Village Wedding Revisited (43) - the Tomboy

All the children at the wedding were just delightful. French and Italian children are so much part of life here and are used to eating out with their parents so today was just another day, albeit a special one. Dare I say it, they know how to behave.

The adorable little girl in the middle of the photograph - you see her again on the left - turned up in many photographs. She had so much energy, she never stopped laughing, and she seemed to be everywhere. A little tomboy. Actually she reminded me of myself as a child!

I didn't know if there was a word for 'tomboy' in French and it appears to be garçon manqué but of course in English it can be used for a girl. Whether or not it is in French, I don't know.

And the beautiful child dressed in white - you can see her portrait HERE.

Update on Mama Mia and Mistral - please click on the link.

Village Wedding Revisited (42) - the Blond

As you probably gather, I just loved taking photographs at this wedding and one of the most interesting things was the diversity in guests. Compare this tanned gentleman, for instance, with his long blond streaked hair and relaxed form of dress and jewellry, with the bronzed gentleman shown four days ago.

Village Wedding Revisited (41) - the Chewing Gum

This is a tale of a lump of chewing gum.

This young couple - just look at her amazing shoes - are leaving the wedding. He stops (small photo) as he has 'something' on his shoe. That gets sorted and they continue. Kudos to her walking with those high heels on the cobblestones?

Village Wedding Revisited (40) - the Thoughtful Husband

Do you remember the mother helping her child to drink - a glass in each hand? (see photo on left)

How does such a Maman get something to eat? Easy - along comes the helpful husband, ready to feed his wife a tasty goody - you see this in the B & W pic and also in the last one.

Note the area specially created for the children.

Village Wedding Revisited (39) - Girl Talk

Two friends catching up - girl talk.

In the smaller photograph, I wonder what fascinating snippet of information is being discussed. You can almost hear this beauty saying - in French, of course - C'est pas vrai! - Oh, no!

Village Wedding Revisited (38) - Bronzé

Good looking, sun tanned, smartly dressed - a guest at the wedding...but does he bite his fingernails?

Village Wedding Revisited (37) - the Football

At a village wedding, life goes on around it. Here you see the bride and groom walking up the village to change their clothes for the main reception later. Ahead, a village dog, and on the right, a football is held steady. Outside the church village children play with the rose petal confetti and perhaps dream of the day when it will be their turn.

Village Wedding Revisited (36) - the Father of the Bride

Everyone is pouring out of the church and then turning to await the appearance of the bride and groom. The gentleman with the buttonhole is the father of the bride. Don't you love his expression? He is positively bursting with pride and justifiably so. And don't you think he could play Hercule Poirot?

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Results of the Caption Competition from two days ago. It was so difficult to choose a winner, because all the Captions were good and made me laugh. In the end I chose two different ways of interpreting what the boy might have said.

One is Marley from Cheltenham Daily Photo, who wrote: "Fancy giving that a go?" I liked the brevity of this - just an aside, as it were. It seemed to go with the boy's expression.

The second is Kate from Visual St. Paul, who perhaps got to the essence of what a child would really say with her choice - "Oh, gross."

A postcard of Menton will soon be on its way to Marley and Kate. Thanks so much to everyone who commented.

Village Wedding Revisited (35) - the Second Onlooker

You can see in the smaller photograph what a marvellous view this man has - see his window very high on the right?

There was another onlooker at the wedding - remember the old lady with the painful hands? Click on the link to view.

Caption Competition from yesterday - results tomorrow.

Update on Mama Mia and Mistral on Postcards from 'Pension Milou' today.

Village Wedding Revisited (34) - the Kiss + Caption Competition!

The kiss outside the church.

Look at the young man in the white suit just behind the bride and groom. What is he saying to the young lady in the pink dress? A postcard from Menton for the best answer.

You can see another photograph of this young man, who incidentally had a broken foot. Please click on the link.

Results of the Caption Competition. Please click on the link.

