17th Journées Méditerranéennes du Jardin - 3

Fun with a watering can in one of the fountains that were for sale at the recent plant fair in Menton.

17th Journées Méditerranéennes du Jardin - 2

Seller and buyer amidst a sea of colour at the recent plant fair in Menton.

Border town

This is the border between France and Italy, taken from the Italian side. The flat grey-roofed building is Italian - and just beyond, you can just see the top of a white-roofed building - the French one. These days cars generally go through without being stopped but much depends on your number plate and also if it's a Friday or not. On Fridays - market day in Ventimiglia - the police often stop cars to confiscate any 'copy handbags' or 'copy' anything else, come to that. Sometimes a holidaymaker will buy a pair of sunglasses from a street trader or a stall in Ventimiglia, not even realising they are perhaps a Gucci copy - and then, at the border, will find they have to pay a massive fine as well as having their new purchase taken away.

In the distance you see the port of Garavan and Menton Old Town.

Latte

We're across the border in Latte today, (Buongiorno Fabrizio!) Latte is the nearest village in Italy to Menton and just a bit before the main border town of Ventimiglia. I'd been shopping in the supermarket across the street and wandered across to take a photograph of this newspaper kiosk.

Woman in pink

Noisette at Restaurant Le Lido. A noisette is a small strong espresso with just a touch of milk. Sometimes the milk is served separately, as here - but more often it comes with just a little froth on top of the espresso. I adore the confidence of this woman and the stylish exhuberance of her clothes and hat.

Beach tree

One of the public beaches below the Old Town. Trees included.

(Am away for a few days but will still be posting each day. Really sorry tho I won't be able to Comment. Will catch up on your wonderful blogs on my return).

17th Journées Méditerranéennes du Jardin

Each year, two days are dedicated in September to a wonderful garden fair on the Esplanade Francis Palmero, below the Old Town. This photo shows one tiny part of it and I'll show more detailed joys of the plants and people in future postings. The place was packed, impossible to find a parking place -it's a hot day and the visitors are out in force.

Throughout the two days of the fair, there are guided visits to all the famous gardens of Menton. There are facilities for children to make flower hats, learn pottery or how to grow a vegetable. There's are displays of wondrous old cars by the Automobile Club of Menton (I'll show some of these too at a later date) but most of all there are plants and trees to buy - orchids, roses, palms, cycads, tillisandia, bulbs, trees, shrubs. There's a slight breeze and with it comes the wonderful aroma of rosemary, thyme and tuberose. Can you smell it?

Jean-Paul Lascaris

Castellar is a beautiful medieval perched village 6 kilometres north of Menton. I'll show you more photographs of this lovely village in future postings but wanted to post today as it's the 350th anniversary of the death of Jean-Paul Lascaris. You can see part of the baroque-style Lascaris palace , formerly the residence of the Counts of Lascaris, which dates back to the early 17th century. Jean-Paul Lascaris was born in Castellar in 1560 and died at the age of 97. He is particularly known for his contribution to the military history of Malta. This weekend Castellar has many celebrations in his honour.

Just plain pretty

So many pretty narrow streets in the Old Town.

Magie

Magic! It seems to be everywhere at the moment. Here's a stall in the night market doing a roaring trade. Eat in a restaurant and you'll have magicians around your table doing tricks and enthralling you. When I went to a dog show in the Vosges earlier this year, the cabaret was a magician. Is 'magic' popular in your city? or is this a French phenomenon? Maybe everyone wants to be Harry Potter?

The bay of Menton

The bay of Menton seen from a track below the village of Gorbio. This track is a nature trail created by the commune, following work on a road for the fire trucks. The trail leads right around the mountain from below Gorbio to the tennis courts of Roquebrune. I walked with friends - and dogs - this morning to show them MILOU'S BENCH.

Summer Nights - 2

A balmy summer evening - Place aux Herbes under the plane trees. Restaurants either side - Le Lido on the left, Le Balico on the right. Beautiful old buildings, musicians to entertain, good food and wine. Where are you? Menton!

