The Motorway Menders

Perhaps not your usual idyllic Menton image but a necessary part of life down here; mending the motorway. This is the main A8 autoroute that runs along the French Riviera into Italy. All the tunnels along the way are being renovated - a European directive since the Mont Blanc tunnel disaster in 1999, where tragically 41 people died - work that will take several more years to complete.

Here employees of Escota, the motorway company, are working on a part of the autoroute below the village of Gorbio and above Menton and just a few kilometres from the Italian border.

Barbecue on the Beach

Same beach as yesterday.

I'm pretty sure barbecues are not allowed on French beaches - certainly in Menton I've never seen one. What you don't see is a massive trailer parked to the left of the young man. We'd had a fairground in town and this trailer was one of the last remaining - perhaps this was a final meal before leaving?

Across the bay, we are looking at Italy.

Aloe! Aloe!

Plage des Sablettes and the aloes are in bloom. They line the edge of the beach and at this time of the year show us they are not just spikes and barbs.

Aloes are brilliant plants for our climate - there are many different varieties and like all succulents need little water. And some, like Aloe Vera, have medicinal uses.

The Kiss

As I walked towards the steps that lead to Place des Herbes from the market area, I saw this couple kiss. Now whilst I always have my camera ready, I was too late for the moment. So I asked them if they'd kiss again - and they did. Great people!

We chatted for a short while. They were visiting Menton from Lyon, where they live. Since then, I've sent them a copy of this photograph - and now, here you are again, Florence and Patrick. Come back to Menton soon!

Is not a kiss the very autograph of love? - Henry Finck

La Fête du Citron (Music of the World) - the Steeple

Our last day at the Fête du Citron. There are always more photographs but it's time to move on - other joys of Menton await.

The beautiful steeple of the Basilica (see small photo) is something I can never resist snapping - so here's the orange and lemon version. You can see the full version HERE.

Tomorrow - we leave the world of citrus and we see ... the Kiss.

La Fête du Citron (Music of the World) - the Firebird

From Brazil - a stunningly beautiful phoenix.

Tomorrow: our last day at the festival and one of my favourite photographs...

La Fête du Citron (Music of the World) - les Bottes

Last year we saw lots of nearly naked ladies at this festival, but this year the crowds were so huge, I'm afraid I gave up after half an hour - sorry guys.

Here's one shot I grabbed before leaving.

La Fête du Citron (Music of the World) - the Medieval SMS

If they'd had portable telephones in those days, I wonder what message he'd be texting?

_________________

“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?"

- Winnie the Pooh

La Fête du Citron (Music of the World) - a Violin amongst the Cabbages

As you enter the Jardins Bioves we see the vegetable gardens - each representing a different part of the orchestra: Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion.

Somehow, you don't expect to see a violin growing out the ground...

La Fête du Citron (Music of the World) - Bubbles

On the day I went to the Corso there were 24,999 other people there and no chance for me to get to the front of the crowd, hence a photograph like this - camera held high (I couldn't see a thing) and hope for the best.

"I wonder how much it would take to buy a soap bubble, if there were only one in the world."

- Mark Twain (1835-1910)

La Fête du Citron (Music of the World) - the Clef in the Olive Tree

As we walk around the Jardin Bioves looking at the enormous displays of orange and lemon sculptures, we suddenly see a music symbol - a clef in an olive tree. It would be easy to miss with all the colour elsewhere, yet I love that the designer thought to do this.

La Fête du Citron (Music of the World) - the Ladybird

Ladybird or Ladybug - perhaps it depends where you live. This little one got into the spirit of the Corso.

Ladybird ladybird fly away home,
Your house is on fire and your children are gone,
All except one and that's little Ann,
For she crept under the frying pan.

This nursery rhyme would be chanted by a small child when this pretty, little, inoffensive insect landed on their person. If the ladybird did not fly away of its own accord (and it was considered bad luck to kill a ladybird) the child would gently blow it away chanting "Ladybird Ladybird fly away home".

Ladybirds are useful as eaters of aphids, which would otherwise damage plants. Never ever kill a ladybird!

La Fête du Citron (Music of the World) - Feathers

It seems everyone at the Corso has a camera. The man shielding his eyes is shooting into full sun - hope the shot works...

Meanwhile the young girls wiggle their hips and their feathers.

La Fête du Citron (Music of the World) - the Stilt Walkers

Yesterday's performer was on stilts. You see her in the smaller photographer - she's the one in the centre. I thought it would be easy as you can see her height in relation to the top of the windows and shutters...but then I knew.

Thanks for all the guesses - Pasi from Finland got it right. Well done Pasi!

La Fête du Citron (Music of the World) - the Performer

We're back at the Corso (parade) today. Here you see one of the performers. There is something rather special about this person? Can you guess what it is?

All will be revealed tomorrow but in the meantime, why not hazard a guess...

La Fête du Citron (Music of the World) - Charleston

A car like this always makes me think of Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby - a novel, written in 1925 by one of the greatest writers ever.

The jazz age, charleston, prohibition - that's what this car, made by the Automobile Club of Menton, represents.

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

La Fête du Citron (Music of the World) - the Drum Sticks

I was rather taken with this young man's legs so thought you might be too! I presume those are drumsticks tucked in his boot.

In the smaller photo you see the young lady from yesterday. This beautifully dressed group is waiting for the Corso to start.

La Fête du Citron (Music of the World) - the Medieval Players

This beauty is part of a group, dressed in medieval costume, who play music and throw flags. They are from Cuneo, not far from Turin - in Italy.

Look at the quality of their clothes - fabulous fabrics and so beautifully made.

This was taken as I wandered around before the Corso (parade of floats) started - and actually the best time to get photographs, as on this day we ended up with 25,000 visitors.

