. One is on Menton DP and this on Monte Carlo. This gate is a couple of streets in from the port. Perhaps not what you'd expect in Monaco, eh? Always expect the unexpected...

Away from the craziness

Did you think I'd made a mistake and posted a Menton photograph on Monte Carlo DP? Not so, this is one of the many small streets tucked away behind the port. You'll find shops and little restaurants in all these streets. It's much more tranquil than the bustle of the main roads, especially now it's nearly Grand Prix time. Amazingly, this little street is only a few yards from the Start/Finish line. Vroom vroom - just warming up...

Window to the sky

I couldn't resist this mixture of a modern facade reflecting the old buildings opposite. The sky appears to have windows that open. Now that would be nice if it were real, wouldn't it? This building is near to the police station and one or two streets in from the port of Monaco.

Almost ready...

The stands are in place, the yachts are moored and the liners are arriving - it's almost Grand Prix time!

Automobile Club de Monaco

The Grand Prix of Monaco is organised by the Automobile Club, whose windows display photos of past winners. There is a Ferrari engine on display as well as various trophies. The Club itself, provided you are a member, is a great place to go for lunch. Almost like an English Gentleman's Club and really good, cheap food too. I've eaten there a couple of times when I've been lucky enough to have been invited to lunch by a member of the Club.

Princess Grace Rose Garden - 2

Let's get away from the chaos of Grand Prix preparations and take a walk in the Princess Grace Memorial garden. It's the right time of year now - the roses are blooming and not a marked leaf or a greenfly in sight. This is just one corner. I'll show more another day.

Cage of steel

Grand Prix preparations have been going on for weeks and the stands and barriers are still being put up. This is shot just before the Start Finish line. You can only cross the roads in a few places where special gates have been left open. For the three days which include the trials and the race itself, you cannot take a car out of a garage without a special permit that has to be applied for in advance. Then you can only drive at certain times. Otherwise, you are stuck. That's it. Monaco is surrounded by a steel cage. I took these photographs yesterday and we still have ten days to go. I'll show more over the next few days.

Here you see gates that will eventually close down the pedestrian street of Monaco.

And here is how you walk from the pedestrian street to the supermarket or the bank or wherever you want to go.

Heart attack!

If you've got to have a heart attack, then have it in Monaco. You'll find these machines all over the place - or rather the person who saves your life will. This was taken facing the port - on the left you can just see a part of the stands up and ready for the Grand prix which takes place on the last Sunday of this month.

An orchid for my lady

There is a small street in Monte Carlo, Avenue des Beaux Arts, which is known as the most expensive shopping street in the Principality. It's jammed with THE most expensive shops, Yves St. Laurent etc and in the midst of the designer shops is a wondrous flower shop. Here is just one of their offerings. Some orchid...

Up we go...

There is an enormous carpark below the casino gardens - it goes down many many levels into the bowels of the earth, with exits and entrances on each corner. This is the escalator that brings you out just by the Café de Paris. The escalator doesn't move until you step on it and then, off you go. Escalators and lifts get everything moving in Monaco - ease from one level to another - although in this case it's simply to get out of the car park. There is a beautiful indoor garden just before this moving staircase. As I've perhaps said before, all parking in Monte Carlo is free for the first hour.

Hôtel de Paris - 2

The entrance to the prestigious Hôtel de Paris, which is on Casino Square and just by the casino itself. Good place to stay for the Grand Prix although doubtless fully booked long ago. Perhaps the doorman should get off his portable telephone and clean the hotel car! Or perhaps he'll calling a minion to do just that. You'll find a 'longer' shot of the hotel here.

Let's go shopping, girls!

Monte Carlo has shops - believe me, it has shops! Here's just one - this is on a corner, right by the Winter Sporting and Cinema and across from the Casino and casino gardens.