Note: Since posting this, sadly Le Balico has been sold and is now under new management.

Oleanders

A pretty corner in the Old Town.

Waouff!

This photo had been one of my 'possibles' for yesterday's Theme Day. As I chose another photo, here it is a day late: a plea for people to clean up after their dogs.

Daily Photo Theme Day: Street Signs/Street Lights

Photo taken outside the Château, which stands at the top of the medieval hill village of Gorbio, near to Menton.

There are over 100 City Daily Photo bloggers participating in today's theme of Street Lights or Street Signs. Do take time to enjoy them:

Seattle (WA), USA - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Singapore, Singapore - Boston (MA), USA - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Kajang (Selangor), Malaysia - Mainz, Germany - Evry, France - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Sequim (WA), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Nottingham, UK - Toulouse, France - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Manila, Philippines - Mumbai, India - Montpellier, France - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Stayton (OR), USA - Moscow, Russia - Paris, France - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Austin (TX), USA - Lyon, France - Stockholm, Sweden - Hyde, UK - Hong Kong, China - Joplin (MO), USA - Seoul, South Korea - Chandler (AZ), USA - St. Louis (MO), USA - Arlington (VA), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Villigen, Switzerland - Sydney, Australia - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - San Diego (CA), USA - Bandung (West Java), Indonesia - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Nelson, New Zealand - Quincy (MA), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Bend (OR), USA - Wellington, New Zealand - New Orleans (LA), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Nashville (TN), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Detroit (MI), USA - Saigon, Vietnam - Selma (AL), USA - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Miami (FL), USA - Arradon, France - Sheki, Azerbaijan - New York City (NY), USA - Inverness (IL), usa - North Bay (ON), Canada - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Tenerife, Spain - Auckland, New Zealand - Forks (WA), USA - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Chateaubriant, France - Madison (WI), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Orlando (FL), USA - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Ajaccio, France - Baltimore (MD), USA - Crepy-en-Valois, France - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Budapest, Hungary - Lyon, France - Saarbrücken, Germany - Adelaide (SA), Australia - Le Guilvinec, France - River Falls (WI), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Naples (FL), USA - London, UK - La Antigua, Guatemala - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Paris, France - San Diego (CA), USA - Trujillo, Peru - Haninge, Sweden - Prague, Czech Republic - Oslo, Norway - Grenoble, France - Shanghai, China - Toronto (ON), Canada - Durban, South Africa - Zurich, Switzerland

Webb Ellis - Inventor of the game of Rugby - 2

This new statue of William Webb-Ellis, now stands outside one of the entrances to the old cemetery of Menton. Please look at this link to see an earlier posting of his actual grave and to read a lot more about the schoolboy who...

with a fine disregard for the rules of football as played at his time first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, thus originating the distinctive feature of the rugby game.'

Below you see number 24 of 25 panels that lead from the exhibition in the centre of town to the cemetery way at the top of the Old Town.

Rue Longue

This was taken in the lower part of the Old Town, in the rue Longue, this morning. We are almost at the archway which you can see taken from the other side - HERE.

Beauty

Turn the corner from the Place aux Herbes, look up, and this is what you see. So much of the Old Town is gaspingly beautiful. At least it is to me. Here, the juxtaposition of the lamp, those colours, the shutters, the climbing plant and the sign - it all works, doesn't it?

L'Exocet - 2

The season is almost over but in this photograph, taken three weeks ago, it was in full swing. Here you see diners eating at L'Exocet, right on the beach. The 'leg' you see running away is that of a young girl who has been washing her bathers under the beach shower. For a morning view of this same restaurant, please click on THIS LINK.

Chef

Where's this chef going or where has he been? I don't know the answer except he's got something green, and doubtless edible, in his right hand but what's in his left hand? There are restaurants galore in this area so he could be walking towards one or away. He's entering part of the old town. The sea is behind him.

Time for a chat

Time for a chat? How many of us live in cities and don't even know our neighbours?