Village Wedding Revisited (33) - Little Girls' Games

Games at the entrance to the village. The bride and groom at about to climb the village to change ready for the main reception later at Cap d'Ail.

Tomorrow - the Kiss

Village Wedding Revisited (32) - Throwing the Bouquet

Un, deux, trois - wheeeeee - the bride throws a wedding bouquet. In fact, there are two bouquets because her mother (the lady with the hat) is holding the bride's bouquet for a few moments.

In the smaller photograph, everyone looks delighted to see who has caught it. I believe it means the young lady will be the next to be married and I suspect the bride threw her bouquet with great attention as to where it landed!

Village Wedding Revisited (31) - Flight of the Rose Petals

Meet the bride and groom again - this time deluged with rose petals.

A short time after the wedding they kindly emailed me, saying how much they enjoyed the photographs. I hope you enjoy these too, Patricia and Walter.

Village Wedding Revisited (30) - Rose Petals, the Mayor & the Cool Guy

In the UK, when a couple are married, they walk down the aisle with 'Here Comes the Bride' blasting out from the organ. They smile at everyone sitting in the pews on either side as they exit the church. In France, all the people leave the church first and just outside the door, they are offered handfuls of rose petals to throw over the bride and groom when they appear.

In the main photo, you see a lady with baskets of rose petals. On the right of the photo, in the dark suit, is the Mayor of Gorbio. I adore our mayor. He's an artist of considerable repute and he does so much for the village, in particular, putting on many cultural events. It's not usual to see him sitting in the bar, his jeans covered in paint, whilst he puts the world to rights with friends.

In the smaller photograph, you see guests ready with rose petals in their hands.

Note the gentleman on left in the main photo wearing the white suit - he's the Cool Guy. Click on the link.

Village Wedding Revisited (29) - the Handsome Couple

Remember the village wedding in Gorbio? Yesterday's photograph of little Lisa was taken that day and it reminded me I have so many more photographs, not yet shown. As it was, I posted for 28 days - please look at June/July if you missed it.

At the time I thought I'd posted enough but I know it was a well-received series - so let's go back and meet a few more people. Anyway, isn't it a nice way to start the New Year?

Here are a most handsome young couple amongst the crowd outside the church after the ceremony.

Theme Day - Best Photo of 2008

Today, being the first of the month, it's Theme Day for the City Daily Photo family and today's Theme is 'Best Photo of 2008.'

The beautiful steeples of the Old Town of Menton are something I love to photograph (see smaller photo) but it's 'people' pics that seem to tell a story. The main photograph shows the beautiful Medieval village of Gorbio and a little girl, Lisa, who knows it well - no fear as she runs into what seems like a dark hole. This is one of the 'Village Wedding' series posted in June. Yesterday, I found so many shots I didn't use, so from tomorrow perhaps we'll revisit the wedding for a few days.

Today's post is dedicated to a fellow CDP blogger (he knows who he is) who, by email, has endlessly and patiently helped me with photographic advice and encouragement over the last year or so - without you, bla bla.

Happy New Year to everyone and thank you to all the friends I've met through blogging - let's hope that 2009 brings a more peaceful world.

To view other City Daily Photo bloggers' favourite Photo of the Year - and you'll see some fabulous photographs, I know - Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

For an update on the continuing story of Mistral and Mia, the Hell Hole dogs - which is getting better by the minute - please click on the link.

A Winter Swim

Brrrrr.... rather him than me! I called out and asked if it was cold and he replied it was wonderful!

Have a great New Year's Eve everyone.

For an update on Mistral and Mama Mia, the Hell Hole dogs who arrived at Pension Milou yesterday - please click on the link.

Graffiti in the Old Town

Yes...well I wish I wasn't showing you these photographs. Graffiti in the old town - in the Places des Fours (that's where the bread oven would once have been found).

I took the photo at the beginning of December but today, in Nice-Matin, the square is featured with the words 'Sad decoration for Christmas.' Too right. Hopefully now that it's had some publicity, it will be cleaned up.

