Chess à la Carte

A sunny day in les Jardins Biovès, 20 chess boards and you have 'Chess à la Carte.' An opportunity for anyone, young or old, experienced in playing Chess or not, to participate in an informal Chess tournament.

“You sit at the board and suddenly your heart leaps. Your hand trembles to pick up the piece and move it. But what Chess teaches you is that you
must sit there calmly and think about whether it’s really a good idea
and whether there are other better ideas”
-Stanley Kubrick

The Basse Corniche

This is part of the Basse Corniche - the lower road - between Monaco and Menton. We are in part of Roquebrune-cap-Martin, waiting at temporary traffic lights, which is allowing the oncoming traffic to advance. These have been put in place for road works that have have been going on for months and months. The area of work changes, but the hold ups don't. As we wait at the lights, motorbikes filter between the oncoming traffic and our line of vehicles.

The motorbikes reach their destination long before we do.

If you want to see 'real' motorbikes, go visit Ramsey Daily Photo for the Isle of Man TT.

Walking into the Menu

This photograph is dedicated to Nathalie from Avignon in Photos. She often posts marvellous reflection (and shadow) photographs on her wonderful blog. Recently she posted one and made the comment that you have to keep moving your position till you get it right. That's just what I did here. We are in Place G Clemenceau, looking at a restaurant window, the menu written on the glass. I got my position right so I could see the plane tree and restaurant tables in the reflection and then waited until the right people walked into the image - et voila!

Cascade

A cascade from a plant that appears to be a member of the banana family. I presume this is the fruit and wish I knew its name. There it was, swinging gently in the breeze, at the pretty Square Etats-Unis which is a small public garden surrounded by high buildings and used, in summer, for concerts.

Theme Day: Feet

“My little dog - a heartbeat at my feet”

- Edith Wharton (American Novelist and short-story writer, 1862-1937)

To see how others in the City Daily Photo community have interpreted the theme of 'Feet' do click here to view thumbnails for all participants. You will find many great images to delight you.

The Candle

A candle at Le Balico.

"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."
- Buddha

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

Cimitière du Vieux Château

Yesterday's photograph was taken from one of the lower levels of the Old Cemetery. You can see the two steeples here and in that photograph.

Here we are looking down at the cemetery from the gardens of a house near to the Camping Saint Michel - a lovely part of Menton called Les Ciappes (near to le Fossan) and with wonderful views, as you see. The road you see is the Route de Castellar, a village way above Menton.

The Resting Place

Statuary on top of the Chapel des Penitents Blancs provides a resting place for seagulls. Taken from the cemetery directly above the Old Town.

Street Theatre - the Sunglasses

These sunglasses were very much part of this young actress's wardrobe.

In the smaller photogaph - a helping hand from one student to another.

Street Theatre - Bimbo Circo

On every corner in Menton it seemed there was street theatre - here, at the Place du Cap, a circus act. These are a group of Italian children, Bimbo Circo, getting ready to perform on their mono-bikes.

Street Theatre - the Pedestrians

This is the finale of yesterday's Italian street theatre. The boy, lifted aloft, has a white face.

Note the two people walking in front of the sitting audience - the lady with the gold bag and the man with grey hair. Both oblivious, it seems, to what is going on.

Street Theatre - Blood

Nearly 700 children and adolescents took part in a day of street theatre recently. It was organised by the Service Education of Menton and called 'Rencontres Franco-Italiennes de Rue' and took place throughout the Old Town. The young actors came from Liguria, Piemont , the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes - which included, of course, Menton.

This young girl was part of an Italian group. I haven't a clue what it was all about but she was a good actress.

Note: the shop is the background is the Menton health shop for invalids - so she's in the right place!

Chuckeroon's Menton - Facade

Today is the last day of this Guest Photographer series and Chuckeroon shows us the facade of the Old Town taken from the beach - one photograph in black and white and one in colour.

Thank you so much to Peter, Nathalie, Richard and Chuckeroon for sending their photos and most of all for the good times we had together. It's been just fascinating seeing how these talented photographers see Menton, Roquebrune, Gorbio and Monte Carlo.

I learned so much - how to see the 'bigger' picture and not always focus on the detail. Seeing shadows and reflections. And also learning to remember when I've changed settings on my camera! Don't ask!

Thanks Guys, come back soon!

Tomorrow - normal service will be resumed...

Richard's Menton - the Old Town

This is a shot of the Old Town I just love - but I'd never thought of presenting it in black and white before. Of course, when the photograph is taken by Richard, then it's not a surprise. You can see all of Richard's Menton shots, (including Roquebrune, Gorbio and Monte Carlo) some taken on digital and some on film, by clicking on the link.

Nathalie's Menton - the Beetle

Photographed by Nathalie on the ancient donkey track to Gorbio village.

Peter's Menton - La Mer

Peter's photograph says it all really - the Mediterranean and palm trees. Click on the link to see a beautiful collage of photographs Peter took in the medieval village of Roquebrune.

Chuckeroon's Menton - Erigeron karvinskianus

A long name for this small daisy-like plant photographed by Chuckeroon. You see it everywhere in the south of France, tumbling out of walls and seeding very easily. It's a very useful plant to fill gaps in a garden but beware, it can take over.

Richard's Menton - the Parvis

In Richard's photo we are looking over a corner of the parvis (the square in front of the Basilica) down the rampes to the beach and the sea.

The mosaic decoration on the parvis was created in 1757 by Honoré III and is made of white and black stones formed in diamond shapes to depict the weapons of the princes. The rounded 'H' was the initial of the sovereign.

A few years ago - maybe seven, maybe more - we had terrible rains in November, just endless, and some of the rampes were badly damaged. Access was forbidden for months and eventually restoration was complete. It has been done well although one can tell the difference between the original stones and the new ones - perhaps not a suprise considering the difference in age and wear.

Of course you need none of this information to enjoy Richard's photograph.

Nathalie's Menton - Alyssa

On our last day, we went up to the medieval village of Gorbio to see the baptism of two village children, Alyssa and Kylian. Here you see Nathalie's beautiful portrait of little Alyssa before the ceremony.

Peter's Menton - Bougainvillea

A painted, cracked wall in the medieval village of Roquebrune by Peter. A perfect backdrop to bougainvillea.