An Italian view of Menton

This is a long shot of Menton taken from about a kilometre inside Italy and on the way to Latte and Ventimiglia. I popped across to Latte where I like to shop. In the centre of the photo you can see the Old Town of Menton and beyond that Cap Martin, jutting out to sea - Roquebrune rises above it. Monaco is just before the second 'cap' you see - Cap d'Ail.

Today is my 200th post - both on Menton DP and on Monte Carlo DP. Thanks so much to everyone who has helped me, given me encouragement and left comments.

A Beach at Dusk

This beach is just in front of the market building. The area in the background was reclaimed from the sea, trees added - et voila! The sand on the beach is imported - most beaches around here have pebbles. If you look carefully to the right of the three trees, you'll see the statue of Ulysse, which you can find in close-up HERE.

Restaurant Beau Sejour

There are only two restaurants in Gorbio. There's the Bar les Terrasses which is quite casual and serves Corsican food and opposite, on the other side of the square, is the Beau Sejour. More upmarket and a beautiful restaurant. When you go inside you sit in a glassed-in terrace which is opened up in summer. It looks down the valley with wonderful views. Good food too. Don't you love the pot of basil and the pumpkins or courgettes - not sure what? - in the bucket?

Russian orthodox chapel

One of the delights of a Daily Photo blog is when you hear from people who have enjoyed the photographs, are taken with your town, and then they come and stay. That is what happened with James Arzente, the American artist. He had a trip planned to take photographs of Eze for his work, but chose to stay at Menton and it is who who took this photograph and is therefore Menton DP's second Guest Photographer. James is a well-known American artist who uses photography in his beautiful creations. To read more and see some of his amazing art, please click on the link above.

As you walk around the old cemetery of Menton, you'll find, alongside the tombs of the old Mentonnais families, many of those with British and Russian names on them. The Russian orthodox chapel in this photograph contains the remains of Prince Troubetzkoy (1822-1892). It was built in memory of Alexandrine de Tapliakoff, who died in Menton in 1884. No less than 6 princes of the Russian royal house are buried in Menton.

The Golden Apple

The Blessing of the Animals is over and the villagers, and of course the priests, are making their way through the archway and up into the medieval village for the sung mass in the Church of St. Barthélemy. During the ceremony, members of the comité des fêtes, accompanied by three musicians, made the traditional offering of la pomme d'or (the golden apple). This tradition started in medieval times when the nobles made an offering to the clergy and it's been continued ever since. After the mass, a procession, in which a statue of St. Barthélemy is carried aloft, goes from street to tiny street, throughout the village.

A basket of water?

This beautiful Friesian was one of the horses attending yesterday's Blessing of the Animals in the village of Gorbio. He's a horse trained in dressage but had great difficulty yesterday walking on the cobbles - slipping all the time. He (and a friend below) are taking a drink out of fountain, constructed in 1902 for the use of mules and donkeys. It's made in the form of a packsaddle, with the water containers - one on each side - reminding one of large paniers (baskets). You can see the entire fountain HERE.

The photo below shows the entrance to the Medieval village.

La Bénédiction des Animaux

Today is the Fête patronale de la St. Barthélémy in Gorbio. It will be a long day of festivities which started this morning with the blessing of the animals, followed by an important Mass in the Church. The blessing took place in the Place de la République in the village in front of the elm tree planted in the 1700s. There were three or four beautiful horses present and many dogs. Chatting to a lady from the village (she was there with her labrador, Jules, and her Golden retriever, Jim) she told me that in the old days the blessing used to be given outside the church and people would bring their donkeys and other farm animals. You will find photos of some of the dogs in attendance today, including reading the story of Bébé, the grey dog in the foreground, on my Riviera Dogs blog.

Ulysse

This sculpture of Ulysse is by Anna Chromy, the Czech artist, known for her 'sculptures in movement.' It stands on a promontory near to the Bastion.

