Summertime in Menton - the Microlight

Competition result!

What you saw was a plastic barrel filled with water to prevent the aircraft lifting in the event of strong winds. The one you saw is on the tail (see it again in the smaller photo). There are two larger barrels attached to the wings and you can see one in the main photo, below the water.

The aeroplane is a Murphy Renegade Spirit. Bought in Belgium as a land plane and converted, with the help of some good friends of the owner, to a seaplane in Biscarrosse in the Landes department of France. It's classed as a ULM (microlight) in France. It is unique.

The plane is moored near to the phare (lighthouse) in the port of Garavan in summer but in winter is moved to a jetty in the centre of Garavan, away from any bad weather. And guess what, I'm invited to fly in her one day?

Thank you so much to everyone who tried to guess the answer. On reflection I realise this was a difficult competition. Perhaps I should have given 'Jonathan Livingstone Seagull' as a clue but then it might have been too easy. Although no one got its actual use, Steve from New Orleans Daily Photo was the first to use the word 'weight' - so a postcard of Menton goes to Steve. And another to Uselaine of Willits Daily Photo who suggestion that it was an egg sack incubating hundreds of these wins a postcard for originality and making me fall about with laughter.

Summertime in Menton - Competition Time!

The boat trip is over, so how about a competition to get our sun-soaked brain cells going...

We're in the port of Garavan at Menton. What is this and, specifically, what is it being used for?

First correct answer gets a postcard of Menton. Results - Sunday!

Summertime in Menton - the Boat Trip - 11

Goodbye to Italy. We've had a great day. Lie back, feet off the end of the boat - enjoy those last few minutes before we reach the port of Garavan in Menton, tie up the boat and go on our way.

Thanks to everyone who came on this boat trip. Didn't we have fun? Perhaps we'll do it again someday.

Tomorrow - a competition. We'll be in the port of Garavan and there is 'something' in the water - what is it and more importantly, what is it used for? - come back tomorrow and take a look - a postcard of Menton to the first person who gets it right.

Summertime in Menton - the Boat Trip - 10

We're on our way home. Menton is ahead. I'm shooting into the lowering sun - the light dances on the water, the mountains are in silhouette.

Summertime in Menton - the Boat Trip - 9

Time to go home. We wave goodbye to Carlo and Susan and my friend, Donald, who lives in Beaulieu.

Donald was one of the first people I met when, 17 years ago, I came to live in the south of France. He 'knows everyone' and everyone loves Donald. He gives great parties - and through Donald, you meet great people. But, most of all, he's a really good and valued friend to his friends - he works at friendship. Barely a week will go by without a call, 'Just calling to see how you are.' How lucky I am.

"My friends are my estate" - Emily Dickinson

Summertime in Menton - the Boat Trip - 8

Oh Lordy, that's the Coastguard boat and it's making straight for us.

Shouts of, 'Carlo, Carlo,' went up. Being Italian, he would be needed to talk to them - although I'm sure they spoke French too. Nearly everyone working in these border towns (Menton in France and Ventimiglia in Italy) speak both languages. It seems we had dropped anchor too close to the beach. The law says no nearer than 300 metres - hard to judge I'm sure you'll agree. We haul up the anchors, untie our boats and move further away from the shore.

In any case, it's nearly 6 p.m. and time for us to think about getting home. Tomorrow, we wave goodbye to our friends and start the journey back to Menton.

Summertime in Menton - the Boat Trip - 7

Hold your nose and jump!

That's the railway line you see in the background. Anyone who takes a train along the French and Italian Rivieras knows you get a mighty good view.

Tomorrow, the Coastguard boat makes straight for us. What have we done wrong?

Summertime in Menton - the Boat Trip - 6

This lovely building is almost on the beach. We are in Latte which is a village between Menton and Ventimiglia. (I often come here to shop - there's a really good supermarket with great pasta and well-priced good wines).

I don't know what this building is, what it's used for but I love its proportions and, in particular, the colours. Carlo explained to me that you find these particular colours in a village further along the Ligurian coast - after Genoa and before La Spézia. I've forgotten the name for sure, but think he said Sestri Levante and certainly if you click on the link, you'll find lots of houses similar in colours to this one. In fact, doesn't Sestri Levante look a place worth visiting? Seemingly Hans Christian Andersen lived there for a short time.

Summertime in Menton - the Boat Trip - 5

We are stretched out on deck - it's time to people-watch.

Like us, these two boats have just tied up together. The photo below shows them just before they did so - and the small photo (click either photo to enlarge) shows what they did next - swim!

Summertime in Menton - the Boat Trip - 4

We've arrived in the bay - and as you see, we dropped anchor and are tied up alongside our friends. Carlo and Susan own a super restaurant in Monaco called Pulchinella - great atmosphere, great welcome, fabulous Italian food.

Not sure whose feet those are... maybe they are yours - now don't get burnt, the sun is hot. Slather on that suncream.

We've sipped champagne on our boat. Lunch was in our respective boats. A rather good fruit tart was passed back and forth. Now it's time to take a little sun and then a swim - and then another swim...

Tomorrow, we look around and see what's happening in the other boats - all part of the fun to people-watch with a zoom lens.

