Hippopotame

A massive great hippopotamus suddenly appeared in Casino Square just before Christmas. It's a bronze by the artist Mornar and is on the Café de Paris side of the square. In fact, as you come up out of the underground parking - boom - there it is and pretty impressive too.

Pretty money

Isn't this a pretty bank? I posted the front of this building once before - here is a detail from the side. It stands opposite Casino Square and looks down on the casino, which I suppose is as good a place as any for a bank.

Japanese Garden - 13

The beautiful Tea House in the peaceful Japanese Garden on avenue Princesse Grace.

La Vigie -2

This photograph shows the beautiful white house in the foreground - La Vigie - which you saw yesterday. It stands on the promontory called Pointe de la Vieille. This is the boundary between Monaco and Roquebrune-cap-Martin. You can read more in yesterday's post.

La Vigie

This beautiful house stands, as you can see below, just above the Monte Carlo Beach Hotel on a promontory of land called Pointe de la Vieille. The land was originally leased by the SBM of Monaco, and later in 1926 they bought it. The Pointe de la Vieille marks the eastern boundary of Monaco and France. In 1902, Sir William Ingram, a rich English baronet - who incidentally owned the Château of Roquebrune at one time - built this beautiful white house, La Vigie, when it was considered one of the finest houses on the Riviera. Following his death, and years later, after many disputes over the land, the house became the property of the SBM. It remained vacant for years until 1986 when, following restoration, it was lived in by the designer, Karl Lagerfeld until 1997. (this is a very condensed history - you can read the full story HERE).

Monte Carlo Beach Hotel - 2

You've seen this hotel before but only from a far greater distance. On the promontory in the background is the Restaurant La Vigie - a divine place to sip a glass of champagne before dining with the lights of Monte Carlo before you. This hotel on the eastern edge of Monaco, on land, so far as I know, leased from France. On the hillside above La Vigie - and hidden in the trees - are summer huts that can be rented for the season. I have friends who years ago used to rent one of these and spent lazy days meeting up with friends and their children and lunching on the beach. What a life!

The empty pool you saw yesterday is just out of shot to the left.

No swimming

The pool of the Monte Carlo Beach Hotel in winter.

Pensive

This sculpture 'Pensive' is by Emma de Sigaldi and is placed very near to the Carrefour shopping centre in Fontvieille, the area of Monaco reclaimed from the sea. The new port of Fontvieille is just across the roundabout you see in the background.

Let there be light

As you walk around Monaco, you'll sometimes see apartments with their balaconies covered in foliage - not for privacy, I'd venture to say, but to keep out traffic noise. This apartment is on Avenue de la Madone which rises up from the Casino area.

Japanese Garden - 12

An interesting bridge in these beautiful peaceful gardens. I did consider using it for our Bridge Theme day - anyway here it is today.

Stretch!

Stretch that leg! This young man is ready to run. You'll see many people jogging in Monte Carlo. In the background you see a part of the Church of St. Devote, a beautiful church and one you'll read more about soon.

Dressed

The pedestrian street of Monaco, rue Princesse Caroline, dressed for the holiday period. The main port is behind us.

Hôtel de Paris - detail

A detail from the exterior of the beautiful Hôtel de Paris. The hotel, one of the grandest in the world, was built in 1864 by Dutrou. Opulent in decor and gracious in manner, this nineteenth century 'palace' has been home to royalty and the world's brightest luminaries. You can see more of the Hôtel de Paris by clicking on the link.

Green space

Monaco seems so built up when you see it from a distance. And it is. But there are many beautiful gardens throughout the Principality, some quite large - others are simply a small area of green with pathways allowing you to get from one place to another. This pretty little area is below the casino with the main port off to the right.

Theme Day: photo of the year - 2007

This was taken at the Children's Fair at dusk in the port of Monaco - I loved the bouncing boy and wished I were him! Somehow, too, he seems a positive symbol for the New Year - onwards and upwards! Another choice for today would have been a photo taken later that same night - Fireworks over the Port of Monaco - one of the few night shots that's worked for me. Not technically correct - but perhaps acceptable for a Point and Shoot camera.