Don't miss Bibi's post on A Yankee in Belgrade today. If you like dogs, you won't want to miss it.

La Fête du Citron (Music of the World) - French Cancan

We can't be in France and not have the music of French Cancan, can we? Here we see Montmartre's Moulin Rouge and as we walk around we notice Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is painting at his easel, the musicians are playing and La Goulou is dancing. Oh la la!

Today I'd like to introduce you to a fellow blogger, Catherine, who lives in Paris but visits Menton with her family during the school holidays. Her love of Menton is evident in her beautiful words and photographs. Do take a look - it's called The Five of Us. Scroll down to see her recent photographs.

Theme Day: Glass...in Gorbio

Today is Theme Day in the City Daily Photo community with today's subject being 'glass.' We are inside the restored medieval Château in the hill village of Gorbio, near to Menton. Here we see a 13th century gemeled window through a pane of glass as we look out over village roofs. This beautiful Château is now used as an exhibition space.

Over a hundred people will be posting their interpretation of today's theme - you'll find many wonderful photographs taken with imagination and flair. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

La Fête du Citron (Music of the World) - the Girl in the Green Dress

Today, we've joined the Corso and so have 25,000 other people so it's pretty crowded.

All the floats are made of oranges and lemons but we also see dancers, musicians, entertainers from many different countries. This young lady is part of a group from Brazil and her shoulders support a beautifully made display - see last photo. It can't be easy to support the weight, deal with that fan and smile at the same time.

The building you see in the background is the Anglican church in Menton.

Tomorrow is Theme Day in the City Daily Photo community - the subject is 'glass' - so we divert for one day but the Fête du Citron returns on Monday.

La Fête du Citron (Music of the World) - Polka & the Rubberbands

This is how the oranges are fixed to create the displays. You can just see the wire netting which has already been fixed to a massive iron framework.

The flecks of white on the oranges are bits of Silly String. This photograph was part of a float taken at the Corso (procession of floats) where the kids have the best time squirting it at each other and at the floats. After last year's parade, I read in Nice-Matin that this wasn't going to be allowed in future as it makes so much mess in the streets but that directive obviously never happened. Click HERE to see the mess last year.

On the left you see the display representing Polka - Russian dolls and a balaleika.

La Fête du Citron (Music of the World) - Jazz

Made of oranges and lemons, the Mississippi River Boat represents New Orleans jazz and plunges us into the world of Mark Twain and Tom Sawyer.

As you walk around the static displays in Jardin Bioves, you hear different music from each display.

Can you hear the jazz today?

La Fête du Citron (Music of the World) - Classical

It's February, there's nowhere to park, the hotels are full, so it must be the Lemon Festival! This year's theme is 'Music of the World' and here you see classical music represented by a replica of Menton's beautiful Basilique Saint Michael advertising the Festival of Music which takes place in August outside the Basilica in the Old Town.

On the left a violin - and of course everything is made of oranges and lemons.

This is the third year Menton Daily Photo has featured the Fête du Citron and I confess I rather wondered how enthusiastic I'd be. Would it be a case of seen one lemon, seen 'em all? But no, each year I'm surprised, each year there is so much to admire and the floats are so beautifully made. Menton is proud of its Lemon Festival and so am I.

I wrote at length about how the floats are made last year so if you are new to the blog perhaps click on this link to read more and perhaps continue looking at entries from February 2008. Suffice to say massive frames are made and then each lemon and orange is fixed to the frame with a rubber band. These are checked each day and any fruit that is rotting is replaced. Menton, with its micro-climate, is known as the citrus capital of France. Many streets are lined with orange trees and all are currently overflowing with fruit. The fruit for the festival though is imported from Spain.

Tomorrow: Jazz

Nathalie's Moveable Feast

Crazy fruit and vegetables in Menton's market. Nathalie from Avignon in Photos took this photograph on her recent visit to Menton (see yesterday's post).

Positioned above a fruit and vegetable stand is a long narrow distorting mirror. I must have walked past this stall a thousand times and never noticed the mirror, let alone the reflection - Nathalie saw it immediately!

Tomorrow - La Fête du Citron! - Menton's famous Lemon Festival.

Nathalie in Rue Longue

One of the many joys of being part of the City Daily Photo community is meeting other CDP bloggers. Already I've had the immense pleasure of meeting Fabrizio from Turin, Sally and her family from Sydney and the Benauts from Adelaide and recently I had a real treat when Nathalie from Avignon in Photos came to visit.

Nathalie has long inspired me. I love the detail in her work, I love her shadows and her reflections and her street art. I love her photography. Walking around with her was fascinating. Nathalie sees shadows and reflections before anything else. Earlier, I had told her there are no political posters in Menton - she found them here in Rue Longue!

Nathalie takes her time framing a shot. She knows when a shot won't work because the light is all wrong. We swapped cameras, we laughed, we had such fun.

The smaller photo is the scene Nathalie was photographing when I photographed her - a perfect example of what I mean when talking about her wonderful shadows. (Please click to enlarge) And for a Nathalie reflection go to Monte Carlo Daily Photo today.

And on Avignon in Photos today you'll find two photos Nathalie took of Gorbio village.

Embonpoint in the Sunshine

Enbonpoint - taken from the French 'en bon point' = in good condition. To see a Monte Carlo Gentleman's enbonpoint, do click on the link.

For anyone interested, there's an update today on Mistral and Mia on 'Postcards from Pension Milou.'

The Cat in the Olive Tree

This olive tree stands in the square at the top of Gorbio village. You can see the restored Château through the branches. At the top, a look-out with a to-die-for view of the Mediterranean. From the look-out, you see Italy to the left. Look right and there is Monaco. Spread out below is Menton and Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.

Meanwhile, the cat is content in the olive tree.