08 January 2008
07 January 2008
What's 'Jilly' in Arabic?
Posted by Jilly at 08:03 8 comments
Labels: Fêtes
06 January 2008
Concentration
This ice-rink had been installed, by the sea, as part of the Christmas/New Year facilities and as you can see Menton kids aren't natural skaters but they have a lot of fun trying. On the far side of the rink, you can see the Christmas market and in the background, the lower part of the Old Town with its steeples rising into the blue sky - yes, first blue sky for days after a week or more of rain. Oh happy day - this is what January is normally like in Menton. It's unusual to have had the amount of rain we've had this past week.
Today, I believe, is the last day of the Christmas/New Year market and facilities for the children.
Posted by Jilly at 16:46 7 comments
Labels: Fêtes
05 January 2008
Roquebrune village - 9
Posted by Jilly at 14:19 9 comments
04 January 2008
Roquebrune village - 8
Posting old doors is a good excuse to mention Marie from Montpellier's page of beautiful doors and arches.
Posted by Jilly at 09:52 9 comments
Labels: Doorways and Windows, Villages near to Menton: Roquebrune-cap-Martin
03 January 2008
Roquebrune village - 7
Posted by Jilly at 11:17 10 comments
Labels: Doorways and Windows, Villages near to Menton: Roquebrune-cap-Martin
02 January 2008
Roquebrune village - 6
The motif is by Simon Bussy (1870 - 1954), who was a lifelong friend of Matisse (a fellow pupil at art school) and through his marriage to Dorothy Strachey, brother of the writer Lytton, was on the fringes of the famous Bloomsbury circle. He was the teacher of Duncan Grant.
'Simon Bussy was five years younger than Dorothy, and the son of a shoemaker from the Jura town of Dole. Lady Strachey’s liberalism faltered at the sight of him actually cleaning up his plate with pieces of bread. The family drama "shook the regime of Lancaster Gate to its foundations" (Holroyd), and, despite the silent disapprobation of the older Stracheys, Dorothy remained determined to marry him with what her brother Lytton later called "extraordinary courage".'
Simon and Dorothy Bussy lived in Roquebrune in winter and spent their summers in England and Scotland.
Posted by Jilly at 08:30 6 comments
01 January 2008
Theme Day: photo of the year - 2007
My other choice was BEAUTY - I so love the colours. I really don't consider myself a 'proper photographer' (yet!) in a technical sense, as I use a simple point and shoot - and so if anything works it's down to the camera and luck and so much encouragement and great advice from so many of you - my fellow City Bloggers - THANK YOU SO MUCH.
HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone - and may all your dreams come true and all your photographs be PERFECT.
There are 118 Daily City Photo bloggers participating in today's Theme. Do please visit them - you'll see fabulous photographs from around the world.
Paris, France - London, England - Hyde, UK - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Grenoble, France - Stockholm, Sweden - Riga, Latvia - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Manila, Philippines - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Weston (FL), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - New Orleans (LA), USA - Wichita (KS), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - San Francisco (CA), USA - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Greenville (SC), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Mainz, Germany - Melbourne, Australia - Portland (OR), USA - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Toulouse, France - Naples (FL), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Brussels, Belgium - Stayton (OR), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Toruń, Poland - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Baziège, France - Nashville (TN), USA - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Chicago (IL), USA - Prescott (AZ), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Nottingham, UK - Moscow, Russia - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Evry, France - Trujillo, Peru - Arlington (VA), USA - Denpasar, Indonesia - American Fork (UT), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Coral Gables (FL), USA - Montpellier, France - Joplin (MO), USA - Pilisvörösvár, Hungary - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Boston (MA), USA - Torun, Poland - New York City (NY), USA - Dunedin (FL), USA - Quincy (MA), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Chateaubriant, France - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Jackson (MS), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Budapest, Hungary - Austin (TX), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Cypress (TX), USA - Bicheno, Australia - Wrocław, Poland - Brookville (OH), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - Cheltenham, UK - Wellington, New Zealand - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Mumbai (Maharashtra), India - London, UK - Haninge, Sweden - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Arradon, France - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Orlando (FL), USA - Mumbai, India - Terrell (TX), USA - Bogor, Indonesia - Delta (CO), USA - Radonvilliers, France - Saigon, Vietnam - San Diego (CA), USA - Adelaide (SA), Australia - Belgrade, Serbia - Auckland, New Zealand - Seguin (TX), USA - Inverness (IL), USA - Oslo, Norway - Singapore, Singapore - Las Vegas (NV), USA - New York City (NY), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Torino, Italy - Susanville (CA), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Memphis (Tennessee), USA
Posted by Jilly at 07:52 48 comments
Labels: Daily Photo Theme Day:
31 December 2007
Roquebrune village - 5
'The roots, like those of the Mathusalem de Provence, extend 20 meters in diameter. Olive trees were probably introduced to France by the Phœnicians 3000 years ago, but this tree was more likely planted by the Romans in the year 400.'
