Yesterday was the last day of PhotoMenton and there was an enormous sale of second hand photo equipment - wonderful old cameras, lenses, even an old gramophones and lots of mad keen photographers.
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Hier, c'était le dernier jour de PhotoMenton et il y avait aussi une brocante: vente d'appareils de collection ou d'occasion - merveilleuses vieilles caméras, objectifs, même de vieux gramophones et beaucoup d' amateurs passionnés par ces objets.
'Tenderness is the repose of passion.' 
Today is the hundredth anniversary of the tragic death of two young people on the same day. The Cyrillic inscription on their grave in the Old Cemetery of Menton reads 'Above all, we do not complain. Our greatest wish was to be reunited for eternity and we are. '
Ernst Lentz with his fiancé, Hélène Angelson, travelled from Russia to Menton in the hope of curing his tuberculosis. He was very ill and it was a desperate last chance. Sadly his condition worsened, the lovers were married but Ernst did not survive the disease. Ernst died 100 years ago today and Helene committed suicide the same day. The were aged between 21 and 24 years.
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Aujourd'hui, c'est le centième anniversaire de la mort tragique de deux jeunes gens le même jour. Sur leur tombe, dans le vieux cimetière de Menton, l'inscription en cyrillique se traduit ainsi: 'Surtout ne nous plaignez pas. Notre voeu le plus cher était d'être réunis pour l'éternité et nous le sommes.' Ersnt Lentz, est venu de Russie à Menton avec sa fiancée Hélène Angelson dans l'espoir de guérir sa tuberculose. Il était très malade et c'était une dernière tentative désespérée pour guérir. Malheureusement son état s'est aggravé, les amoureux se sont mariés, mais Ernst n'a pas survécu à la maladie. Il est mort il y a cent ans aujourd'hui et Hélène s'est suicidée le même jour. Ils avaient entre 21 et 24 ans.
Several of you have asked to see my stand, so here it is - see below. All images are from Menton Daily Photo and a few from Monte Carlo Daily Photo. It's such a strange feeling seeing people look at your photos.
There are 120 photographers exhibiting and there are almost as many different styles of photography. One man has photographed a dead tree about 10 times - different seasons/times of day. Really fascinating and beautiful. Some photographers do quite abstract work, others show only reflections or shadows - all wonderful. There are portraits, landscapes, underwater photography, reportage/journalism and also some who invent images with Photoshop. All are interesting and all valid.
You will find more photos and the story of the PhotoMenton marathon by clicking on the blog of Louis-Paul.
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Je vous présente mon stand que plusieurs d'entre vous ont demandé à voir. Toutes les images sont de Menton Daily Photo et quelques-unes de Monte-Carlo Daily Photo. C'est un sentiment étrange de voir des gens regarder vos photos.
Il y a cent vingt photographes exposants et presque autant de styles différents de photographie. Ainsi, un arbre mort est présenté une dizaine de fois à différentes saisons et heures de la journée. C'est vraiment fascinant et magnifique. Certains photographes font un travail tout à fait abstrait, d'autres ne montrent que des reflets ou des ombres - C'est merveilleux. On découvre des portraits,des paysages, des photographies sous-marines, des reportages de journalisme et aussi du travail d'invention d' images avec Photoshop. Chaque stand présente une sensibilité intéressante et tous méritent leur place dans cette exposition.
It's fascinating to watch visitors looking at the photos. Some look but don't see. Others really look, absorb and think about it - like this lady. Love her boots!
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C'est fascinant d'observer les visiteurs passant devant les photos. Certains regardent mais ne voient pas. D'autres contemplent vraiment, l'air absorbé en réfléchissant au sujet, telle cette dame. J'adore ses bottes!
This is Valerie Catala Pilato, one of the 120 photographers exhibiting at PhotoMenton. She's just across from my stand so we get to chat quite a bit. A charming and talented young lady.
