Menton Daily Photo and Monte Carlo Daily Photo celebrate their 5th birthdays today - that's one photo (sometimes more) every single day for five years - twice! Not quite sure how it happened, but it did!
In fact, it all started with Eric Tenin's Paris Daily Photo and his vision for a world-wide City Daily Photo community of which today there are 1452 representing cities all over the world. I will be forever grateful to Eric for starting something that was to totally change my life and in ways I never could have imagined. Who knew I'd fall asleep at night reading books on photography!
According to Google, Menton Daily Photo has 12,000 visits a month (of which 6000 are unique visits) with 20,000 page views a month. Monte Carlo Daily Photo has 13,000 visits a month (of which 7,500 are unique visits) and with 27,000 page views. You can see, with these monthly numbers, why I can't stop and indeed I don't want to! It's such a honour and a privilege to know so many people are enjoying the photos. A heartfelt thank you to my wonderful readers, for your loyalty, encouragement, kind emails and comments - without you, I think I'd have faltered long ago.
But along with the numbers have come friends - blogging friends, photography friends, people who come and visit and who I'd not have known but for the blogs. People who write me - we've never met - but are friends nonetheless. And one thing is particularly important to me, acceptance by the people of the amazing village where I live - Gorbio. I adore this village, its traditions and its people who have so generously made me (a foreigner) welcome. They know me as the English woman, with the blogs - the one who always has a camera in her hand! I feel very much a part of this medieval hill village and I can't begin to tell you how much this means to me.
Thank you to my dear friend and neighbour, Agnès Pinelli, who corrects the translations for Menton Daily Photo every single evening. A big hug, Agnès.
And this photo of me? Well that was taken by Gorbio's wonderful Mayor, Monsieur Michel Isnard, a fabulous artist and teacher, who does so much for the village, both culturally and in every way imaginable - he even finds time to encourage me. Thanks for the photo, Monsieur le Maire.
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Menton Daily Photo et Monte Carlo Daily Photo célèbrent leur 5e anniversaire aujourd'hui - cela représente une photo (parfois plus) chaque jour pendant cinq ans et deux fois! Pas tout à fait sûr de savoir comment c'est arrivé, mais c'est ainsi!
En fait, tout a commencé avec Paris Daily Photo de Eric Tenin et sa vision d'une communauté mondiale City Daily Photo qui aujourd'hui, regroupe 1452 villes dans le monde entier. Je serai éternellement reconnaissante à Eric d'avoir mis en place quelque chose qui devait changer totalement ma vie d 'une façon que je n'aurais jamais pu imaginer. Qui sait que je m'endors la nuit en lisant des livres sur la photographie?
Selon Google, Menton Daily Photo a 12.000 visites par mois (dont 6000 sont des visites uniques) avec 20.000 pages vues par mois. Monte-Carlo Daily Photo a 13.000 visites par mois (dont 7.500 sont des visites uniques) et avec 27.000 pages vues. Vous pouvez comprendre, avec ces chiffres mensuels, pourquoi je ne peux pas arrêter et aussi je ne le veux pas! C'est un tel honneur et un privilège de savoir que tant de gens apprécient les photos. Un grand merci à mes merveilleux lecteurs, pour votre fidélité, vos encouragements,vos e-mails amicaux et vos commentaires - sans vous, je pense que j'aurais renoncé depuis longtemps.
Et avec le temps, bon nombre sont devenus des amis - amis de blogs, amis de photographie, personnes qui viennent me rendre visite et que sans le blog je n'aurais pas connues. Les gens qui m'écrivent - nous ne nous sommes jamais rencontrés - mais qui sont néanmoins des amis. Et une chose est particulièrement importante pour moi, c'est l'accueil par les habitants de l'étonnant village où je vis - Gorbio. J'adore ce village, ses traditions et ses gens qui ont si généreusement accueillie l' étrangère que je suis. Ils me connaissent comme la dame anglaise des blogs - celle qui a toujours une appareil-photo à la main! Je me sens très bien intégrée dans ce village médiéval et je n'ai pas de mots pour vous dire ce que cela signifie pour moi .
