The Final Word...

Hello Folks –

I regret to inform you that I’m going to make this my final blog for this year’s trip. I didn’t have the time to blog yesterday, and while we’re still here for a day or two – there is a fair bit going on in them, so something is going to have to give, and the blog is going to have to be it.

We have had one of our finest trips here yet. The weather was not everything that it could have been (we had a lot of high winds and breezes that cooled the real temperature down, as well as rain and clouds at least one full day on every week end), yet I have a doozie of a tan and certainly it wasn’t so bad as to have “ruined” the trip by any stretch of the imagination!

The highlight was, of course, the Mirazur experience – but there was so much more than just that that makes the memories. A nice pasta dinner on our balcony (oh, the 30’ x 30’ wrap around balcony – amazing!), the sun rising over Italy while the songbirds sing and mingled with the sound of the waves lapping at the shore, endless walks amongst the mountains and villas, train rides scuttling along the scenic coastline. They all fuse together to make the experience.

We’re all ready talking about “next year’s” trip, so health and finances permitting, we will be returning to our idyllic little spot (or somewhere close by) for more – memories, if we can.

I will try to post on facebook tomorrow, though, just for one final “kick at the can.”

I’m by no means a religious fellow, but do have in myself a certain spirituality that both ebbs and flows (usually according to my needs – lol!), but I know that we are truly blessed to have ever come here – never mind make repeated yearly visits.

Tomorrow we have to vacate the apartment by noon, as it has been let to others who are about to start their holidays. We are going to take the train to Nice and check in for 1 night at our “tourist class” hotel for the night, and then we’re taking their shuttle to the airport (right across the road) and starting out long trip home again.

We are anxious to see our friends, family and little doggie again. We want to hear about the adventures of our friends who have been traveling at the same time as us. I have several decorating contracts lined up for my return and the store is of course just about to head into the busy season (I believe we will be open every day starting the long week-end).

We absolutely love it here. It would be nice if others could join us sometime.

With love from the Menton, The French Riviera XO

PS: Sunny and 21c (feels chilly after hotter weather earlier!)

Today's photos:

View of Old Town Menton at sunrise from our balcony

Bougainvillea in full bloom at the Villa Mirasol

Amazing detail on an exterior staircase of a villa as photographed through the gate

Expensive trips to Canada advertised in the travel agency's window

The ravishing gardens of Val Rahmeh

Us in a traffic mirror

100% dead on view - la Mer!

Lazy Sunday

Isn’t it funny how Sundays are the same all over the world?

The laziest of days here in Menton saw the promenade completely devoid of joggers when I get up (which is unusual), and there was even a complete lack of cars on their way from Italy to Nice.

Ah, yes, Sundays are the day that we all decide to sleep in and just take our time doing things.

We decided that we didn’t want to push ourselves too much today. Sunday in France is more like how Sundays used to be at home before Sunday shopping. As a Catholic nation, most shops and services are closed. In true Elora fashion, though, and never to be deciphered, some places are closed on Saturday, but open on Sunday. Some are closed all week end. Some are open a half-day on either, or both. It makes planning what you want to do on the week end a little tough – but when we travel, we just “go and be.” If we head off somewhere only to find that it is closed – so be it.

A good example is the covered market. Today, it was open all day. Of all the days, this is the one that we assume it would be closed…. But you on like, Wednesday or something, and it’s closed up tight.

We decided to spend the day by strolling into town and doing a bit of grocery shopping (we walk past a closed super market (we rarely shop there anyway) and shop at the covered marche!) How fun! We walked both ways (usually we take the train in or out – but deciphering the timetable for Sundays takes a rocket-science degree), which is quite a hoof – but one that I welcomed. We spent some time poking around the shops on the pedestrian street – and were also surprised to see that a brocante (selling nothing but junk) had sprung up at the old marina. It was a great way to pass the day, mingling amongst the French, Italians, North Africans, Brits.

People really do come from all over the world to our little corner of paradise!

Today’s weather: Sunny almost all day and 21C. In the late afternoon massive clouds moved in and we had thunder & showers! It remains a little stormy right now (8pm).

Today’s photos:

The mountains rising above the town. Despite the face we are by the sea, these are the Alps!

A turret on a villa makes a good place to instal the TV antenna!

The date stone on St Micheal's Basilica

Our morning sunrise coming over Italy

War memorial on the Boulevard

A queue at the market

Bizarrely Beautiful

We had a bizarrely beautiful day in town today – weather wise and fun wise.

The day promised to be beautiful with a gorgeous sun rise. We decided to head off to the Carnoles Palace, the home of the city of Menton’s fine arts gallery. It used to be the summer palace of the Prince’s of Monaco (back in the days when they controlled the shore of France from Italy to, I believe Marseilles.

