Travel
Cannes
MONACO/MONTE CARLO and the French Italian Rivieras.
I suppose I was a very lucky young lad. My grandparents took me to this fairytale principality when I was 8 years old and it's always been a part of me. Maybe I had a hankering of being a tax exile in later years.
Over the years I witnessed Grace Kelly marry her prince (did you know Prince Rainer sent out overtures to Marilyn Monroe, which were rejected). I watched virtually every Monaco Grand Prix since the mid 60's, I actually attended five in a row in the 80's.
Like everyone I was horror struck at the untimely death of Princess Grace in an obscene car crash.
Last October on a family trip to the South of France, Monaco/Monte Carlo was a must trip, so was Cannes, Saint Paul De Vance and a quick trip to San Remo on the Italian Riviera.
My wife Ruchama drove the Grand Prix circuit (much to my envy) with myself as navigator and we visited the Royal Palace with the most outstanding Napoleonic museum adjacent.
My photography can never really do justice to one of my favourite spots in the world, but I did my best. The photo of the scarlet Ferrari with the Royal Palace in the background was engineered after I befriended the driver and asked him to move his beautiful machine back a few metres.
By the way his Serene Highness Prince Albert's ancestors the Grimaldi family were actually pirates, many centuries ago, so there is hope for all of us yet.
My photographs of Saint Paul de Vance in the hills behind Juan les Pins were particularly fun.
This unique village was the home to an artist's colony including Picasso Miro and my personal favourite Marc Chagall, who gently sleeps in the local cemetery. His grave was quite hard to find. Although born of the Jewish faith and with his beautiful stained glassed windows depicting biblical scenes synagogues worldwide. Chagall, I'm told had no particular religious beliefs, which I feel was sad.
Click on any of the images to view slideshow.
