I nearly fell over when my eyes landed on this sculpture of Henry W. Longfellow in Menton. He wrote the first poem I ever memorised and I still remember parts of it. I treasure my little green book: The Song of Hiawatha. But what was he doing in Menton? And why a statue to commemorate him? I did a bit of research and it seems this most loved of American poets travelled to Europe on several occasions. I found one reference to four towns, including Menton but no more. Maybe one of you can throw light on this. He wrote:
A single conversation across the table with a wise man is better than ten years mere study of books.
Nice work, I plan to do some work in Menton with my family the week of April 9th. Thanks for getting me in the frame of mind.
ReplyDeleteDear J. Arzente, behind Longfellow you see a great fruit & vegetable shop. Nearby in the same little street is one of Menton's most interesting boulangeries and an Italian deli selling Parmigiano Reggiano at around 15 euros a kilo. Enjoy Menton !
ReplyDeleteHavana
Thank you for that little bit of history / trivia. Looks like a pretty little square. There were many artists and writers who got inspiration from the Mediteranean towns. Soaking up all that warmth, beauty and good food nourishes the soul, n'est pas?
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