Merci à ma chère amie et voisine, Agnès Pinelli, qui corrige les traductions pour Menton Daily Photo, tous les soirs. Un gros câlin, Agnès.
Et cette photo de moi? Eh bien elle a été prise par le merveilleux maire de Gorbio, M. Michel Isnard, un artiste formidable et un professeur, qui fait tant pour le village, à la fois culturellement et dans tous les domaines imaginables - il trouve même le temps de m'encourager. Merci pour la photo, M. Le Maire.
Happy, happy birthday, Jilly. This is quite an achievement, and you should be proud indeed. Glad you have made a good life for yourself in the Mediterranean. A bientôt, Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Jilly, you have bought so much pleasure to us over the years. For me it's a constant reminder of what I am missing having been coming to the region since 1964.
ReplyDeleteYour photography is superb and I am so pleased that you are determined to carry on. God bless you. xxxxx
What a wonderful portrait! Congratulations to M. Le Maire, and for you, many thanks to take so many wonderful pictures of Menton, a city that I love so much!
ReplyDeleteCONGRATULATIONS!! :)
ReplyDeleteI am so pleased I found your blogs, and I am so pleased to have met you, in France!! You create wonderful work, and I guess your inspiration and the love you have put in both text and photos have increased the number of tourists in the area. -
Best wishes from Steve and Gunn.
Bonjour Jilly, I know what it's like to post a photo (and you even have two blogs!) a day, so I can really say out loud: congratulations.
ReplyDeleteOn a more personal note, I also really regret we've never met (yet!), as all the people who have and that I talked to all told me what a wonderful lady you are.
I go to Nice from time to time to visit family so next time I'm there, I will give you heads up.
Again: un grand bravo !
FELICITATION pour ton 5eme anniversaire, et oui cela devient rapidement une drogue et encore bravo pour tes superbes photos. Bonne continuité.
ReplyDeleteThankyou everyone for your comments (Malyss and Gunn - we both met via the blogs) and Eric, I'd absolutely adore to get together when you are next in Nice.
ReplyDeleteVeronique and Graeme, thanks so much!
Dearest Jilly - you know how I feel today. So proud of you, so happy to have met you through your blog.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't a virtual world, far from it. Our friendship shows the wonderful stories that can develop from blogging. Our life adventures, interest in photography, curiosity for the world around us and joy in sharing it have brought us together. I look forward to my next visit in Menton and to the many more posts that you will treat us to.
Your attachment to the village of Gorbio and its inhabitants is very moving indeed.
Congratulations and thanks to Monsieur le Maire for this beautiful portrait of you.
PS - Gosh, that new camera of yours is a monster !
ReplyDeleteChère Jilly, bravo pour ces cinq ans de photo au service d'une région que tu as adoptée et qui t'a adoptée. Ton attachement à Gorbio et à ses habitants est très touchant et c'est une joie de savoir que la confiance et la connivence s'est installée entre vous.
ReplyDeleteBravo et merci à Monsieur le Maire pour ce très beau portrait. Merci à Agnès pour ses traductions quotidiennes et sans faille.
Mon commentaire ne serait pas complet sans un mot sur l'amitié qui nous lie et qui s'est créee grâce à nos blogs respectifs. Cette amitié n'est pas virtuelle puisque j'ai déja eu plusieurs fois la chance de te rendre visite. Je me réjouis de continuer à découvrir Menton, Gorbio et cette magnifique région avec toi.
Bon anniversaire! And many more! Love this portrait of you; tell Monsieur le Maire.
ReplyDeleteNathalie, you of course are one of my treasured friends via our blogging and perhaps one day, Bibi, we'll meet too.
