Menton Daily Photo - Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Menton Daily Photo is Jilly’s blog about Menton. Jilly runs a a ‘pension familiale’ for dogs, that is to say, all the dogs live in the house with her.  She has a site depicting her activities there at www.pensionmilou.com

But Menton Daily Photo is more about photos of Menton.

Gorgeous photos (and I really mean gorgeous!), including one of an old Citroen (sadly not a 2CV but you can’t have everything, can you?)

The highlight for me, I do have to say,  are all the posts about boules.

I’m not going to be so crude as to say anything about the indefinable pleasure of  looking at photographs of men holding their balls of steel, so I’ll move on quickly before I succumb to the temptation to say anything along those lines.

I will, however, mention that up here in the frozen wastelands of Brittany (Where the sun always shines and it never snows – according to the estate agents, anyway), we don’t play Péntanque; we play Boules Breton.

Very similar except…. our balls are bigger!

So, straight to the quick….

I must admit that when I first took a look at this post (Péntanque or Boules), I wasn’t sure if the big chap with the beard had been captured on film halfway through some strange fertility rite or, if he had just been caught short having had a dodgy prawn or two the night before?

Happily it had nothing to do with matters of life or death;  in France Boules (Breton or Péntanque) is something far more serious than that!

So, while we’re on the subject of Boules…. doesn’t the chap in the middle (spotted at the Village Fête) look like the epitome of a champion?  The clear blue eyes, the confident smile (but not too arrogant) and the stripy shirt; I bet I could be a champion boule player if I had a shirt like that!

Then again, look at the confidence shown here (again at the Village Fête) – if these 4 aren’t destined to become world champions, there must be something very wrong with the world!

And here, detailing the superb balance required at the highest levels of the sport; just the right amount of body mass – distributed in just the right places.  It’s a trick that British darts players have known for ages!

I shouldn’t really say this but… the secret is in how you hold your boules; as shown here and here, everyone has their own technique – I understand that it takes years to perfect the right one!

Moving swiftly along; this blog is not just about Boules (or Péntanque) – no, it is so, so much more that that.

A look at the category listing on the sidebar shows that there are 120 posts about The Beach and Sea (my favourite is this one about The Pebble Sifter!  Posh beaches in the South of France have people who sift the pebbles!  Now, that’s right posh, that is!)

There are 64 posts about restaurants and bars; and who wouldn’t start salivating at this photos of Fruits de Mer (my favourite food of all time) or this one… Lust for an Oyster (also my favourite food of all time!)?

Then again, there are 19 posts about food and wine, including this one of Fruits de Mer and this one about Poutine.  And don’t miss this one – don’t those peaches look delectable?

And what about these lovely pigs’ shoulders?  Or these lovely fish!

And just to prove that I do think of things other than food, why not look at some of the 46 posts about markets (of course, I only had eyes for Fish Eyes!)

And, you know, I’m only just scratching the surface here!

So, if you like beautiful photos of the sea, markets, food and boules – this really is the blog for you.

And me?  Well, I’m going back to the Chestnut Fête.  I’ve got ideas for this little piggie; seasoned, stuffed and then gently roast!

All the best

2 Comments

• 

  By Jilly, April 8, 2010 @ 4:59 pm

  Keith, I’m totally bowled over and honoured to read your review of Menton Daily Photo. I can’t imagine how long it took you to find all those links – you write about them in such a funny way. Too right – guys playing boules should be x-rated! And looking at your past entries, I see I am in incredible company. Thankyou so much for mentioning the blog. Dead chuffed I am!

  Have been looking at your various blogs and think I’m going to learn lots on your IT blog. Very helpful. The mushrooms too – on the land below me we get a lot of girolles but it’s a question of taking your life in your hands to wade down the very steep hillside to get them.

  I just read your bio and note that your lady has just the right name!

• 

  By Virginia, June 12, 2010 @ 2:10 pm

  Oh Keith you’ve done it again! I have followed Jilly’s terrific blogs for almost two years. Her posts and photos of the boules players were the inspiration for the photos of the players I shot in Paris last summer. She is one talented lady and I am thrilled you’ve featured her work here! I’m also lucky enough to count her as one of my dear friends!
  V

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