Place du Palais

This is part of the Place du Palais. On our right, but way out of view, is the Palace. (see yesterday's post). Behind us and a long way below is the Port of Monaco.

Home to a Prince

Here's the right-hand corner of the Grimaldi Palace, home to Prince Albert. The Palace dates from the 16th and 17th centuries but still preserves its medieval towers, built by the Genoese in 1215. Francesco Grimaldi took possession of the fortress in 1297, and his successors enlarged it.

Pottery

This pretty pottery shop/atelier is on a tiny road that leads from the Place du Palais to the Jardin Saint-Martin. The shop was closed and after peering inside and seeing its bare shelves, I got the feeling it might have closed down.

On guard - 1

One of the immaculate Palace guards marching up and down. He'll soon go back into his little hut and stand guard.

Tourism

Shopping in Monaco isn't all luxury shops. Here, on Le Rocher you'll find many shops that fulfil the needs of the tourist. If you continue to the end of this walking street, you'll find the Palace.

Lucky baby!

This boutique is one of two on Le Rocher, set up by the late Princess Grace as part of the Fondation Princesse Grace. This one sells hand-made baby clothes - something you rarely see these days and quite beautiful they are too.

Where's the Chef?

It's around 11 in the morning and this young chef hurries back, through one of the tiny streets on the Rock, to the restaurant where he works.

Postes

Here's the post office on Le Rocher. Apart from the poubelle (rubbish bin) it's rather nice, isn't it? In Monaco you buy a Monaco stamp. French stamps are not accepted. And whilst mailboxes in France are yellow, in Monaco they red - remember the Daily Photo Theme Day: a Public Mail Box.

Bashful, Happy and Sneezy on the Rock

Down a narrow road leading off the Place du Palais, I peered through an old wrought-iron gate and spied Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Not what I expected in Monte Carlo!

Monaco Open Air Cinema

This is new Open Air Summer Cinema, just along from the Oceanographic Museum. It advertises as starting at 9.45 at night but normally it's 10 p.m. or later. You can buy a glass of wine, you can sit in lounges or chairs. The films are in English with French subtitles - and it's a great place to meet up with friends. Why not come tomorrow - they are showing Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix? It's rather magical setting I think you'll agree. Click on the website of the Summer Cinema, scroll down, and you'll see a map of exactly where this is on the Rock.

Les Années Grace Kelly, Princesse de Monaco

This year, for the first time, Monaco is holding an International-scale exhibition in tribute to the late Princess Grace. Held at the Grimaldi Forum and open from July to September it's called 'Les Années Grace Kelly, Princesse de Monaco' and is organised in close collaboration with the Prince's Palace, which has unveiled never before seen items (letters, dresses, jewels, fashion accessories, film, photos...), this exhibition retraces all the periods and facets of her life, from Grace Kelly, Hollywood star, to Princess of Monaco.

At the same time, you'll find many beautiful photographs of the Princess displayed on the streets. The one above, taken in 1970, show Princess Grace taking Princess Stephanie to school, Rue Compte Félix Gastaldi.

Cannon balls!

What do you do when you've got a load of spare cannon balls? Here's the answer!

This is the Place du Palais (see yesterday's post) and is where you'll find rows of benches (with cannon ball support) under the shady trees.

Cannon!

Amidst the cannon and the cannon balls, visitors look down from the Rock, onto the port of Fontvieille. The palace is behind me - and to the left you can look down over the main port of Monaco. Tomorrow, I'll show you another use for cannonballs.

Musée Oceanographique

This is the back of the Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium. I'll show you a photograph of the front another day. Founded by Prince Albert 1, it was inaugurated in 1910. This is an amazing museum of marine sciences and not to be missed if you are visiting Monaco. The building rises majestically from the sea to a height of 279 feet and took 11 years to build, using 100,000 tons of stone from La Turbie, a village high above Monte Carlo. Part of the museum is dedicated to Albert 1, who was a major navigator. Here you'll find his laboratory ships and collections of marine fauna including a skeleton from a 66-foot whale.

In the basement, you will find the world-famous aquarium with its extraordinary show of marine flora and fauna. With 4,000 species of fish and over 200 families of invertebrates, the aquarium is now an authority on the presentation of the Mediterranean and tropical marine ecosystem.

Invitation

This sculpture called Invitation, by the Dutch artist and sculptor, Kees Verkade, stands in the Jardin Saint-Martin on Le Rocher. You see many sculptures by this Monaco resident around the Principality and can read more at this link. He specialises in the human form with emphasis on movement and emotion.

The gull dropped in for the photograph.

Brass and Bougainvillea

This brass plaque, peering out from the bougainvillea, tells us that here, on the Rock, you'll find the offices of the Minister of State - you can see the building below. The bougainvillea is for Isabella of Naples Daily Photo who loves this plant - see this link.

Jardin Saint-Martin

The St. Martin Gardens are on the opposite side of Le Rocher to the main port of Monaco - see yesterday's posting. Here we are, high up on the Rock, looking down to the sea from one of the many beautiful walks through this early 19th century garden. From this position, if you turned your head to the right, you'd see the Port of Fontvieille.

Digue

The Port of Monaco taken from Le Rocher (see yesterday's post). Monaco has only fairly recently been able to accommodate cruise liners as large as this, due to the new digue (floating dock). The largest in the world, it was built in Spain and towed to Monaco in 2002. The voyage took 13 days. You can read more at this link. I couldn't see the name of this enormous cruise ship when I took the photograph but driving home past the port, I saw it and by the time I got home had forgotten it - but it started with West...then something or other so if anyone knows? I'd like to know where she came from.

This morning I called a friend who lives opposite the port, and asked her to get out her binoculars but she said this ship left yesterday and today there is a new one in port, just as big, but with a white hull this time.

Note: Thanks to my friend Laura who tells me this is the MS.Westerdam - read more at this link.

Lunch break

We're on the Rock today. Le Rocher is the oldest part of Monaco and it's where you'll find the Palace, the Cathedral, the wonderful Oceanographic Museum and much more besides. Here is one of the tiny streets at lunch time.

Le Pêcheur

This sculpture (The Fisherman) stands near to Larvotto Beach on Avenue Princesse Grace and was created by the French sculptor, Gustave Dussart (1875 - 1952).