Monte Carlo Weekly Photo

12 August 2009

The Opera House

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved.

A zoomed photo taken at dusk and from exactly the same position as yesterday's photo. The steeples you see are the casino building and specifically, the opera house, designed by Garnier.

Note the turquoise cupola far left. You can see a close up of this by clicking on the link.

11 August 2009

Dusk

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved.

Dusk in Port Hercule. We are looking at Avenue d'Ostende which runs from Ste. Devote up to Casino Square. Lights are being turned on. People wait on rooftops for the fireworks to begin (see yesterday's post).

10 August 2009

All Lit Up

Each summer Monaco holds an International Fireworks competition. Every three weeks a different country presents its display. Last night it was the turn of Austria. You have to get to Monaco early if you want a parking place and as you can see in the small photo, people line up around the port awaiting the wonders to come.

The jury judges on creativity, technique and synchronisation with the music. In three weeks time it will be France's turn and then we'll have a result.

Note the yacht (centre, foreground of the main photo) with its swimming pool lit up. No one skinny dipping tho, which might have been fun.

09 August 2009

Hibiscus

Hibiscus in the Jardin Saint Martin on le Rocher. This is one of the most peaceful gardens in Monaco and well worth a visit when you are in the vicinity of the Cathedral or the Oceanographic museum.

My preferred photo in terms of image was the smaller one on the left but I felt the two with the wrought iron railings and view down to the port of Fontvieille tell more of a story. So here are all three!

08 August 2009

Lady on Bench

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved.

It's been a while since we had a Monte Carlo lady, so here's a pretty one on the Rue Princesse Caroline which is the pedestrian street leading up from the port. This street has benches in various places all the way up, so there's a usually somewhere to sit and chat.

07 August 2009

Parade of Eagles - 'S.O.S. Ecology'

This eagle, by Avi Kenan, is called 'S.O.S.Ecology.'

The artist was the winner in his category in the 'Eco Art Parade.'

06 August 2009

Parade of Eagles - 'Yiskaago'

This eagle flies above the pond in the Casino Gardens. It's by the artist François Maurin and is called 'Yiskaago.'

Interestingly, in the first photo, the eagle is facing one way and then, went I went back to photograph it again, it was facing the other.

05 August 2009

The Child and the Dachshund

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved.

In June we met a real Monte Carlo Dog, a tiny chihuahua, all dressed up in pink and owned by the owner of an art gallery in the Winter Sporting. That day in the gallery, I photographed this wonderfully effusive and adorable child with her 5 month old dachshund puppy called Titta. They were in gallery because her mother was helping the owner with the vernissage. They live in Genoa, along the Ligurian coast in Italy.

04 August 2009

The Palace Guards

Honor, Loyalty and Devotion to Duty is the motto on the flag of the Palace Guards, a group created in 1817 to provide 24-hour security for the Palace, royal residences, the Sovereign Prince and his family.

The Guard is composed of 3 Officers, 15 Sergeant-majors and 80 Privates, all highly trained French military men. It has been reorganized several times since its inception and in January 1904 Prince Albert I renamed them "COMPAGNIE DES CARABINIERS DU PRINCE".

These are the Guards one sees each day promptly at 11:55 AM in front of the royal entrance on the Palace Square performing the ceremony of the Changing of the Guards. This tradition is performed in full dress uniform, black in the winter and white in the summer, and has not changed for more than 100 years. But this ceremony is only one of the many duties of the Palace Guards. They escort religious and civil and ceremonial processions; and ensure security for sports and other public events in the Principality.

03 August 2009

The Players

What game are these two playing? They throw something (dice, coins?) on to what looks like a book? If any one knows, do leave a comment and I'll include it here.

The players sit in a little niche outside the Quai Des Artistes restaurant on the far side of Port Hercule, just before Stars n Bars.

02 August 2009

Night: the Cupola

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved.

Let's stay in a 'night' mood after yesterday's Theme Day.

It took me a while to find out what this building is, so beautifully adorned by an interesting cupola. Well, I'm told it's a bank. Perhaps it wasn't originally a bank but hey, this is Monaco, so who knows? The photo was taken from the terrace of the Hôtel Hermitage looking down on Port Hercule and the area of Monaco called La Condamine. You can see the Palace on Le Rocher in the background.

01 August 2009

Theme Day: Night - Girls' Night Out

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved.

It's the first of the month and as always it's Theme Day in the City Daily Photo community. Today's theme is Night and this is a Girls' Night Out in Cap d'Ail, which adjoins Monaco. They are eating at Le Cabanon, a great little restaurant right on the rocks at the beach - very simple, great food.

To see how other bloggers in our world-wide City Daily Photo community have interpreted this theme - and I promise you there will be endless delights - please click here to view thumbnails for all participants

31 July 2009

Parade of Eagles - 'Love your Life'

This eagle is called 'Love your Life' and is by artist, Gitte Peters. It stands in the Casino Gardens.

30 July 2009

Parade of Eagles - 'Why?' again...

Copyright 2009 Monte Carlo Daily Photo. All rights reserved.

This is another shot of yesterday's eagle. Just loved how the little girls, dressed in white, are enjoying this sculpture. Please click on THIS LINK to read about Eric Brocchi, the artist, or simply look at yesterday's post.

29 July 2009

Parade of Eagles - 'Why?'

The Parade of Eagles is on the theme of ecology and the environment and in particular it speaks of the Bonelli eagle which is about to disappear in this region.

Today's eagle, displayed in the Casino Gardens, is called 'Why?' and is by Gorbio artist, Eric Brocchi. Gorbio is the village where I live and you can see Gorbio on Menton Daily Photo today.

Do click on Eric Brocchi's website to see him working on the eagle. It's fascinating.

28 July 2009

Parade of the Eagles - "L'Aigle de la Paix''

This sculpture in the Casino Gardens is by Anna Chromy and is called The Eagle of Peace.

27 July 2009

Parade of the Eagles - 'Giving Wings - the Protector'

26 July 2009

Parade of the Eagles - 'Hawkology'

25 July 2009

Parade of the Eagles - Cartier's 'Eagle Eye'

What is so interesting about this year's display in Monaco is that it's not only in the Casino Gardens, but is all over the Principality. In addition, whilst all the eagles have been decorated by artists, some, like this one, have been decorated by a commercial company. Here you see 'Eagle Eye' decorated by the Studio de Creation of Cartier, the jewellers and displayed outside their Monte Carlo shop. You'll note, being Cartier, the diamond eye (well, alright, perhaps not a real diamond).

24 July 2009

Parade of the Eagles - 'Unchain my Heart'

Outside the casino and getting a lot of attention from the visitors, is 'Unchain my Heart' by Fanny Blanchlande.

All 55 eagles will be auctioned at the end of the exhibition in October - profits go to Prince Albert's Foundation.