He shades his eyes from the sun. She rests an arm on his chest and continues to read.
'There's no mistaking a real book when one meets it. It's like falling in love.'
- Christopher Morley (1890 - 1957)
It's the first of the month and so it's Theme Day for City Daily Photo bloggers with 178 blogs participating in the 'Books' theme. Do spend some time enjoying the many interpretations I know you'll find. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants
An easy Theme Day this month. 'Lines' can be interpreted in so many ways - here you see lines of beads in a curtain at the foot of the Old Town of Menton. The lines of the building, the tiles, the spiky plants - even more lines.
Today is City Daily Photo's Theme Day and the theme is Sister Cities. According to one official list, Menton has three sister cities: Montreux, Switzerland, Noordwijk, Netherlands and Sochi, Russia. According to another it's Laguna Beach in California. Fortuitously, I'd had contact with a photographer connected with the Police Department of Laguna Beach as they wanted to bring a gift to the Police Department in Menton. So far that hasn't materialised so a re-think was necessary for today's Theme.
I'm posting a place I loved when I was there in June this year - a Ghost Town. It's calledGrafton, just outside Zion National Park in Utah, USA. Massive mountains, arid landscape, burning dry heat - so different from the Mediterranean and yet so stunningly beautiful. As is Menton.
Recognise the building in the photo below? If you've seen the 1969 film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with Paul Newman and Robert Redford, you might. In the B & W photo you see Butch and Etta (played by Katharine Ross) riding around this schoolhouse - which, as is obvious, has now been restored. (perhaps slightly over-restored).
To see a great short video (2.26 minutes) plus commentary, of Grafton, please click below:
The first of the month and Theme Day. Today's Theme is Metal so here's an rusty car I pass every time I drive down the Route de Gorbio to Menton. In winter, the vegetation dies back somewhat. At the moment, it's gone a bit crazy. What car is it? Perhaps an old Citroen? Anyone know?
It's hot and humid in Menton. The ozone level is nearly critical - people with breathing problems are told to stay indoors and the speed limit has been reduced on all motorways in the Alpes-Maritimes. The major culprit, of course, is the motor car, so perhaps it's just as well this car died long ago.
There are 184 City Daily Photo bloggers from all around the world taking part in today's Theme. Why not pay some of them a visit and see what 'metal' they found in their city to delight you. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.
Thanks to Don, a regular visitor to Menton, who reminded me about this car.
It had to be dog related, didn't it? The signs says 'Forbidden to dogs, even on lead.' This was taken on a grass verge near to the swimming pool in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin - RCM adjoins Menton.
Monte Carlo Daily Photo has two NO signs today - one taken in Monte Carlo, of course, but one taken in America (where I'm visiting at the moment) - outside Otterbein College, in Westerville, Ohio. It horrified me. Do take a look.
I'm flying from Columbus, Ohio to St. George, Utah (three flights) today so am really sorry but commenting will not be possible. I'll catch up over the next day or so and meanwhile thank everyone who has left a comment.
The little shop in Gorbio, a Medieval perched village a few kilometres above Menton. As you see, it's not just a shop but a meeting place for the locals. When I took this photo, the old couple giggled, with the wife covering her face. Later, she posed but this was the best photo of the owner, Madame Filippi, who stands at the door. Her husband owns the bar/restaurant in the village.
I'm working at a dog show in Spain all day today (150 Old English Sheepdogs from around the world) but will spend tomorrow catching up and commenting. Meanwhile have a lovely Theme Day everyone!
Theme Day for the City Daily Photo family and today's theme is numbers. I wonder if the number 26 shown on these boys' T-shirts represents a famous French footballer? This Menton beach photo was taken at the end of March.
Today, being the first of the month, it's City Daily Photo Theme Day with 181 different cities throughout the world taking part. Please click here to view thumbnails for all participants where you'll find originality and beautiful photographs waiting for your viewing pleasure.
To these small boys, water means sea, means fishing. Is there a small boy anywhere in the world who doesn't love to fish? Here are just two in the Menton port of Garavan.
Today is Theme Day with 179 other cities taking part. Do click on their links below to see how City Daily Photo bloggers throughout the world over have interpreted the theme of water - there are so many inspiring and wonderful photographs - do go visit.
Not Banksy, but I found no street murals in Menton. This is part of the revered French poet, Paul Valéry's famous poem 'Le Cimetière Marin' (The Graveyard by the Sea) and it's on a wall in the beautiful cemetery above the Old Town of Menton. You can read the poem in both French and in its English translation by C. Day Lewis. Just click on the link above.
"The quiet roof where dove-sails saunter by, Between the pines, the tombs..."
There are 144 Daily Photo Bloggers participating in today's CDP Theme Day who would love you to visit them:
If I were to choose what I find iconic about Menton it would be the view in the banner along the top of this page - the beautiful Old Town and the sea. But the one thing you can't get away from and what Menton is famous for is simply the lemon. Visitors come from all over the world for Menton's celebrated Lemon Festival - La Fête du Citron - click on the link to find out why.
Today is Theme Day with 136 participants from all over the world taking part. Do take time to visit them and see what other bloggers think is considered iconic about their cities.
My choice was between two photographs: this one I took on a day in September when I'd come down to the beach to photograph the beautiful Old Town for the header of this blog. You can see another - just the little girl - HERE.
My other choice was BEAUTY - I so love the colours. I really don't consider myself a 'proper photographer' (yet!) in a technical sense, as I use a simple point and shoot - and so if anything works it's down to the camera and luck and so much encouragement and great advice from so many of you - my fellow City Bloggers - THANK YOU SO MUCH.
HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone - and may all your dreams come true and all your photographs be PERFECT.
There are 118 Daily City Photo bloggers participating in today's Theme. Do please visit them - you'll see fabulous photographs from around the world.
If you live in the south of France - towards Italy - where the Alpes come down to the sea, you can't avoid the autoroute. Endless tunnels, on both sides of the border, were cut through the mountains. Bridges were built to join tunnel to tunnel, such as this one which spans part of the Gorbio valley above Menton. The autoroute in the south of France was finished around 1977.
Hardly beautiful and not known as a bridge - just the autoroute - but as I said, part of life here and at least it keeps through traffic from clogging up the lower corniches more that it does. Also, an amazing feat of engineering.
Today is Theme Day for the Daily Photo Family with over 120 of us posting photographs of a bridge from our city or town. Do take time to visit and enjoy: