Fête du Citron: Corso - Polynesia

During the nearly three week long Fête du Citron, there are three daytime Corsos (parades), two night-time Corsos and of course you can visit the Jardin Biovès to see the permanent displays, many of which we've already seen.

The Corsos consist of 10 chars (floats) made in the same way as the permanent displays - ie of lemons and oranges. They are each towed around the 3 kilometre route by a 4 x 4 vehicle. In addition to the floats, we'll be seeing 2000 musicians and dancers who have come from 20 different countries to perform.

In the top photograph you see some of the dancers preparing to perform. They are standing outside the beautiful English church in Menton which you can see if you click on the link. The small photograph shows the same beautiful girl performing later.

Below you see Polynesian musicians, followed by the dancers. The guys on the left holding stools follow them around as every few yards they stop, sit down and perform with their drums.

Fête du Citron - waiting for the Corso

So, here we are - waiting for it all to begin. We don't have tickets for the tiered seating so we'll be standing by the side of the road. I warn you - we need protective clothing. We are likely to be sprayed with water, bubbles, foam, tons of that stuff that comes out of spray cans and forms long dangly coloured sticky stuff on our hair - and confetti - buckets of the stuff that will be shot at us out of cannons. Are you game for it? If so, come back tomorrow - the Corso begins!

And it's not only people who are waiting for the Corso - Canelle is waiting too. Click on the link to take a look.

Walk to the Corso - 2

It's around 1.30 and we are walking to the Corso. Some people are lunching in a restaurant, some on the beach, some are simply sunbathing. These four photographs were taken with 15 minutes of each other yet people have rather different ideas as to how warm it is!

Walk to the Corso - 1

Let's go to the Corso. The Corso is the 'parade of floats' that is a big part of the Lemon Festival. I've never been before and didn't intend going this year but it was a lovely day and I had a feeling you might like to come along.

Parking is hopeless on Corso days so we've had to park a long way away and now we are walking by the sea to get to the Parade. This little girl threw stone after stone into the sea - quite big stones for a small child.

Did you throw stones into the sea or a river or a lake when you were a child?

Do come back tomorrow - we'll continue our walk along the seafront - until we reach the Corso and then we'll have fun.

Orchidée - 2

Following on from the posting a couple of days ago, here we are inside the Palais de l'Europe which is holding the Orchid Exhibition. You can see the outside of this beautiful building on the left.

The Palais de l'Europe was built in the neo-classic style
in 1909 - the architect being inspired by the great buildings of the 1850s - 1880s. It was originally the Kursaal Casino, the fourth casino to be built in the town. In those days opera, ballet and theatre companies performed for the delight of the visitors.

The building was acquired by the town at the end of the 1950s, and after 1961 was known as the Palais de l'Europe. Here you'll find the Tourist Office, the municipal library, a theatre, a gallery and exhibition halls.

Theme Day: Street Mural or Graffiti

Not Banksy, but I found no street murals in Menton. This is part of the revered French poet, Paul Valéry's famous poem 'Le Cimetière Marin' (The Graveyard by the Sea) and it's on a wall in the beautiful cemetery above the Old Town of Menton. You can read the poem in both French and in its English translation by C. Day Lewis. Just click on the link above.

"The quiet roof where dove-sails saunter by,
Between the pines, the tombs..."

There are 144 Daily Photo Bloggers participating in today's CDP Theme Day who would love you to visit them:

