Theo Bruinsma -- San Francisco

The crane is the most common bird in Monaco The air in Monaco is always clean Sometimes a raven can be seen But the crane bird is everywhere Buildings rising here and there All the cranes bear the same name From a family with great fame They rule the skies of Monaco Better to be their friend than their foe In the distance is the palace Where the Prince is pacing with malice Another day another scandal The priest shook his head and lit a candle Who had leaked the dirt? To cause the monarchy so much hurt Who made the man with the crown Look like such a clown? Surrounded by the wrong men Punished by a poison pen Though he still has his crown Many greet him with a hidden frown In Monaco the cranes are everywhere Buildings rising here and there The Crane (bird) J.B. Pastor & Fils

"Mirror Mirror on the wall Who is the most popular of them all" "Professor Pim" the mirror said The man the Queen wanted dead The Queen hated Professor Pim For he had called her son dumb and dim With only a few days away Professor Pim would have a say The Queen's ministers had warned her The election was around the corner If Professor Pim would become the Prime Minister of the Neverlands He would hold her future in his hands Without a poison apple around A useful idiot had to be found The Queen's men found such a man And quickly drew up a plan Pim was ambushed in a parking lot He was shot, shot, shot Professor Pim was no more And the Queen found a new man to adore She named her favorite horse after him The man who had murdered Pim No politician thereafter made fun of the crown Because they all wanted to stick around And that's why they call it the Neverlands Because the people will never know their plans

Après être arrivé sous terre par le train depuis Nice, j’ai monté les escaliers, pénétré dans Monaco, et immédiatement remarqué la propreté des rues. En levant les yeux vers les bâtiments, j’ai constaté à quel point ils étaient parfaitement entretenus. Tout autour de moi semblait neuf et frais. En marchant, une Bentley m’a dépassé, suivie d’une Ferrari et d’une nuée de scooters Vespa vrombissants. Incroyable. J’étais dans un monde totalement différent. La plupart des gens étaient élégamment vêtus, et je me sentais à l’aise et en sécurité partout. Plus je m’approchais de la zone du casino, plus l’architecture devenait glamour, avec des boutiques de créateurs français comme Versace et Louis Vuitton occupant les rez-de-chaussée d’immeubles d’appartements modernes et luxueux près de la place du casino à Monte-Carlo. Monaco semblait trop beau pour être vrai. Était-ce réel ? Monaco était-il un lieu authentique, ou avais-je pénétré dans un monde imaginaire – une sorte de Disneyland pour adult...

                         La grue est l’oiseau le plus commun à Monaco

  There was a song during the eighties by the Scottish rock band, Simple Minds, called “ Promised You a Miracle .” But I always heard it as “Promised You America.”

Frank Sinatra and Grace Kelly in High Society (1956)   DALLAS, TEXAS: In October 1986, a significant event took place at the Hilton Anatole Hotel (then called the Loews Anatole): the Princess Grace Foundation gala, and the royal family of Monaco was in attendance. Several days before the event, all staff scheduled to work underwent background checks. Though we waiters were not privy to specific details, we noticed numerous men in suits loitering around and we suspected they were federal agents.

Selon l'article 1 de la Constitution néerlandaise, chaque individu aux Pays-Bas doit être traité de manière égale devant la loi. Cependant, il existe une famille qui est au-dessus de la loi : la supérieure famille royale néerlandaise. Cela représente une énorme contradiction dans la société et la culture néerlandaises. Le législateur néerlandais devrait soit abolir l'article 1, soit la monarchie, et revenir à une république, ce que les Pays-Bas étaient à l'origine.

DALLAS, TEXAS -- 1985-89: Luckily, a new hotel had opened-up in Dallas, and I was able to work some banquet shifts there. It was a 5 star hotel called The Crescent Court Hotel. The banquet manager, Jorge, had previously been an assistant banquet manager at the Anatole under Charles Lorenzi. Originally from Bolivia, Jorge was of medium build with wavy black hair—not bad for a man in his forties. However, his large black mustache and oversized oval head seemed slightly out of proportion with the rest of his body. Before a banquet, Jorge was always nervous and overly serious, but once dessert and coffee were served, he relaxed and became charming. As a banquet waiter, I earned excellent money, and the employee cafeteria food was surprisingly good. I was always grateful when Jorge invited me back for more shifts. The Crescent Court Hotel’s design and architecture exuded traditional European style, as did its upper management. The general manager, a Dutchman, and most of his staff, primar...

DALLAS, TEXAS -- 1985-89 Mon endroit préféré à Dallas, celui où j’allais sans cesse, c’était le Starck Club. Situé dans le vieux quartier de la ville, là où les entrepôts, autrefois vitaux, étaient abandonnés et en ruines, juste après les voies ferrées oubliées de la révolution industrielle. Mais cet entrepôt-là avait été adopté et rénové par l’architecte et designer français, Philippe Starck.