Reflections in a Martini
We're back in Ventimiglia today. Remember the old lady eating a bowl of chocolate? Note her reflection in this old Martini advert. In the smaller photo, you see the hills above Ventimiglia.
one of the most beautiful towns on the French Riviera
We're back in Ventimiglia today. Remember the old lady eating a bowl of chocolate? Note her reflection in this old Martini advert. In the smaller photo, you see the hills above Ventimiglia.
Posted by Jilly at 06:37 5 comments
Posted by Jilly at 06:47 17 comments
Labels: Beach and Sea
Just in case you wondered what I was doing in Italy yesterday...
...eating, of course! This was the first course of warm seafood salad. In fact, three of us shared it You can see mussels, octopus and calamari, palourdes (a sort of small clam) and prawns. The big fellow on top is perhaps a langoustine - which seems to translate as a scampi or Dublin Bay prawn.
After this, we all had pasta with Pesto Alla Genovese, so named because it originated in Genoa just along the Ligurian coast from here. Pesto is probably my favourite Italian sauce - made of basil, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino cheeses, olive oil and pine nuts. It's traditionally ground with a mortar and pestle - in fact, the word pesto is the past participle of the Italian word for 'to pound or crush.'
You can buy freshly made Pesto Alla Genovese in any market in Ventimiglia or Menton so I confess I never bother to make my own.
Posted by Jilly at 06:38 24 comments
It's late afternoon in Ventimiglia. The sun sends a sliver of silver light across the water. We are looking towards Menton and beyond, in the far distance, is Monaco. It's time to go home.
Posted by Jilly at 06:31 18 comments
Posted by Jilly at 06:31 19 comments
A dress shop in the pedestrian street of Menton.
Posted by Jilly at 06:29 15 comments
Labels: Shopping
A speciality in local restaurants at this time of the year, is omelette à la poutine. Poutine is only available for about three weeks of the year - the end of March/early April.
I've tried describing it to friends as whitebait but much much smaller and transparent, but really the fish looks like teeny weeny eels, doesn't it? I have many friends who adore poutine. I've never fanced it myself.
I don't know the English translation for poutine. Perhaps there isn't one? Does anyone know?
Posted by Jilly at 06:38 22 comments
Labels: Food and Wine
A covered terrace in a hidden corner of the Old Town. Perhaps not quite what we have in mind when we think of a balcony or terrace on the French Riviera.
Posted by Jilly at 06:30 16 comments
Labels: The Old Town
This was how the sky looked two days ago - sun with just a little cloud. Yesterday, not a cloud to be seen. It's so good to see the steeples in the Old Town rising up to a blue sky once again. The sun has finally chased winter away.
Remember the photo a few days ago of the derelict Villa Mer et Monts? Click to see. This inspired a charming watercolour by the Russian artist Irina . Do click on her blog Irina's Paintings and Stuff to take a look. Thanks so much Irina.
Posted by Jilly at 06:40 10 comments
Labels: The Old Town
The sun is shining, it's getting warmer. Spring is finally here and girls flutter their eyelashes. Life is, thankfully, getting back to normal in Menton...
This pretty girl is a server at the Bar du Cap.
Posted by Jilly at 06:10 10 comments
Labels: People, Restaurants and Bars
A mug for 1 euro. Seems so cheap, doesn't it?
But you know, there is something else you can get for one euro that is even better value. A bus ticket! You can take a bus anywhere in Alpes-Maritimes for 1 euro and the Alpes-Martimes is a big area - you can visit Nice, Antibes, Cannes, Grasse, Mougins, Vence, Vallauris, Roquefort-les-Pins and of course all the places nearer to Menton like Roquebrune and Sospel and Monaco.
Good value, I'd say.
Posted by Jilly at 06:31 14 comments
Labels: Shopping
One of the stalls in the main food market sells brocante as well as fruit and vegetables.
'Pork and two veg, please!'
Posted by Jilly at 05:07 13 comments
Labels: Markets
Today is a big day for the City Daily Photo community as it's the 5th anniversary of Eric Tenin's Paris Daily Photo. It was Eric who started it all and today, we are paying tribute to Eric by posting photographs representing the 'Tenin Perspective' - POV from the ground up or slightly skewed. (Thankyou Kim for the great idea of making a tribute in this way.)
Eric is an impossible act to follow but I hope you like this photo of 'La France Triomphante' in the medieval village of Roquebrune. She is bound up as she was ready to be sent away for restoration - just in case you think the villagers are into bondage! The sculptor is the Hungarian artist, Anna Chromy. Since taking the photo the work has been restored at the Ateliers de Pietra Santa in Lucca, Italy and she is now back in her normal position at the Place Deux Frères in the village.
Happy 5th birthday to Paris Daily Photo and many thanks as always to Eric for everything, for the brilliant CDP idea, for sticking with it, for the friendship and inspiration you give to us all. To see the tributes of other CDP bloggers, please click here to view thumbnails for all participants
And do visit Paris Daily Photo - you'll see Eric's brand spanking new fabulous look to his blog.
Posted by Jilly at 00:07 18 comments
Labels: Daily Photo Theme Day:, Sculptures, Villages near to Menton: Roquebrune-cap-Martin
Posted by Jilly at 06:06 15 comments
Labels: Markets
Posted by Jilly at 06:42 41 comments
Labels: Architecture