Adelaide, Australia by Gordon, Albuquerque (NM), USA by Helen, Aliso Viejo (CA), USA by Rodney, American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Athens, Greece by Debbie, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Bandung, Indonesia by Guntur Purwanto, Baziège, France by PaB, Belgrade, Serbia by BgdPic, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Boston (MA), USA by Fenix, Boston (MA), USA by Sarah, Whit, & Leyre, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Brighton, UK by Harvey, Bucaramanga, Colombia by Fernando, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Budapest, Hungary by Isadora, Buenos Aires, Argentina by Karine, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cape Town, South Africa by Kerry-Anne, Chandler (AZ), USA by Melindaduff, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chicago (IL), USA by U R us, Chicago (IL), USA by b.c., Christchurch, New Zealand by Michelle, Clearwater (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Clearwater Beach (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Cleveland (OH), USA by iBlowfish, Cologne, Germany by April11, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Detroit (MI), USA by Taittems, Dunedin (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, Evry, France by Olivier, Forks (WA), USA by Corinne, Glasgow, Scotland by Jackie, Greenville (SC), USA by Denton, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Guelph, Canada by Pat, Helsinki, Finland by Kaa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Hyde, UK by Gerald, Inverness (IL), USA by Neva, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Joplin (MO), USA by Victoria, Juneau (AK), USA by Gwyn, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, Kyoto, Japan by Tadamine, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Le Guilvinec, France by ds2944, Lisbon, Portugal by Sailor Girl, Lisbon, Portugal by Jsaltao, Lodz, Poland by ritalounge, London, UK by Ham, London, UK by Mo, Mainz, Germany by JB, Maple Ridge, Canada by Susan, Mazatlan, Mexico by Kate, Melbourne, Australia by Mblamo, Melbourne, Australia by John, Memphis (TN), USA by SouthernHeart, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico, Mexico by Poly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Montréal, Canada by Douber, Moscow, Russia by Irina, Mumbai, India by Kunalbhatia, Mumbai, India by MumbaiIteanu, Naples (FL), USA by Isabella, Nashville (TN), USA by Chris, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Orleans (LA), USA by steve buser, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK by Cassie & Chris, Niamey, Niger by Dinabee, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Nottingham, UK by Gail's Man, Ocean Township (NJ), USA by Josy, Paris, France by Eric, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia by Murphy_jay, Pilisvörösvár, Hungary by Elise, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Port Elizabeth, South Africa by Sam, Port Vila, Vanuatu by Mblamo, Prague, Czech Republic by Honza03, Quincy (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Radonvilliers, France by Deslilas, Riga, Latvia by Prokur, Rome, Italy by Giovanni, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Saint Paul (MN), USA by Kate, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation by Lark, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Diego (CA), USA by Felicia, San Diego (CA), USA by Zentmrs, Santa Fe (NM), USA by Randem, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Seguin (TX), USA by Thien, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Sharon (CT), USA by Jenny, Silver Spring (MD), USA by John, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, St Francis, South Africa by Sam, Stavanger, Norway by Tanty, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Sydney, Australia by Sally, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Terre Haute (IN), USA by Zann, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, The Hague, Netherlands by Lezard, Tokyo, Japan by Tadamine, Torun, Poland by Torun Observer, Toulouse, France by Julia, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina by Jazzy, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Wassenaar, Netherlands by Rich, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Paris (ME), USA by crittoria, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Wrocław, Poland by Loompi, Yardley (PA), USA by Mrlynn,

Orchidée

Across the road from the Fête du Citron is the Palais de l'Europe, which at the moment is hosting an exhibition of orchids. The exhibtion is free and is held each year at the same time as the Lemon Festival. There are hundreds and hundreds of different orchid displays - quite extraordinary and so beautiful. Here's just one variety.

Fête du Citron - shopping!

And so, we've visited the Fête du Citron - so what can we buy to take home? Well, unsurprisingly, all thing citrus - orange and lemon trees, mimosa trees, fridge magnets, postcards, conserves, lemon olive oil, citrus liqueurs - in particular, the delicious Limoncello - and of course - lemons and oranges. Thanks for visiting the festival with me. Come back again next year and we'll do it all over again but with a different theme.

Tomorrow, we'll pop across the road to the Palais de l'Europe where we'll pay a quick visit to the exhibition of orchids.

Fête du Citron - Adelaide

This little charmer is called Adelaide. She posed for her parents and just as they were done, I came along and wanted to take a photograph. It took three before she'd smile and even then she wouldn't look at the camera. Cute eh?

As you can see, we've sunshine but it's chilly - everyone wrapped up as if it's winter - which I suppose it is.

Fête du Citron - the visitors

Children being lined up by their teacher before walking around the exhibits. Note the trees: oranges don't just grow on the displays. Menton is not known as the City of Lemons (and oranges) for nothing.

In the photo above, you can perhaps see, amidst the light and shadow on the yellow hut, a poster. (Reproduced on the left) Presumably the number of oranges or lemons mentioned is the reward for finding the big bad pirate! These posters are everywhere at the Festival.

Fête du Citron - the Pirates' Boat

Where's Johnny Depp? Each of the designs at the festival is constructed, not only by the metal workers and gardeners but in the final states, the oranges and lemons are fixed by volunteers from various local towns and villages - in this case, the pirate ship was created by one of the local schools.

