Around Valbonne Daily Photo

Could This Be Spring?

2009-03-08T15:36:00.002+01:00

Winter has seemed endless this year and I know it's still two weeks till Spring becomes official but the sight of flowers in the garden and the sun on my back did raise my spirits.

Upon Reflection..Let's Have Lunch

2009-03-05T10:50:00.003+01:00

A sunny day, and those are rarer than hen's teeth round here, and the beginning of lunch time; the tables are laid and the staff are eating their lunch under the arcades.
This bar/restaurant is immensely popular because of its situation but when we first moved here it consisted of two or three tables under the terrace during the summer and a smoky, dingy room inside through the Winter. I reckon that the present arrangement is a change for the better.

Valbonne Cats

2009-03-03T07:18:00.002+01:00

If I water her will she grow?
Mopsa, supervising spring planting..

Roofline

2009-03-02T08:47:00.003+01:00

Looking up towards the roofs of the buildings on the main street. Most of the lower floors are given over to businesses or restaurants and the upper floors have been converted into apartments.

Theme Day: Glass

2009-03-01T00:30:00.001+01:00

This is a photo I took a while ago when I first started Nice Daily Photo. It's the Salon Royal of the Hotel Negresco on the Promenade des Anglais being prepared for the new year's celebrations. The hotel was built during the Belle Epoque which you can see evidence of in the beautiful glass ceiling while the chandelier was made by Baccarat and is composed of more than 16, 000 crystals. ..It's huge but is dwarfed by the size of the room..

These are other theme day participants:
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

2 CV

2009-02-24T14:33:00.002+01:00

I took a mountain of photos of this 2CV get together though not many came out well partly because the cars were seriously on the move, their drivers focused on getting out of the car park and partly because I didn't want to be run over; a definite possibility, believe me.
The theme was Woodstock: 40 years on and many of the drivers were in hippy gear and the cars gussied up accordingly. The atmosphere was great, everyone laughing and happy.

2 CV

2009-02-22T23:59:00.003+01:00

A Deux Chevaux traffic jam! This was the sight that met my eyes when I emerged from the underground parking in Grasse this morning. It wasn't a complete surprise as I knew that this was the weekend of the 12th annual 2 CV international get together but I was disappointed to realise I'd arrived too late to walk round the cars before they took off on a tour round the area. This is the possibly one hundred cars trying to leave the car park at the same time..
More about the car and the event tomorrow

A Quiet Moment: The Yucca

2009-02-19T11:50:00.001+01:00

A potted Yucca plant basking in the winter sun...

Big Ears

2009-02-17T09:15:00.002+01:00

Am I mistaken or is that Mickey Mouse hanging from the roof? Definitely mistaken, it is, of course, the shadow of two satellite dishes which are becoming more and more common as Valbonne embraces modern technology. And not before time. My daughter lives in one of these picturesque apartments and I can only get her on the phone when she's standing in her kitchen...

Strawberries

2009-02-16T16:39:00.003+01:00

Strawberries from Spain in all their juicy red perfection...could Spring be on its way?

Fete de St Blaise: The Flowers

2009-02-14T07:45:00.004+01:00

The parade does two turns round the village and on the second one the participants get really serious about throwing the flowers into the crowd and there's a kind of an ungainly scramble for blooms. Some people even bring baskets to collect as much as possible and the pavements and roads are covered with mimosa blossom and confetti. It's really very pretty.

Whoops! I've just realised it's Valentine's Day...I should have found something red or heart shaped. It just shows how much romance there is in my soul..

Fete de St Blaise: The Flower Child

2009-02-13T00:30:00.001+01:00

Out of all the photos I took at the parade this was my favourite...just something about the child's expression. She's, or maybe he's, definitely not sure if dressing up in hippy gear and throwing flowers at strangers is all it's cracked up to be.

Fete de St Blaise: The People.

2009-02-12T00:30:00.005+01:00

By the time I'd got myself organised all the best places were taken and I found myself with the mid afternoon sun right in my eyes. It was impossible to catch a photo of the parade but this guy, a stranger, was standing up on the wall right next to me and he and his small companion were having such a great time throwing confetti, I caught them on camera instead.