ReplyDeleteNathalie, that's my old camera - the Olympus. The new one has a much shorter lens. Anyway what is showing in the pic is the lens hood!
happy birthday MENTON DAILY PHOTO (and MCDP) and congratulations on 5 years of posting beautiful, interesting and informative pictures. Well done.
ReplyDeleteFor both blogs Joyeux Anniversaire and again, thank you for sharing the are virtually. One day soon I can wander there for good in person. Until then, I can dream through your pics and words.
ReplyDeleteWell done, Jilly. Fabulous effort.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Jilly, your blogs are fabulous. Hope you have a glass of Champagne to celebrate your achievement. Congratulations to the Mayor as well on such a wonderful portrait.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, I enjoy the wonderful photo's! Regards from Woerden daily!
ReplyDeleteAs you know I am a newcomer to CDP, but you, amongst others, have been a great inspiration Jilly. Your love and commitment is very evident as is the love your friends both in the real and blogging world. I can only hope that in 5yrs time I will still be posting. Congrats & hugs.
ReplyDeleteit was a happy day for us all the day you began this journey...and each day has been enriched for us by your images and words (and by yours, too, agnes). you have made a marvelous portrait of jilly, mr. mayor! mr. bc and i will raise a glass to toast you this evening, dear jilly.
ReplyDeleteHappy 5th Birthday to you! Don't the years just fly by?
ReplyDeleteJilly, It has been more than a pleasure viewing your photos and seeing how your skills and technique have developed over the years you have been blogging. Yes, we make many cyberfriends through CDP and it has been good fortune to be able to communicate with you. Perhaps someday we will meet in real time!
ReplyDeleteYour photo today is lovely and with such an outstanding camera!!
Congratulations, Jilly! Even if I don't leave comments often, I always catch up weekly with both blogs. Gorbio (& surrounding villages) & its inhabitants have become real characters to me now. I love visiting & hope to visit for real in the future.
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Susan
Hello, Jilly! :)
ReplyDeleteGosh, Gorbio has such a sweet and approachable mayor. I don't know of any mayor here who'd do the same thing for anybody!
Jilly,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your blog, which helped to inspire me to start my Daily Photo blog, which then led to Julie doing her Daily Photo blog, and, yes, as you commented today, that has changed our lives by deepening our passion for photography.
An illustration of how much it has affected us is that last week Julie was invited to, and accepted, an invitation to go up on the top of a 34 story building, strap on a harness, hook up to two ropes, and go over the edge of the roof and hang from the ropes to get some photos, and I got photos of her doing it, which I am sure she will post in the future.
Like you, we enjoy having met people through the Daily Photo sites, a few in person, and most on line.
Thank you for all that you do.
Dave
Five years! So you were one of the pioneers. A big mazal tov and many thanks to you for sharing your blogs. Jilly, you are blessed to live in a town you love and which loves you.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary Jilly and congratulations on 5 wonderful years of giving your blogging followers so much pleasure.
ReplyDeleteThough no longer able to visit Menton we still take great pleasure from your photos and relive our visits through them. It was lovely to meet you on our last visit, here's to the next 5 years.Love Freda and Ray
Congratulations on a massive achievement- with quality as well as quantity- long may you continue!
ReplyDeleteChrissy at Manchester a photo a day at Mancunian Wave
I like you a lot, Jilly! And your wonderful blog. Happy birthday - and I wish you good luck and happiness:))
ReplyDeleteAlina
Hi Jilly, now it's my turn to say thanks for showing us all your wonderful photos and discriptions of the area. Aussi un grand merci à Agnès pour le cours de francais gratuit! ;-)
ReplyDeleteFor a couple of years I try not to miss any day of your blogs! As you know they also inspired me to visit some of the old villages in reality.
You mean so much to all of us followers! So keep on posting! :-)
Happy Birthday!
