Sospel - the Paschal Lamb

Today we are looking at Place Saint Nicolas, which leads off the Old Toll Bridge. In the 18th century it was known as Place du Saint-Esprit. The central building was where all major decisions were taken relating to the village and it became the Town Hall in 1793. You can see the Paschal Lamb on the facade which is a symbol of divine protection.

The 18th century fountain was the main spring that supplied all water for domestic use to the Sospellois who lived on the left bank of the River Bévéra.

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Aujourd'hui, nous regardons la Place Saint-Nicolas sur laquelle mène le Vieux Pont à péage. Au 18ème siècle, elle se nommait la Place du Saint-Esprit. C'est dans le bâtiment central que se prenaient toutes les décisions majeures concernant le village et en 1793, il est devenu l'Hôtel de Ville. Sur la façade, vous pouvez voir l'Agneau Pascal qui est un symbole de protection divine.

La fontaine du 18ème siècle a été le lieu principal d'approvisionnement de l'eau à usage domestique des Sospellois qui vivaient sur ​​la rive gauche de la rivière Bévéra.

Sospel - the Setting

This was taken from the Old Toll Bridge and gives you an idea of the beautiful setting of Sospel, surrounded by mountains. In winter, the road to Menton can be icy and occasionally impossible. This year - so far - we've not seen a sign of snow. Bad news for the ski resorts higher up and blissful for us nearer to the coast.

Another day or so for this blog in Sospel and then we must drive back down the mountains to Menton... There is so much to show you in Sospel but I need to return to take more photos!

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Ceci a été pris à partir du Vieux Pont pont à péage et vous donne une idée de la beauté de Sospel, entourée par des montagnes. En hiver, la route de Menton peut être verglacée, et parfois impraticable. Cette année - jusqu'à présent - nous n'avons vu aucune neige. Ce sont de mauvaises nouvelles pour les stations de ski plus haut et mais excellentes pour nous qui sommes sur la côte.

Encore une autre journée ou deux pour ce blog à Sospel et ensuite nous redescendrons de la montagne vers Menton ... Il y a tellement de choses à vous montrer de Sospel que j'ai besoin d'y retourner pour prendre plus de photos !

Sospel - and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

We've crossed the Old Toll Bridge today and are in Place Saint-Nicolas today.

Here 21st century girls walk on stones that date back to medieval times.

Did you know that the town of Sospel is mentioned in Daphne du Maurier's novel Rebecca, when Max de Winter declines an invitation from annoying social climber Mrs. Van Hopper on the excuse that he is driving to Sospel that day.

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Aujourd'hui, nous avons traversé le Vieux Pont à péage et nous nous trouvons sur la Place Saint- Nicolas.

Ces jeunes filles dans notre 21e siècle, marchent sur les pavés qui datent de l'époque médiévale.

Saviez-vous que la ville de Sospel est mentionnée dans Rebecca, le roman du Daphné du Maurier, quand Max de Winter décline une invitation de Mme Van Hopper, une arriviste gênante sous le prétexte qu'il doit aller Sospel ce jour-là.

Sospel - Ancient Cobbles

This is an old house - a very old house - in Place Saint Michel in Sospel. Look at the cobblestones inside the house - and look at that old door and look at the carved stone lintel. All wonders! How many children in how many centuries have walked on those stones, climbed those stairs, lived in this house?

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Voici une vieille maison - une très ancienne maison - Place Saint Michel à Sospel. Regardez les galets à l'intérieur de la maison ainsi que cette porte ancienne et le linteau sculpté dans la pierre. Tous des merveilles! Combien d'enfants depuis combien de siècles ont marché sur ces pierres, ont monté ces escaliers et ont vécu dans cette maison?

Sospel - the Cat

It's all about a cat today but with a background of the beautiful buildings in Place Saint-Michel - the same square where we saw the cathedral.


Aujourd'hui, il est sujet d'un chat mais sur fond des beaux édifices de la Place Saint-Michel - la même place sur laquelle on a vu la cathédrale.

Sospel - the Spiked Sculptures

Details from the Renaissance facade of the Cathedral Saint-Michel in Sospel (see yesterday). I wish I could tell you who the two sculptures depict. Note the spikes on the head, shoulders etc of the sculptures - to keep the pigeons away.

The Latin inscription over the door needs a Latin scholar to translate.

In 1809, Pope Pius VII stayed in one of the oldest houses, located to the right of the church.

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Détails de la façade Renaissance de la cathédrale Saint-Michel à Sospel (voir hier). J'aimerais pouvoir vous dire qui sont les personnages représentés par les deux sculptures. Notez les pointes sur la tête, les épaule, etc des sculptures - destinées à éloigner les pigeons.

Il faut être latiniste pour traduire l'inscription latine gravée sur la porte .

En 1809, le pape Pie VII a séjourné dans une des maisons les plus anciennes, située à la droite de l'église.

Sospel - the Cathedral Saint-Michel

The Place Saint-Michel in Sospel is a magnificent square featuring architecture from the Baroque and Roman periods. It's dominated by the Cathedral of Saint-Michel which was built between 1641-1762 and restored in 1888 . The Renaissance façade dates to 1641. The Bell Tower is Lombardy Romanesque from the XIIIth century.

The square is paved with cobblestones made of white and grey pebbles - something we see often in front of churches here - for example in front of Menton's Basilica.

