Fête du Citron: Corso - what a mess!

Some of the floats have cannon that fires bubbles, foam, confetti - even water - at the crowd. In retaliation, everyone buys Silly String (thanks to Slim from Quincy DP who gave me the name). The mess is extraordinary and I read in Nice-Matin that the war of the mess may not happen next year. The dancers, the bands, the floats, the novelty acts: all get sprayed with this mess - a hazard they don't need when they give us all such a great parade.

A few more days and the Corso will be over - a few more pretty girls, a monster and then back to normal life in Menton.

Fête du Citron: Corso - Cancun, Mexico

Amongst all the jollity, a very serious young man - part of a wonderful marching band. They followed the Cuban float - but are they Cuban? A couple of girls carried a banner - you've seen enough girls lately! The banner blew in the wind and so I can only read the first letter - 'C.' So are they Cuban, Columbian or from Chile? A postcard from Menton to anyone who knows.

Later: I just had an email from a lady, from the UK, who was at the festival this year and she remembers the banner with the letter C - and also the design of a green crocodile which represents Cancun, Mexico. She also says these same sombreros are sold in the tourist shops in Cancun. So, many thanks, Sally - a postcard will soon be on its way to you.

Fête du Citron: Corso - Oooh la la! (3)

The Girls from Brazil - four beauties all at the same time. It seemed to me like a good deal until I noticed that making a collage chopped off the lower part of the legs. But then I figured you'd seen a pair of legs yesterday, so please - no complaints! If you didn't see yesterday's photograph, please click on the link to see the impossible shoes the girls have to wear.

The frames the girls are wearing are rigid - I stepped off the pavement at one point to take a photograph and got swiped in the shoulder - and it hurt. I hope you gentleman appreciate the things I do for you.

Fête du Citron: Corso - Oooh la la! (2)

Remember the beautiful Brazilian girl? (Click on link) These are the shoes the girls wear to walk the 3 kilometre Corso - and perform every few yards. If you guys are really good, I'll show you the rest tomorrow...

Fête du Citron: Corso - La Frustica

La Frustica is an Italian folklorique group. They've played in many places including New York. Click on this link to hear them on YouTube in New York City.

La Frustica started life with a small group of enthusiasts but has now grown to a very respectable size with a wind section and another section dedicated to typical local instruments, made out of a startling array of materials.

The Festival is extremely popular in Faleria, near Rome - their home base - a happy event with no social barriers or political content, a typical village celebration.

The orange and lemon float you see in the last photo represents Sicily.

Fête du Citron: Corso - Groupe Folklorique

Not all the entertainment comes from abroad. This is one of several folk groups from Menton. See the little boy on the right...he's trying to remove the plastic spray stuff that was aimed at him. The girls and ladies are wearing costumes representing the original Mentonnais clothes.

Fête du Citron: Corso - Pirates!

All the acts parade around the 3 kilometre circuit, stopping every 100 yards or so to perform. The pirates were great fun - much banging of drums, a sword fight which naturally the girl won to great applause! And a Johnny Depp (sort-of) lookalike too.

Fête du Citron: Corso - Clowns!

The clowns. The car has a mechanism that lifts the body up high, slopes it backwards, slopes it forwards. All great fun as the clowns fool around. You can see how the kids have had fun spraying the car with that plasticy spray stuff.

The beautiful girls will be back...

Fête du Citron: Corso - Oooh la la!

Each year, when the girls from Brazil appear, the crowd go wild. A couple of visitors were standing behind me and as the beautiful girls gyrated towards us (you'll see more photos of gyrations, guys!) the man kept saying: 'Oooh la la, Oooh...oooh la la! and more --- Oooh la la! He was beside himself. His wife and I laughed and I turned to him and said 'Calme-toi.' It didn't help.

Today is the first International Online Free Expression Day. Nathalie at the beautiful Avignon in Photos has written in detail on this. Please click on the Avignon link to read her post and how to Take Action.

Fête du Citron: Corso - Corsica

A wild boar represents Corsica in the parade. You might remember Corsica was also featured in the Jardin Biovès. Click on the link to see more.

In the smaller photo, you can see a young girl wearing Corsica's national costume.

Tomorrow? Oh la la......

Fête du Citron: Corso - Group in white

This group were charming - and their music. I wish I knew their name or even where they are from but I don't. Plaintive music accompanied the man rolling around on the ground but I don't know what it all meant. Wouldn't want his laundry bill.

If anyone knows of this group, do let me know.

Fête du Citron: Corso - Ostriches!

These ostriches moved so fast and were quite scary. Their heads would swoop about and suddenly descend on the crowd, grabbing someone's arm.

You can see they are getting sprayed with that sticky stuff from a spray can. The kids had a ball. So did the adults, come to think of it.

Fête du Citron: Corso - Confetti!

It wasn't until I read Fabrizio's Torino Daily Photo today that I realised it's International Women's Day. Takes a man...

And so, inspired by Fabrizio's beautiful photograph of a little girl (do click on the link) here you see fun and games with confetti at the Corso. May these girls grow up to achieve their full potential.

Tomorrow - meet the clowns!

Fête du Citron: Corso - Madagascar

This char (float) represents Madagascar. If you missed the earlier posts, you can read about how these floats are constructed at THIS LINK.

This year's festival - the 75th - has beaten all previous records with 250,000 visitors. The last 'best year' was in 2003 when the theme was 'Pinocchio.' In a few week's time, we'll know what next year's theme will be.

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:

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