Smoke!

One of le rocher's narrow streets where the strong sun creates deep shade and smokers smoke...

Monte Carlo or Bust... (Guest Photographer)

This is what happens when four young Scottish guys, passionate about the 1920s and 1930s lifestyle (the clothes, the music, etc) decide to drive from Glasgow to Monte Carlo in a very old Morris Minor. Their names: Rory, Eddy, Neilson and Andrew. They stopped off in Burgundy and, once they got to the south of France, stayed in the medieval village of Gorbio - (Neilson is the nephew of a friend of mine who lives in Gorbio village - the second photo shows them driving down her track).

They then drove to Monte Carlo - their aim, of course, the Casino. Not difficult, you'd think except they drove right around the square, ignoring the No Entry sign in front of the Hôtel de Paris...naughty, naughty. After that, a visit to the Loire Valley and then home to Glasgow.

Today - a guest photographer - these shots were taken by Carla Castañeda who is the beautiful Mexican fiancé of my friend's son. Thankyou, Carla.

Carnival 'U Sciaratu' - Streamers

The carnival is over. A child gathers streamers outside the Oceanographic Museum. You can see an old yellow submarine in the background.

Carnival 'U Sciaratu' - les Guignols or French Punch & Judy

It looks a bit like a Punch and Judy show, doesn't it? (see 3rd photo too) And so it is except Guignol is the main character in this French puppet show which has come to bear his name.

I've cut and pasted the following long explanation for anyone interested in the fascinating history...

'Although often thought of as children's entertainment, Guignol's sharp wit and linguistic verve have always been appreciated by adults as well, as shown by the motto of a prominent Lyon troupe: "Guignol amuses children… and witty adults".

Laurent Mourguet, Guignol's creator, was born into a family of modest silk weavers on March 3, 1769. The certificate of his marriage to Jeanne Esterle in 1788 shows he was unable to read. When hard times fell on the silk trade during the French Revolution, he became a peddler, and in 1797 started to practice dentistry, which in those days was simply the pulling of teeth. The service was free; the money was made from the medicines sold afterward to ease the pain. To attract patients, he started setting up a puppet show in front of his dentist's chair.

His first shows featured Polichinelle, a character borrowed from the Italian commedia dell'arte who in England would become Punch. By 1804 the success was such that he gave up dentistry altogether and became a professional puppeteer, creating his own scenarios drawing on the concerns of his working-class audience and improvising references to the news of the day. He developed characters closer to the daily lives of his Lyon audience, first Gnafron, a wine-loving cobbler, and in 1808 Guignol. Other characters, including Guignol's wife Madelon and the gendarme Flagéolet soon followed, but these are never much more than foils for the two heroes.

Although nominally a silkweaver like much of his original audience, Guignol's profession changes, as does his marital status; he can be in turn valet, peddler, carpenter, shoemaker, or unemployed; at times he is Madelon's husband, at times her smitten beast according to requirements of the scenario. What remain constant are his poverty, but more importantly his good humor and his sense of justice. The use in French of "guignol" as an insult meaning "buffoon" is a curious malapropism, as Guignol is clever, courageous and generous; his inevitable victory is always the triumph of good over evil.

Sixteen of Mourguet's children and grandchildren continued his tradition, and many of the companies performing today can trace their heritage back to him. According to the era, the region, or the performers, Guignol's original caustic satire has often been watered down to simple children's fare, and has even been used to parody grand opera, but his original spirit still survives in his hometown of Lyon, where both traditional and original contemporary performances are an integral part of local culture. In addition to his social satire, Guignol has become an important protector of the local dialect, the parler lyonnais.'

Carnival 'U Sciaratu' - Face Painting

First choose your face, sit back, enjoy and then check yourself out in the mirror.

I wish there'd been Face Painting when I was a kid...

Carnival 'U Sciaratu' - the Fairy

'The fairies went from the world, dear,
Because men's hearts grew cold:
And only the eyes of children see
What is hidden from the old...

