01 May 2009

Theme Day: Shadows...in the Jardin Exotique


Fencing like this - looking as if it's made of tree branches yet in fact fashioned in concrete, is typical in the south of France and Monaco. Here, we see shadow of this fence on a walkway in the Jardin Exotique.

Today is Theme Day on CDP and the theme, of course, is Shadows. To see how over a hundred fellow-bloggers from around the world have interpreted this theme please click here to view thumbnails for all participants. You will be surprised and delighted and entranced.

30 April 2009

Jardin Exotique - Into the Light...


We're out of the grotto - we need light and blue and sun and colour.

29 April 2009

Jardin Exotique - Get Me Outta Here!


Time to leave. We've climbed 300 steps but with the heat in the cave, it's tiring - oh look, it's tiring anyway!

You can see the guide at the entrance, waiting for me. (He didn't mind) I was the last out because I'd held back to take a few quick shots with the self-timer. Those with flash simply hadn't worked.

Thanks for all the comments on the cave. Tomorrow we are back in the garden for a few more delights.

28 April 2009

Jardin Exotique - Last Look at the Grotto


Last day in the cave - these shots show some of the visitors so you can get an idea of the size of the grotto.

Animal bones have been discovered in this cave, which have enabled us to learn about the fauna, and thus the different climates of the Quaternary period. Red deer, Asian dogs, wolves and rhinoceros lived during temperate to hot periods, while reindeer, polar foxes and marmots related to cold or glacial periods.

The cave, interestingly, is always constant at 18.5 degrees and that's hot when you are climbing steps, which is what we are about to do tomorrow - we are on our way up and out!

27 April 2009

Jardin Exotique - Strange Forms


Coincidental with this series, I happened to watch a fabulous BBC programme the other day called Planet Earth in which the great David Attenborough was talking about stalactites and stalagmites. I'd not known how they form - you probably do - but if not, it seems water drips, drip, drips and the water contains calcite (calcium carbonate) - for each drop of water, the minutest amount of calcite remains and slowly builds until a stalactite or stalagmite is formed. If a stalactite and a stalagmite meet, then it's called a column.

They look so soft and slimy to the touch, don't they? In fact, they are really hard and not slimy - just wet - and strangely beautiful.

26 April 2009

Jardin Exotique - the Theatre of Magical Wonders


We are looking down at one of the main chambers in the cave. You feel as if you are in an amazing theatre - a theatre of magical wonders.

The cave is a major prehistoric site where excavations carried out between 1916 and 1920 discovered significant and very old archeological remains from three successive humanities. The Pre-Neanderthals (around 250,000 years ago) left us flints (tools in hewn stone), the Neanderthals (around 60,000 years ago) scrapers from fragments of flint, and Cro-Magnon man (from around 35,000 years ago) beautiful blades in flint and bone spear heads. All these peoples occupied the entrance to the cave, the inside of which was used as a larder.

25 April 2009

Jardin Exotique - Stalactites and Stalagmites


We have not yet reached the main cavern, but even here, as we continue to walk ever downwards, we see the columns and pillars, stalactites and stalagmites. This observatory cave is a natural cavity, created by the flow of rainwater which has dissolved the rock and enlarged the cracks over millennia.

24 April 2009

Jardin Exotique - the Prehistoric Cave


At the lowest part of the garden, suddenly we see the entrance (see smaller photo) to a prehistoric cave. Yesterday's sculpture was the clue and most of you got it right!

As you see the gates are locked with a padlock but it didn't take long for us to find a sign with information as to when the next tour would begin. This is free, all part of the entrance fee to the garden.

There are 300 steps down and 300 steps up.

Let's go...wonders await us.

23 April 2009

Jardin Exotique - the Sculpture


What's this guy doing at the Jardin Exotique? Tomorrow, we'll find out...

22 April 2009

Jardin Exotique - the Telephone Call


Looking down on Avenue de Fontvieille from the Jardin Exotique. Notice a man talking on his portable in the roof garden.

21 April 2009

Jardin Exotique - Falling Water


So many colours in succulents and cacti. This one is almost like a waterfall - so blue.

20 April 2009

Jardin Exotique - the Roof Gardens of Fontvieille


Looking down on Fontvieille from the Jardin Exotique it's surprising to see so many roof gardens.

In the smaller photo you can see a Judas tree - the pink tree. Note the fire engines and fire station.

19 April 2009

Jardin Exotique - the Football Stadium


Taken from the Jardin Exotique, this is Monaco's football stadium - home of AS Monaco. Notice all those roof gardens. We'll zoom in on some another day.

The tall buildings to the left of the photograph are on the eastern border of Monaco, in Fontvieille. The other side of those apartments, you see the harbour of Cap d'Ail, which of course is in France.

18 April 2009

Jardin Exotique - the Flower

A lone flower amongst all the spikes.

17 April 2009

Jardin Exotique - Plage Marquet, Cap d'Ail


Views in every direction from the Jardin Exotique. Here we look down on the beach at Cap d'Ail - Plage Marquet.

16 April 2009

Jardin Exotique - Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop'


It astounds me that this plant - purple leaves (almost black) can produce such bright yellow flowers.

15 April 2009

Jardin Exotique - the 'Big Top' and Heliport


Back to the Jardin Exotique. Cacti and succulents clad the hillside.

We are looking down on the circus tent in Fontvieille. In the smaller photograph (click to enlarge) we see the Heliport.

14 April 2009

Monte Carlo Tennis - Ready to go!


The first shot shows some of the hospitality tents and the smaller courts with the Monte Carlo Beach Hotel and Restaurant La Vigie in the background.

Below (click to enlarge) you can see the Centre Court with its rows of tiered seating, with the Monte Carlo Bay Resort Hotel in the background.

These photos were taken on the 5th April - a very grey day. Today, happily the sun shines on the players.

Tomorrow - back to the Jardin Exotique. For more Monte Carlo tennis, turn on the television!

13 April 2009

The Tennis Ball Flower


In the centre of the roundabout that forms the eastern boundary of Monaco and France, is a display of Tennis Ball Flowers - the tournament itself is just a few yards from here.

Yesterday, Nadal and Murray hit a few balls for the crowd in front of the Palais Princier on le Rocher. Click on the link to see the photograph from NIce-Matin this morning.

12 April 2009

The Tennis Players and the Cyclist


It's tennis, big time, in Monaco with the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters which started yesterday. Nadal has won the Masters in Monte Carlo every year since 2005 - will he win again?

The cyclist riding past is a reminder that the Tour de France comes to Monaco in early July - the first time since 1964.

Note: We have left the Jardin Exotique for a day or so only.
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