34th Festival of Circus - the Lion King

Back to Monaco for a few days as it's that time of year again - the circus is back in town.

It's the 34th Festival of Circus, one of the most prestigious events in the circus calendar.

Each day, in the area outside the circus tent in Fontvieille you can wander around looking at the animals taking the sun and being cleaned and fed. This year, lions, elephants, sealions and horses were spending their spare time looking at us whilst we looked at them.

The lions, one of whom you see here, were all in beautiful condition and in enormous runs with raised benches allowing this magnificent Lion King to look down on us. He is one of the troupe of lions trained by Martin Lacey Junior.

You can read about animals in circuses HERE - words from a meeting presided over by Princess Stephanie of Monaco.

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild - the Salon Louis XVI

We're back inside the Villa today to see a detail of the walls in the Salon Louis XVI which is decorated with painted wood paneling of the XVIIIth century, originally from the Hôtel Crillon in Paris. The ceiling is painted by Tiepolo and the room is used to display Louis XVI chairs covered with Aubusson tapestries illustrating the Fables of La Fontaine.

The Villa has been owned, since 1991, by the Académie des Beaux Arts of the Insititute de France. It is under the management of Culturespaces, which has overseen its development with the support of the Académie des Beaux Arts, the Conseil Général des Alpes Maritimes, the Association des Amis de la Villa and a number of patrons. The Louis XVI Room has only recently been completely restored and you can read and see photos of the restoration HERE.

There are many more photos to show you of this stunning villa and gardens but tomorrow we take a short break - a few days in Monaco to show you something else. We'll be back here tho soon.

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild - the Japanese Garden

The bamboo lined walkway that leads to the Japanese Garden. This garden was fully restored in the spring of 2003 through the donation made by Nippon Television.

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild - the Spanish Garden - 2

This is the pretty entrance to the Spanish Garden we saw two days ago.

Theme Day: Best Photo of 2009

Today is Theme Day when we get to choose our best photo of the previous year. I liked the light and reflection of this shot taken inside the Hôtel de Paris. The walls are antique mirrors giving endless reflections of the opulent marble walls and beautiful lamps that are part of the foyer of this fabulous hotel.

The smaller shot shows kids on a new ride on the port at Christmas. They are zipped into a ball and then roll themselves around the course where they have snow, sea, tempest and sand to contend with, yet all within the safety of their magical cocoon. You could say they are having a ball!

To see the Best Photosof 2009 from around the world - what a treat today will be! - click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild - the Spanish Garden

The Spanish garden, with its grotto supported by pink marble columns, its pond, dolphin fountain and pergola, is reminiscent of the world-famous gardens at Aranjuez, near Madrid.

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild - the Florentine Garden

The villa is surrounded by nine gardens over 7 acres.

The Florentine garden overlooks the Bay of Villefranche. At its centre is a wide horseshoe staircase framing an enchanting grotto planted with philodendron, water hyacinth and giant papyrus.

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild - the Dogs

One imagines Baroness Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild loved dogs. These two are to be seen in her bedroom with their own miniature chairs and footstools. Perhaps they were modelled after her own dogs?

The dog is the main photo represents a Cavalier King Charles spaniel - looking not very pretty - and the other is perhaps a bichon.

Note the Aubusson carpet. This room overlooks the harbour of Villefranche.

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild - the Covered Patio

In the internal covered patio, pink marble colonnades from Verona support Italian Renaissance-style arches. The patio is encircled by galleries whose Moorish arches open out onto balconies.

Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild used to host her elegant receptions in this area and it is still used as a gallery to display a number of medieval and Renaissance works of art.

The patio appears to be open to the sky (see lower photo) but in fact we are looking at a ceiling.

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild - the Marble Lady

Everywhere, inside and out, you'll find beauty. Here, near the entrance, a lady bathes in a small pond.

