27 March 2007

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in Menton!


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.


3 comments:

  1. 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.

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  2. Dear 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 !

    Havana

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  3. 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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