20 October 2008

Fête de la Branda - Socca 2


Socca is a type of crepe made from a batter of chickpea flour, olive oil, water, salt and pepper. When it's cooked (this oven is wood-fired) the socca is cut into pieces with a pizza wheel and then wrapped in paper - or placed on a paper plate. As you can see in the last photo, there was a long queue in the village to buy this traditional dish. It's eaten with the fingers.

Some socca ovens are bigger than this one and take a one-metre diameter cast iron pan - then the cooked socca obviously feeds quite a few people.

From Provence Beyond: 'Socca and Cade are Provençal pancakes that go back at least to 1860. Cade de Toulon, probably the most ancient, was made from corn flour and the Socca de Nice that evolved from it is made from chick-pea flour. The Marseilles version is today made with a mixture of flours, using only a small amount of chick-pea flour; in Marseilles this was called "tourta tota cada", meaning "tourte toute chaude", or nice hot tarts. It was mentioned in 1879 by Frédéric Mistral as "gâteau de farine de maïs qu'on vend par tranches à Marseille" (or in the vulgar tongue "corn-flour cake sold by the slice in Marseilles").

In that ancient time, there were cade/socca sellers at the marchés and at work sites where they provided the favorite morning meal of the workers. The cade/socca sellers used special wagons with built-in charcoal ovens to keep their wares hot while they announced them with the appropriate cries of "cada, cada, cada" or "socca, socca, socca caouda". Some of the ambulatory socca/cade sellers (or their descendents) are still to be found in the markets at Nice, Toulon and la Seyne-sur-Mer, where the slices are served in paper cones.'

And in Gorbio...

19 October 2008

Fête de la Branda - Socca


A speciality of south-eastern France, especially around Nice. It's 10.30h at the Fête de la Branda and the socca oven is already in operation. Later, at lunchtime, there will be a long queue of hungry visitors.

Socca is a sort of crepe made with chickpea flour and olive oil and it's delicious. Come back tomorrow and we'll see exactly how it's made.

18 October 2008

Fête de la Branda - the Woodturner


Concentration and skill - this woodturner is giving a demonstration of his art. Alongside you see some of the beautiful things he has for sale - probably all made of olive wood.

Work is much more fun than fun - Noel Coward

17 October 2008

Fête de la Branda - the Kitten


Everyone comes to the Fete. Here's one much-loved kitten on a lead. Youmi is 5 months old and was visiting from La Turbie, the hill village above Monaco.




16 October 2008

La Fête de la Branda - Charcuterie


Cholesterol!

Charcuterie - mostly made from pork although the products in the smaller photograph are made from sanglier (wild boar). The hunters are out right now - every day I hear gunshots down the valley.

15 October 2008

La Fête de la Branda - the Blue Dress


For sale in the village - a child's blue dress. In the smaller photograph, perhaps an interested buyer?


14 October 2008

La Fête de la Branda - Vide Grenier




Vide grenier - literally 'empty the attic.' Perhaps we'd call it a bric-a-brac sale or a garage sale.

You might recognise this square - the church is to the left and recently I posted a photograph of a brass hand (door knob) and the next day the door and facade. It's the same door you see on the left. Click on the link to see how different it looks without the children's clothes and toys.

13 October 2008

La Fête de la Branda - Applause


Applause for the musicians.

12 October 2008

La Fête de la Branda - the Gourd



Perhaps the strangest instrument. This lady is playing what I presume is a gourd. At the beginning of the day this group - Le Ravanet Club - walked all through the village, stopping at various places and playing to the sellers of cheeses, breads, olives etc - they played to the people running the bric-a-brac stands, they entered the village gift shop and played. All great fun.

11 October 2008

La Fête de la Branda - the Musicians


La Fête de la Branda in Gorbio is always a great day out. Here you see a group of musicians called Le Ravanet Club - they play extraordinary instruments as you see and make - well - a noise - and it's all great fun. Do come back tomorrow to see the weirdest instrument of all.

