A flag bearer fisherman descends the steps from the Basilique St. Michel. Note the blue and white agapanthus that decorate the flagpole.These steps (see small photo) are known as Les Rampes and were built in 1753. They are decorated in tiny stones in various patterns. Another time we'll look at this in more detail.
At the very top of Les Rampes, you see a tiered seating structure. This will be part of the Fete de Musique in August - almost each day a classical concert on the Parvis of the Basilica.
Jilly
ReplyDeleteMenton interests me on many levels -- part of its cultural heritage being so close to Italy - My mothers father was French and my grandmother was Italian . This area is rich in both cultures the church is one classical example of the stairway known as “les rampes de St-Michel” leads to the centre of the old city and to the beautiful Basilica of St-Michel. Which is a fine example of an Italianesque baroque church built in 1640.
Beautiful photography looking forward to seeing the details you spoke of in your next photo.
Joanny
la deuxieme photo, la vue d'ensemble est pas mal, et bonjour les escaliers
ReplyDeleteI'm really enjoying your scenes of the Fete Saint Pierre.
ReplyDeleteIt's so important to hold on to these old fetes.
The striped shirts make them look like the could be gondoliers, which reminds me of a travel story.
ReplyDeleteI have a Venetian striped shirt in my closet. We arrived in Venice on a Monday night without our luggage, after being stuck overnight en route without our luggage due to a tornado alert while changing planes in Dallas, having left Phoenix on Saturday morning. Julie sent me out to buy some clothes at 9:00 p.m. after our arrival in Venice, as she needed fresh clothes after 3 days in transit.
There were very limited options to try to buy clothes in Venice at 9:00 p.m. I found a souvenir shop open in the train station and bought several gondolier shirts.
They next day, we treated ourselves to an elegant lunch on St Mark's Square. After the matre'd escorted us to our table by a window overlooking the square, Julie took off her coat, revealing the gondolier's shirt. The matre'd, dressed in a tuxedo, declared, "Well, what have we here? A woman gondolier!"
Julie replied, "no, we have an American who has not seen her suitcase and clothes in 4 days."
We have so few traditions here. Such a shame.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see the steps that lead to the church where my mother and family attended. You have a way of capturing the local flavor and color.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, Jilly. And looking less and less like the proceedings in Brattleboro. I love the way you've isolated the one, and then shown us the cascade of people on the steps.
ReplyDeleteLike this candid portrait.. I'd love to be there for the Fete de Musique!!!
ReplyDeleteanother great portrait
ReplyDeleteAlways enjoy your historical commentary with the shots.
ReplyDelete