10 August 2008

Summertime in Menton - the Mandolin Player


A by-product of Menton's famous Music Festival held each August is that this year - each day - at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. you will find young musicians performing in the town. Here you see a young mandolin player. In the smaller photograph, you see the group - three mandolins and a guitar. We are at Square Etats-Unis - a charming small garden, tucked away off Avenue Carnot. (click on small photo to enlarge to full size)

This year Menton is holding the 59th Festival of Music. The main concerts are held on the Parvis of the Basilica Saint-Michel Archange - the big church in the Old Town of Menton. (If you go back to the hazy photograph of Menton a couple of days ago, you can see the church - the one with he tallest steeple). A Parvis is a square outside a church. You sit on tiered seating and as you listen to the music you look out over the sea to the horizon. It has to be one of the most magical places to see a concert.

And for those of you thinking that Menton is still sitting under a haze of pollution you should know the wind blew the muck away - probably it was the edge of a Mistral from the Rhône valley - that's as much as we get of a Mistral here. Now, we bask under clear sunny blue skies again. I'd hate you to worry about me!

14 comments:

  1. What a fine portrait!
    I love the tiny icon down below showing us the location. I find myself often doing that these days - adding a smaller photo under the main one to give the context.

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  2. This garden you describe seems to be so a pleasant place to enjoy good music and nice view...
    This mandolin player is very concentrated on her score! Love her necklace!
    I know how to add a small photo below, Jilly ;-) but how do you do to make it square like today and yesterday?
    Happy to know the air is clean and fresh again!

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  3. At least your haze and muck is nothing like in Beijing.

    Looking forward to seeing that parvis in music festival mode. We were the only ones there that day we passed through!

    Sydney Daily Photo

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  4. Alice - it was YOU who taught me how to put a smaller photo below the main one! The only reason today's photo and yesterday's are square is simply that coincidentally both had been cropped to remove bits of the photo I didn't like. Go back three/four days and the small photo of the Old Town (in haze) is oblong. Answer - simply cropping the pic.

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  5. Jilly ,
    I have been worried sick about you sitting there in gorgeous downtown Menton have to peer through the muck to enjoy the fabulous scenery every direction you turn! HA Will you show us the Baislica etc.???
    Thanks ladies for the square vs rectangle tip.

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  6. It's a very long time since I heard a mandolin being played.
    Nice tip about the photos...thanks Jilly.

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  7. Pensive mood; Is music the only thing on her mind?

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  8. Hi Jilly,
    Once again, youv'e captured a beautiful portrait. Sounds like you had a lovely time.

    Best,

    Nancy

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  9. Jilly, I love music festival! I never skipped the annual Jakarta Jazz Festival, always there every year and enjoy it. It's a fine picture with a fabulous expression of musician.

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  10. The expression on her face is wonderful...full of concentration. And, the small photo really does put the scene in context.

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  12. I just love your blog. Menton est tres, tres jolie! C'est merveilleux!

    (Long-time lurker, first time poster)

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  13. Elle a vraiment l'air inspirée !

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  14. how lovely! what a pleasant way to spend ones time!

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