Fete de St Blaise: The Floats

2009-02-10T07:20:00.004+01:00

The carnival floats are a delight to see as they trundle up the road pulled along by tractors. Each is decorated with bundles of flowers mainly mimosa and carnations arranged according to some theme. I noticed a Moulin Rouge, an Eiffel Tour and a Lion King float. There were hippies and cheerleaders and marching bands.
The parade does two turns round the village while the occupants throw flowers at the crowd...

More tomorrow...

Fete de St Blaise

2009-02-09T00:30:00.001+01:00

du raisin et des produits du terroir...which is a mouthful by any one's standards. Basically this is a local festival called after St Blaise, the saint after whom the church is named, and the idea is to celebrate local produce which included grapes, the variety the Servan.

This is the square all dressed up for the party with mimosa and carnations, which is where I started. It's also the place that is the most crowded when the carnival floats come through so I didn't linger long, just long enough to greet some friends and then I headed out to the main road to find a place to watch the parade..
Tomorrow we'll take a look at some of the floats..

Gourdon

2009-02-08T10:11:00.003+01:00

Two views of the same place taken from the same viewing place; this is Gourdon "the Saracen" the epitome of Provencal perched villages and classed as one of the most beautiful villages in France. This is where we've just climbed up to and it was worth every step of that uphill walk so now we can stop and admire the panoramic view and browse in some of the shops.

While the present village has obviously been restored, its origins go way back. The rocky spur it perches on was ideal for attack and defence as was recognised by the Romans who built a military enclosure a step away from the village and the spot has been occupied since then.

As in so many of these old towns and villages the place has been taken over by the tourist industry and is full of tourist style boutiques and workshops. This doesn't diminish its charm, of course, and it's possible to visit the old castle, built by the Saracens in the 13 century, occupied by the Tuscans in the 14th and rebuilt in the 17th century if you want a taste of real history. Wandering through the narrow streets full of stone cottages glowing in the sun it's hard to get a sense of how hard life was here in times gone by. For many centuries the track we've just walked up was the only access to the village which gives that quick trip to the supermarket a whole different meaning..

And why the two photos? I took the one above a week ago but I didn't feel it conveyed accurately the height or situation so I popped in an old photo so you could better appreciate its situation.

Nearly There!

2009-02-05T22:30:00.004+01:00

A few more metres and we'll be at the top. I've turned and very gingerly, because I really don't have much of a head for heights, have taken a photo of the path behind me and the drop, sorry the view, down into the valley. The path is actually that white stone there slightly to the left of centre. Because of its steepness the path zigzags its way up.
So now filled with a glowing sense of achievement we'll go and have a cup of hot chocolate in the village..

Stairway to Heaven 2

2009-02-04T00:30:00.001+01:00

We're about 50 metres up the track here from the signpost and the path is rising gently in front of us...the weather is perfect for a walk; it's sunny but there's a cool breeze.
Tomorrow we'll have a look down from the top..

Stairway to Heaven

2009-02-03T11:16:00.002+01:00

If you like hiking and have a good head for heights then this is the trail for you. It's the start of the old mule track that goes from Pont du Loup deep in the valley of the River Loup up to Gourdon, the archetypal perched village 500 metres higher. I have no idea what the gradient is but believe me, it is steep so grab your walking boots, take a deep breath and up we go!

Tomorrow we'll have a look round the first bend..

Careful!

2009-02-02T09:45:00.005+01:00

The upper floor of a shop selling I guess statues of boys playing flutes, it's an original way of displaying the goods though it might give your neighbours a heart attack if you tried it at home.

Theme Day: Paths and Passageways

2009-02-01T00:19:00.002+01:00

Father and son were enjoying the waves lapping onto this causeway..

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Sky Watch: Garbejaire

2009-01-29T21:37:00.006+01:00

This will be the last Sky Watch in January...unbelievable, isn't it? I'm sure someone must have spun the planet a little faster.
This is Garbejaire, the modern part of Valbonne where an attempt has been made to incorporate Provencal charm into the design of the buildings but it was only when I caught sight of the reflection of the building and that blue sky did I see the possibilities.

Check out the Sky Watch site to see the skies around the world..

