Conversation in the Old Town

You need a stronge pair of legs if you live in the Old Town and strong arms to carry your shopping. These children have the right idea...

Gate houses?

This rather strange looking little building, with its Moorish roof - its twin is on the right - frames the beautiful building featured yesterday. Perhaps they were once gate houses to what was once a palace.

Blue on blue

One of the many beautiful buildings in Menton.

Sweeties!

This sweet shop is in the walking street of Menton. You choose as you wish - just take anything you like, fill one of the small baskets - and keep going until you think you've overdone it and might be sick if you ate them all!

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in Menton!

I nearly fell over when my eyes landed on this sculpture of Henry W. Longfellow in Menton. He wrote the first poem I ever memorised and I still remember parts of it. I treasure my little green book: The Song of Hiawatha. But what was he doing in Menton? And why a statue to commemorate him? I did a bit of research and it seems this most loved of American poets travelled to Europe on several occasions. I found one reference to four towns, including Menton but no more. Maybe one of you can throw light on this. He wrote:

A single conversation across the table with a wise man is better than ten years mere study of books.

Long shot

This is a longshot of yesterday's 'Passage way to the sea.' You can just see the little alley way at the end of this street.

Passage way to the sea

This narrow walkway goes from the main walking street to the sea, where someone is sitting on a bench enjoying the view.

Don't park here!

This is how the local authorities stop cars parking where they shouldn't.

Grey days

Not sure what happened to the blue sky. I'd say blame the photographer. Guess we must have grey days here sometimes...but shhhhh, don't tell anyone. Anyway, she liked the end of this pretty building and she hopes you do too.

Number Eleven again - for Kate

This door was shown open and...well take a look here. Kate, from Mazatlan, Mexico requested a photograph of this door closed - no ladder. Kate - this is for you!

Hôtel de Ville - plus today's special offer...

This is Menton's Town Hall - entrance framed by what I think are ornamental bananas. Strangely the ornamentation at the top of the building (detail below) is covered in a protective cloth and I'm not sure why. It looks newly painted but why would it need covering? Can anyone answer this?

The Reform Church in Menton

It still amazes me to see a church surrounded by palms. This one is just along from the Mairie (Town Hall) in the centre of Menton.

Hey, there's a man growing out of my orange tree...

Here are two guys trimming the orange trees (Menton is famous for its citrus). This is actually in Carnoles, a small suburb. And for the guys - don't say I don't think of you - here's the young lady whose job it is to sweep up the fallen fruit and cuttings.

Pine

This terrace of this restaurant has its feet in the sea and diners sit looking over the bay to Roquebrune and Menton. The tree, I believe, is an Umbrella Pine (Pinus pinea) sometimes called the Stone Pine - but the experts amongst you might tell me it's an Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis). Both are common along the Mediterranean. Whatever tree it is, I love it.

Number Eleven

Man at work... but no man. A doorway in a small street - rue Trenca - just off the main walking street.

Border town

Looking across the bay to Italy.

Archway

Walk up this short road and you'll see the arch which leads to the magical vieille ville (old town) of Menton - the old Arab quarters. Very dark at first and with little alleyways and mysterious flights of steps leading to unknown accommodations. Later, as you climb, you see the sun and a mass of apartments and little houses, geraniums tumbling. The local council now gives retoration grants to owners of houses and apartments in the old town.

Looking down on the living -1

Way above the town, as in most French towns and villages, you see the cemetery.

Terraced garden

This terraced, walled garden at Cap Martin faces the sea and looks towards Menton.

Pastels

This lovely building faces the sea and adjoins the main market place.