I also took the following information from a website called Venerable Trees of the Earth.
'The tree was, in the 19th century, the property of the Vial brothers, called 'the dragons, the loggers, bonesetters and poachers.' They were determined to cut it down but Gabriel Hanotaux, the French politician and historian (1853 - 1944) intervened. He happened to be passing and was entranced by the beauty of the tree and bought it from the Vial brothers. It still belongs to his descendants but it is the municipality who care for it.' There is a street in the village called avenue Gabriel Hanotaux - seemingly, he invited Clémenceau, Poincaré and Briand to admire the beauty of this olive tree.
The hanging cage, by the way, contains a crèche - Roquebrune village is famous for its beautiful and varied cribs at Christmas.
Posted by Jilly at 20:04 20 comments
30 December 2007
Roquebrune village - 4
Posted by Jilly at 09:38 12 comments
29 December 2007
Roquebrune village - 3
Rue Moncollet is the oldest street in the village and dates back to the 10th century. It's a long narrow street with stepped passageways and is filled with houses from the Middle Ages, many with barred windows.
We have walked just a few metres from the square we were in yesterday.
Posted by Jilly at 08:48 11 comments
28 December 2007
Roquebrune village - 2
You can see the Xth century château (we'll be visiting the château) built into the rock and below it, a restaurant called La Grotte. In shade and closed at the moment, the restaurant is totally carved out of the 'pudding' I spoke of yesterday, hence the name. Even the loo is carved into the rock! They make truly great pizzas at La Grotte and it's a really buzzing little restaurant/bar - and it's great fun, sitting outside under the awnings, eating and drinking with friends.
Behind us, and way below is the sea, with stunning panoramic views of Monaco, the Cabbé and Cap Martin. To our left is the hotel/restaurant, Les Deux Frères, which serves excellent food and is a great place to stay. Do come back tomorrow for more.
Posted by Jilly at 09:24 12 comments
27 December 2007
Roquebrune village - 1
Roquebrune village is built on a sand and pebble conglomerate from the Tertiary period. It's called the pudding and it appears very fragile and soft. However, it is amazingly strong. The whole village stands on this rock with no foundations, the tangled jigsaw of the buildings has held it all together for centuries.
There is a legend that the village of Roquebrune, clinging to the hillside, owes its survival to the fragile broom shrub which, in the 7th century, during a terrible earthquake, stopped its deadly pull towards the sea.
Do come back tomorrow when we'll be in the village itself.
Posted by Jilly at 11:25 12 comments
26 December 2007
Little Red Riding Hood
Posted by Jilly at 10:51 7 comments
Labels: Fêtes
25 December 2007
Joyeux Noel!
And pretend that he's a circus clown,
We'll have lots of fun with Mister Snowman,
Until the other kids knock him down.'
(Photo taken in the Jardin Bioves, Menton - where the whole area has been made into a Christmas Wonderland for children. )
Posted by Jilly at 10:52 15 comments
Labels: Fêtes
24 December 2007
Christmas Fair - rain!
Posted by Jilly at 12:48 12 comments
Labels: Markets
23 December 2007
Tai Chi
Posted by Jilly at 13:34 11 comments
Labels: Beach and Sea
22 December 2007
Give a dog a bone...
You can see what a beautiful face this dog has by clicking on the link.
Posted by Jilly at 08:31 10 comments
Labels: Dogs
21 December 2007
Christmas Fair - Santons
The santon comes from the Provençal santoun or 'little saint' and the figures became popular during the French Revolution when the churches were closed and the larger traditional nativity scenes in churches prohibited. Smaller figures began appearing in homes and quickly gained popularity.
You saw a different style of santon in yesterday's post.
Posted by Jilly at 16:13 11 comments
Labels: Markets
20 December 2007
Christmas Fair - La Cave de Gorbio
Posted by Jilly at 17:02 11 comments
Labels: Shopping