Fighting the Plastic

This guy looks like he's having a fight with the plastic cover that protects this restaurant terrace on le rocher.

The Ramparts and Watch Tower

The watch tower and ramparts on le rocher. 

Cross Street

This is a Monaco far from the expensive boutiques of Monte Carlo.  We are on 'le rocher' where tiny streets connect with more tiny streets.

Mini Brit

Got a feeling the Mini might be British ...!

The doorman of the Hôtel de Paris has just moved it forward about a foot,  so now it's nose to tail with the Ferrari. Not sure why he moved it.

Pause Café

The terrace of the Café de Paris a couple of days ago.

Photography Exhibition!

Not a photo by me today but one that includes me! - it's the programme for a  an exhibition of photography at the Tour Lascaris/Fondation Raza in Gorbio village, just above Menton, from the 15 February to the 3rd March - 10h - 12h and from 14h to 16h. Closed on Tuesdays.

Khaled Youssef is a wonderfully creative Syrian-born photographer who lives in Nice. Khaled takes fabulous  photos of enormous bubbles, of beautiful reflections and of graffiti. It's an immense honour for me to be presenting my work at the same time. My photos will show what I adore about life here - the festivals, the ambiance, the food, the way of life in Menton and the medieval village of Gorbio. But most of all the people who live that life.

The vernissage is between 15h and 18h on Friday the 15th February (it will go on later than 6 p.m.) Everyone is welcome. Do mark your calendar and come along. And for anyone who wants to pass the evening in the village, the Restaurant Les Terrasses serves great pizzas.

Normal service will be resumed on this blog tomorrow!

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Aujourd'hui, ce n'est pas une de mes photos, mais une photo sur laquelle je suis! - il s'agit du programme d'une exposition de photographie dans la Tour Lascaris / Fondation Raza au village de Gorbio du 15 Février au 3 Mars - de 10h à 12h et de 14h à 16h. Fermée le mardi.

Khaled Youssef est un photographe, merveilleusement  créatif, d'origine syrienne qui vit à Nice. 
Khaled prend de  magnifiques photos de bulles énormes, de beaux reflets et des graffitis. C'est un immense honneur pour moi de présenter mon travail en même temps que lui. Mes photos montrent ce que j'adore de la vie d' ici - les fêtes, l'ambiance, la cuisine, le mode de vie de Menton et du village médiéval de Gorbio. Et par dessus tout, les gens qui vivent cette vie.

Le vernissage aura lieu entre 15h et 18h le vendredi 15 Février (cela se poursuivra au delà de 18 heures) Tout le monde est  bienvenu. Notez la date dans vos agendas et venez. Et pour tous ceux qui voudraient passer leur soirée au village, le Restaurant Les Terrasses  sert de délicieuses pizzas.

Le blog reprendra son cours, demain!

The Empty Beach

The far end of Larvotto Beach ...

'I need the sea because it teaches me.'

Pablo Neruda

Skateboarding

The promenade above Larvotto Beach is a great place for the kids to skateboard but there is no ramp from where they can take off - so kids being kids - they make their own, as you see in the second photo.

Colour!

Colour!  This lady and her twin daughters were walking along Larvotto Beach yesterday afternoon. 

Shoes by Mui Mui

Just the thing for walking the dogs ...

Price: 790 Euros.

Circus - the Piglets

Not every day you see a piglet in Monaco.  There were two running around in a pen outside the circus, along with a baby goat. Perhaps a sort of petting zoo for children but I'm not sure.  Nearby were lots of adult goats who were presumably part of a circus act.

Double Trouble ...

Reflection in a window in Fontvieille.  And are those two girls texting the same person ...?

Click!

Photo time for this group in the port of Fontvieille.

Fontvieille from Cap d'Ail

We're in Cap d'Ail this morning looking towards Monaco and the heliport.  On our left is the Port of Cap d'Ail.  Ahead is Fontvieille and one of the luxury apartment buildings and behind it you can see the top of the Oceanographic Museum. 

The low white building is temporary - the circus is on and this is where the elephants sleep at night.

And in the distance, snow on the Alps.

Just a Duck ...

Parc Paysager de Fontvieille.   Just a duck on a rock ... but do look at the wonder of those feathers.

Reflecting on St. Nicolas

The steeple of St. Nicolas' church in Fontvieille reflected in a puddle.

The Film Shoot

 

'24 Hours on the Cote d'Azur'

This is a scene being shot outside the circus tent a couple of days ago.  Perhaps it's a television interview,  perhaps a scene from a film.  Perhaps someone knows ...?

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It is a great honour for me that 14 photos from Menton Daily Photo and Monte Carlo Daily Photo were featured on Carla Coulson's beautiful website, Carla Loves Photography.  Carla is an incredibly talented photographer who has been an inspiration to me so you can imagine how much it meant when she invited me to contribute to her website in the series '24 hours on the Cote d'Azur' - do clink on the link to see the post and and to browse and see Carla's stunning work.  Australian-born Carla has published several books, including Italian Joy, Paris Tango and Chasing a Dream, chronicling her move to Europe, first to Italy and then to France - filled with mouth-watering photographs and inspirational words on how she made a new and fabulous life for herself - in love and in photography.  Thankyou, Carla x

Circus - the Lions are in Town

If it's January and there's a lioness in town, then it must be time for Monaco's famous Festival of Circus. 

We'd probably all rather see beautiful animals like this roaming the wilds of Africa but I have to say the lionesses were rolling around playing like kittens.  When I arrived, three were outside in an enormous run and the rest were being organised to go into the circus tent for a rehearsal - maybe half a dozen lionesses, a lion and a tiger.  Whilst they were gone, the three in the run were jumping up and down every time they heard their owner's voice.

You have to be patient when taking their photo.  Mostly they turn their backs on you - can't blame them. But I waited and waited and eventually this beauty came up and said Hello and rubbed her gorgeous face against the bars.

If you want to see wonderful photos of lions in the wild, see my friend Maggie Calkins' Facebook photo.

Lodola's Ballerina

Marco Lodola's sculpture of a ballerina is seen here with the rear of the casino building as a back drop. If you look carefully you can see the wires inside her - they light up at night.  Most often though, she is photographed from the other side and against the sea.

The Opera House

We're looking at the back of the beautiful casino building in which you'll find the Monte Carlo Opera.  To the left is the Hotel de Paris.  On the right, in the foreground, is Botero's bronze sculpture - Adam and Eve.