10 October 2008

La Fête de la Branda - the Still


Each October you'll find the Fête de la Branda in Gorbio village. Branda is the Provençal word for marc, the marc de Provence, which actually has two meanings: either the fermented grape pulp, seeds, and stems that remain after the grapes are pressed for their juice, or the actual potent distilled alcohol. You can read more by clicking on last year's link.

Above is one of the two stills. The small photograph on the left shows the fermented grape pulp after distillation.

Tomorrow we'll wander about the village and see what else is going on...if we can stay upright, that is. The Branda is strong stuff.

09 October 2008

Autumn - the Sunbather


Even on a windy day you can find a sheltered part of a beach in Menton. This was taken only 20 minutes before the 'windy' photo I posted two days ago.

08 October 2008

Autumn - the Catamaran


A catamaran on the beach just along from the Sablettes. This is at the foot of the Old Town.

My photography book says 'never have the horizon in the centre of a photograph.' So, when I looked at this on the screen I hesitated, but rules are made to be broken. I wanted to show you the shadows on the beach and I wanted you to see that blue sky - so...

07 October 2008

Autumn - the Wind


Lunchtime. The main restaurant is on the left of this photograph, by the sea. These tables are for diners who choose to sit further from the beach.

And the wind blows...

06 October 2008

Autumn - the Blessing


Yesterday afternoon I hoped to photograph the Blessing of the Animals in Menton, but instead I found this adorable bundle playing with pebbles on the beach - and her name is Blessing. Isn't that a beautiful name?

She's 22 months old and lives, with her equally good-looking mother, in Latte, which is just across the border in Italy.

05 October 2008

Autumn - the Blues


October. Sunshine, chilly at night though. The wind has blown the clouds and pollution away. The best days on the Côte d'Azur often follow the Mistral when you'll see the clearest blue skies - wonderful light.

I don't know the significance of the lines, but don't you love the patterns they create on the water. Perhaps they are nets giving protection against jelly fish, but I don't see the nets.

Taken from les Sablettes beach yesterday. You see the Port of Garavan on the left and beyond that Italy.

04 October 2008

Roquebrune village at night - the Strolling Player


You never know who you will bump into in rue Moncollet, the oldest street in Roquebrune village. This 'strolling player' is waiting to take part in a series of tales of the Middle Ages at the Château in honour of Augustin Grimaldi, the Prince of Monaco.

This actor, who lives in the village, takes the part of the Castellan (Castillion)who attends the Prince of Monaco.


03 October 2008

Roquebrune village at night - rue Moncollet


We are in rue Moncollet, the oldest street in the medieval village of Roquebrune. You can see this same shot taken in daylight by clicking on the link. You can also read about 'le poudinge' - the tertiary rock on which the village is built.

Walking around Roquebrune village at night is even more magical than during the day - you also never know who you might meet. Come back tomorrow and see who we met in this particular street.



02 October 2008

Roquebrune village at night - the Château


This is the Place des Deux Frères in the medieval village of Roquebrune. We've just had dinner at this restaurant, La Grotte, which is cut deep into the rock itself. Above, you see the brightly lit crenelations of the donjon, built in 970.

Yesterday's photograph of Monaco - published on Monte Carlo Daily Photo - was taken from here.

01 October 2008

Theme Day: Lines


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.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how 164 other City Daily Photo bloggers have interpreted today's Theme and know all will be fascinating. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

30 September 2008

Summer's End - Attitude!


This photograph shows a clash of cultures. Menton often holds several events at once and in this case, the Plant Fair was held at the same time as a gathering of car enthusiasts - in particular cars sporting custom bodywork. I believe there was also a motorbike event on too.

These three are visiting Menton to display their cars or bikes - taking time out at the Plant Fair to smell the flowers.

29 September 2008

Summer's End - Flirtation


A bench near to the sea in Menton. Don't you love the energy, the body language, the rapport of these three people.

28 September 2008

Summer's End - the Hand - 2


This old house is diagonal to the Church of Saint Barthelemy in Gorbio. Peer closely at the centre of the door (or enlarge the photo) and you'll see yesterday's brass hand.

27 September 2008

Summer's End - the Hand


A door knocker in Gorbio. Brass and woodworm.

