15/7/13 (2)

So Monaco came about because in 1297 a Pirate called Francois Grimaldi & his cohorts donned the robes of Monks & sought shelter within the gates of the Fortress. Once they gained entry they unveiled their weapons that had been hidden in the robes, slaughtered all the guards & anyone who opposed them. Grimaldi then took over the entire area & made himself king...as you do! So does that make the Grimaldi's the Pirate Kings?

The royal guards are changed at 11.55am every day. There are 11 of them at each change & 2 of them stand immobile in the guard houses for 2hr shifts, rotating over the next 24hrs.

And so it begins, but with all the over eager tourists you would have to be 6ft 11teen to see the action. I just held the camera up in the air & clicked away...you can see the knives on the guards guns on the left hand side...if you look hard!

The southern view from the castle & Princess Stefanie lives here, somewhere. The Grimaldi family own all of Monaco & are responsible for building, leasing, renting, maintaining & repairing the Principality.

The northern view from the castle looks over the famous Monte Carlo district. This area makes enough money from the Casino that there are no taxes paid thus making it a Mecca for the rich & fabulous.

The Castle Square with the Castle on the left & the government, legislative & trading areas on the right.

This is the Courthouse...everything is so clean.

Prince Rainier & Princess Grace were married in this church in1956.

Princess Grace had a special love for gardens & flowers. The octopus sculpture & flowers mark the entry to one of the many public gardens the Grimaldi's have given to the people.

The boys in the garden with the Oceanic Institute behind them.

One of the many beautiful sculptures we saw.