mardi 2 septembre 2008

NO BORDER INDEED

You ask for pictures ? Here you are!

First of all, let's place where we were.


Agrandir le plan

And set in time : To sum up , I don't want to play the teacher, but you must know that this area was a possesion of the Savoie, and an Italian possession . In 1861, Italia gave it back to Napoléon III. Too bad, you, Italian, had not kept it on your side. Sorry, I regret, they're ours now : )

Now you can understand the similarity on the both side of the border.
You get VINTIMIGLIA on the Italian side : And Menton 15 kms on the French side Menton Old city:



nd Sospel in the montain 15 kms at the North of Menton

Then Nice old town :

You know what unify all this cities, their vivid colors, their architecture, their markets, their heart because they remain animated and alive, and Italian and French language is spoken indifferently every where, and by most of the residents.

And these little details in the daily life which remind us that we were a great Catholic country during all our History, and we've forgotten it, little by little

Menton, specific front with trompe-l'oeil shutters, and a blessed Virgin.

An other Virgin in old Menton, with all its simplicity.

Sospel, surrunding wall with an other Virgin and Jesus.




And many others in many the towns of this area.


Hope I share with you a little breath of the spirit of such old towns, until an other post about the subject.

12 commentaires:

  1. I see what you mean. These are wonderful pictures!

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  2. Awesome pics! he colors are great and I love the architecture.

    Now I wanna go!! :)

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  3. Fabulous! These cities are like works of art!

    In your 2008 pic, are those plastic uno cards?

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  4. Very nice pictures ! I have visited Nice once when I was a student and 18 years old, so that was yesterday, lol !
    Thanks for your nice comment ! I don't blog pour passer le temps, c'est devenu mon hobby ! même en vacances je dois publier mes billets autrement j'éclate ! Bien sûr que je parle français ça fait 50 ans que j'habite en Belgique du côté francophone. Depuis 33 ans à Waterloo ! Anglais est plus court et plus facile pour écrire je trouve. Apparement tu as passé des vacances excellentes ! Moi j'étais cette année en Grèce, en Italie, un stage de photo en Belgique et une semaine en Angleterre à la côte ! et j'ai toujours bloggé !!

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  5. These are fantastic views, Catherine!
    I have been to Menton and Nice many years ago: they are so charming cities.

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  6. Looks like a wonderful place. I hope you had a great time.

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  7. Oh my I so want to come see all that beauty:)--- we were planning a Europe trip in two years but I now think it will be South America and Europe will be a while longer

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  8. "Louis" enjoyed the photo tour you posted here Catherine. He was also very happy to see you had commented at San Francisco Bay Daily Photo.

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  9. Catherine - "Louis" appreciates your observation on his comment at Aileni's blog. "Louis" is appalled at how the media distorts things to fit their own very radical agenda. That's as far as "Louis" is willing to comment at this time, but clearly you, "Louis" and Aileni are of one mind. When "Louis" lived in Paris, he was pleasantly surprised when on more than one occasion a Parisian assured him that it isn't the typical French person who hates the U.S., but it was the media and Chirac's government. In the U.S., the U.S. media hates the U.S., too!

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  10. Catherine, in your comment about the horse race track - you are correct, "Louis" rarely shows it. Chez la Vache is high enough that "Louis" can aim the camera over the race track and get the image of San Francisco, leaving the race track out of the shot.

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  11. That looks wonderful. Another sigh here.
    So where did you stay. What did you do? How long did you stay there? And I bet the kids loved it too?

    All the photos look lovely. I'm SO JEALOUS!!! LOL
    I really need to come and visit you and this place. *sigh*

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  12. Those transparent Uno-cards look so cool! Oh, and there´s some cities too...which look ridiculously classy.

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