La Processionaire du Pin

2009-01-28T13:36:00.002+01:00

This is the nest of the chenille processionnaire, the caterpillar that emerges from its cotton wool nests in the pine trees and forms with its fellows a long procession of caterpillars which process nose to tail until they find a suitably sunny spot to transform into moths.
As you can see from the Wikipaedia article these little guys look comic as they inch their way across the ground. However, looks are deceptive as the tiny hairs on their bodies can prove lethal to other animals and I've been told could induce a heart attack in humans. At the least they can provoke an asthma attack or urticaria. Their other undesirable habits include stripping the pines of needles so this is one to leave alone...
We have a nest high up in one of our trees that I can't reach so once the weather warms up I shall be looking for them in our drive way as they come down. I can't risk either the dogs or the cat getting to them first.

It's not still Christmas, is it?

2009-01-27T00:30:00.000+01:00

In Valbonne it is..The decorations stay up till the Fete du Raisin et du Terroir at the beginning of February. This is the central decoration hanging from the Place aux Arcades. Unlike most decorations it looks quite impressive by day glinting in the sunlight as well as by night.

Weather

2009-01-26T10:13:00.003+01:00

It's Monday morning and it's raining and windy now with a severe weather warning in force for this afternoon. I thought I'd share a photo of my dog enjoying his daily walk yesterday. It made me smile...even though I'm the one who cleaned out the car afterwards.

The Mediatheque

2009-01-22T08:32:00.003+01:00

Because of space constraints and to serve a rapidly increasing population expansion has to happen away from the old village so the new Mediatheque is located in Garbejaire, the "modern" part of Valbonne. It's where I took the last photo too.

The Mediatheque opened last year and houses books, CDs and DVDs which you can borrow, and a snack bar. It's a pleasant airy building which provides a focal point for the community.

Light and Shade.

2009-01-20T09:46:00.002+01:00

I'm looking out into cloud, the sky is down round my shoulders and my hair is frizzing with the dampness of it all so when trying to decide on an image for today I went for bright and bold. This is Valbonne's alter ego, the modern part known as Sophia Antipolis, a high tech. business park that provides Valbonne with revenue and jobs..

Trees

2009-01-19T14:02:00.002+01:00

A reflection of the pruned plane tree in a window. The shop sells beautiful linen and cotton clothes..

On Walking the Dogs..

2009-01-17T18:21:00.002+01:00

It's really quite amazing what you can find tucked away in the woods. The dogs and I came across this fine tractor parked under an oak tree...It seemed remarkably trusting to leave it there unattended.
A while back some local thieves stole a bulldozer from a road works, drove it 3 kilometres and smashed it through the window of the local supermarket at 3am. They wanted to get the money from the cash machine which was, of course, emptied every night...

Vallis Bona

2009-01-15T14:08:00.004+01:00

Here you can see a map of the old village of Valbonne in its grid pattern as it has existed for centuries. Any real expansion on this site was always going to be difficult as the village is bordered by main roads and a small river so the newer development happened on the other side of the main road and is called Vallis Bona, the good or fertile valley, the original name of the village.
I can't find a date for the construction though it happened during my time here as I can remember the passionate debates against it at the time.
It's hard now to remember what all the fuss was about. The building, one large block housing apartments over a pharmacy, a vegetable shop, bakery etc, is in sympathy with its surroundings and pleasant enough to look at. The development also included a desperately needed car park.
This is the Italian delicatessen sporting beautifully wrapped panettone with the fruit and veg. shop behind..

When I was Two...

2009-01-14T13:03:00.001+01:00

When I was one
I had just begun
When I was two
I was nearly new
When I was three
I was hardly me
When I was four
I was not much more
When I was five
I was barely alive
Now I am six
I'm as clever as clever.
I think I'll be six now
For ever and ever.

A.A.Milne

Ethan celebrating his second birthday yesterday.

Statistics

2009-01-11T21:47:00.003+01:00

Towards the end of last year the results of two separate studies were published:

1. The Swiss are the happiest people on the planet.

2. The Swiss are the biggest consumers of chocolate on the planet.

I must emphasise that these two studies were not in any way related but you can't tell me there's not a connection between those results.

