This is Frederique (you met her last year) and in the photograph below, you see Emilie, her daughter. Both delightful and look at those gorgeous eyes that twinkle with life.
Frederique owns the beautiful gift shop in Gorbio - but at Christmas, it's closed and she takes over one of the stalls in the Menton market. The owls you saw the other day come from her stall.
Don't you just love the 'bride' Frederique is holding?
The Jardin Bioves is a child's delight. Nursery rhymes with audio. A little train runs around the displays, overflowing with young children. And note: more steam as in the donkey's photograph the other day.
This nursery rhyme is about a child who asks his mother if the boat has legs - she replies that if it didn't, then it couldn't walk. She says that when the child grows up he will go around the world but will surely come back to kiss his mother. And she finishes by saying that it walks straight ahead but because the world is round, then it will return home. (If I'm wrong, hopefully a French reader will correct me.)
You may remember the photograph of the pots recently posted. The winds, the rains and the sea have smashed loads of them (this is just a small part) but happily more are available for sale.
In the small photograph you see the ice rink. When I was last in Menton, it had been filled and was nearly frozen and ready to go. Now it lies in tatters. And below you see damage caused by the high seas.
The weather forecast is now looking reasonable for the next few days. Other places have had it far worse - Cavaillon, only 30 ks from Avignon, for instance - that's where the famous melons come from - they've had dreadful flooding. And in the mountains above Menton - at St Etienne de Tinée - they've had avalanches, fortunately with no loss of life.
One of the best things about the Menton Christmas Fair is that many of the items on sale are made by artisans using materials that might otherwise be thrown away.
Here you see lamps and ornaments made of coconut shells. I'm not sure what the handbags are made of - perhaps they are also made of morsels of coconut.
I'm rather taken with the dog in the smaller photograph but something tells me there are enough real ones in this house...
Donkeys in the Jardin Bioves. In the smaller photograph, they are being sprayed by a machine. I'm not sure why?
The whole of the Jardin Bioves (in the centre of the town) is given up to a display of enormous painted models depicting French nursery rhymes - with corresponding audio as you walk by.
Note: the rains and the winds continue. 10 families had to be evacuated from high up in Menton, where the hillsides have crashed into their houses. And remember the beautiful pots (see the posting two days ago) about half have been smashed by the violent weather and waves. The skating rink, which you've not yet seen, has also been badly damaged by winds and waves.
Here we see the Big Wheel again, but this time, in more detail - and with its old-fashioned feel. I'll report how comfortable it is - if this endless, endless rain ever stops. Grrrrrr....
It's Christmas, so that means a Big Wheel - somewhat incongruous with the steeples of the Old Town.
Christmas also means pots - hundreds and hundreds of them from north Africa - probably Tunisia or Morocco. They will stay here, day and night, until sold.
The Christmas Market near to the Bastion always has some great gifts - how about an owl!
They are for sale at La Cave de Gorbio, one of the many shops in the Christmas Village by the Bastion. You'll find great Christmas gift ideas here.
We've had rain for days, maybe weeks - I've lost count. Suddenly this morning - blue skies and sunshine. Oh happy day...
As you see, excess water, a bench in the middle of a puddle - but who cares? The sun is back! And these people are enjoying it.
A shade of pink typical of this region - they call it Provençal Rose. Three village houses - all different yet creating an interesting group.
It's worth mentioning that there is no access for cars in the village - the streets are far too narrow. The parking area is below, so everything - everything - has to be lugged up the hill and then walked through the village, up steps, down slopes, to home. And then there is often a staircase to negotiate - see the house on the right.
...no wonder the old people live so long.
An old wall, shutters and an advertisement for a mountain bike or perhaps a BMX?
Walk down a narrow steep street - watch your feet, but look up for a second and see the sea over a lovely old roof.
Too many people at the Chestnut Fête - let's escape - let's wander the village.
Here we are in one of the main streets - you see a notice on the wall saying that Romain Gary, the French writer and diplomat lived here. He lived down this little impasse with his wife of the time - the writer, Lesley Blanch. Romain died long ago but Lesley died only last year in Menton. Click on the link to see a photo I took of Lesley on her 100th birthday.
Walk up the hill from the car park and one of the first stalls you pass is the one with the cheeses.
The cheese seller has travelled from the Pyrénées - the part near to the Basque country - a long way to be here today.
He's selling Tome de Chèvre (goat cheese) from his part of France but he has cheeses from other regions, indeed other countries - for instance the Beaufort comes from Savoie and Gruyère from Switzerland.
All the cheeses on this stall are hard cheeses. In the local markets, of course, you find many soft cheeses, especially those made of goat's milk.
We're back in the medieval hill village of Roquebrune for the Chestnut Fête with just a few more photographs to show you.
These photographs make me angry. At the foot the village on one side of the road was this very young piglet and on the other a pretty little kitten - both used as bait to stop people. An exceedingly aggressive young couple were trying to get people to buy boxes of sweets (candies) saying the profit goes to animal welfare. No paperwork, nothing. I said I'd buy a box on my way out of the village as I didn't want to carry it around as I was taking photographs. At this point the man got abusive, the woman prevented me photographing the kitten and off I went. I spoke to a veterinary nurse later - she is a lady who lives in the village. Like me, she thinks it's a total con. I can tell you it was a freezing cold day and not the weather for young animals to be stuck out like this in the wind.
Maybe it's a genuine welfare organisation - maybe some of our French readers will know better but I've seen just this exact same situation at other markets - very young puppies on display and the same variety of sweets. If it is genuine, then it might be helpful if the people were gentler and had some paperwork to prove their cause.