This has been a year when I've discovered the world of photography and that I just love taking photographs, composing shots, trying to tell a story. Much to learn technically though, and I'm so grateful for the generous encouragement and great advice from so many of you - my fellow City Bloggers - THANK YOU SO MUCH.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone - and may all your dreams come true and all your photographs be PERFECT.

There are 118 Daily City Photo bloggers participating in today's Theme. Do please visit them - you'll see fabulous photographs from around the world.

Paris, France - London, England - Hyde, UK - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Grenoble, France - Stockholm, Sweden - Riga, Latvia - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Manila, Philippines - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Weston (FL), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - New Orleans (LA), USA - Wichita (KS), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - San Francisco (CA), USA - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Greenville (SC), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Mainz, Germany - Melbourne, Australia - Portland (OR), USA - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Toulouse, France - Naples (FL), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Brussels, Belgium - Stayton (OR), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Toruń, Poland - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Baziège, France - Nashville (TN), USA - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Chicago (IL), USA - Prescott (AZ), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Nottingham, UK - Moscow, Russia - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Evry, France - Trujillo, Peru - Arlington (VA), USA - Denpasar, Indonesia - American Fork (UT), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Coral Gables (FL), USA - Montpellier, France - Joplin (MO), USA - Pilisvörösvár, Hungary - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Boston (MA), USA - Torun, Poland - New York City (NY), USA - Dunedin (FL), USA - Quincy (MA), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Chateaubriant, France - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Jackson (MS), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Budapest, Hungary - Austin (TX), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Cypress (TX), USA - Bicheno, Australia - Wrocław, Poland - Brookville (OH), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - Cheltenham, UK - Wellington, New Zealand - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Mumbai (Maharashtra), India - London, UK - Haninge, Sweden - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Arradon, France - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Orlando (FL), USA - Mumbai, India - Terrell (TX), USA - Bogor, Indonesia - Delta (CO), USA - Radonvilliers, France - Saigon, Vietnam - San Diego (CA), USA - Adelaide (SA), Australia - Belgrade, Serbia - Auckland, New Zealand - Seguin (TX), USA - Inverness (IL), USA - Oslo, Norway - Singapore, Singapore - Las Vegas (NV), USA - New York City (NY), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Torino, Italy - Susanville (CA), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Memphis (Tennessee), USA

Prince Albert I

This statue, standing outside the Palais Princier on Le Rocher, was created in 1914 by Constant Roux in hommage to Prince Albert 1st of Monaco and to commemorate the 25th year of his reign.

Albert I, an eminent scientist and seaman, was the creator of the magnificent Monaco Oceanographic Museum and also the Paris Oceanography Institute. He was the great-grandfather of the current Prince of Monaco, Prince Albert II.

Bonnie and Clyde

This looks like it might have been in an old Chicago-style gangster movie, or perhaps Bonnie & Clyde - but I've probably got it all wrong. No idea what the make of this car is or how old. Am sure someone will help me. Fabrizio? It was outside a garage along with a Lincoln Continental.

Japanese Garden - 11

After the chaos of Christmas, contemplation in the Japanese garden. Wherever you look in this beautiful garden, there is peace. Most of the earlier photographs of the Japanese garden have the sea as background. This shows just how near it is to the apartment buildings along Avenue Princesse Grace - just across the street.

From Roquebrune village

As soon as you go drive into the hills and away from Monaco, you'll get a different view of the Principality. In this photograph, Monaco is in the distance and nearer you see the villas leading down to the beach in Roquebrune-cap-Martin. The paragliders jump off the mountains way up to the right and land on this beach below.

This photograph was taken from the Place des Deux Frères in the medieval village of Roquebrune. If you click on the link, you'll be there!

Fire!

Only kidding. There was no fire. I really don't know why the fire truck was here - in Fontvieille, opposite the circus tent. The apartment buildings are on land reclaimed from the sea.

Do all little boys want to be firemen when they grow up?