Summertime in Menton - the Boat Trip - 3

We're almost there. In fact the trip from Menton to Latte, which is where we will drop anchor, is only about 10 minutes from Menton. Here we are passing La Mortola and the Hanbury Gardens, one of the most beautiful gardens in an area famous for its gardens. We'll visit it one day, I promise. Click on the smaller photo for a better view of this beautiful house.

The Via Aurelia, an old Roman road, runs through the gardens which were created in 1867 by the Englishman, Sir Thomas Hanbury and has a collection of 6,000 plants. It's now managed by the University of Genoa.

Trivia: about a television series called Rosemary & Thyme, which stars Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris. Caroline Hanbury, who still lives in Villa Hanbury, allowed the house and gardens to be used for this detective series about two lady gardeners. Her terrace was dug up and a restaurant created for the filming - afterwards, it was restored as before. Along with other friends, I spent one evening as an 'extra' in the 'restaurant.' If you saw that instalment of the series, and knew what I looked like, you'd see me calling for the waitress! I seem to remember getting paid 100 francs for it too. (well, I still have my Equity card!)

The perched village you see high up to the left of the photograph is Grimaldi Superiore.

Tomorrow we drop anchor just around the bay.

Summertime in Menton - the Boat Trip - 2

We're off! We've left Menton behind - you see the Old Town on the left and the Port of Garavan, where we boarded, towards the right (you can see the red and white lighthouse, which is also in the smaller photo to the left). We are already in Italy.

We fly the Red Ensign. It is apparently etiquette to also fly the flag of the country you are in, so the small French flag, normally on the other side of the boat, has been taken down to be replaced by the Italian flag for the day.

Buongiorno Italia! Hold tight - we're going quite fast...

Summertime in Menton - the Boat Trip - 1

Messing about in boats - one of the joys of summertime in Menton. Great if you own a boat and perhaps even better if you've a friend with one. I'm one of those very lucky people to have a good friend with a boat - but hey, you are invited too - so let's go...

You've brought the swimmers, a towel, the suntan lotion. Everyone contributes something towards lunch. I've just picked up a fruit tart from that good pâtisserie in Carnoles and there's a chilled bottle of Pinot Grigio in the 'cold' bag. What will you bring?

We've boarded, stowed our gear - the food is in the refrigerator -shortly we'll leave our berth in the harbour. We are looking the length of the Port of Garavan - you can see the steeples of the beautiful Old Town of Menton on the left.

Tomorrow - the open sea - en route to a bay in Italy, where we'll meet up with another boat - friends from Monaco. We'll tie up together for a relaxing day out.

So you'd like to own a boat?

As you can see, owning a boat isn't all lazing about, sipping champagne and cultivating a tan. This couple spent Easter Saturday working on their boat in the old port of Menton.

I wouldn't be taking the photo today - we've had rain for two or three days and Gorbio is in thick fog. Sunshine tomorrow - according to the meteo. Hooray!

My kingdom for horse...

Meet Sophie, a gorgeous laid-back Golden Retriever with her proud young Italian owner. This was taken in the port of Garavan. To see a close up of Sophie, please click on the link.

There a quiz on Monte Carlo Daily Photo today. Do please visit - click on the link for The Great Great Monte Carlo Swimming Pool Quiz.

Day trip

Sunday afternoon and this boat is about to take off on a little trip. Notice the guys fishing on the right-hand side.

Tomorrow - back to Roquebrune village and the tour of the Château.

Reflections

We've not finished in Roquebrune village (see second paragraph) - but just for a couple of days I fancied coming back down to Menton (no good reason, I just thought we might all like to be by the sea) - so I hope you approve. Here we are in the port below the Old Town. It's a glorious day after so much rain - the autoroute was closed above Roquebrune - falling rocks, dangerous boulders that needed to be brought down. The train track was closed at Eze just along the coast. Heavy rain after a long dry spell is always dangerous and driving up and down the valleys, you really have to take care. I've had to avoid three falls on the Route de Gorbio already - but look at today - absolute heaven.

As for Roquebrune, we'll go back in a couple of days and then we start a full tour of the 10th century Château. I promise you it'll be worth the wait.

Winter days

Today is one of those glorious autumn/winter days - a perfect south of France day. Not too hot, the air is clear, the sea a perfect blue. I walked an old friend to the top of the Old Town - this is taken from just outside the cemetery at the beginning of Boulevard de Garavan - we've yet to explore this beautiful road, but we will, we will. The sea was so still this morning, barely a ripple.

See the pink rocks, almost dead centre in the hillside that rises from the sea. That's Balzi Rossi in Italy - the prehistoric caves we visited recently.

No Fishing

Part of the old port of Garavan. This is the harbour nearest to the Italian border. To the left and across the road that runs through the port, is the Laverie you saw yesterday.

Laverie

This Laverie (laundry) is one of many shops and restaurants that line the beautiful old Port of Garavan. These two men - plus bikes - could be in a country village in the middle of France somewhere, couldn't they? Well, except for the palm just showing and the oleander to the left! I would imagine the Laverie is mostly used by the yachties who live on their boats in the harbour.