If you live in a medieval village, you probably won't have a garden and if you don't have a garden, you won't have a washing line. So what do you do? Well it's obvious - you hang your washing out of the window and in this case on wooden shutters.
This post is for Margaret, my friend in Cumbria who paints beautiful water colours - often featuring a line of washing hanging out to dry.
Following on from yesterday's 'wood' theme, I thought I'd show you a few more.
This is a tiny door tucked away in the village of Gorbio. Note the weathered lintel peeking out from the stone. The door is probably the entrance to a cave or maybe the place where once the family pig was kept.
Once again it's Theme Day in the CDP community and today's theme is 'wood.'
Meet Henri, who couldn't walk without his wooden walking stick. Henri is the last remaining member of the oldest family in Gorbio, the medieval village just above Menton. Henri can trace his family back hundreds and hundreds of years.
Note: Lest you should think that Henri is in need of a square meal and a bed for the night, rest assured - he is one of the biggest landowners in the village.
To see how City Daily Photo Bloggers around the world have interpreted today's theme please click here to view thumbnails for all participants.
She sits in the old cemetery of Menton, forever looking down over the Mediterranean.
We are in the centre of Menton today in the main street that runs up from the sea and the casino. This is where we find the Jardin Biovès and looking down a tiny side street, we see, amongst the palms and orange trees the top of the Résidence du Louvre, which is mostly used for conferences these days.
Once a week in Menton there's an antique/bric-a-brac market outside the main food market and on the Place aux Herbes.
Here's one of the dealers taking advantage of a sofa until he hopefully sells it.
(This was taken in November with my old camera - the Lumix FZ18)
We are standing in Place Honoré II which is the tiny square by the entrance to the Old Town - Porte Saint-Antoine.
Is this a tiny room or more likely a walk-way from one part of the building to another?
This square is actually at the foot of the Basilique Saint Michel and is named for the Prince of Monaco (1597 - 1662) who was responsible for many of Menton's beautiful buildings, including the Basilica itself.
You can see a super photograph of the whole of this square taken by Chuckeroon of Richmond-upon-Thames DP by clicking HERE. Many of you know that Chuckeroon fell on black ice just before Christmas breaking his shoulder, hip and femur. He's now back home from hospital but confined to one room and is not able to put any weight his bones until the 4th February. Then he'll start six weeks of physiotherapy. Get well soon, Chuckeroon! We miss you.
Doesn't it look inviting? This restaurant is at the foot of the Old Town and with the old port opposite. I've never eaten here but one day must do so.
Socks. Children's socks.
An old window frame - layers and layers of cream paint and note the putty to keep the glass in and the weather out. Old labels leave us a few letters to wonder what they once said. A ventilator in one pane of class. Lace curtains. A mish-mash of wiring yet fairly new shutters. Ancient stone walls with the vestiges of ivy still clinging on yet no life is left. And a couple of pots of succulents.
So much to see in just one small window in the Old Town of Menton.
A tile outside a house in the Old Town. I believed it said Lou Niou, which is possibly Mentonnais or perhaps Provençal. Lou means The. But I've since been corrected and had it confirmed that it's Ou, not Lou, and that Ou Niou means The Nest in English and Le Nid in French. Thanks to everyone who responded to this and to Dale who confirmed it is indeed Mentonnais.
Reflection in a motor-bike mirror. Perhaps a corny image? I fear it is, but I quite liked the way the tree and blue sky stood out against the background.
You see the reality of the reflection in the smaller photo - a tree near the entrance to the cemetery. Just below the tree you'll always find one or more motorbikes parked - the Mairie has even provided iron rings, fixed into the ancient walls, ready for owners to secure their bikes with a chain.
The majority of shutters in Menton are painted, often a pale turquoise. A stained shutter is less usual. This one in the Old Town, is brightened up with what is, I suppose, a Christmas decoration.
...the oranges are on the trees. It can surprise a visitor to see the streets of Menton lined with orange trees. And not just the main roads but side streets like the one you see in the smaller photograph.
We've seen this particular scene in the Old Town of Menton before but I do like the way the sun lights up just one side of this little street. We also see the archway we saw the day before yesterday - and the day before that - but this time, photographed from the other side.
Christmas decorations stay up a long time in Menton but the silver trees along the Promenade du Soleil will be removed eventually and lamps will replace them. Personally I like these trees - they are subtle which is sometimes how I think of Menton - it's not garish, not rah-rah-rah like some of the famous resorts further along the coast. Menton is quietly beautiful with its soft subtle colours.
Here we see yesterday's archway again but this time in context. The shadow of the lamp is for Nathalie (Avignon in Photos) from whom I learned to notice and see the wonder of shadows and reflections.
These little archways join one side of a little street to another and are usual in medieval towns and villages. Many thanks to Dave and Graeme who explained in the comments that the archways are supports to prevent the walls of the houses falling out - like a flying buttress. I originally called this post 'The Little Bridge' but have since renamed it.
This one is in the Old Town of Menton.
Today is Theme Day when we get to choose our best photo of the previous year.
When I took this photo in the Old Town of Menton, I was focusing on the bike when suddenly this child walked into the picture. I like the dark into light effect.
But the photos I love to take most are close-ups of people - this adorable child on the left was playing peek a boo with me during the Fête Créole last summer.
To see the Best Photos of 2009 from around the world - what a treat today will be! - click here to view thumbnails for all participants.