It took five years of major work to construct this 'Palace,' evoking the great Italian Renaissance residences. Several architects were approached, including Auburtin who was in favour with Béatrice Ephrussi. This 'Prix de Rome' winner was replaced on the coastal project by Aaron Messiah. Béatrice sometimes had huge models constructed to be certain of the end result.

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Don't know about you but I'm fed up with the endless rain here, so let's go back to days of blue skies and sunshine and visit the beautiful Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild on Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. We'll look around the villa and we'll wander the 9 gardens laid out over 7 acres - and we'll leave this cold ol' winter behind for a while.

Béatrice Ephrussi, born Rothschild, discovered Cap-Ferrat in 1905, when the Côte d'Azur was about to become the holiday destination of High Society. She owned four villas in Monaco but was seduced by the natural beauty of this nearby site and bought seventeen acres of land on the narrowest part of the peninsula, right from under the nose of King Leopold II of Belgium, who wanted to extend his neighbouring property.

More tomorrow...

The Ceiling

Such a pretty ceiling, don't you think? I've no idea how old it is - certainly it has a 'look' of being old but who knows? It's in the centre of the restaurant at the Hotel Eze Hermitage on the Grand Corniche in Eze.

Red

The snow has gone on the coast. These photos were taken before Christmas - on the 20th December. No matter, I wanted to show you this red plant. It looks like a Trachelospermum Jasminoides but I've never seen a red-leaved one before so perhaps not. Does anyone know this plant?

This was taken in the gardens of the Eze Hermitage Restaurant and Hotel. Click on the link.

Glass and Marble

Glass and marble - reflections inside the sumptuous foyer of the Hôtel de Paris.

Hands and Feet at Lanvin

We've seen a couple of other shots from the window display at the Lanvin shop in Casino Square. Here's another.

Turquoise

Ornate decoration on a building in Avenue Grande Bretagne.

Between Sea and Sky

The Vista Palace Hotel is actually on the Moyenne Corniche in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin but it's usually thought of as a Monaco hotel, hovering as it does between sea and sky over the Principality. The view from the hotel in the direction of Italy or looking towards Monaco and beyond is stunning.

The Tablecloth

Watching a waiter prepare the tables for lunch is fascinating. He is working on the terrace of the Salle Empire in the Hôtel de Paris. He threw the cloth into the air at least four or five times before he was satisfied at the way it landed.

Theme Day: Changes

This is a Datura, photographed in the gardens of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild on Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. This beautiful plant, so common on the Côte d'Azur is a poison and a toxic hallucinogen which causes changes in the brain manifesting itself in agitated behavior and confusion.

Datura belongs to the classic "witches' weeds," along with deadly nightshade, henbane, and mandrake and has a long history in producing a changed delirious state and death. It was well known as an essential ingredient of love potions and witches' brews and sadly, the local newspaper, Nice-Matin sometimes reports on youngsters picked up in an intoxicated state having used Datura unaware of the extreme danger of the plant. Not the sort of changes anyone needs.

To see how other CDP bloggers have interpreted today's theme please click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

For 2010 I wish you happy changes, positive changes, changes that will make you dance with delight. Happy New Year everyone!

'If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies.' ~ Author Unknown

A New Year's Eve Dinner

Where will you be spending New Year's Eve? These tables are in the charming Eze Hermitage Restaurant and Hotel on the Grande Corniche in Eze. Highly recommended with great food - I lunched with a group of friends (18 of us) the Sunday before Christmas.

And if you want to dine in Monaco tonight, well you might just be too late. The 'grandes tables' such as Alain Ducasse's Louis XV in the Hôtel de Paris and Joel Robuchon Monte Carlo have been fully booked for weeks. In fact all of the important restaurants in the Principality are fully booked. There will be more than 1000 meals served tonight in the grand restaurants with prices that range from 99 euros to 760 euros a head for a gastronomic evening of foie gras, coquilles Saint-Jacques, truffles and more... Recession? What recession?

Happy New Year everyone!