Hugs from Barbara in Germany
Am overwhelmed with the kind and generous comments today. Thankyou so much everyone. You rock! Seriously it means so much to me to know you are enjoying the blogs. Thankyou everyone for taking the time to leave a comment. xxx
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary, Jilly. And many returns of the day! I join the chorus of your fans. Your website is the first thing I click on after I check my email. I have shared it with friends who also love Menton. The snow has finally come to the Midwest, and I need you now more than ever to remind me that there is always Menton. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteDear Jilly, Happy Anniversary to your lovely Menton Daily Photo, Monte-Carlo Daily Photo. (and Riviera Dogs.)
ReplyDelete5 years every day 1 or more photos from Menton and Monaco. I love them! I only see your photos a year or so, but everyday I'm waiting for your tweets.
How many photos much this been? Must be thousands.
Maybe an exhibition in one of the museums or a book is an option.
A great tribute to you,for your 'first' 5 years!
Warm greetings,
Robert
Hi Jilly, congratulations on your fabulous blogs - we love them - you have a very personal way to take pictures and we enjoy seeing places and things we know under a different perspective.... you have the eye of a great photographer!
ReplyDeleteWe also love Gorbio and I hope we'll meet you there some time in spring when we can sit outside au Beausejour and have lunch! All the best, take care and keep up your great work! A bientot!
Thank you thank you. You do fine work. I look at Menton and Monte Carlo at the end of every day and always with great pleasure. And for close to five years now. A wonderful way to decompress from the day. Thank you again.
ReplyDeleteJilly, happy blog-birthdays! I cannot express the effect that the seasoned bloggers have had on my life. I have met some and will meet others in the seasons to come. You, Nathalie, Malyss, and the famous bloggers of southern France.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are a treasure and you have brought Gorbio, Menton and other nearby villages to a world of readers and photographers. Merci, merci, merci!
Bises,
Genie
Five years! Twice! Wow! Congratulations, Jilly. That is quite an accomplishment. I am one of the many who love learning about your region. I look forward to seeing what you come up with to dazzle us in the coming years.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Jilly! Yours are 3 of the blogs (don't forget the dogs!) that I never miss. Your photos inspire me to try to do better every day.
ReplyDeleteJilly, this is wonderful! Congratulations on your marvelous achievement. You know even if and when you stop your body of work will speak for you, for Menton and for Monte Carlo. What a contribution you've made. Merci for all the beautiful photos and for the blog friendship, too.
ReplyDeleteJoyeux anniversaire Jilly et long vie à tes blogs.
ReplyDeleteJe suis toujours content d te rendre visite pour voir tes splendides photos et prendre un peu de soleil
Jilly a very Happy Blog birthday times two! I struggle sometimes to do one photo per day on just the one blog so I have a good idea how much more effort it must take to manage the three that you do.
ReplyDeleteI do not drop by as often as I would like but I must say I do love your dog blog.
Felicitations! Congratulations, Jilly! You have some very impressive blog statistics and a wonderful couple of blogs!!
ReplyDeleteKind regards from the president of your fan club
Wow, congratulations Jilly! I know exactly how you feel about blogging.
ReplyDeleteHappy 5th Birthday!! Blogs like yours are a huge inspiration to me.
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ReplyDeleteHope you get a knighthood or an Oscar. Either would be befitting of such an achievement. Well done and don't stop until you get to 10!
ReplyDeleteMany congratulations on the great job! Fantastic portrait, btw.
ReplyDeleteA Belated Happy Birthday to you Jilly!!! Two Daily Blogs!!! That's an achievement!!! I struggle with one! The photo of you is fabulous! And of course, your photography is as always, wonderful!!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations for 5 great photo-blogging years. You know that I visited both blogs time to time, but I really love your photos and comments. Next 5 years I will be here again.
ReplyDeleteSince visiting Roquebrune some 8 years ago and every year since , and research through the web , I found your 'daily photo' , I read the update every lunchtime to keep abreast of the latest from this little part of France that is in our hearts , thankyou for the wonderfull photo's which capture the areas as if I were there in person.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your comment. So glad you enjoy the photos.
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