Shoes

2009-01-10T18:17:00.003+01:00

Tell me: when is it NOT about the shoes?

The sales have started and shoe shops are exhibiting what's left of the party season stock outside at knock down prices. Now's the moment to snap up a bargain.

Skywatch Friday

2009-01-08T22:30:00.004+01:00

We've been having a lot more weather this Winter than we're used to in this part of the world though I'm heartily glad that the blizzard that struck Marseilles, just a 2 hour drive away, passed us by.
Snow is all very well in its place like up in those hills but, please, not in my back yard!

If you'd like to see more great Sky watch images check out the Sky watch site.

Recycling.

2009-01-08T09:48:00.003+01:00

We take our recycling very seriously round here though as yet no one's thought to install a Barbie recycling bin..

The local councils will take away large stuff: furniture, appliances and electronic gear on certain days of the month. The custom is to leave things on display in advance if they're still usable so someone else can profit from them. The Barbies were naked but in perfect condition..

La Galette des Rois

2009-01-07T06:22:00.002+01:00

As yesterday was the feast of the Epiphany, the Feast of Kings, I bought a Galette des Rois for us to eat.
So what is it? A tart made from 2 discs of flaky pastry filled with a mixture of ground almonds, butter and sugar. Trust me, it's really good. If you're not a great lover of the richness of the Galette you can buy a Gateau des Rois which is a brioche mix with candied fruit, pretty and less fattening.
Inside both of them is hidden what used to be a feve, a bean, now it's usually a pottery or china figurine of some sort. The tradition is that the youngest person present hides under the table and as the cake is cut calls out the name of the person to whom that piece should be given. He who finds the feve gets to wear the crown and be king.
The feast itself dates back to Roman days and includes the same traditions. Just goes to show nothing much changes...

Time To Move On

2009-01-05T09:34:00.004+01:00

I would love Christmas just for the decorations. I enjoy the colour and sparkle at a grey and dreary time of year. It cheers me up enormously to see the style, elegance and exuberance of some of the local decorations.
However, with tomorrow being the Feast of the Kings, the Epiphany, it's time to move on so this my last holiday photo till next year..though the decorations will remain up till the end of January when we celebrate the Fete du Raisin. It's all party, party, party here, you know!

Sky Watch Friday

2009-01-02T07:38:00.003+01:00

There's not much of it but what there is is such a startlingly bright blue I had to share it. This is the winter sky above Valbonne on Christmas Eve, clear, cold and blue. We've had such awful weather recently that I must admit to feeling entitled to this.

To see Sky Watch photos from around the world visit the Sky Watch site.

Theme Day: Best Photo

2009-01-01T13:53:00.003+01:00

This is the best that never was....I took the photo for October's Lines theme day but had computer issues and never posted it and I have always regretted not using it. Why? Well just take a look at that car, all that redness.

My good wishes to you all for 2009. I hope it brings you good health, happiness and success in whatever you choose to do.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

The Swedish Giant

2008-12-30T08:12:00.004+01:00

Monday: to Toulon to visit the Swedish giant, Ikea, to buy the last items for the kitchen we've been renovating for a long, long time but that's another story...

Ikea has this huge store just on the outskirts of Toulon, an hour and a half drive from our house. The place is always busy no matter what time or what day you go and, wishing to capitalise on its success, of course, the company had plans to open a store about a ten minute drive from Valbonne. The plans caused a huge furore; though the intended site was in Mougins, it bordered the neighbouring commune of Mouans Sartoux and would have had a much greater impact on the vibrant shopping centre there. M-S is also a well known traffic bottleneck even without adding in a popular furniture store and the traffic it generates. Here's a link to a local blog if you'd like to read about the traffic problems the superstore would generate.

The row raged for months with increasingly bitter demonstrations, public meetings and petitions for and against but in the end, to my relief, Ikea was refused permission. The roads here are narrow and winding and were not built or intended for the amount of traffic they carry now let alone in the tourist season. Adding more cars to this mix would make moving around doing daily chores intolerable. As to the jobs the store would have created; If we're all buying at Ikea, existing furniture stores will be forced out of business as there's only so much furniture anyone needs..

