Memories in the making

Fishing below the Old Town. A few minutes after I took this photograph, the little girl caught a fish. I think a lot of us have happy memories of fishing as a child. Do you?

(Thank you so much to everyone who has kindly posted comments whilst I've been away in England. I hope to catch up with your blogs today and tomorrow.)

17th Journées Méditerranéennes du Jardin - 3

Fun with a watering can in one of the fountains that were for sale at the recent plant fair in Menton.

17th Journées Méditerranéennes du Jardin - 2

Seller and buyer amidst a sea of colour at the recent plant fair in Menton.

Border town

This is the border between France and Italy, taken from the Italian side. The flat grey-roofed building is Italian - and just beyond, you can just see the top of a white-roofed building - the French one. These days cars generally go through without being stopped but much depends on your number plate and also if it's a Friday or not. On Fridays - market day in Ventimiglia - the police often stop cars to confiscate any 'copy handbags' or 'copy' anything else, come to that. Sometimes a holidaymaker will buy a pair of sunglasses from a street trader or a stall in Ventimiglia, not even realising they are perhaps a Gucci copy - and then, at the border, will find they have to pay a massive fine as well as having their new purchase taken away.

In the distance you see the port of Garavan and Menton Old Town.

Latte

We're across the border in Latte today, (Buongiorno Fabrizio!) Latte is the nearest village in Italy to Menton and just a bit before the main border town of Ventimiglia. I'd been shopping in the supermarket across the street and wandered across to take a photograph of this newspaper kiosk.

Woman in pink

Noisette at Restaurant Le Lido. A noisette is a small strong espresso with just a touch of milk. Sometimes the milk is served separately, as here - but more often it comes with just a little froth on top of the espresso. I adore the confidence of this woman and the stylish exhuberance of her clothes and hat.

Beach tree

One of the public beaches below the Old Town. Trees included.

(Am away for a few days but will still be posting each day. Really sorry tho I won't be able to Comment. Will catch up on your wonderful blogs on my return).

17th Journées Méditerranéennes du Jardin

Each year, two days are dedicated in September to a wonderful garden fair on the Esplanade Francis Palmero, below the Old Town. This photo shows one tiny part of it and I'll show more detailed joys of the plants and people in future postings. The place was packed, impossible to find a parking place -it's a hot day and the visitors are out in force.

Throughout the two days of the fair, there are guided visits to all the famous gardens of Menton. There are facilities for children to make flower hats, learn pottery or how to grow a vegetable. There's are displays of wondrous old cars by the Automobile Club of Menton (I'll show some of these too at a later date) but most of all there are plants and trees to buy - orchids, roses, palms, cycads, tillisandia, bulbs, trees, shrubs. There's a slight breeze and with it comes the wonderful aroma of rosemary, thyme and tuberose. Can you smell it?

Jean-Paul Lascaris

Castellar is a beautiful medieval perched village 6 kilometres north of Menton. I'll show you more photographs of this lovely village in future postings but wanted to post today as it's the 350th anniversary of the death of Jean-Paul Lascaris. You can see part of the baroque-style Lascaris palace , formerly the residence of the Counts of Lascaris, which dates back to the early 17th century. Jean-Paul Lascaris was born in Castellar in 1560 and died at the age of 97. He is particularly known for his contribution to the military history of Malta. This weekend Castellar has many celebrations in his honour.

Just plain pretty

So many pretty narrow streets in the Old Town.

Magie

Magic! It seems to be everywhere at the moment. Here's a stall in the night market doing a roaring trade. Eat in a restaurant and you'll have magicians around your table doing tricks and enthralling you. When I went to a dog show in the Vosges earlier this year, the cabaret was a magician. Is 'magic' popular in your city? or is this a French phenomenon? Maybe everyone wants to be Harry Potter?

The bay of Menton

The bay of Menton seen from a track below the village of Gorbio. This track is a nature trail created by the commune, following work on a road for the fire trucks. The trail leads right around the mountain from below Gorbio to the tennis courts of Roquebrune. I walked with friends - and dogs - this morning to show them MILOU'S BENCH.

