'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'

Just across from Casino Square and looking down on Port Hercule, it's hard to tell if this is a professional photographer and her model or two girls having fun - or perhaps both!

The Arcade at Place d'Armes - the Fountain

At the far end of Place d'Armes, you'll find this charming fountain where you can sit under the trees and cool down.

The Arcade at Place d'Armes - People Watching

Sitting outside one of the coffee places in the arcade - a great place to watch the world pass by.

The Arcade at Place d'Armes

The arcade at Place d'Armes - Monaco's market place. In this arcade there are several bars, a butcher's shop, a bakery and more - and you can just see one of the market stalls in the main square.

There a Caption Contest with a prize on Menton Daily Photo today - do pop over and enter.

Salon de Jeux Privés

Reflections in the beautiful curved doors of the Casino's Private Gaming Salon.

The Carpenter and the Traffic Warden

It always amuses me when guys, seeing me taking photographs, suddenly go into 'pose mode.'

After I took yesterday's shot, I turned around to get a shot of the other end of Rue Princesse Caroline and there were these two smiling guys, waving their arms about.

On the left is Josef, who is a carpenter at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel and on the right is Christophe who works in traffic control and code violations in Monaco, so of course there were jokes about where I park my car.

Thanks guys for a fun encounter!

Early Morning Shadows

The early morning sun throws shadows across Monaco's pedestrian street, Rue Princesse Caroline. That's Port Hercule at the far end.

You have to get up early to see this street with almost no one in it.

Valentino!

Valentino and his gorgeous dresses.

I know someone who'd love a Valentino original - in fact, she was born to wear one. Of course I'm talking about that ultimate style icon who resides at Barbie of the Day Towers in Villefranche-sur-Mer. You only need to click on the link to meet her.

Go girl!

The Grimaldi Forum

A view of the Grimaldi Forum from above. If it makes you feel slightly dizzy, let me tell you I was leaning over a balcony on the 19th floor of the Formentor building. The road you are looking at is Avenue Princesse Grace and Larvotto Beach is off to the left.

The smaller photo shows it from a slightly more normal angle and with a massive cruise ship leaving Port Hercule and its mooring on the digue.

To see a 2 minute video of the recent Flamenco Festival in Gorbio village (above Menton) do click on the link. It was on TF1 and really captures the atmosphere. Do look!

Les aoûtiens

Casino Square in August. This famous square is rarely without visitors but in August it's crazy with tourists, cameras, posh cars for people to pose alongside and of course, lots of bling.

In French they are called les aoûtiens. Août being French for August. Those who takes their holidays in July are called les juillettistes.

Monaco Street - the Finished Dish!

The finished dish! At this point in the proceedings, I confess I had to leave as I was meeting a friend for lunch on Larvotto. So I really didn't know what happened to the snails. Did they dish them out to the crowd? Did they eat the dish themselves? Who knows?

It was all the best fun tho - cooking and music and the cheeky chap on the left whose name is Alain.

And if you want to know Les Taraf Goulamas' recipe - well just click on the link.

Thanks so much for following this little series with me. Tomorrow: on to something new.

PS. I have heard from Les Taraf Goulamas and yes, they shared the dish with the audience.

Monaco Street - the Appreciative Audience

The market traders were probably not best pleased when their customers stopped buying their fruit and veggies and stood entranced by the performance.

Tomorrow - the finished dish!

Monaco Street - Reflections in Brass

Reflections in the brass instruments of Les Taras Goulamas.

In the first, the musician's face and looooooong arm. In the last, you see most of Place d'Armes, the market area of Monaco.

Monaco Street - Chopping to the Music, tra la

Whenever a new ingredient is added to the pan of snails the band plays and the music gets faster and louder by way of encouragement - see last photo. Above, the tomatoes are being chopped as quickly as possible in an effort to keep up with the music - that's why bits are falling off the board.

Meanwhile - in the smaller photo - life goes on in Monaco's market as a trolley packed up with shoe boxes is wheeled past the action.

Monaco Street - more Monte Carlo Ladies

Large sunglasses seem to be de rigueur amongst the audience.

Monaco Street ...next add the Pastis!

So the snails are cooking and Alain pours in a glass or two - or three - of cognac. The recipe on the Taraf Goulamas website calls for pastis but the bottle on the table looks more like brandy to me.

The onions have to be added and later the tomatoes and whilst each stage of the dish is being cooked, the group tour around the market playing to us all - as in the smaller photo.

Monaco Street - the Monte Carlo Lady

Suddenly in the middle of the performance, this lady wanted to be photographed with the performers - and as you see, they didn't mind at all!

Meanwhile, someone keeps an eye on the snails by photographing them.

Tomorrow - back to the cooking and the music.

Monaco Street - Death to the Snail!

Not for the squeamish...the snails are about to be poured onto the fire. But before that there is the ritual of praying for the snails as the musicians walk in a line and then each player drops a solitary snail into the pan as he says goodbye.

A reminder of the great website of Les Taraf Goulamas if you missed it yesterday.

More tomorrow...

Monaco Street - the Musicians and the Snails

Meet the group Les Taraf Goulamas who can cook snails whilst they play great jazz!

But it wasn't as simple as that. We had ritual and music and much laughter.

Tomorrow...mourning the snail!

Monaco Street - the Snails

We're back at Place d'Armes today - Monaco's market - and more of MONACO STREET. How does a man with a plate of live snails fit into street theatre? Well you'll have to pop back tomorrow for the answer. Please do!