Valbonne at Christmas

2008-12-28T09:27:00.004+01:00

I had real problems yesterday; I got up early, posted my Sky Watch Friday photo and went calmly on with the day never once losing sight of the fact it was Friday. Except it wasn't...it was, of course, Saturday. What is shocking is the length of time it took me to realise. I always knew holidays were bad for me.

I was in Valbonne for the Christmas market on Christmas Eve. It's always a great place to pick up stocking fillers and quirky little gifts also at the end of the afternoon they hand out mulled wine which, of course, is simply not a reason for going..The animation for the day was these guys. I have absolutely no idea who they were or why they were dressed up in these colourful costumes but they blew on their whistles and banged on their drums all round the streets of the village and it got everyone tapping their feet and smiling..

Sky Watch Friday

2008-12-27T07:45:00.004+01:00

I took this on Christmas Eve fresh out of the hairdresser's and ready to party....they offer customers a glass of festive champagne on Christmas and New Year's Eve which turns the blowdrying thing into a zen moment.....

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas or Festival time. There are lots more beautiful skywatch photos to see. Just pop along here for the list.

Christmas Decorations

2008-12-23T10:50:00.003+01:00

Shop keepers go to quite a lot of trouble to decorate the exterior of the shops. The village is always pretty but at Christmas it really does look good..
This is an interior design shop. It's beautifully arranged inside and oh so very tempting..

Sunday Breakfast

2008-12-22T09:44:00.003+01:00

The whole idea was to hit the Christmas Market in Valbonne, pick up some stocking fillers and take a few photos because Christmas suits Valbonne: it looks very pretty all dressed up.

But we were a day ahead of ourselves and the market starts today so we stopped and had breakfast in the square and soaked up a little winter sunshine. Of course.

13 Desserts

2008-12-18T08:37:00.003+01:00

A second photo from our aperitif evening. One of the group brought a pumpkin pie, one of the 13 desserts, a tradition in Provence at Christmas..

The "gros souper" the Christmas meal is eaten in the evening of the 24th before going to midnight mass which is a long service. The meal starts with fish or seafood with vegetables. Then the table is cleared and relaid for the 13 desserts.; 13 to represent Christ and his apostles at the Last Supper. Of course the composition of the desserts varies from village to village but there should be:
Dried fruits and nuts to represent the 4 orders of Friars
Black and white nougat
Stuffed dates
Calissons d'Aix en Provence
Quince paste or jam
Winter fruits including: White grapes,
Winter melon
Oranges
Winter apples and pears
Plums
And to finish La Pompe de Noel a l'huile d'olive, a sweet, flat bread flavoured with orange flower water which should be broken apart not cut.

As a family we cling to the Christmas pudding but the Provencal version is much the healthier option..

Christmas Party

2008-12-16T10:22:00.004+01:00

When I was teaching in the UK every so often I'd come across a class in which the chemistry between the individuals was such that they were a joy to teach. A class like that is every teacher's dream. Here's an example of such a class that I take now, the group of thirteen adults I teach in the village every Monday evening. I cannot tell you how much pleasure it gives me to work with them or how much fun we have. This was a photo I took during our Christmas aperitif party last night (as you can see I took along Christmas crackers)

Fall...

2008-12-10T16:39:00.004+01:00

...the Cote d'Azur version of Fall, that is, Fall lite maybe.
I look with envy at every one's Fall photos, those golden broad leaved trees gleaming in the sun but here leaves tend to be small to conserve moisture so pines are common as are Mediterranean oaks which keep their leaves 'till December. With the recent windy days ours are starting to come down now so that by Christmas we'll have plenty to keep ourselves occupied sweeping up the leaves (as if there weren't enough to do!).
At least it's a way of burning off the extra calories..

Place des Arcades

2008-12-09T08:27:00.005+01:00

It looks like something out of toy town, doesn't it?
We're in the Place des Arcades, the centre of the village and its around 3pm on a cool, dull afternoon. I've used photos of the square before but it's usually packed with people. In fact, I think it's turning into a sort of Piccadilly Circus in that if you sit here long enough, everyone you ever knew will turn up.
There are two hotels and several restaurants and cafes along the sides as you'd imagine and as the square is closed to traffic from mid afternoon, families with small children can eat out without worrying about cars passing.