The collection is surprisingly good, including Rembrandts, etc… and contains both contemporary and classical art. It is 100% FREE entry, and sadly, Paul and I were the ONLY people there other than the staff. In some ways, though, it was an amazing experience to have the place to ourselves. The other reason that I like to visit the museum is that the Palace is the FINEST that I have ever had the pleasure of being in. It’s not “huge” by palace standards, but it has the most amazing sweeping staircase and the finest proportioned rooms that I have seen. The ceilings are all painted or carved (or both) and the details are sumptuous! Unfortunately, as usual, no photographs are allowed inside the building.

After leaving there we walked all the way home (quite a distance, let me tell you!), stopping here and there to purchase the occasional souvenir, etc. After a light lunch at home here on the terrace, the most unusual thing happened. It was quite hot here today, and I guess there was a meteorological “inversion”, whereby cold air from the alps was pushed down to sea level, while the hot air rose above. The entire old town disappeared into a giant cloud that swooped down, while in the suburb of Garavan, where we are, the sky remained blue & sunny! Very unusual but an effect I’m glad I captured with my camera.

The hot weather brought a LOT of people out to the beach. An interesting observation about the French (or at least the French here on the Riviera) is that they are all obsessed about their looks – they have to wear the latest jeans, they look at your shoes to see what you are wearing, glasses are always designer, and it doesn’t look like you can even think about getting your hair cut without an appointment. But then they come to the beach all sense of decorum, modesty and good taste disappears! The fattest people in the world stretch lycra swimsuits (All French men regardless of age and body type think that Speedos suit them (and the older and fatter you are apparently the more they suit you)) to the max. Butt cracks appear everywhere, and I wont even tell you what the median age for topless feminine sunbathing is, but it has to be north of 70.

Oh well, c’est la vie.

Today’s weather: Mostly sunny & hot with a high of 28C.

Today’s photos:

The gates to the Villa La Favorite

Where did the town go? A clod drifts down from the Alps and swallows the town!

Our Apartment Building, The Hawaii (strange name, I know)

Our apartment - top floor, end unit, wrap around balcony with panoramic views from Italy to Monte Carlo

Us in a mirror

Need I say More?

Sunny skies.

28 Degrees C.

A gentle breeze.

Heaven.

Today's photos:
The old gate on the Rue Winston Churchill
Paul taking a break while out on our morning walk
A little Gecko sunning on the retaining wall
Trumpet vines in full bloom

Remember that you can blow up any of these photos just by clicking on them

Ahhhhhhhhhh!

We awoke to 100% dead on sunshine today and it stayed all day. How lovely!

Again, not to let our time drift away into nothingness (we come home a week today!), we decided last night before bed that we would take the train to Cannes and spend the day there. We’ve never been, and it is as far away from here on the train as you can get, without transferring to a different train in Nice. The problem was, though – did we really want to spend 3 hours of this beautiful day on a train (it’s 1.5 hours each way according to the time table? When we really examined our guide book and various on-line options, they couldn’t really tell us what (if anything) exactly there is to do in Cannes (other than the film festival, which starts next week, the same day we leave).

So we sort of scratched our heads and wondered why we would do it (I guess to say that we have?).

We eventually abandoned the idea in favour of our “big walk.” We take the train to Roquebrun Cap-Martin and then walk all the way back, around the Cap, to the town. The entire walk takes about an hour or a little longer, and it affords you breathtaking views of the rugged terrain that makes up this most unique part of the world, stretching from Monte Carlo to Italy.

The walk is named the Corbusier walk. It’s named after the internationally acclaimed architect who unfortunately drowned off this very place, in 1965.

We decided tonight to treat ourselves to pizza at Vesuvio’s for supper, as a reward for such a huge hike. I will, of course, have the Campione!

Today’s weather: 100% sunshine and a high of 27C.

Today’s photos:

The village of Roquebrun - a village perche

Various stunning views from the promenade Corbusier

Another "mirror shot" of the boys....

Day Trip to Monaco

Not being ones to let wonderful weather pass us by, we headed out this morning for a day trip to Monaco.

Not our first trip there for sure, but it is such a one-of-a-kind place that repeat visits are always a good past time.

One of the things that you notice as soon as you depart the train is the complete lack of graffiti. The French youth are obsessed with spraying every reachable surface with their eye-sore art.

The Prince doesn’t think so.

Did you know that there is not a square inch of public space in Monaco/Monte Carlo that is NOT under police surveillance? This sort of security is for the comfort and enjoyment of his guests. For example, do you see that 5 carat diamond ring on the woman at the next table? That’s not the repro (with the original sitting in a bank vault somewhere). Around here, it’s the real thing.