For anyone interested, today is a BIG DAY at Pension Milou as we are adopting two dogs rescued from a Hell Hole. Shut in a roughly 2 metre square run for 8 years, never let out and never cleaned out. Yes, living on 8 years of excrement. They were lifted out of there yesterday and are currently en route to me from the Languedoc - should be here in a few hours! Obviously, I've not met them - the first dogs given a home by email! If you want to follow the excitement please read more on Postcards from 'Pension Milou.'

The Old Town - Gourds

One tumbled, decorated gourd. Next time I walked past this window, the gourd had been put back in its proper place.

What is a gourd? Click on the link.

A Menton Christmas - the Postman's Keys

Yesterday, we saw a big bunch of keys in the postman's hand.

In the Old Town, many of the old narrow houses have been transformed into apartments, with the mailboxes just inside the main door or gate. For security, these doors are kept shut, hence the postman has to open each door or gate with one of his many keys.

In the main photo, he is closing one of the gates - he'll then cross the street and climb the steps to the gate you see on the left. In the smaller photo, he unlocks a door.

Delivering mail in the Old Town is no mean feat with much walking and many steps to climb.

A Menton Christmas - the Postman

The local postman on Rue Longue in the Old Town of Menton. At last, after months and months of work, most of the street is paved - but still much work to do.

The lady is getting money from her purse - perhaps a Christmas tip but unlikely as normally the postmen and women come around with calenders, enabling us to buy one and at the same time, give as much or as little as we wish. My post lady, Crystelle is fabulous. She'll phone me from her portable to check if I'm in for a parcel and then she'll lug it down the track. How's that for good service!

Note the keys in the postman's hand. Come back tomorrow to see where he uses them.

A Menton Christmas - the Snooze

Whilst everyone else was rushing about preparing for Christmas, this gentleman was taking a snooze in the sunshine.

After yesterday's excesses, it's perhaps what we should all be doing today...

A Menton Christmas - Merry Christmas!

Climbing Santas in the medieval hilltop village of Gorbio, near to Menton.

Merry Christmas everyone!

A Menton Christmas - Where art thou, Mother Christmas?

Not a sexy Mother Christmas outfit (although doubtless that too) but a display to show off jewelry for sale in the small Wednesday market of Carnoles, near to Menton.

Where art thou, Mother Christmas?


Where are thou, Mother Christmas?
I only wish I knew
Why Father should get all the praise
And no-one mentions me.

I'll bet you buy the presents
And wrap them large and small
While all the time that rotten swine
Pretends he's done it all.

So Hail to Mother Christmas
Who shoulders all the work
And down with Father Christmas
That unmitigated jerk.

- Roald Dahl

This poem was published as a charity Christmas card to benefit the wonderful Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital in London.

A Menton Christmas - the Moose

'Of all the wonders of nature, a tree in summer is perhaps the most remarkable; with the possible exception of a moose singing "Embraceable You" in spats.'

- Woody Allen

A Menton Christmas - a Little TOO Perfect?

Is it the European Union's fault? All fruit must be of a specific size - and of course tasting of absolutely nothing?

Well no, as you have doubtless realised, these are all CANDLES...for sale in a shop in the pedestrian street of Menton.

A Menton Christmas - the Reflection

'Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads'

- Henry David Thoreau

A Menton Christmas - Mother and daughter

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?

A Menton Christmas - Maman, les p'tits bateaux

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.)

Maman les p'tits bateaux
Qui vont sur l'eau ont-ils des jambes ?
Mais oui mon gros bêta
S'ils n'en avaient pas
Ils ne march'raient pas
Va quand tu seras grand
Tu f'ras le tour du monde
Tu reviendras sûrement
Embrasser ta maman

Allant droit devant eux,
Ils font le tour de monde,
Et comme la terre est ronde
Ils reviennent chez eux.