Happy Birthday!

2008-12-08T07:53:00.003+01:00

This is my lovely daughter with her son, my grandson. Today is her 21st birthday so I'm intending to spend the day thinking fondly back over those years while scanning in old photos.
It's strange that though the state recognises us as adults at 18, 21 still seems the age to celebrate.
Monday must be the worst day of the week to have a birthday...

Eating The Olives.

2008-12-05T11:15:00.003+01:00

This is really what it's all about, isn't it? At the end of the visit were plates piled with tasty treats all involving olive oil. It was incredibly hard to take these photos because of the sheer number of people grabbing the evidence. Unsurprising given how good it was..

There was a plate of tapenade, the photo underneath, a paste made from black olives, anchovies, capers and olive oil and a plate of Brissauda, with the method written out at the side: bread, in this case baguette, a crushed clove of garlic, a pinch of salt and a drizzle of good olive oil..this is where you do need your extra virgin olive oil. If you like food with lots of flavour then you'll love this though there are problems associated with the eating of it: firstly, it's hard to stop and secondly, no one will want to speak to you for a while after..

The Olive Mill: The Oil

2008-12-04T11:06:00.002+01:00

I use olive oil a lot but a lot. For me it's a happy marriage between something I like to eat that is actually beneficial to my health which isn't always the case, believe me.
Here it is, a thin stream of liquid gold flowing into a blue plastic bucket; I would have liked something a little more reverential but in this part of the world this is just an everyday product. One of the ladies who comes to my English class told me that she'd spent the last few weeks picking more than a thousand kilos of olives from her 75 trees....imagine!

Moulin de la Brague: Making Olive Oil

2008-12-02T14:23:00.003+01:00

Now here's the inside of the olive mill which I had hoped would be more romantic looking but that's progress for you. The mill is now semi automated and though each piece of machinery was carefully labelled visitors weren't allowed in to read them so all I can tell you is that the olives are fed in somewhere out of the picture on the left and move round the machinery till the oil comes out somewhere on the right. I can tell you though that it was sparkling clean, extremely noisy and smelt strongly of crushed olives.
Being a resourceful type I've copied and pasted this account of the actual process from an excellent website which advises on setting up your own olive farm. Here's the link if you're interested in taking it up..

The Mill grinds or hammers the olives and pits into paste which is extruded onto the plates which go onto the press. Don't let heat build up during the milling or pressing or the flavor will be affected.
Malaxation is a slow mixing of the paste which allows the oil - water emulsion to coalesce. Small microscopic oil droplets join together into large drops which will come out during centrifugation or separation.
The Press is usually centrifugal in larger machines. The press separates out the olive juice and oil and leaves behind a fibrous "pomace". Toss the pomace or sell it to someone who wants to chemically remove more of the oil for industrial uses such as soapmaking. From each ton of fruit anywhere from 12 to 50 gallons of oil can be produced.
Separate the oil from the water using a decanter or centrifugal separator.
Bottle the oil, keeping it away from heat and light. .
Invite your friends to taste your oil.
Sell some of your oil at the local farmer's market or grocery store to pay for the land, trees, consulting, mill, etc.
The public finds you, clamoring for more -
Let us know when you're in business so we can put you on the internet.
See; now wasn't that easy?

And here's the account in French:
La fabrication de l'huile s'effectue de la mi-novembre à la fin mars au fur et à mesure de la récolte. Le principe de fabrication étant le suivant: - Lavage des olives; - Broyage des olives par meules en pierre ou par broyeur mécanique; - Malaxage de la pâte obtenue; - Pressage ou centrifugation de la pâte pour obtenir le jus de l'olive, ce jus étant composé d'huile et d'eau végétale; - Centrifugation du jus pour séparer l'huile de l'eau végétale; l'huile ainsi obtenue aura l'appellation d'huile d'olive vierge première pression. My thanks to Frederic for that..

Tomorrow we'll have a look at the oil..

Moulin de la Brague: the Olive Harvest.

2008-12-01T12:48:00.005+01:00

The next few posts I'm going to dedicate to the open day at our local olive mill last Saturday so an interest in olives is going to be obligatory till Thursday at least!