Fête du Citron - Replacing rotten citrus

Each day - and all day - of the festival, gardeners walk around the displays replacing any rotten fruit. You can see how fruit that has been removed has taken the impression of the rubber band used to fix it to the display. The lower right hand photo, by the way, represents a seashell from a tropical island.

When the event is over, the Department of Parks and Gardens is left with the daunting task of removing everything in 5 days, including redoing the lawn in the Biovès gardens and replacing the plants.

The citrus fruits which are still in good condition are sold off at token prices in front of the Palais de l'Europe for the pleasure of those who like to make jam, syrup, orange wine, etc.

Several varieties of lemons are grown in the Menton region: Santa Theresa, Villafranca, Eureka. The shape is more elliptical than round with a bright yellow colour. It's also characterised by very fructiferous branches bearing up to fifteen fruits, while there are less than five to a branch on most lemon trees. Research reveals that the lemon grown in the Menton region is rich in acid and essence, with a high essential oil content in the peel.

Tomorrow - pirates!

There is a new series starting today on Monte Carlo Daily Photo which features, each day, one of 35 works of art currently showing in the Casino Gardens on the subject of ecology and art. Today - the Octopus made of turf and rubber gloves. Do click on the link.

Fête du Citron - The Isle of the Lost - 2

Here's the same display we saw yesterday but taken from the top of the steps that dissect the Jardins Biovès. This perhaps shows even better the size of the dragon - seen in relation to people. As you can see, everyone is well wrapped up. Blue skies but still rather chilly for February in Menton although it's warmed up a little since I took this batch of photos.

Fénix asked how many Lemon Festivals I've visited and which one I've liked best. So time for a confession: I've lived in Menton for 17 years and last year was the first time I visited and even then, I only went so I could take photos for Menton Daily Photo! I'd seen photos each year in Nice-Matin - crowds of people in the streets watching the floats go by. Also photos of the permanent displays in these gardens. Somehow I didn't think I'd like it, didn't think I'd like massive crowds, thought it might all be rather trite. How wrong I was! I was surprised how fabulous it all is, how beautifully made the displays are and yes, the wonderful smells. Many people - probably the majority - come to Menton specially for the Festival and so there is a marvellous holiday atmosphere and I find I can pretend I'm not really taking a few hours off work but am on holiday too. It has that effect.

Last year's Theme was India and you can see photos of that by clicking on the Fête du Citron link on the right hand side of this blog. I wish, now, I'd seen the festival the year it featured Tintin and his dog, Milou.

Tomorrow - we'll see the rotten fruit being replaced and talk a little about the 'true' Menton lemon.

Fête du Citron - The Isle of the Lost

Here be dragons - well one dragon, to be precise, with a tail over 30 metres long. There's a damaged raft in his mouth, not to mention a frantic sailor. And this dragon roars - every minute or so - a massive great booming roar. I fell about with laughter and one of the guys who work all day replacing any damaged fruit, asked if I liked this year's display. 'Absolutely,' I said. And we stood together and looked at the dragon and listened to his roar and laughed more. You'll meet him one day when we'll see how he replaces the rotten fruit.

The City's Department of Parks and Gardens collects boxwood from the mountains and hinterland of Menton prior to the Festival. This is used for the contours of the decorations once the metal work has been built.

The statues and floats are covered with wire netting and 70 square metres of boxwood is braided into garlands. Then the lemons and oranges are attached to the netting with elastic bands - yellow and orange bands so they don't show too much. They used to use wire, until one of the gardeners had the idea of elastic bands, which doesn't damage the fruit as much.

Covering 1 square metre of wire netting requires 30 kilos of fruit, nearly 200 lemon and oranges. All the fruit -145 metric tons in all, is imported from Spain. It's delivered to Menton at the end of January and the work begins in early February. Menton cannot produce enough citrus for the festival. The elastic bands are imported from Taiwan and 500,000 of them are needed.

During the two or so weeks of the Lemon Festival, 80 people are involved. On the day before the inauguration, any damaged fruit is replaced. During the festival the rotten fruit is changed every day.

On the moveable floats, the fruit is covered by very fine wire so that spectators don't remove it as the float goes by!

Fête du Citron - Easter Island & Madagascar

Symbols from both Easter Island and Madagascar are represented in the same area. The tortoise moves his head back and forth, by the way. Or is he a turtle?

