12 January 2010

The Ruelle


Narrow streets, steps, a tiny bridge joining one old house to another, and of course a mass of wiring - in other words, a ruelle in Roquebrune village. Even a couple of Père Noels get in on the act.

Ruelle - such a pretty word. It translates as alley-way.

11 January 2010

The Pink Bucket


Suspended on a piece of string, a small pink bucket catches water from the overflow pipe of this house in Roquebrune village.

Creative plumbing, wouldn't you say?

10 January 2010

Surprises


One of the pleasures of exploring a hill village is the element of surprise. Turn a corner, climb some steps, traverse an alleyway - you always find something new.

I've been going to the medieval village of Roquebrune for years - indeed I lived just below it for seven of them but here's a corner I discovered just before Christmas - isn't it pretty.

09 January 2010

Drawing in the Sand


Menton and a man draws in the sand.

To see something fabulous, do take a look at this video. Kseniya Simonova is a Ukrainian artist who won Ukraine's version of 'America's Got Talent.' She uses a giant light box, dramatic music, imagination and 'sand painting' skills to interpret Germany's invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII.

Click on link to view. Please do - it's fabulous!

08 January 2010

Two by Two


Menton - looking towards Cap Martin.

07 January 2010

Bracing


The sea is still unsettled after all that rain - rocks and pebbles have been washed up the beach. No surfers today. We're looking towards the Old Town of Menton and beyond is Italy.

06 January 2010

Dusk

View from Roquebrune village.

'I venerate old age; and I love not the man who can look without emotion upon the sunset of life, when the dusk of evening begins to gather over the watery eye, and the shadows of twilight grow broader and deeper upon the understanding'

~ Henry Wadworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882)

05 January 2010

The Trainer Skates


For the Christmas and New Year period, an ice rink had been installed in the Jardin Biovès. Alongside was a small children's training area - the surface wasn't ice but had a slippery surface.

Young children wear these skates - not ice skates, not roller blades but special training skates. I'd never seen these before. Have you?

04 January 2010

The Kite


The swimmers in the sea are surfers, one of whom we saw yesterday. We are looking towards the Old Town of Menton and Italy beyond.


'Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.'

~ Anais Nin


03 January 2010

The Man Who Walks on Water


Yesterday in Menton. After snow, weeks of rain, suddenly a joyous blue-skied day.

Whoever said the Mediterranean didn't have a tide didn't see yesterday's waves. Yes, I know, nothing compared to Australia's surf beaches but this guy was having the best fun.

Sadly - tragically - the high seas also brought drama to the south of France. In Marseilles two people drowned after being swept out to sea and in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, just along the coast from Monaco, a young woman died of a heart attack after being taken by a wave.

02 January 2010

Chemin des Crèches - the Barred Window and Jug


Christmas is over. In France you see decorations up for months so I'm not sure if there is a limit unlike in the UK where they stay up until 12th night - the 6th January - by which time they must be taken taken down.

I was going to continue this little series until the 6th January but today the sun is shining - it's glorious weather after snow and then endless rain - and so I've been out and taken some pics. So tomorrow, we'll see something else - thanks so much to everyone who has walked the village with me and visited these cribs. More next Christmas!

01 January 2010

Theme Day: Changes


Theme Day this month is 'Changes' and this photograph, taken at Le Balico in Menton reminded me that Martini has changed the shape of its bottles. Remember the old Martini bottle? - you see it on the left. And below the new one. I love the old one, same as I love the old Martini poster in the photo. But everything changes unless we believe, 'Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.'

Henri-Louis Bergson, the French Philosopher who in 1927 won the Nobel prize for Literature wrote:

'To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.'

'Exister, c'est changer ; changer, c'est mûrir ; mûrir, c'est se créer sans cesse.'


To see how other CDP bloggers have interpreted today's theme please click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Note: Since posting this, sadly Le Balico has been sold and is under new management with different decor.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!

31 December 2009

Chemin des Crèches - the Artist's Crib


Giovanna is an artist who lives at the top of Roquebrune village, opposite the entrance to the medieval Château.

The red sign invites visitors to look through the French windows to the crib she has created but on the day I was there it was impossible to see due to lack of light. Nevertheless, I thought you might like to see her charming house with the lady at the upper window...

Happy New Year everyone!

30 December 2009

Chemin des Crèches - the 2000 year old Olive Tree


Some of you will remember this beautiful 2,000 year old olive tree in Roquebrune village - particularly the bloggers who climbed it.

Here is it used to display a nativity in a bird cage. Hard to see the actual crib as the camera focused on the wire of the cage.

29 December 2009

Chemin des Crèches - the Smallest Crib


I walked right past this crib, thinking it was simply a Christmas door decoration.

Later, on my return, there it was - a bright red ring box displaying the tiniest nativity scene I've ever seen.

28 December 2009

Chemin des Crèches - the Oil Drum Crib


A crib in an oil drum? Don't you just love the imagination of the villagers? The last photo doesn't show the actual crib very well - but you get the idea...

27 December 2009

Chemin des Crèches - the Carved Crib


Of the 150 cribs in Roquebrune village there are hardly any that are the same. This one, sitting on top of a wall, appears to be housed in carved wood - perhaps a gourd but I don't think so.

26 December 2009

25 December 2009

Chemin des Crèches - the Christmas Baubles


Here, tucked behind bars on a window sill are these painted Christmas decorations. An original creche, don't you think?

Wishing you and those you love the very best of Christmases!

24 December 2009

Chemin des Crèches - the Bread Basket & and the Cage


I'm not sure if this is the village well or it's where the horses used to drink. Perhaps both. In any case it has been decorated for Christmas and is used to display two tiny cribs, one in a cage, one in a bread basket.

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