This is the Moulin A Huile Michel also known as the Moulin de la Brague and is one of the very few working olive mills in the area which means that any one can harvest their olives from even one tree and take them down to the mill where they'll be turned into olive oil almost under your eyes. "Almost" because the production has been semi automated so the machinery is closed in.
A mill has existed on this site since the fifteenth century but passed into the hands of the Michel family in 1848. It was Roger Michel who dynamised the business in the 1960s and it continues to thrive especially in a time which recognises the benefits of olive oil.
The mill operates during the olive harvest which takes place from November to March. This year has been exceptional and the olives are flooding in. The mill also has a pleasant boutique selling local products and their own olive oil and olives. You can also buy products made elsewhere. The shop is on most tour operaters' itineraries where tourists can stock up on local gifts to take home with them..I buy my olives from them and really good olive oil to give away as presents.

It was such a dreadful day weather wise that I decided to put the photo in black and white, it was almost monochrome anyway.

Skywatch Friday

2008-11-27T20:37:00.004+01:00

As we live on a hill facing mainly west we do get good sunsets. This one wasn't as dramatic as some but the neighbour's garden fire gave it a nice romantic look..if you don't mind the dioxins!

Go check out some great Sky Watch Friday photos here.

Eating Out

2008-11-25T09:38:00.003+01:00

As I've said before Valbonne is packed to the gills with restaurants catering for all sorts of tastes. There are Italian style offering pizzas and pasta for family and student budgets, top end French, though no Michelin stars, Moroccan and the latest one..a restaurant serving mainly mussels: so you could say we're spoilt for choice.
I've eaten at both these restaurants, lunch recently at the Terra Rossa which was very good value and dinner at the Coin de la Rue which offers a very limited menu of food fresh from the market, much better than masses of choice where you know your dish is prepared in advance and reheated in a microwave.

Olives

2008-11-23T09:50:00.003+01:00

Left to my own devices this post would run and run as I absolutely love olives....
I love the sight of the olive groves on south facing hillsides, the leaves changing colour in the breeze. I love the astringent taste of those small black olives on my tongue especially with a glass of red wine and if you've never taken a horizontal slice of baguette, rubbed it with a half of a cut clove of garlic with a little olive oil drizzled over it then you've never lived.
It pleases me to see the olive nets spread over the ground under the trees to collect the fruit. I like to know that some things still have to be done by hand, even though it's back breaking work and there's satisfaction in knowing that what you pick can be turned into your own olive oil at the mill down the road. Even if you've only got 2 or 3 trees your olives can be mixed in with someone elses.
This year's olive harvest is exceptional Nice Matin tells me and next weekend the olive mill in our village is giving guided tours so I shall be there with my camera...

It's Raining, It's Pouring..

2008-11-22T03:00:00.000+01:00

It doesn't rain here very often but when it does it rains seriously.
It was said that the Cote d'Azur had more rain than Manchester in the north of England but instead of raining a little all the time, it only rained in Spring and Autumn...a lot.
It had actually stopped raining here but the little girl was very proud of her new umbrella.

Place des Arcades

2008-11-21T00:30:00.001+01:00

The Place des Arcades is in the centre of the village and is the centre of village social life. There are several restaurants there along with shops and two hotels which is not bad for a small square.
If you can imagine yourself sitting at the Bar des Arcades enjoying a pastis or a cool glass of white wine and looking out at the activity in the square then these houses will be on your left. The darker pink one was actually advertising a holiday apartment to let last time I was there so if you think you'd like a week in the heart of Valbonne just let me know and I'll send the details.(Though it does get noisy on market days!)

Doorway

2008-11-20T04:00:00.004+01:00

I just liked this doorway and the stone bench next to it. there was something about the colour of the stone and the light that attracted me to the scene..

Les Platanes

2008-11-19T03:00:00.004+01:00

The platanes, plane trees, the beautiful trees that line the roads have been pruned back so that the local council employees can put up the Christmas lights. Though the pruning looks brutal the branches grow back beautifully to give welcome shade in summer.