Regular readers of this blog will know the old man who sits under the 300 year old elm tree in Gorbio's square.
Sadly, Quintino is no more. He has passed on aged 93 and the village has lost one of its senior members.
Always wearing his cap, he'd politely lift it when greeted. He loved to sit under the tree watching the world go by and taking part in village life.
The beautiful old elm, planted in 1713, will miss him...and so will we.
(Click on the link to see an earlier photograph.)
The high seas caused all sorts of damage. Above you see the beach in Garavan, which is the beach nearest to Italy. You see the deck of one of the beach restaurants pretty much wrecked.
In the smaller photograph you can an enormous dip, where part of the pavement has disappeared - this, near to Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.
In Gorbio a couple of days ago, we had 15 minutes of hailstones, followed by rain which then promptly froze causing all manner of problems in the village. You can see a photograph by clicking on the link. The ice is still piled up at the sides of the roads - unusual - very unusual - here.
As I was parking the car I noticed this guy out at sea, waiting for a wave. Within a few seconds, he was up on the board, surfing beautifully towards the beach. I grabbed my camera but wasn't in time for the shot - just this as he walked up the beach.
It's rare to have weather like this - normally the Mediterranean is pretty calm. The surfer told me the day before there had been a swell of two metres but that on this day it wasn't quite so good. When the weather is right, he told me he normally surfs at Menton or along the coast at Villefranche, which is just before Nice.
On Sunday, we had rain, hailstones, sleet, snow and a fierce wind. The hills above Gorbio are covered in snow. Hailstones stopped traffic.
This photograph was taken yesterday where part of the road from Roquebrune to Menton is closed. A gorgeous day with spectacular seas. Compare it to yesterday's photograph - taken just a few yards further along the Promenade.
Tomorrow - come and see something I never expected to see in Menton...
And after that, we'll go back to The Chestnut Fête in Roquebrune village for a last look.
Once again it's Theme Day. Today's Theme is Circles/Spheres and here you see a couple having a picnic by the sea in Menton - the street lamp with it's large globes in view.
A few hours after taking this photograph, the globes were GONE - taken down, as you in the smaller photograph leaving space for Christmas decorations which we'll see another time.
Bloggers from 187 different cities around the world are taking part in today's Theme and will, I know, interpret this theme in a myriad of fascinating ways. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.
Friendly people, delicious galettes.
As you can see in the smaller photograph, you can buy a galette made of chestnut flour. In the old days - in days of poverty - chestnut flour was part of the staple diet when wheat and other flours were not available. I believe as recently as the Second World War and particularly in Italy.
This smiling lady is handicapped and selling her wares from a wheelchair. She told me she makes some of the little ornaments herself, others she buys to sell. She also promotes the magazine you see in the smaller photograph Handicap Aventure.
Her position amongst the other stallholders was half way up a very steep slope so someone had pushed her there. She joked about it. I'd love to have got a snap of her with a big grin as she only has one tooth, dead centre, in her upper jaw. A great lady and quite a character.
Garlic! Beautiful garlic. You'll see two types of garlic here - above you see 'Ail rose de Lautrec.' This is considered the crème de la crème of garlic. It was first grown in central Asia 5,000 years ago and in the 18th century, in Siberia, it was considered of such value that a tax was payable. Click on the link to read more.
In the lower photograph, you see the same variety on the right and a more common or garden variety on the left.
This is the lady who sells the lambs. She also sells chickens and guinea pigs. As Marie remarked yesterday, and I agree - hopefully they are not being sold to be eaten. Whilst Menton itself isn't 'country' - the hinterland above Menton most definitely is, so they'd be sold as stock (to be fattened and eaten) or perhaps even eaten as baby lamb. Hopefully people don't eat guinea pigs! (in the small photo they are about to get a chunk of baguette).
My neighbour keeps sheep as pets - he has one that is over 20 years old - I'd like to think this is the destiny of these lambs, but I'm not holding my breath.
At the Chestnut Fête, you get a good deal more than roast chestnuts and hot wine. There are lambs, guinea pigs and chickens for sale. You'll find stalls selling cheeses, breads, conserves, wonderful fresh garlic, walnuts, olives --- on and on.
Tomorrow, we'll meet the Lamb Lady.
The fires are ready and the chestnuts are roasting. In the main photograph, chestnuts are put in the drum and every so often you hear a most satisfying noise when the drum is turned. Clatter, clatter, clatter...
In the smaller photograph, you see chestnuts roasted in a more conventional way.
What appear to be old gas or oil containers - chopped in half - contain the fire.
This festival started in 1985 with 50 kilos of chestnuts. This year, with 2000 visitors, 350 kilos of chestnuts were roasted during the day.
Yesterday Roquebrune village held its annual Fête des Châtaignes (the Chestnut Fête) - with between 1500 and 2000 visitors arriving at the village to buy roasted chestnuts and sip hot wine or tequila.
But let's start at the beginning. The festivities start at 10 a.m. - I got there around 8.30 - so I could find a parking place. Later it would be impossible as the road to the village would be closed and I'd have had to wait for one of the specially run buses ferrying in the visitors.
And at 8.30 a.m. it was cold! These guys - members of Les Coqs Roquebrunois are preparing one of the braziers but also feeding the 'inner man.' Red wine, bread and salami.
In the smaller photograph, you'll see one of them is pointing at something. He wants his friends to look up at Mont Gros which is covered in snow.
Tomorrow - the roasting of the chestnuts.