Despite the overwhelming build up of the Principality (the roads are a NIGHTMARE, I know, I’ve driven them many times – some of them even go through buildings!), it sheds all the problems of over-population by insisting on order and, well, respect. The Monegasque, and their daily plethora of visitors, harmoniously blend in a way that is sadly missing in say, Nice (just too big and boorish) and even our little village of Menton, where people do not appreciate the beauty that they live in and destroy it with graffiti and random acts of harmful mischief (such as smashing the monitor on the train platform – today’s noticed act of damage).

Anyway, the discovery of Monaco is a terrific way to spend the day. The architecture is interesting; there are all kinds of boutiques to pop into and the streets are crooked and narrow and just a delight to stroll. Everyone mingles in the square in front of the Palais Du Princier, hoping to catch a glimpse of him (he was home today, as his flag was flying from the palace), and it is an easy stroll over to the cathedral to pay respect to his late Parents, Prince Ranier and Grace Kelly. Just a few steps through a stunning park, and you’re at the Oceanographic Museum, where internationally known Jacques Cousteau worked from and changed the way we understand the sub marine world.

For sure it is crammed with the tacky and cheesy – but look beyond to the wonderful world that the Monegasque live in. It’s something to aspire to.

Today’s weather: Mostly sunny with overcast periods. High of 22C

Today’s photos:

The Prince's Standard flying high over "The Rock"

Beautiful window at the chapel of the Black Penitents

Palais du Princier

Me in a mirror just beside the Palace

Paul overlooking the harbour, with the set up for the Grand Prix below and Monte Carlo above

The narrow street of Monaco

Neon shoes in a store window (note: everyone here is wearing neon!)

May 8th - Armistice Day

Hello everyone!

We had a lovely day here today. It’s the 8^th of May – Armistice day. 67 Years since the end of the second world war.

Life here must have been awful during those bleak days. It is no longer an “official” holiday here (unless you’re a civil servant), but the memory is strong and everywhere you look, you can find reminders of those terrible days (including on the TV, which today is packed with war programs).

It was so lovely today we headed out for a trip to the Canoles Palace, which is now the Menton fine arts museum. Of course, when we got there, we recalled that it was May 8^th, so the museum was closed. It wasn’t really a problem for us, though, because we just love being here anyway – regardless of what we’re doing.

We took a long, indirect walk back to the Menton train station (Menton has 4 train stations; Roquebrun/Cap Martin, Carnoles, Menton & Menton Garavan) and stopped for a pastry goodie before boarding the train for the one stop back to Menton Garavan.

For lunch today we splurged on a fresh Burrata cheese. This wonderful delight is a ball of fresh mozzarella, stretched out into a sheet, then stuffed with string mozzarella and cream, then gathered together in a parcel and tied with a piece of – well, it’s like a piece of leek or spring onion, only not as pungent. Anyway, when you cut the parcel open, the interior spills out. It is wonderful spread on slices of toasted baguette (which we topped with pesto) and fresh tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil. We washed it down with copious amounts of a new rosé that we have discovered, “Chateau Beausoleil,” all while continuing to enjoy the marvelous view from our balcony.

The after was, not surprisingly, spent reading, dozing, and sipping.

Holidays sure are great. Too bad we have to work so hard to get the. I guess that just makes us enjoy them that much more.

Today’s weather – mixed light puffy clouds and lots of sun, with a high of 23C.

Photos:

The quiet train station at Carnoles

Burrata Cheese as a package

Burrata cut open

Beautiful Belle Epoch buildings on the Quai Bonaparte

A Nice Day!

We awoke to glorious weather for our planned trip into Nice today.

After our usual morning routine of coffee, breakfast, clean up, etc, we discovered we were almost an HOUR ahead of where we usually are when completing such tasks, so we gathered up our stuff and headed for the train station.

We arrived in nice under equally beautiful skies and spent the best part of the morning perusing the stalls of the HUGE antique market for whatever took our fancy.

Very little did.

The stuff that did was too big to bring home or just downright too expensive. I saw a wonderful little medallion that I wanted to add to my Napoleon memorabilia collection. It depicted the Emperor as a Roman Emperor, riding in victory in his chariot, drawn by 4 horses, while angels held laurel victory wreaths over his head. It wasn’t particularly well-made and was quite a light weight when I held it in my hand, but it was decorative and whimsical. I expected shed be asking about 20E for it and I’d try to get it for 10E. 15 Max. She wanted 50. I put it back and didn’t even try to negotiate (note: it didn’t have a price tag on it. I don’t trust dealers who don’t clearly indicate the price of their items).

After finishing the market and perusing a few of the streets around it, we decided to head back to our apartment in Menton (after briefly toying with lunch at La Petit Maison, Karen Pilosof’s favourite restaurant). We easily caught the 12:25 and zipped right back home for an afternoon of soaking up this wonderful weather.