~Kathleen Foyle

Carnival 'U Sciaratu' - the Medusas

These helium-filled méduses (jelly fish) were beautiful. Several young girls, clad in blue and green, led them around the square in front of the palace and every now and then one would dip in the breeze, its tendrils caressing your face. Children would give it chase, but too late, it was up and away again...

Carnival 'U Sciaratu' - the Big Brôzeurs 2

Scary when you look out of your first floor window and see this face...

Carnival 'U Sciaratu' - the Big Brôzeurs

These guys - the 'Big Brôzeurs' - had me laughing out loud. They are 2.5 metres tall - 3 metres when they extend their telescopic necks - and slightly scary at times.

Carnival 'U Sciaratu' - the Kiss

'Happiness is like a kiss - it feels best when you give it to someone else.'

~Author Unknown

Carnival 'U Sciaratu' - Hot Lips & the King

It's hot work being a dancing girl - look at this pretty girl's top lip.

In the smaller photo you see the King and Queen. 'U Sciaratu' (All Fools Day) in olden times, was the day when men dressed as women and vice versa, a pauper dressed as the King and the 'Lord of Misrule' presided over it all.

I've got a feeling the dancing girls are a modern touch!

Carnival 'U Sciaratu' - Strapped Up and Pushed In

And of course there are the beautiful girls...but goodness, this can't be easy. Look at the weight they have to carry, all those straps and that metal frame. And they probably need to make sure their breast plates (or whatever they are called) don't have a dent in them!

Not that anyone noticed...

Carnival 'U Sciaratu' - Soap Bubbles

'I wonder how much it would take to buy a soap bubble, if there were only one in the world.'~ Mark Twain

Carnival 'U Sciaratu' - the Bubble Driver

If you drive the bubble, then you wear makeup. Click to enlarge the small photo and you'll see the driver (or rather his head) in the centre. It's hot and humid inside the bubble - not easy for dancers or driver.

Carnival 'U Sciaratu' - the Bubble

The theme of the carnival is the sea and this bubble contains two dancers writhing around seaweed-like plants with bubbles filling the space - magical and beautiful.

Tomorrow, we'll meet the driver - somewhere in all this, there is a driver...

Carnival 'U Sciaratu' - the Terrified & Terrifying Bushes

These two bushes - you couldn't tell they weren't real when they bent down and stood perfectly still alongside a genuine tree or bush. They performed in the tiny streets of le rocher, trying to get from the safety of a real bush to another - if they saw a little dog, for instance, they'd act terrified and when someone walked past, they'd jump out and frighten them.

I was laughing so much I could hardly keep my camera still.

Port Hercule

It's Theme Day once again and today's theme is 'postcard-worthy.' There are so many iconic views in Monaco - the port for starters.

The smaller photo of the Principality was taken en route to La Turbie one day recently. I was standing just below the Vista Palace Hotel.

Please click to see how others around the world have interpreted today's theme.

Tomorrow: back to the Carnival!

Carnival 'U Sciaratu' - Walking the Tightrope

There was an area at the side of the cathedral where children could get a taste of what it's like to be a circus performer - and what child doesn't want to do that?

Carnival 'U Sciaratu' - Ciboulette and Oscar

This little car plus an entertaining ventriloquist and her dummy (Ciboulette and Oscar) chugged around the streets of le rocher entertaining the children - and a few adults too.

Carnival 'U Sciaratu' - the Dragon and the Sentry

You don't really expect to see a dragon in front of the Palais Princier, do you? Glad to see the sentry is amused and hasn't hauled him off to the Princely dungeons...

And for the unbelievable...click on this link to read about and see photos of the woman who crashed her Bentley into a Ferrari, an Aston Martin, a Mercedes Benz and a Porsche causing $1.1 million damage. All this happened outside the casino yesterday.