Xarifa

One of the best things to do in Monaco is wander amongst the yachts and dream. How about this beautiful sailing yacht, the Xarifa.

She was designed by J.M.Soper and built in 1927 by JS White & Co. in Cowes for Franklin Morse Singer a well known American yachtsman, and one of the many sons of Isaac Singer, the multi-millionaire king of the sewing machine. The yacht was considered one of the more elegant and rich of the time. In 1951 Xarifa was bought by the famous German scientist and voyager Hans Hass. The ship took many voyages around the world most specifically in the Pacific and Indian oceans and was well-known in the world of oceanographic and scientific research. In 1960 she was purchased by Italian multimillionaire, Carlo Traglio who kept her based in Monaco, where she is always greatly admired. In 1970, the owner provided Xarifa with an extensive restoration.

Accomodations include six guests cabins ensuite; captain & officers cabins; crew cabins for ten; separate Dining Room, Library, and Smoking Lounge

And if you wanted to buy her, well you'd need a spare 3 millions euros. Click on the link to read more.

Butterflies and Bent Spoons

There's a stunningly beautiful restaurant at the foot of the medieval village of Eze on the Moyenne Corniche. It's called Le Mas Provençal and normally has massive flower arrangements hanging from the ceiling, fixed to walls - it's like walking into a jungle of flowers and tropical vegetation, but this is winter and the restaurant doesn't open until the end of the month.

Hanging outside on a wrought-iron door was this fun arrangement of butterflies and bent spoons. Do click on the link - it's a truly beautiful restaurant, probably one of the loveliest on the Côte d'Azur. If you go, take your camera!

Hommage to Princess Grace

This sculpture/fountain was created by Guy Lartigue in 1970 in hommage to Princess Grace of Monaco. Made of copper, brass and bronze, it stands on the eastern end of the Promenade de Larvotto, just above the beach.

I featured it once before, around two and a half years ago, but I've a better camera now so thought I'd snap it again for you.

Messing about...

Not everyone in Monaco has an enormous yacht. Some have small boats that need work on the outboard motor.

'There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.'


~ Kenneth Graham ('Ratty' from Wind in the Willows)

A Read in the Park

The Casino Gardens, right by one of the fountains seems a good place to read the local rag, Nice-Matin - but not when the front page talks of a train strike.

Caption competition result from last week HERE - look at end of comments.

Theme Day: Passageway...through the Winter Sporting

The Winter Sporting is a building with an entrance on Avenue Princess Alice, opposite the Hotel Hermitage. The other entrance is on the Casino Gardens and these photos show the passageway from one to the other. The Sporting d'Hiver is an Art Deco building that houses Monaco's cinema, several art galleries, a coffee shop and so on. Recently there was talk of it being demolished but there was such a hue and cry that happily we've heard no more about it.

In the main photo we are looking towards the gardens and in the smaller photo, in the opposite direction, with the cinema - out of shot - to the left.

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

Lanvin in Sepia

Regular visitors to this blog will know I adore the Lanvin windows in Casino Square. You've seen them before HERE and HERE and HERE. Today - we see another in sepia.

The Rowing Regatta - Ready to Race

Last day of the regatta as the boats make their way to the open sea - including the boat you just see in the smaller photo - after the rower had retrieved his dropped oar, that is!

The boats make their way through the entrance to the harbour - ahead is Cap Martin and beyond is Menton. And then Italy.

There's still time to enter the Caption Competition - results on Tuesday. A postcard of Monaco to the winner.

The Rowing Regatta - Smiles and a Baby

The guys are from the Cannes-Mandelieu rowing club and ready to roll - well, ready to row.

And baby came too...

The Rowing Regatta - Talking Tactics

Some people sit around and talk tactics, whilst others launch a boat.

The Rowing Regatta - Caption Competition!

Caption this photograph! A postcard of Monte Carlo to the winner!

Cast your eyes down and you'll see the girl on the left has blood running down her hand. What is she saying to the two guys? These are all part of the Trieste team by the way. Winner will be chosen by a committee of three - me and my two dogs, Beau and Mia. In the case of a disagreement, Beau gets the final vote. Woof! (Winner announced on Tuesday)

And if you like caption competitions do visit The F-Stops Here...where Janet Kincaid of Ferney-Voltaire in France not only shows us beautiful photos but presents a caption contest each Monday.

The Rowing Regatta - Colour

Don't you love the colour on the water. The teams are ready and soon will out on the open sea to compete in the various categories.

But before we do that, tomorrow there will be a caption competition on Monte Carlo Daily Photo - do come back and see what it's all about...winner gets a postcard from Monaco.

The Rowing Regatta

Yesterday, as you see was a glorious day - well until early afternoon when we lost the sun. It was the second day of a rowing regatta - the 6th edition of the Prince Albert II Challenge and this year teams have come from as far as Australia, Ukraine and Sweden.

Note the Palace which you can see top left hand corner.

Here you see some of the early preparations - come back tomorrow for more fun on the water.

A Bird for Abe

This dove - I 'think' it's a Eurasian Collared Dove - posed on a branch in the Saint Martin Gardens on le rocher. This is in homage to a real bird photographer, Abraham Lincoln (yes, he really is a descendant of THAT Abe) and is the most amazing bird photographer. Take a look at his My Birds Blog.

Walking the Dog...

Walking the dog...? Well, perhaps not, unless you have a chihuahua that gets walked in a handbag. If you can't resist these shoes, you'll find them available at the Philipp Plein shop in the Metropole Centre.

Ficus Repens

Ficus repens - the pretty creeping ivy that decorates the balustrades of this wall just below the Hôtel de Paris.

A Joyous Update: Thanks to Kim of Seattle Daily Photo for the great news that photo blogger Amir Sadeghi of Tehran 24 and Tehran Live has been freed from Evin prison in Tehran. Amir is free. What fabulous news!

The Monk

A trompe l'oeil artist has taken a break from his creation on the side wall of a building opposite the Palace. Looks like it's going to be really good, doesn't it?

The narrow street is called rue du Comte Felix Gastald. He was a descendant of one of the oldest families installed in Monaco before the XIIIth century. Comte Felix built the Chapel Saint-Laurent which was replaced in 1883 by the Eglise Saint-Charles.

The Glance

A sideways glance into Chanel's windows on Casino Square.

'I went window shopping today! I bought four windows.'

~ Tommy Cooper

Entrance to the Palace Museum

More artillery here - this time outside the Palace museum. Note the pebbles laid to create patterns on the ground. This is a beautiful area of the Rock - sun shines through the trees creating interesting light and shade.

Cannon

Aimed at those dastardly French, the cannon is displayed on le rocher, near to the Palace. In the smaller photo you see a clever way of displaying cannon balls.