Menton

We have very little time left in this beautiful part of the world so we are taking advantage of every opportunity we have to see as much as we can especially when the weather cooperates. On Tuesday, the rain stopped and the sun shone, so we decided to skip our oral langauge class (not a great loss, but more about that in another blog) and spend the afternoon in Menton. It has been nicknamed 

la perle de la France and is situated on the Franco-Italian border just cross from Ventimiglia. It boasts a favorable climate especially for citrus groves such as tangerines, oranges and lemons. We learned about the lemons in our cooking class and indeed they were delicious. Unfortunately, the crop yield is small and they are only available in small quantities for a limited period of time and at a premium price. Menton hosts a Lemon Festival every February and the lemon is one of the symbols of the city.

On Tuesday, all the museums in Menton are closed and even though it has several well known gardens, they would not be at their best at this time of year. With that in the back of our minds and only a few ours to spare, we opted to spend our time walking along the coast and through the centre of the new city. These are some of the sights:

A beautiful view of the mountains behind Menton.

Along the main street there was a pedestrian walkway with beautiful flowers, shrubs and trees. However, interspersed were "kitchy" Christmas decorations that may hold some appeal for young children. Christmas in this part of the south of France seems to have an almost carnival feel and I am not sure why. I will have to ask my prof Michel tomorrow. 

...case in point

Once again, a beautiful view of the city with mountains as the backdrop

This church, St. John's Église Anglicane had a magnificent exterior, but was closed and undergoing service repairs. Take note of the crane.

This was a most interesting building on the coast, just across from the marina. The sign said it was the Musée Cocteau, but it was obviously closed.

The backside of the Musée Cocteau and the Mediterranean.

The Boys - Keith and Brian.

This a a photo looking toward the old city and the church at the top of the hill. 

These are pomegranates. I have never seen a pomegranate tree so I had to stop and take a picture.

The promenade along the coast of Menton - palm trees, restaurants and cafés. I can certainly think of worse ways to spend an afternoon.