Congratulations to Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock!

Yesterday the Palace announced that Prince Albert II is engaged to his long-term girl-friend, the South African Olympic swimmer, Charlene Wittstock. After months of speculation, everyone in the Principality is delighted.

The wedding, likely to take place in summer 2011, will surely be a lavish ceremony and perhaps similar to that amazing day when Prince Albert's mother - the American film actress Grace Kelly - married Prince Rainier III in 1956.

Regular readers of the blog will have seen these photographs before but no apologies - this is a great day in Monaco. I snapped the one of the Prince during No Finish Line last November. The smaller photo of the Prince and Charlene Wittstock was taken by Philippe Mazza during the Bain de Noel in December.

Isn't it exciting! Monte Carlo Daily Photo sends many congratulations to the happy couple. You can see the official photograph of Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock in Monaco-Matin yesterday.

And you can read a detailed account in English, with several photos of Prince Albert and his beautiful lady by clicking on the Associated Press link.

Tomorrow - back to the boat trip!

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - La Réserve

Our boat trip continues. Today we are calling into the harbour of Beaulieu-sur-Mer - a beautiful town along the coast and not far from Nice.

Just before the port is La Réserve de Beaulieu - a 4-star hotel known as the 'pink palace' and one of the 'Leading Small Hotels of the World.' Click on the link to read more and to take a virtual tour.

The hotel's history dates back to the times of the Belle Epoque. It was founded in 1880 by Pierre Lottier, a restaurant owner from Nice. Originally a luxury seafood restaurant - 'La Reserve' was the nickname given to the live fish tank which Pierre Lottier had dug out in order to stock the local fishermen’s catch.

In 1905, La Réserve de Beaulieu added some ten prestigious rooms after which aristocrats, captains of industry and artists used to meet up : King Gustave V of Sweden, King Leopold II of Belgium, Leo Tolstoy, Sir Thomas Lipton, Gustave Eiffel and Mistinguet. The American press magnate and sports lover Gordon Bennett Jr became a great habitué of La Reserve and promoted it in his newspaper, The New York Herald.

La Réserve lived through the Belle Epoque, the Great War and the Roaring Twenties and at the end of the Second World War, the new owners built a large Florentine style villa adjoining the restaurant’s veranda. The hotel's celebrity guest book from this period and the following years is a compendium of illustrious guests from the fifties and the age of glamour such as Rita Hayworth, Clark Gable, Paul Newman, Charlie Chaplin, or Edith Piaf, Jean Marais, Frank Sinatra.

The hotel's current owners are Nicole and Jean-Claude Delion who continue the tradition of the 'pink palace' on the Côte d’Azur.

The Oceanographic Museum

Today we are a little nearer to the Oceanographic Museum. You can just see the Damien Hirst sculpture, The Virgin Mother on the far right. Click HERE and HERE to see her up close and personal.

The buildings on the left are those of Fontvieille (the area of Monaco reclaimed from the sea) with the helipad out in front.

Meanwhile, someone is having fun on the water.

Passing by...

Cloud hangs low over the Principality. A helicopter is about to land. We can see the Oceanographic Museum and high on le rocher, the Cathedral. I'm on a friend's boat en route to Cap Ferrat and snapped this in passing - not so easy on a boat that doesn't keep still!

Casino Square - Time Alone

...and if you don't want to sit on the terrace of the Café de Paris and watch the world go by - then you can always sit in the gardens, eat a biscuit and ponder the fountain.

Casino Square - the Glance

Waiters notice pretty ladies...

2010 World Cup: France 0 - Mexico 2

Beaulieu-sur-Mer - just along the coast from Monaco on the way to Nice.

It would seem someone wasn't too happy when Mexico scored last night. Several of these flares were let off during the evening, sometimes setting fire to rubbish bins but the Police turned up pretty quickly and stomped them out. Sure did stop the traffic at times though.

Back to Casino Square tomorrow...

Casino Square - l'Addition

This server at the Café de Paris looks somewhat perplexed. Perhaps she needs a calculator?

Casino Square - the Waiter

Another snippet of life in Monaco - a waiter on the terrace of the Café de Paris.

A great place to sit, watch the world go by and enjoy a noisette and croissant.

Casino Square - the Doorman

A typical snippet of life in Casino Square. The Hôtel de Paris, the doorman and the shiny cars.

Moon over Jean-Baptiste, le Monégasque

It's early morning and the moon still hangs over the palms and the sculpture in front of the Grimaldi Forum on Avenue Princesse Grace.

The sculpture is called Jean-Baptiste, le Monégasque by the French artist Rachid Khimoune. It's part of a series called Children of the World. Click on the link to read about this artist and his work.

The 5-star Facelift

This is the Monte Carlo Beach Hotel and jutting out to sea beyond is the Restaurant La Vigie. The hotel has recently had a massive facelift undertaken by the architect/designer India Mahdavi and now shows off its new red facade and 5-star rating. You can read more by clicking on the link.

The Bird of Paradise

Strelitzia - the Bird of Paradise plant. This one is Strelitzia Alba and you'll pass it if you walk along Avenue Princesse Grace. Monaco has so many beautiful trees and shrubs - not only in their public gardens but in the streets as well.

Strelitzia Alba is found in South Africa around Cape Province and also in Madagascar.

Footprints

Larvotto Beach. The only signs of life - footprints left by early walkers.

50th Monte Carlo Television Festival - Setting Up

In the morning it's all about setting up the shots for later. The girls sitting at the table are standing in for lighting tests. You can barely see Cap Martin in the distance which shows what a grey and muggy Monte Carlo day it is.

50th Monte Carlo Television Festival - the Fans

These photos were taken in the morning so I imagine by the evening the place would have been jammed with fans. As it was, they all seemed to know each other with a great camaradie going on and much looking at celebrity magazines to see who might possibly arrive. Every now and again, word would go around that so-and-so had been seen in a car and the group would move to a better vantage point but when I was there no-one did arrive.

50th Monte Carlo Television Festival - the Red Carpet

There's a lot of red carpet in town at the moment. The Grimaldi Forum is the venue for four days of the television festival.

The statuette awarded is in the form of a Golden Nymph, by the sculptor François-Joseph Bosio. Monsieur Bosio was born in Monaco and was the official portraitist to Napoleon. His works can be found in the Louvre in Paris.

In the last photo you can see some of the fans waiting for their favourite television stars to arrive. Just like the Oscars!

Palms

Palms reflected in the just washed-down area outside the Grimaldi Forum.

The American Bar

Behind the glass is the American Bar of the Hôtel de Paris. Great place for a glass of champagne and a spot of people watching before dinner.

Dusk

Dusk near the Grimaldi Forum. A good book, a faithful dog and the Mediterranean behind you - what more does one need?