Summertime in Menton - the Beach Vendor
The man who sells everything...dresses, shirts, scarves, swim-wear and sun hats. In his right-hand, he's carrying a home-made display case (you can see the cardboard and string) which is crammed with sunglasses and watches and probably a lot more besides.
He trudges the beaches for most of the day. Hot work I'd think with everything he's carrying, not to mention the weight of the hats on his head.
All the guys who sell sunglasses and watches are of North African origin and wear glorious flowing robes. Some try selling counterfeit watches and sunglasses. In Menton, but particularly across the border in Ventimiglia. Usually a cat and mouse game between them and the police. Whether this seller has counterfeit goods in his display case, I don't know. Probably not - he'd not be able to run very fast with that lot, would he? In any case, there are one of two of these sellers I see regularly so they probably have the relevant licence. Or the police turn a blind eye.
Do you know, it took me a while to notice the man under all the merchandise! I thought everything was a heap of clothing until I saw his feet.
ReplyDeleteThe water looks so soft and clean, but I suppose that's the special appeal on your coast. I wonder what the smiling man in the water is up to.... carries over a bit from yesterday.
USelaine, thanks for your comments. I think the guy is the water is laughing at the vendor. He really was quite funny with all those hats.
ReplyDeleteHe reminds me of a vendor who used to roam around Venice Beach (California!) when I lived there in the early 90s. Didn't have this man's balancing act with hats, though. Impressive!
ReplyDeleteGosh, they aren't quite that loaded down on my local beaches. But they are usually ready with a smile and a joke. How they stay in a good mood carting around all their merchandise in this heat, I do not know! Great photo!
ReplyDeleteOh the heat!!!!!!!!! Tough work these days.
ReplyDeleteFine perspective hear Jilly. Shooting from above worked so well.
The Lumix has done the sea proud....looks great. We'll put the potential pollution issues to one side. I guess Menton gets a reasonnable score on the EU scale.
Very good shot! Amazing seller! :-)
ReplyDeleteGreetings
And what would the man and woman on the beach buy from this seller?
ReplyDeleteThis is just classic. I would like to buy all of those terrific dresses/cover ups please, and I'll take a cute beach hat. Now I want to talk about how unbelievably uncomfortable the pebbles look for sunbathing. Judging from that that pair, apparently not all that bad.
ReplyDeleteJilly, this is one of my all time favorite photos of yours.
Well, I reckon the smiling bloke was smiling at the photographer.
ReplyDeleteYou must be becoming pretty well-known around town jilly.
Classic pic! Love it. HAd my forst experience swimming off pebbles in France this year and I found it incredibly hard - both to walk on, and to stand up coming out of the water!
ReplyDeleteMonsieur Benaut, thanks to the zoom lens, I don't think anyone much knows me in Menton. I was on the promenade, shooting down. Quite a way away actually, so no one noticed me, least of all the smiling guy in the water! Unfortunately...
ReplyDeleteHey Jilly !!
ReplyDeleteGet a little closer ?
More ROOOOM ROOOM and less zoom zoom ?
Just kidding !
(I bought my daughter an FZ 18 too, so thanks to you.)
Maintenant je suis très pauvre.
Sally -rocks are very un-Australian, specially for a Sydney girl. However, "when in Rome...."
I thought Aussies had tough feet? Ouch !
Nice shot. I didn't notice the man under those clothes and hats too.
ReplyDeleteSuch clean and blue water, not sandy beach but stony and lovely couple: black and white, they look cute. She put her hand on his man's face: romantic.
This reminds me of the vendors on the Mexican beaches, altho none of them seemed to be laden as totally as this man is! It is hard, exhausting work but they make a living from it.
ReplyDeleteLove the photo and story behind it.
ReplyDeleteDo people buy stuff from him?
In NYC, we have old Chinese ladies going into stores/restaurants selling counterfeit DVDs of the latest movies. They are very discreet. Some store owners tolerate them, others tell them to leave as soon as they find out what is going on.
Art is in the eye of the beholder. I see the socioeconomic differences between the people in the photo. Of course I don't know what they are, they're in my head.
ReplyDeleteIt's a magnificent shot, really. The amazing colors and the couple blissfully ignorant of the vendor's presence. The picture wouldn't be complete without the smiling man in the upper corner. He anchors it somehow, even though he's not the focus. This is really something.
Loving the zoom. It gives you so much power!
We Aussies can walk across burning sand that could fry an egg, but we just aren't that good with pebbels - like the noise of them though!!!!
ReplyDeleteWe saw these guys all over Eurpope and watched them disappear like a magician's rabbit when the police arrived at the Colleseum!!!!
I think I'd buy that hat - the one on the very top. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI saw the cardboard carrying cases and the "cat and mouse game" in Florence. It was quite amusing indeed to see how fast they could grab their wares and run when the "lookout" alerted them to the police's approaching.
Jilly, hmm...those rocks? They cannot be comfortable to lay on, can they?
Wonderful shot and story Jilly.
ReplyDeleteYou really wonder how a man loaded with so much stuff can walk on a pebbly beach all day, let alone run before the police...
ReplyDeleteJilly you have a ticket with that guy in the water smiling at you.
And I have to agree with the lucky Aussies - a beach has to be fine sand or it's un-Australian.
photo culte, vraiment superbe. Au moins, il ne risque pas t'attraper une insolation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with USelaine--thought it was some sort of beach scarecrow. We saw these guys while we were in Greece, but they were covered with less clothing...maybe they sold most of it before they got that far south! Great photo!!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first saw this I was completely focused on the couple on the beach. It took me a while to realize that was a person under all those things. What a great shot!
ReplyDelete