Lunch with Extras

Ain't love grand ... Wonder if they've ordered lunch yet.

Place François Bosio

There's a tiny square, Place François Bosio, opposite Le Pinocchio which is packed with tables that surround what appears to be a well.

At the back of the square is a bronze of François Bosio, a famous sculptor born in Monaco. Click on the link to read about him. 

When you see photos of hundreds of apartments surrounding the port, it's easy to forget these little gems.

Learning to eat well ...

Doubtless one of the reasons French and Italian childen (and Monegasque too of course) grow up to so love their food is because they start young.

Le Pinocchio

If you are on le rocher, Le Pinocchio (note his image on the wall) is a good Italian restaurant for lunch. Always busy. Good food. Friendly waiters. I had a truly excellent clam risotto - and later realised I should have taken a photograph before eating it!

Larvotto Beach - Parasols

Larvotto Beach - looks like summer's finally arrived ...

Red, not Dead

After Marc Quinn's exhibition at the Oceanographic Museum of skeletons, dead people fornicating over fire and a head made of his blood ... let's look at a live red-blooded Monte Carlo lady.

Marc Quinn at the Oceanographic Museum - Self

"Self" is a frozen sculpture of the artist's head made from 4.5 litres of his own blood, taken from his body over a period of 5 months. Described by Marc Quinn as a ‘frozen moment on life-support’, the work is carefully maintained in a refrigeration unit, reminding the viewer of the fragility of existence. The artist makes a new version of Self every five years, each of which documents Quinn’s own physical transformation and deterioration.


In 1999, all of Marc Quinn's ‘blood head’ self portraits were exhibited together. Each portrait is a documentation of the artist’s head, as it ages every five years, and so represents a portrait of the artist over a fifteen year period.

Marc Quinn at the Oceanographic Museum - Zombie Boy (Rick)

Marc Quinn's sculptures are disquieting but beautiful at the same time. Some - many - are scary - at least I found them so. 

This piece is called Zombie Boy (Rick) Cu Pb NnFe Mg Si.  It's made of orbital-sanded flap-wheeled lacquered bronze and was created in 2011.

Just click on either photo to see the detail which is extraordinary.  As I walked past Zombie Boy I felt his eyes following me - in fact I had the strong feeling that perhaps he wasn't a sculpture at all but one of those street people who don't move and then suddenly spring to life.

He is astonishingly beautiful. 

Thanks to Philippe who informed me that Zombie Boy is a real person, with real tattoos - do take a look at the link. 

Marc Quinn at the Oceanographic Museum - Fire!

As I said yesterday, this area of the exhibition is forbidden to children unless accompanied by an adult. Whether it's because of the subject matter of the sculptures or because an unaccompanied child and fire could be dangerous, I don't know.

This piece is called Matter into Light: the Discovery of Fire (2011).  It's made of hand-treated cobalt-plated bronze, concrete, stainless steel, cement board, ceramic and bioethanol liquid.  This is one of a series of burning sculptures which thanks to new technology, can burn with real fire inside the museum without a flue.

Marc Quinn at the Oceanographic Museum - the Guard

Screens surround the entrance to this space, the Salle de la Baleine, with a notice saying that children may not enter without an accompanying adult. Here you'll find an interesting mix of skeletons that belong to the museum and skeletons created by Marc Quinn, for instance Another Angel.  You'll also find a fornicating couple on a bed of fire which I suppose is the reason for the notice.  More tomorrow ...

This photo shows the guard on duty bathed in light - I couldn't resist snapping the scene.

Marc Quinn at the Oceanographic Museum - Coral Nervous Breakdown

Coral Nervous Breakdown - has to be the perfect title for this piece!  Created in 1997 it's made of stainless steel, concrete, polyurethene and sponges.

The second scupture is called Mustard Nervous Breakdown. (1998)

Marc Quinn at the Oceanographic Museum - Evolution

As you walk into the Salon d'Honneur in the Oceanographic Museum you see these 8 enormous sculptures of foetuses which are called Evolution and were created by Marc Quinn between 2005 and 2007.

Take a look a the second photo which shows their size compared to the visitors admiring them.

"The piece Evolution grows under the attentive gaze of Prince Albert I of Monaco, founder of the Oceeanographic Museum, who, in his autobiography, The Career of a Navigator' wrote:

'During my navigator's career I received fromthe sea a few testimonies concerning the laws which determine her role among the forces of the world ... It gave me a serene confidence in that destiny which the balance of the universe imposes upon oganic creatures along with the eternal cycles of life and death.'"

Marc Quinn at the Oceanographic Museum - Another Angel

This piece is called 'Another Angel' and is made of patinated bronze.  The exhibition is beuatifully staged with subtle lighting creating interesting shadows.

Marc Quinn at the Oceanographic Museum - Planet

Last year the Oceanographic Museum mounted an exhibition by Damien Hirst.  This year it features another British artist, Marc Quinn.

This monumental baby called Planet (painted bronze and steel) waits for you outside the museum.

The exhibition is called 'The Litteral Zone.'

Jerry Brotton wrote 'The litteral zone, where sea meets the shore, where life on earth begins and ends, it is the location of origins, where chaos solidifes into form, where travel starts and concludes, a point of departure and a place of arrival, it is a space of fusion and of separation, where we try - and often fail - to distinguish nature from culture. And as a direct consequence, this is a space where creativity is at its most extreme and profound.'

Here's a timelapse video showing the installation of this 6 tonnes baby:

Stars 'N' Bars - Kate

Our last day (for the moment) at the newly renovated Stars 'N' Bars and another photo of Kate.  I much prefer unposed photos and this is exactly that. Kate was chatting to customers and doing what she does so beautifully - making everyone feel totally at home.

Love the new Stars 'N' Bars ...

Stars 'N' Bars - the Celebrity Walk of Fame

We're back at Stars 'N' Bars today and walking up the stairs to the Star Deck.  Looking at the photographs on the wall it would seem that anyone who is anyone has been to Stars 'N' Bars - Whitney Houston, Muhammed Ali, all the racing drivers (of course) but sports stars in most disciplines and so many stars of music and film and much more too.

It's all great fun looking at the photos ...

Monaco Grand Prix - the Twizy

This tiny Renault electric car, the Twizy, can be seen on the Monaco roads - somewhat smaller than the Formula One cars we saw yesterday ... but with one thing in common, they each accommodate only one person.  Renault's answer to the Smart, I suppose.  

Congratulations to Mark Webber - 2nd Monaco win! 

Monaco Grand Prix - Vroom vroom ...

It's race day in Monaco which is abuzz with excitement - who will win? 

This photo was taken at the Historic Grand Prix a couple of weeks ago but it seemed suitable for today even if it is a much older version of today's cars - and a little smaller!

Have a great day everyone and enjoy the race.

Vroom vroom ...

Monaco Grand Prix - Take the Train

If live or are staying outside Monaco, the easiest way to get to the Monaco Grand Prix is by train.  Forget driving - you'll never find anywhere to park.

Once off the train, all you have to do is check your Stand ticket, look at the sign and follow the relevant arrow.

Qualifying today ...

Monaco Grand Prix - the Stands

If you are a Formula One fan you can't but be excited as you enter the stands - massive steel structures that, from this viewpoint, mask the harbour.  The stand in the smaller photo faces the pit lane (its back to the sea) and the third photo gives you an idea of the security involved - this is the base of the long stand that faces the harbour, just before the swimming pool.