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La place Saint-Michel à Sospel est une magnifique place dont l'architecture date des périodes Romane et Baroque. Elle est dominée par la Cathédrale Saint-Michel qui a été construite entre 1641-1762 et restaurée en 1888. La façade Renaissance date de 1641 tandis que le clocher de style lombard roman est du XIIIe siècle.

La place est pavée d'une calade de galets blancs et gris - une chose que nous voyons souvent devant des églises ici ,comme devant la Basilique de Menton.

Sospel - the 'Tabac'

Looks like this old shop hasn't sold a packet of cigarettes in a long time ...

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Il semble que dans cette vieille boutique, on n'a pas vendu un paquet de cigarettes depuis longtemps ...

Sospel - Old Stones

A narrow street off Place Saint-Nicolas.

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Une rue étroite à côté de la Place Saint-Nicolas.

Sospel - Trompe l'oeil

Along the edge of the Bevera River, note the trompe l'oeil facades of the houses that date back to the early XIXth century.

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Le long des bords de la Bévéra, remarquez les trompe-l'oeil des façades des maisons qui datent du XIXe siècle.

Sospel - the Bar du Marché

The Bar du Marché in Sospel - where there is always time to chat. You'd not know we live in a world of iPads and iPhones when you look at this scene, would you?

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Le Bar du Marché à Sospel - où on prend toujours le temps de discuter. On n'a pas l'impression de vivre dans un monde de iPads et iPhones quand on regarde cette scène, n'est-ce pas?

Sospel - Three Generations

A meeting of three generations on the old toll bridge in Sospel. (see yesterday's post)

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La rencontre de trois générations sur l'ancien pont à péage de Sospel. (voir post d'hier)

Sospel - the Old Toll Bridge

Let's take the 20 kilometre drive from Menton to Sospel, a village in the mountains that dates back to the 5th century, when it served as an important staging post on the royal road from Nice to Turin.

This is the old toll bridge which was used by travellers on the Salt Route to cross the Bévéra. It was built in the 13th century but bombed by the Germans during World War II to prevent contact between the French Resistance (the Maquis) and the Italians. Much of the town was destroyed. The bridge was renovated after the war and now houses the tourist office.

More tomorrow ...

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Parcourons les 20 km de route qui mènent de Menton à Sospel, un village dans les montagnes construit au 5ème siècle, quand il était une étape importante sur la route royale de Nice à Turin.

C'est le vieux pont à péage qui était emprunté par les voyageurs de la Route du Sel pour traverser la Bévéra. Il a été construit au 13ème siècle, mais bombardé par les Allemands pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale pour empêcher tout contact entre la Résistance française (le maquis) et les Italiens. Une grande partie de la ville a aussi été détruite. Le pont a été rénové après la guerre et abrite aujourd'hui l'office du tourisme.

La suite demain ...

Gare de Sospel

The railway station at Sospel in the rain - and below the last of the four carriages of the Orient Express - in better condition than the one you saw yesterday. Personally I love the proportions of this railway station, the colour, the shutters, the original name up the top - and on the side (see below). Do you?

Orient Express

At last! - we've had two days of heavy rain - necessary but perhaps not ideal when making the 20 kilometres trip up the mountain to Sospel. Here you see one of the four carriages of the famous Orient Express train dating from 1929, which are located right by the beautiful Gare de Sospel - I'll show you the railway station tomorrow.

The train ,of course, was immortalised by Agatha Christie - and Hercule Poirot. One carriage is Turkish, from 1949, another was an Italian restaurant car from 1938. Three carriages were restored and used as a restaurant until not so long ago. Now the restaurant is closed and the carriages show more and more signs of neglect. This one is in the worst condition. I heard a rumour it was to be dismantled and removed. I hope not.

The friends I visited yesterday in Sospel, thought the Orient Express was originally bought by an Englishman - later sold to a society who opened the restaurant - but I can't find any confirmation on this.

Tomorrow you'll see the other carriages, which are in better condition, standing alongside the railway station of this beautiful mountain village.

Fancy a coffee?

We're back in Sospel today - the mountain village 20 kilometres from Menton. Here's the Bar Central. Fancy a café? A biere?

Power walking

We're told the Mediterranean diet is the healthiest in the world - all those fresh veggies, fish and olive oil - and that's why the locals live so long. I'll tell you why they live so long - apart from their diet - it's because they have to walk endlessly up and down the hills. Take this lady walking up a very steep and long hill. She eventually took a well-deserved rest, outside the old town walls in Sospel. Her dog, mind you, a rather chubby Miniature Pinscher, looks as if he might not be fed a Mediterranean diet...

A river runs through it

We're still in Sospel but in a few days, we'll go back down to Menton. We'll be back though as I've much to show you of this mountain village. Here is a view taken from the bridge I posted here. Would you think it heaven to live in one of these houses or apartments with the river below? Or would you rather live with a view of the Mediterranean?

If you had the choice, would you live in a city, by the sea, in the mountains or perhaps by a lake or river? What's your all-time favourite dream of where to live? Perhaps you are lucky enough to live your dream already?

Across the bridge

We're across the bridge now. There's a small restaurant here - run by two young women. One cooks and one serves. We decided not to sit under the umbrellas, choosing instead to take a table inside the archways, out of the sun where we had omelettes and salad and good crusty bread.

A view from the bridge

Come with me for a walk across the 12th century fortified bridge in Sospel. Here we are half-way across. Tomorrow we'll walk to the little restaurant you see in the distance.