26 September 2008

Summer's End - Father Christmas


Oh no! Father Christmas already! It's still September, the sun in shining but a shop in the pedestrian street prepares...

25 September 2008

Summer's End - Shelter


A few days ago I went up to the village with the intention of photographing the making of a film. The film is to be called Amer (bitter) and is being made by a Belgian film crew - the director lives, I believe, in Menton. As I walked towards the church, the rain started and in the smaller photograph you can see some of the crew running to get out of the rain. One of these guys slipped on the cobblestones but happily wasn't hurt and neither was the equipment he was carrying.

And where do you shelter in Gorbio village? That's easy, as you can see in the main photograph.

24 September 2008

Summer's End - the Ivy


Dark creeping Ivy,
...bloom of ruins, tho art dear to me,
When, far from danger's way, they gloomy price
Wreathes picturesque around some ancient tree
That bows his branches by some fountain-side
Then sweet it is from summer suns to be,
Wish thy green darkness overshadowing me.

John Clare (1793-1864), 'To the Ivy'


A corner in Gorbio village.

23 September 2008

Summer's End - Le Beausejour


We've seen Le Beausejour restaurant before but this photograph shows you a little of the interior. If you go through these doors to the back, there is an enormous terrace over-looking the valley. It's such a pretty, welcoming restaurant and the food is so good too.

22 September 2008

Summer's End - the Priest


A charming gentleman on a visit to Gorbio village. He's sitting here outside a house on the main square. A priest with the Turkish Orthodox Church, he'd just walked down following a visit to the Church of St. Barthelemy.

21 September 2008

Summer's End - the Spider


The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship - William Blake

Shutters on an old house in the medieval village of Gorbio. A metal spider with one leg missing.

20 September 2008

Summer's End - Rain


Gorbio village yesterday and it's raining. We're looking down over Menton to the sea - not that you'd not know it in the gloom. I went up to the village to photograph a Belgian film crew and as I got there, the heaven's opened. Goodness knows, we desperately need rain. Pity for them tho.

And someone's washing is getting wetter by the minute.

P.S. That was yesterday. Today the sun is shining as per usual. I'd hate for anyone to worry...

19 September 2008

Summer's End - the Jasmine


In need of some renovation and a coat of paint, but a building with charm, don't you think. And a jasmine determined to survive.

An old house at the foot of the Old Town of Menton.

18 September 2008

Summer's End - the Kite


One of the stalls at the plant fair last weekend sold kites.

This little boy isn't actually flying the kite he's looking at. (see small photo) It's fixed to one of the rocks behind him - probably put there by the kite sellers as the stall was very near.

I think he wishes it was his kite though, don't you?


17 September 2008

Summer's End - the Walls that Grow


Just in case you think you've landed in Jules' Rabaul or somewhere equally exotic - not so. This is Menton.

We are at the plant fair and this little cabanon has walls that are alive - it's planted with all sorts of vegetation. You can see the product used in the smaller photograph - also used for yesterday's squirrel.

Take a look at THE WEBSITE for other ways of using this product.




16 September 2008

Summer's End - the Squirrel


Last weekend, Menton held the 18th Journées Méditerranéennes du Jardin on the Esplanade Francis Palmero, which is by the sea and at the foot of the Old Town - a beautiful setting. 50 exhibitors - plants, decoration, garden furniture - all fabulous and all asking to be bought. And packed with visitors and dogs and kids.

How about a squirrel that sprouts greenery? Not quite up to Abraham's amazing standard, I know you'll agree, but this one's for you, Abe.

15 September 2008

Summer's End - Wind


As you can see it's windy in Menton at the moment - probably the edges of a Mistral from the Bouches-du-Rhône. I snapped this from my car yesterday when I got stuck in traffic driving along the seafront.

The wind is blowing this lady's hair - the sea is dancing.

The night before we had rain - the first since May - unfortunately it came with hailstones - not the best idea when the ground is so parched - still I'm not complaining.

14 September 2008

Summer's End - Dusk on Les Sablettes


Time to go home.

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