Summer Nights - 2

A balmy summer evening - Place aux Herbes under the plane trees. Restaurants either side - Le Lido on the left, Le Balico on the right. Beautiful old buildings, musicians to entertain, good food and wine. Where are you? Menton!

Note: Since posting this, sadly Le Balico has been sold and is now under new management.

Oleanders

A pretty corner in the Old Town.

Waouff!

This photo had been one of my 'possibles' for yesterday's Theme Day. As I chose another photo, here it is a day late: a plea for people to clean up after their dogs.

Daily Photo Theme Day: Street Signs/Street Lights

Photo taken outside the Château, which stands at the top of the medieval hill village of Gorbio, near to Menton.

There are over 100 City Daily Photo bloggers participating in today's theme of Street Lights or Street Signs. Do take time to enjoy them:

Seattle (WA), USA - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Singapore, Singapore - Boston (MA), USA - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Kajang (Selangor), Malaysia - Mainz, Germany - Evry, France - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Sequim (WA), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Nottingham, UK - Toulouse, France - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Manila, Philippines - Mumbai, India - Montpellier, France - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Stayton (OR), USA - Moscow, Russia - Paris, France - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Austin (TX), USA - Lyon, France - Stockholm, Sweden - Hyde, UK - Hong Kong, China - Joplin (MO), USA - Seoul, South Korea - Chandler (AZ), USA - St. Louis (MO), USA - Arlington (VA), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Villigen, Switzerland - Sydney, Australia - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - San Diego (CA), USA - Bandung (West Java), Indonesia - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Nelson, New Zealand - Quincy (MA), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Bend (OR), USA - Wellington, New Zealand - New Orleans (LA), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Nashville (TN), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Detroit (MI), USA - Saigon, Vietnam - Selma (AL), USA - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Miami (FL), USA - Arradon, France - Sheki, Azerbaijan - New York City (NY), USA - Inverness (IL), usa - North Bay (ON), Canada - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Tenerife, Spain - Auckland, New Zealand - Forks (WA), USA - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Chateaubriant, France - Madison (WI), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Orlando (FL), USA - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Ajaccio, France - Baltimore (MD), USA - Crepy-en-Valois, France - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Budapest, Hungary - Lyon, France - Saarbrücken, Germany - Adelaide (SA), Australia - Le Guilvinec, France - River Falls (WI), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Naples (FL), USA - London, UK - La Antigua, Guatemala - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Paris, France - San Diego (CA), USA - Trujillo, Peru - Haninge, Sweden - Prague, Czech Republic - Oslo, Norway - Grenoble, France - Shanghai, China - Toronto (ON), Canada - Durban, South Africa - Zurich, Switzerland

Webb Ellis - Inventor of the game of Rugby - 2

This new statue of William Webb-Ellis, now stands outside one of the entrances to the old cemetery of Menton. Please look at this link to see an earlier posting of his actual grave and to read a lot more about the schoolboy who...

with a fine disregard for the rules of football as played at his time first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, thus originating the distinctive feature of the rugby game.'

Below you see number 24 of 25 panels that lead from the exhibition in the centre of town to the cemetery way at the top of the Old Town.

Rue Longue

This was taken in the lower part of the Old Town, in the rue Longue, this morning. We are almost at the archway which you can see taken from the other side - HERE.

Beauty

Turn the corner from the Place aux Herbes, look up, and this is what you see. So much of the Old Town is gaspingly beautiful. At least it is to me. Here, the juxtaposition of the lamp, those colours, the shutters, the climbing plant and the sign - it all works, doesn't it?

L'Exocet - 2

The season is almost over but in this photograph, taken three weeks ago, it was in full swing. Here you see diners eating at L'Exocet, right on the beach. The 'leg' you see running away is that of a young girl who has been washing her bathers under the beach shower. For a morning view of this same restaurant, please click on THIS LINK.