The stall holders in Gorbio are getting ready for the day. This lady will be selling products made from huile d'Argan (argan oil) and as you see, she's having a fair amount of trouble fixing her publicity material. In the last photo, she's waiting for a fellow stall holder to give her a pin or clip to fix it.
Argan Oil comes from the seed of a Moroccan tree called arganier spinosa - you can read about its properties by clicking on the link.
It's not often you see donkeys in Gorbio village - or good looking donkey handlers, come to that.
The occasion was the recent Fête de la Branda and this year the organisers planned an animal area at the top of the village in front of the Château.
Makes you think of how it would have been in medieval times, as you hear the clip-clop, clip-clop of the donkeys' feet on the ancient cobbles - a sound I just love.
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved.
A young Alain Delon on the cover of a book and a pretty young girl lunching at Le Balico in Menton. I love that the patron displays interesting books around the tables.
Note: Since posting this, sadly Le Balico has been sold and is now under new management and with different decor.
A metre or so along from yesterday's lady on a bench is this tree - behind it, the sea. Looking at the flower I thought it must be an orchid tree - a Bauhinia - but the leaves are not Bauhinia leaves and the flower is more rigid. Does anyone know what it is?
P.S: Thanks so much to Semi who left a comment that this is Chorisia Speciosa.
We're back in Menton just in front of the market building. (This was taken 9 days ago -it's a little chillier now)
Presumably these are children's toys. In this climate, pegs don't need to be kept warm, so yes, they must be toys...
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
We're back at the Friday market in Ventimiglia today. So many of the stallholders have dogs. This one, a French bulldog called Emilia looks most indignant at having her photograph taken and her owner looks somewhat bemused.
They live in San Remo, just along the Ligurian coast from Ventimiglia.
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
If you didn't care for yesterday's tentacles, today we have fish - all sorts of fish and all so fresh. And in the smaller photo - shellfish with amazing eyes, if indeed they are eyes and not a pattern as on a peacock feather?
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
We're in the Fish section of Ventimiglia's main covered market (fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, flowers) which is in the centre of the town - not far, though, from the famous Friday market.
We're in the fish section. Squid (calamari), octopus (polpi) and cuttlefish (seppie). Hard to imagine Italian cooking without them.
Do you like octopus , squid and cuttlefish?
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
It's 10.30 a.m at a restaurant opposite Ventimiglia's Friday market. Empty tables. Too early for lunch.
No one notices these two as everyone is busy shopping.
Wild kittens under the footbridge we saw the other day. Mother cat looks up, never taking her eyes off them.
People had thrown down food and one lady stood for at least half an hour just staring at them.
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
You want a scarf? They have a scarf. One of the many stalls in Ventimiglia's market.
In the smaller photo, a small part of the market, before it got busy.
The market is huge. It starts at the main bridge, runs alongside the river until it meets the sea and then continues for a long way along the beaches. It has a large section going inland too. When it gets busy you can barely move. All part of the fun.
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
Ventimiglia's Friday market is famous. There are acres of stalls selling everything you can imagine from sundried tomatoes and parmesan cheese to handbags, shoes, clothes, table-clothes, coffee machine - I could go on and on - as does the market.
Gone though are the days of picking up a 'copy' handbag - a fake Gucci or Chanel. You used to be able to go to a specific stall and hidden under the counter were the fakes, and very good they were too. Now, the police have really tightened up on this and it's not only the sellers that get in trouble. If you buy a copy handbag and are stopped at the border, beware...you will get a massive fine.
In this photo, you'll see all sorts of table linen for sale and just beyond, a stall selling kitchen appliances.
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
We are on the same foot bridge as yesterday - this time facing the sea.
Do take a look at Catherine's blog The Five of Us for something most unusual on this footbridge. Welcome back to blogging, Catherine. You have been very much missed.
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
Ventimiglia is just 7 kilometres from Menton, across the border into Liguria, Italy. First stop is the small village of Latte, and next the town of Ventimiglia which has an amazing Friday market. People come from miles around to this market and over the next few days we'll take a look.
When you live in a border town like Menton it's as easy to hop across the border to shop, as to go to the local supermarket. I often shop in Latte or Ventimiglia.
We are standing on the footbridge which crosses the river, looking upstream from the sea towards the Old Town and the valley of the Roya.
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
A wire fence in the medieval village of Gorbio.
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
We've found an outside table in a small bar in a side street of Ventimiglia. We're drinking a glass of rosé and are waiting on our bruschetta to arrive when who should come along but the accordionist we met yesterday.
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
We are in Ventimiglia in Italy today - just across the border. This accordionist is about to walk around the bars and restaurants where he'll play and then hope for a few coins.
Remember those distorting mirrors at the Fun Fairs? The slim lady on the left is somewhat larger on the right...
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
October and still so many people. Visitors, locals, all out shopping, busy and living their lives.
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
It's Theme Day once again and the subject is 'Contrast.' Here we have the contrast of a medieval man and his modern daughter and of course, the contrasts in the photo itself - taken at the Procession Votive in Roquebrune Village. Papa played a scribe.
To read the history of the Procession Votive which dates back to 1467, please click on the link.
Don't miss other CDP bloggers take on this Theme - well over 100. You'll love the incredible talent and imagination that speaks of the CDP community. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.
"Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together"
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
We are standing not far from the Italian border looking towards the Old Town of Menton. This little bay provides protection from jellyfish with a net and the man in the boat is checking to ensure there are no holes in the netting and that the water is clean.
Veolia is the name of the water company - provider of household water but also in charge of keeping the sea clean.
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
The procession is over. I made my way through the crowds and started walking down the donkey track to Menton and there, alone, I saw this man taking a rest, leaning against the village walls. He looked pensive and interestingly wasn't wearing the bright colours of the other participants. 'What part did you take?' I asked. 'Joseph of Arimathea,' he said.
Joseph of Arimathea is apparently the man who donated his prepared tomb for the burial of Jesus. Click to read more.
If you've come to this series for the first time today, please click to read the history of the Procession Votive which dates back to 1467.
This the last day of the Procession Votive -thankyou so much to everyone who followed the procession with me.
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
The procession is over. Time for a welcome bottle of water, to chat, to relax, to reflect on a job well done. Note the helmet stuffed with newspaper in the smaller photo.
This chapel is tiny. Really. A few steps and you've covered the width or length of it, Take a look at the exterior in yesterday's post. And of course it was crowded with people, not a chance of using a tripod of even resting the camera somewhere.
So here it is. Frescoes everywhere. I love it. Do you?
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
La Chapelle de la Pausa is where the Procession Votive ends. I took these photos earlier in the day, the iron gate to this tiny chapel is closed but it's been decorated with bunches of flowers to celebrate the occasion. The chapel was built in the 15th century at the time of the plague of 1467 and in response to the prayers of the village being answered. The plague passed them by.
I've walked past this chapel hundreds and hundreds of times and have never been able to gain access to see the beautiful frescoes that we can almost see beyond the iron gates.
Tomorrow - the gates are opened and we enter.
If you've come to this series for the first time today, please click to read the history of the Procession Votive which dates back to 1467.
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
The Procession Votive has arrived at the Chapelle de la Pausa - see smaller photo.
Today, another look at the rather wonderful golden effigy. In previous posts we've seen it from the rear.
If you've come to this series for the first time today, please click to read the history of the Procession Votive which dates back to 1467.
Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved
The Procession Votive, followed by villagers and visitors, is now on the final push towards the Chapelle de la Pausa.
If you've come to this series for the first time today, please click to read the history of the Procession Votive which dates back to 1467.
