22 October 2008

Fête de la Branda - the Baker


Real bread and a wonderful baker - he looks more like a college professor than a baker, doesn't he? His gentle smile never left his face.

21 October 2008

Fête de la Branda - the Musician's Lunch


Lunch break. A musician, a baguette sandwich - and an impressive moustache.

20 October 2008

Fête de la Branda - Socca 2


Socca is a type of crepe made from a batter of chickpea flour, olive oil, water, salt and pepper. When it's cooked (this oven is wood-fired) the socca is cut into pieces with a pizza wheel and then wrapped in paper - or placed on a paper plate. As you can see in the last photo, there was a long queue in the village to buy this traditional dish. It's eaten with the fingers.

Some socca ovens are bigger than this one and take a one-metre diameter cast iron pan - then the cooked socca obviously feeds quite a few people.

From Provence Beyond: 'Socca and Cade are Provençal pancakes that go back at least to 1860. Cade de Toulon, probably the most ancient, was made from corn flour and the Socca de Nice that evolved from it is made from chick-pea flour. The Marseilles version is today made with a mixture of flours, using only a small amount of chick-pea flour; in Marseilles this was called "tourta tota cada", meaning "tourte toute chaude", or nice hot tarts. It was mentioned in 1879 by Frédéric Mistral as "gâteau de farine de maïs qu'on vend par tranches à Marseille" (or in the vulgar tongue "corn-flour cake sold by the slice in Marseilles").

In that ancient time, there were cade/socca sellers at the marchés and at work sites where they provided the favorite morning meal of the workers. The cade/socca sellers used special wagons with built-in charcoal ovens to keep their wares hot while they announced them with the appropriate cries of "cada, cada, cada" or "socca, socca, socca caouda". Some of the ambulatory socca/cade sellers (or their descendents) are still to be found in the markets at Nice, Toulon and la Seyne-sur-Mer, where the slices are served in paper cones.'

And in Gorbio...

19 October 2008

Fête de la Branda - Socca


A speciality of south-eastern France, especially around Nice. It's 10.30h at the Fête de la Branda and the socca oven is already in operation. Later, at lunchtime, there will be a long queue of hungry visitors.

Socca is a sort of crepe made with chickpea flour and olive oil and it's delicious. Come back tomorrow and we'll see exactly how it's made.

18 October 2008

Fête de la Branda - the Woodturner


Concentration and skill - this woodturner is giving a demonstration of his art. Alongside you see some of the beautiful things he has for sale - probably all made of olive wood.

Work is much more fun than fun - Noel Coward

17 October 2008

Fête de la Branda - the Kitten


Everyone comes to the Fete. Here's one much-loved kitten on a lead. Youmi is 5 months old and was visiting from La Turbie, the hill village above Monaco.




16 October 2008

La Fête de la Branda - Charcuterie


Cholesterol!

Charcuterie - mostly made from pork although the products in the smaller photograph are made from sanglier (wild boar). The hunters are out right now - every day I hear gunshots down the valley.

15 October 2008

La Fête de la Branda - the Blue Dress


For sale in the village - a child's blue dress. In the smaller photograph, perhaps an interested buyer?


14 October 2008

La Fête de la Branda - Vide Grenier




Vide grenier - literally 'empty the attic.' Perhaps we'd call it a bric-a-brac sale or a garage sale.

You might recognise this square - the church is to the left and recently I posted a photograph of a brass hand (door knob) and the next day the door and facade. It's the same door you see on the left. Click on the link to see how different it looks without the children's clothes and toys.

13 October 2008

La Fête de la Branda - Applause


Applause for the musicians.

12 October 2008

La Fête de la Branda - the Gourd



Perhaps the strangest instrument. This lady is playing what I presume is a gourd. At the beginning of the day this group - Le Ravanet Club - walked all through the village, stopping at various places and playing to the sellers of cheeses, breads, olives etc - they played to the people running the bric-a-brac stands, they entered the village gift shop and played. All great fun.

11 October 2008

La Fête de la Branda - the Musicians


La Fête de la Branda in Gorbio is always a great day out. Here you see a group of musicians called Le Ravanet Club - they play extraordinary instruments as you see and make - well - a noise - and it's all great fun. Do come back tomorrow to see the weirdest instrument of all.

10 October 2008

La Fête de la Branda - the Still


Each October you'll find the Fête de la Branda in Gorbio village. Branda is the Provençal word for marc, the marc de Provence, which actually has two meanings: either the fermented grape pulp, seeds, and stems that remain after the grapes are pressed for their juice, or the actual potent distilled alcohol. You can read more by clicking on last year's link.

Above is one of the two stills. The small photograph on the left shows the fermented grape pulp after distillation.

Tomorrow we'll wander about the village and see what else is going on...if we can stay upright, that is. The Branda is strong stuff.

09 October 2008

Autumn - the Sunbather


Even on a windy day you can find a sheltered part of a beach in Menton. This was taken only 20 minutes before the 'windy' photo I posted two days ago.

08 October 2008

Autumn - the Catamaran


A catamaran on the beach just along from the Sablettes. This is at the foot of the Old Town.

My photography book says 'never have the horizon in the centre of a photograph.' So, when I looked at this on the screen I hesitated, but rules are made to be broken. I wanted to show you the shadows on the beach and I wanted you to see that blue sky - so...

07 October 2008

Autumn - the Wind


Lunchtime. The main restaurant is on the left of this photograph, by the sea. These tables are for diners who choose to sit further from the beach.

And the wind blows...

06 October 2008

Autumn - the Blessing


Yesterday afternoon I hoped to photograph the Blessing of the Animals in Menton, but instead I found this adorable bundle playing with pebbles on the beach - and her name is Blessing. Isn't that a beautiful name?

She's 22 months old and lives, with her equally good-looking mother, in Latte, which is just across the border in Italy.

05 October 2008

Autumn - the Blues


October. Sunshine, chilly at night though. The wind has blown the clouds and pollution away. The best days on the Côte d'Azur often follow the Mistral when you'll see the clearest blue skies - wonderful light.

I don't know the significance of the lines, but don't you love the patterns they create on the water. Perhaps they are nets giving protection against jelly fish, but I don't see the nets.

Taken from les Sablettes beach yesterday. You see the Port of Garavan on the left and beyond that Italy.

04 October 2008

Roquebrune village at night - the Strolling Player


You never know who you will bump into in rue Moncollet, the oldest street in Roquebrune village. This 'strolling player' is waiting to take part in a series of tales of the Middle Ages at the Château in honour of Augustin Grimaldi, the Prince of Monaco.

This actor, who lives in the village, takes the part of the Castellan (Castillion)who attends the Prince of Monaco.


03 October 2008

Roquebrune village at night - rue Moncollet


We are in rue Moncollet, the oldest street in the medieval village of Roquebrune. You can see this same shot taken in daylight by clicking on the link. You can also read about 'le poudinge' - the tertiary rock on which the village is built.

Walking around Roquebrune village at night is even more magical than during the day - you also never know who you might meet. Come back tomorrow and see who we met in this particular street.



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