Nourishment

Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved.

The last rays of the sun, the sea, a good book - what more does one need to nourish the soul?

Place aux Herbes

Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved.

The Créole Festival is over. There are more photos but it's time to move on. Perhaps, one dull winter day, when we all need cheering up, one will suddenly appear - colour, laughter, Caribbean music.

Meanwhile, here's a typical Menton scene - pale turquoise shutters (the colour most often seen in this region of France) framed by plane trees in Place aux Herbes.

Fête Créole - Rum!

Photos & Text Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

The Casa de Cuba bar was constantly busy - I wonder why? Several different rum based drinks were available with names like Mojito, Cuba Libra, Planters' Punch and Daiquiri.

The lady in the small photo is preparing (I think?) sugar cane.

Rum, n. Generically, fiery liquors that produce madness in total abstainers

- Ambrose Bierce

Fête Créole - Beauty

Photos & Text Copyright 2009 Menton Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Young, older, slim, not so slim, all the Créole women were fabulous - smiling, laughing, having the best time - and therefore, so did we.

Fête Créole - the Ice-cream Machine

Wooden barrels are used to make coconut ice cream. Ice is packed around the central container, which holds the ingredients. Then the wheel is turned continually to churn it.

There were six or seven machines on the go at once and still the queues continued.

Fête Créole - the Moment

This little girl had the best fun playing a sort of a peek-a-boo game with my camera and me.

I love the smaller photo but it's out of focus. I knew at some point she'd turn to face me yet my camera wasn't focused and ready for that moment. I was chatting to a friend at the same time - not a good idea.

Note to Self - be attentive, concentrate and so be ready for 'the moment.' The moment always comes.

In focus, out of focus, isn't she adorable?

Fête Créole - the Flowers and the Fruit

Small wonder that Créole clothes are so colourful. Just look at the flowers, the fruit and the vegetables.

Here you see Strelitzia (Bird of Paradise) in the main photo and Heliconia (below) and in the smaller photograph - bananas, ginger, yams and carambola (star fruit) and of course, limes.

"If life gives you limes, make margaritas" - Jimmy Buffet

Fête Créole - Colour!

Colour! The vibrant, exotique colours of the Caribbean stand out against the softer colours of the Old Town, although in the main photo, the sun seems to make a perfect blend of the two.

In the small photograph, you see the steps leading down from the Basilica Saint-Michel, These are known as 'les rampes.'

The photo below shows part of the crowd in the Parvis outside the Basilica, the gorgeous madras dresses sing with colour. The mass, by the way, was celebrated in Créole.

Fête Créole - the Créole Mass

Summer in Menton means festivals. Last weekend Tango, now the Fête Créole, which is now a regular in the Menton calendar.

Yesterday morning there was a Créole Mass in the Basilica of Saint-Michel.

Let's spend a few days with a great group of people from Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyana, Haiti, Maurice, Réunion, the Seychelles and Rodrigues.

Wish You Were Here...

Menton has sandy beaches and pebble beaches. One advantage of a pebble beach is that sand doesn't stick to your sun cream.

The Three Wheeler

So many cities have bikes for hire and now it seems Menton does too. Naturally, we have to be different - ours is a three-wheeler. Probably much easier to ride too.

"Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving" - Albert Einstein

Ma ville est Tango - Ageless Beauty

Waiting to dance, which she did as you see in the small photograph.

I so admire women like this. No longer young but she's not given up. She dresses beautifully, she wears carefully chosen jewellry. She hasn't had a face-lift, she doesn't have dyed hair, she wears a touch of makeup. She is the natural feminine beauty she is.

Of course it would be better if she didn't smoke.

Ma ville est Tango - the Sandals and the Shorts

Hmmmm...perhaps this guy forgot to dress?

Having said that, much of the fun is that anyone can get up and tango and several guys, wearing shorts and sandals, did just that. This gentleman, in fact, was rather good at it and partnered several ladies.

Ma ville est Tango - the Shoes

You've arrived in Menton and you've no tango shoes? No problem. Walk over to Esplanade Francis Palmero near the Bastion and you'll find several tents displaying dozens of pairs of shoes, hand-made in Buenos Aires. You'll also find tango CDs, and every sort of tango memorabilia you could wish for.

Ma ville est Tango - It takes Two...

"What worries?" I'm just here to dance! Tango is one of the great wonders of Argentina"

- Alberto Pajesz

Place du Cap, Menton

Ma ville est Tango - Apero Time

It's summer, it's festival time and this weekend it's Argentinian Tango! Buenos Aires comes to Menton. This festival gets more and more popular each year. The organisers spend a month in Argentina choosing the dancers and teachers who will come to Menton. And people, from all over the world, take their holiday in Menton to learn, to dance in the streets, to watch the experts. There are concerts, spectacles and lessons.

Every evening (apero time) between 5 and 8 p.m. anyone can come and dance at the Place du Cap.

Stuck Up

Look left, look right, you'll see something to surprise you on market days in Menton. Here we have two almost life-sized figures, made of papier maché, I presume.

I'd love to know their history. Yes I know, I should have asked but the market was closing and the owner of this stall was busy packing up her van.

They'd not been sold.

The Wooden Balls

Tiny balls made of wood and perfumed and for sale in the pedestrian street of Menton. Perfect to put in your wardrobe, chest of drawers or in the car. When the aroma disappears, you simply douse them with a few more drops of perfume.

Note the bowls - these are a typical design and colour of this region.

The Pastis Water Bottles

Sit at a bar in France, order a pastis (anisette is a sweeter version) and it will be served with one of these bottles filled with water.

Pastis is the great aperitif of the south, a delicious - and strong - aniseed flavoured drink, which when mixed with water goes cloudy.

Pastis was first commercialised by Paul Ricard in 1932, 17 years after the ban on absinthe.

At any vide-grenier or bric a brac fair, you'll find these water bottles which are now collector's items.

Lust for an Oyster

A plate of oysters at Restaurant Le Lido in Places aux Herbes.