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Voici Valerie Catala Pilato, l'une des cent vingt photographes qui exposent à PhotoMenton. Elle est juste en face de mon stand ce qui nous permet de discuter un peu ensemble. C'est une jeune femme charmante et talentueuse.
The guest of honour at PhotoMenton this year is the celebrated French photographer, Lucien Clergue. His shots of nude women with zebra stripes on their bodies are famous around the world. Click on the link to read more.
Monsieur Clergue was a favourite photographer of Cocteau and Picasso, with whom he remained friends for 30 years. He is also the creator of the famous Arles photographic festival, Rencontres d'Arles. Here you see him signing some of his books before he gave a conference on Saturday afternoon.
In the smaller photo you see Monsieur Clergue alongside one of the 120 photographers exhibiting at the show, Philippe Battesti.
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Cette année, l'invité d'honneur à l'exposition PhotoMenton est le célèbre photographe français, Lucien Clergue. Ses clichés de femmes nues avec des zébrures sur leurs corps sont célèbres dans le monde entier. Cliquez sur le lien pour en savoir plus.
M. Clergue a été le photographe préféré de Cocteau et Picasso, avec qui il est resté ami pendant trente ans. Il est également le créateur du célèbre festival annuel de la photographie, les Rencontres d'Arles. Ici vous pouvez le voir dédicacer certains de ses livres avant de donner une conférence samedi après-midi.
The wind blows most of the clouds away leaving a wonderful light and colour.
Well, that was the other day... today it's cold, overcast and raining...
The bucket is heavy and the fisherman had to sit down to get his breath. I asked if I could take his photo and he agreed but I think he was too exhausted to smile.
From now on - see below - I'm going to try and publish in French as well as English. My friend and neighbour, Agnès has kindly agreed to correct my French. Every foreigner in France should have a neighbour as wonderful as Agnès.
No beautiful Menton today but the back of the railway lines and a sign telling the dogs where they can pee. And seemingly they can read but you'll be glad to know I cropped out the piles of dried up dog poop!
This guy is fishing near the point of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin with a view across to Menton and beyond to Italy. If you look carefully you can see the Old Town of Menton (see the church spires) just above the corner of the structure in the foreground.
This naughty pigeon has found something good to eat in these pots of herbs, on sale outside Menton's market.
What's all this about then? Feathers in a drainpipe on Rue Longue.
Are these home-made Christmas decorations (note the gold ribbon)...or is this a pigeon deterrent?
Yesterday was a joyously glorious day. It was windy and the colours were fabulous and look how the breaking waves echo the low clouds.
Is it any surprise that I LOVE Menton so much!
What I want to know is ... where did she brew the coffee in that espresso machine? No hotplates on the rocks at Cap Martin!
Swans live on rivers and lakes, don't they? I didn't know they swam on the sea.
This one was quietly swimming just off the Sablettes Beach.
You can see it just left of the base of the palm in the lower photo.
The Umbrella or Stone Pine is such a typically Mediterranean tree. You see a lot of them on Promenade Le Corbusier which is the beach walk between Cap Martin and Monaco. The tree's Latin name is Pinus Pinea and it produces the pine nut which of course is a major element in that wonderful sauce we eat on pasta called Pesto Alla Genovese. I usually buy my pesto sauce at Menton's market or across the border in Latte or Ventimiglia.
We've had three days of very heavy rain in the south of France. A deluge.
This shot though was taken a couple of weeks ago after a mere shower in comparison. We are in the centre of Place du Cap. Note the young man in an alcove on the left, sheltering from the rain that has just stopped.
Summer has gone and we've had two days and two nights of heavy rain - so obviously this is an archive photo. I love taking 'people' photos - they fascinate me - but why do so many young people look miserable?
Menton railway station, a homeless person asleep at the entrance and two ladies who didn't notice.
To see how other bloggers in the City Daily Photo community have interpreted today's theme of 'Public Transportation' please click here to view thumbnails for all participants
