Le Café du Vieux Port

Good Friday - last Friday, in fact. 10 a.m. Breakfast looking out over the old port.

Lucky Black Cat

This black cat sleeps all day on the rocks just the other side of the wall near to the Bastion. I've often seen him there and have photographed him and all I ever get is a silhouette because, as here, the light is wrong. I was watching him, looking at his world and thinking his cat-thoughts, when suddenly he got very animated when a lady and dog came along. The cat obviously loves the lady, the lady brings him food - her little bichon is quite happy about it all. And once our hero had finished his treats and been made a fuss of, he took himself off and sat a short distance away.

This was taken on my first day with the new camera, so I apologise for the shadow but it was 9 in the morning with the sun in quite the wrong place and I'd not yet mastered what this clever camera can do - still learning... That's Italy you see in the background, by the way.

Have you noticed we seem to be on a 'Wall by the Sea' series?

If you've been following the Art Series in the Casino Gardens on Monte Carlo Daily Photo - today is the final day. If you like gardens and if you like words, you'll love it! This is my absolute favourite of all the installations.

The Paraphernalia of a Picnic

People love sitting on the wall near to the Bastion. And how organised this couple are: rug to sit on, mugs, flask, looks like wooden plates, cutlery.

Personally I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of lugging all the paraphernalia. Great to sit on the wall and ponder the view but then I'd want to find a table outside a bar, order a noisette and a brioche sucré - and watch the world go by. Wouldn't do for us all to be the same, tho, would it?

A hodge-podge of colour

Part of the facade of the Old Town taken from the far side of this beach. I've photographed the Old Town from this position before - for instance the banner of this blog - but with the new camera I have a far stronger zoom. Still learning the camera tho but don't you love the hodge-podge of colours and shapes and levels? I was shooting pretty much against the sun and for some reason, the effect is a little washed out but I still love it. Do you?

Chico

It's not only people who like to sit by the sea in Menton. This little dog - his owner tells me he's a mixture of a Westie and something else - is called Chico. I think he looks a little like a paler version of Isabella's lovely Truffles (Naples Daily Photo) - Truffles is a Bichon Havernais.

Twenty seconds...

Kids are wonderful! Twenty seconds - exactly twenty seconds - separated the main photo from the smaller one. In the first, they are turned to each other - I wonder what they are giggling about. In the smaller photograph, they are ignoring each other. Click on the smaller pic to enlarge it.

Taken yesterday afternoon in Menton with my new camera: a Pansonic Lumix DMC-FZ18, which is a 'bridge' camera or an 'ultra-zoom.

I'd like to dedicate this post to Chuckeroon of Richmond upon Thames Daily Photo.

Chuckeroon has 'held my hand' over the choice of camera, he has answered endless emails and is still answering them. I have much to learn. I thank you so much for your time and expertise, Chuckeroon.

Happy Easter everyone!

Fête du Citron: Corso - Finale!

Our last day at the Corso. This is not a reprise - all these floats and dancers you've not seen before. The floats represent the Island of the Pirates, the Isle of the Rising Sun and and the Kiwi bird from New Zealand. The dancer in the second row is from Columbia and below her a Maori performer from New Zealand, giving us that 'look.'

There are still more acts, more dancers you've not seen, more marching bands, a Blues Brothers group, two more local folklorique groups and of course, girls, girls, girls. But enough already! There were three Corsos and we visited the final one on March 3. The Fête du Citron is over, the lemons and oranges have been sold off for juice, jams, jellies, wines and liqueurs. Even the orange trees in the streets of Menton are now being pruned - all 1400 of them. 40 municipal gardeners are hard at work.

Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to visit the Fête du Citron and of course, thankyou so much for your welcome comments.

So back to normal life in Menton tomorrow. There's so much to show you - more hill villages, joys across the border in Italy but now - I'm off to Menton with my new camera. Come back tomorrow and see what it produces. If I can make it work, that is!

The sun is shining over the sea - it looks like it will be a beautiful day - Happy Easter everyone!

Fête du Citron: Corso - Giants!

These giant creatures are motorized and whiz from one side of the street to the other at great speed, stopping just before they crash into the crowd. Scary stuff and possibly a little dangerous, hence the security man you see in the smaller photograph. There are half a dozen of these creatures - one naturally enough: a wild boar.

Tomorrow - the last day of the Corso. Do come back for the grand finale!

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.