From models to metal 'skeletons' - how is it done? Once the models are selected, the construction of the metal structures is entrusted to specialised metalworkers. The challenge is to realise steel structures that are both sturdy enough to support the weight of the fruit (three to four metric tons per float) and flexible enough to bend with the movement. That's the reason why a total of nearly 15 metric tons of steel is needed. The Lemon Festival keeps three to four metal workers busy for five months.

In December, the Municipal Technical Centre starts building the stands for the parades and with the help of the Fire Department, erects the footbridge that joins the two areas of the Biovès gardens. (We'll be climbing that footbridge)

Tomorrow, we'll learn how they 'fruit' the decorations and floats.

Fête du Citron - Corsica

Today's float represents Corsica. Note the sanglier (wild boar) in the foreground. When you drive around the centre of Corsica you see families of wild boar wandering across the road.

In 1929, Menton, with its micro-climate, was the number one lemon-growing region in Europe. An hotelier had the excellent idea of organising an exhibition of flowers and citrus fruit in the gardens of the Hôtel Riviera. It was so successful that the following year, the event moved into the streets, with carts covered with orange and lemon trees along with beautiful local girls. Wishing to develop tourism, the municipality sought to give its Carnival a typically local colour - and so the Lemon festival was born in 1934. Two years later, the first exhibition of citrus fruit and flowers was launched in the Biovès gardens. Floats were designed and decorated with lemons and oranges. This has continued to this day and each year with a different theme.

If you look at the second photo, you can see how the lemons and oranges are fixed - with rubber bands. Tomorrow - another island - and we'll learn how the floats are constructed.

Fête du Citron - Tahiti

The Fete du Citron is held in February/March for nearly three weeks, each year with a different theme - this year Islands of the World. Today: Tahiti. Here we see the floats on permanent display in the Jardin Biovès but as well as this, there are 4 evenings when the gardens are open for a Jardins de Lumières display. I imagine these floats, lit at night, must be quite magical.

The biggest events tho are the corsos - which take place on specified nights and sometimes during the day. These are processions of moveable floats with bands, folklorique groups, drum majorettes and marching bands, not to mention pretty girls everywhere. Banked seating areas have already been erected throughout the town and have to be booked in advance. The Fête du Citron draws thousands and thousands of visitors from all over the world - and many more come into Menton for the parades.

Tomorrow - another island and we'll learn how the lemon entered the scene.

Fête du Citron - the entrance

Above: the entrance to the festival - Islands of the World. In the small photo you can see how it looked a few days ago - more like a scene from 'Company' than a Lemon Festival.

The Fete du Citron draws visitors from all over the world but it actually started in 1895 when a group of hoteliers, seeking a way of providing winter entertainment for the city, suggested to the municipality that there be a Carnival parade through the city. By 1896, the Carnival of Menton was as popular with the local population as with the rich winter visitors. At the time, it was fashionable to spend the winter months in the mild climate of the French Riviera. Kings, Queens, Princes, artist and performers stayed in the palaces of Menton, or had splendid villas built. The Carnival of 1882 was a memorable occasion, attended by Queen Victoria in person, and ending in a grandiose fireworks display on the Bay of Garavan.

Tomorrow, we enter - wonders await us - there be dragons and pirates...

To see Bully, the Pyrenean Shepherd Dog, who'll do a trick for you, click on the link.

Fête du Citron - preparation

Welcome to the 75th Fête du Citron in Menton. The theme of this year's festival is The World's Islands. Here you see work in progress on a part of the design over the entrance to the Jardin Biovès. Every single lemon or orange is fixed in place with its own rubber band.

A team of 300 are involved: citrus fruit growers, gardeners, artists, metal workers but they are helped by an enormous band of volunteers from various villages and towns along the coast. 500,000 elastic bands are used and 145 metric tons of citrus are required for the titanic task of creating the giant chars (floats) which we'll see over the next days. The number of hours worked: 20,000.

More tomorrow...

Château of Roquebrune - the castle cat

The castle cat usually sits on the windowsill of this small building which is where we came in and bought our tickets. I thank everyone who has taken this tour and stuck with me. You have stamina! Now, we are about to leave and I invite you to join me for a pizza and a pichet of wine at La Grotte in the village.

On the left a final look at this 10th century Château, which as you see rises up, as if produced from the rock itself. La Grotte is at the base of this rock, so we are not going far - just down to the main square.

And my second invitation - why it's the Fête du Citron in Menton. Tomorrow it's Oranges and Lemons time - come back and we'll have some fun.