Looking down on the living - 2

Let's get out of the heat of Menton today and up to Gorbio village. We are in the cemetery - the village of Gorbio is below us and to our left (the dead always look down on the living!) - way, way below is the autoroute and beyond, the sea - although you really can't see the Mediterranean today because of the haze. THIS LINK is also looking down on the autoroute but from a different angle.

Night market

During the months of July and August there is a night market located between the old market building at the base of the Old Town and the sea. More stalls can be found in front of the market building itself. Lights are hung between the palm trees and here you'll find jewellry, paintings, pottery, belts and bags, gifts to take home and much more. The stall holders begin to set up around 8 p.m. and stay open till late. All part of summer time in Menton.

McDonald's in Menton

Yes, we have a McDonald's in Menton - right next to the beautiful Moorish market building which you can see in this photograph, taken at dusk. I suppose this McDonald's is not as 'obvious' as some, with its small logo and installed in a rather nice building.

Can there be a city in the world without a McDonald's? Do you have one in your city?

Dinner time

Early evening and this street vendor is getting ready to eat his meal. He's set up by the beach, opposite the Old Town, where he hopes to sell his sunglasses, bags, hats, ornaments from north Africa. The strip of land you see in the distance is Cap Martin.

Love before food!

This scene made me laugh out loud! The two guys are waiters at a bar/restaurant located at the foot of the Old Town and each are carrying two plates of food. The restaurant is out of shot and to the left as you look at this photo. The tables are down steps to the right. The archway leading into the Old Town is up the slope. See HERE to get an idea of where we are.

Alors! They meet a girl they know and of course this involves much kissing, regardless of the food and whether it gets cold. This is one of the many, many reasons I just love France!

A gift for Aunt Mary?

Visiting Menton and want to take a gift home with you? No problem. In the pedestrian street you'll find soaps, candles in the form of fruit, Herbes de Provence, lavender - in bunches or wrapped in fabric sachets ready to hang in your wardrobe, tablescloths in a provençal pattern, olive oil containers, weird looking dolls made to cover a toilet roll (!) and much much more.

Boats at dusk

August.
Dusk.
Boats in the harbour below the Old Town.
Italy in the distance.
Wish you were here...

The Cool-down

This ice-cream parlour is in the middle of the walking street of Menton. Good ice-cream too! What's your favourite parfum (flavour)?

Pétanque or Boules? - 3

It's 8.30 in the evening and today we are in the Boules Club of Menton, which is directly opposite the market building (behind me) - the sea is beyond the palm trees. We are watching a lesson in throwing the boule. Are these two father and son? What do you think?

Pétanque or Boules? - 2

As promised, here's a photo of a man just after throwing the boule. It looks like some strange dance, doesn't it?

In the photo below, you see players discussing which boule is nearest to the small boule - look closely and you'll see a tiny orange ball, which, by the way, is called the 'pig.' The idea of the game is to get as close to the pig as possible. It sounds simple but there's great skill to it and a lot of money can be made in top level competition.

Many thanks to Fabrizio from Torino DP who kindly wrote this explanation as to the difference between pétanque and boules, in yesterday's comments:

"It was only in 1907 that pétanque as we know it was born. Its name comes from the provençal "pèd tanco", which means "feet together'. It is played on a shorter terrain and players throw their boule from a rough circle scratched in the dirt, taking no run-up at all." Fabrizio gave the following link too - click HERE. I had also found a good website on the subject, so anyone wanting even more information, try this link - HERE.

Do come back tomorrow and you'll see a photograph of a father teaching his son how to throw.

Pétanque or Boules? - 1

Forget the sterotype of an old man with a beret playing boules. Boules players come in all shapes and sizes - men and women, young and old. There was a pétanque contest in Gorbio on Fête day last Sunday - here's one of the competitors.

Perhaps one of our French contributors can tell me the difference between boules and pétanque. This contest was advertised as pétanque.

Dusk

Dusk. Says it all really - OR - you could write a novel about this scene, couldn't you? Who are they? What's their relationship? Where do they come from? What are their lives? Are they happy, sad? ... and on and on and on...