Today’s weather: Clear skies with a high of 25C

Today’s photos:

Paul eyeing the goodies at the Nice Antique Market

Chien - Ne pas a vendre

Chien (Carlin!) - a vendre

Catching the rays on a glorious day (model unknown - but looks like he was on his way to work!)

The Day After

Well, I don’t know about you, but the “Super Moon” or whatever it was supposed to be was a bit of a dud. Nothing overly eventful happened to me – except the weather changed to grey and dull. If that’s the net affect, you can keep the moon thingy.

Election day today here in France. Looks like Sarkosy’s going down in flames. He’s platforming on a “Strong France” policy, but it isn’t working. I though his main rival, a man by the last name of Hollande, was more conservative. Turns out he’s a socialist (which is not a dirty word here).

We took a morning promenade today, while the sun was still shining, and took in the views from the heights above the town. This afternoon I baked a cake (If I know you were coming I’d of baked a cake…. – do you recall the cookie monster singing that? No? Oh well…) and we had home made crepes for lunch with a simple green salad. I was going to do up a steak dinner tonight, but as we’ve sort of been held up in the apartment all afternoon, I’m giving in to my more base desires and we’re going to head into Vesuvio’s for pizza.

If the weather is better tomorrow, we think we might just head on into Nice for a portion of the day and check out the brocant and what’s happening there in general.

Stay tuned…

Today was mostly cloudy/overcast with a high of 21, but a gentle breeze made it seem cooler. (speaking of which, the building here has collective heat and it’s still on!)

Today’s photos:

What secret garden lies beyond the blue door?

Gorgeous bi coloured (pink and orange, I love it!) bougainvillea

Putti details on top of a gatepost

A "vote Sarkosky" pamphlet left on a car windshield (note, according to the sticker in his window, his insurance has expired. Sounds like the same applies to Sarkosky)

A Day with Cocteau

So today the weatherman called for rain.

It never came!

What a wonderful day for a Saturday!

We headed off in the morning to check out the new Jean Cocteau museum in town. We have been watching it be built over the last few years. For this year’s visit it was finally open and we excited to check it out.

This museum does not replace the smaller Cocteau museum (almost right door), housing the works owned by the city of Menton. This bigger, more pretentious building houses the collection of Severin Wunderman – an American of Belgian descent, who was also one of the world’s foremost collectors of Cocteau’s works. The gallery was designed by Rudy Ricciotti, and from the exterior resembles a flat slab of marble with fissures all around the edges. Inside, each of these “fissures” are actually windows that give views onto the old marche, a park and the sea. There is a massive square with a pergola (exterior seating for a restaurant), that is paved in the stone mosaics that Cocteau did himself. This one happens to be of a large salamander.

The interior and exterior of the building are all a matte white – uniformly and consistently the same and sheen (which even carries on into the bathrooms). The effect is one of a tremendous amount of space – the area just seems to ramble on and on (although it is not small, the décor makes it even bigger!). I just love the effect!

The collection is actually a really good representation of Cocteau. He did not see himself as an artist per se – he was a poet, an artist, an illustrator, a dance choreographer, a film maker…. and the collection showcases samples of all of these works. It focuses mainly on works from 1900 – 1950.

Interestingly, I did not know that he had been addicted to opium – and there is a fascinating collection of illustrations from his time in the “nursing home” (rehab). Unfortunately, photography is not permitted in the gallery, so I couldn’t snap any pics – but it was interesting that a lot of the collection was NOT originals unlike the smaller gallery next door, which is almost exclusively originals), but a lot of prints, illustrations in books (1^st editions, mind you) posters, etc.

There were even reviews of snips from his many films – my favourite being the scene from “Enfant Terrible” where the student is insolent to the headmaster (even throwing some sort of powder in his face). When he is expelled from the school, he sashays out of the office with his head held high, throwing his scarf over his shoulder and tousling his hair, as he grins widely with self-satisfaction.

There was also a quantity of homoerotic works sprinkled throughout, the content of which is perhaps not discussed in this forum!

Anyway, we found it irresistible to enjoy the sunshine (when it wasn’t what we were expecting), so we treated ourselves to some French fries for lunch (GASP!) and ate them sitting in the full sun, before mosing along home to spend the afternoon on our beloved terrace.

There was even time for an afternoon nap.

We’re fitting in nicely.

Today’s weather: Sunny with a hi of 24C.

Today’s photos:

The Cocteau Gallery at night showing its full design

The pergola and square

A good day to dry your laundry

"My Toy" - a cute boat in the harbour

Tonight's "Super" Full moon glistening on the Mediterranean