Brocante 2

2008-11-18T03:00:00.001+01:00

In amongst a bunch of stalls selling the usual silverware, porcelain and old postcards an imaginative stall holder had laid out his lamps and chairs that had a definite 70s feel about them as if they were in a living room. It was an eye catching display especially this lamp but in the end I couldn't decide if I liked it because it was pleasing or simply because it was different...

Brocante

2008-11-17T15:22:00.004+01:00

.
On the first Sunday of every month there's a bric a brac market held in the village. How interesting it is and how well attended depends, of course, on the weather. Luckily for me this particular one was held on an impossibly glorious Autumn day.
I'll show you some of the items that were for sale but between ourselves I think a lot of the stuff though beautiful looking is over priced but you don't come to Valbonne expecting to find a bargain.

Birthdays 2

2008-11-16T08:20:00.000+01:00

There's something very comforting about chocolate cake which makes it indispensable for a 50th birthday..

Curiosity.....

2008-11-14T13:07:00.000+01:00

Sitting in the square enjoying a brimming cup of chocolat chaud, a movement caught my eye and when I looked up I noticed this handsome ginger cat eyeing the pigeons. Sadly for him they were the other side of the balcony..but every time I look at this photo I think he's impaled on the wrought iron. (He wasn't)

My Dogs

2008-11-13T12:18:00.000+01:00

This was going to be another Valbonne cat photo but I've just arrived home from the vet and my poor old boy on the left has arthritis in all his leg joints and an enlarged testicle so we've been discussing a preventative castration....I mind more about their ageing than I do about my own.

Valbonne Cats.

2008-11-12T13:54:00.002+01:00

Valbonne is full of cats. Because the houses don't have gardens I suppose the cats roam the streets doing what cats do....
Every time I park in a certain car park this particular tortoiseshell is there curled up on the bonnet or roof of a car, not necessarily the same car, basking in the sun or just the residual warmth of the engine and lots of the passers by stop to stroke her.

Birthdays

2008-11-11T16:35:00.001+01:00

Well, the computer's fixed...sort of. I'm hoping it'll limp on till I can get myself a Mac. (Are you listening, Santa?) I haven't got enough photos to restart Nice but if the weather stays dry I'll be over there on Thursday but 'till then here's Valbonne.

In the interim things have been pretty busy round here, had a bunch of birthdays to help celebrate which is something I'm pretty good at. For this particular one we headed into Valbonne for lunch and it was easily warm enough to sit outside and enjoy the food and the bustle of the Friday market going on behind us. We even did a brief tour of the market before lunch but remembering my Get-a-Mac project made sure my hands were kept firmly in my pockets!

Please Bear With Me....

2008-09-26T21:22:00.001+02:00

It's been a difficult week here culminating in my computer crashing again last night, very emphatically. So until I can either fix the old one, again, or buy a new one I won't be posting. However, I will be able to visit and leave comments so don't think I'm not watching you all..

Sky Watch: Corniche de l'Esterel

2008-09-25T23:00:00.000+02:00

The Corniche de l'Esterel is the coast road that runs from Cannes to St Raphael. If you get a chance to go insist on being a passenger: the views across the sea and the red rocks of the Esterel are magnificent. And try to do the trip in Winter on a bright, sunny day after a Mistral so the air is free from pollution and the colours are even more intense..
(You need to go in Winter because the rest of the year the road's one long traffic jam...I took this in Summer on a fairly windy day in a queue of traffic)

There are lots more Sky Watch photos to be enjoyed here

Looking Towards Chateauneuf de Grasse

2008-09-22T07:04:00.003+02:00

Built in a spiral around the church Chateauneuf de Grasse is another of the perched villages of the region. You had a peek of it in the Skywatch post. This is yet another peek. It's impossibly photogenic from a distance and while it's a pleasant enough place it doesn't really deliver the goods when you get closer. Sorry, Chateauneuf..
The house in the foreground is a rather unimaginative box type design but is redeemed by that lovely faded pink wash.

Lunch in Valbonne

2008-09-21T08:49:00.003+02:00

There's nothing quite like eating lunch outside on a warm sunny day especially when it's the weekend and you can linger. The tables are a wee bit cramped but who cares...the food's good and the service helpful.
Valbonne's packed with restaurants so you've got lots of choice. This one's the Cadran Solaire, the Sundial, just off the place.

A Quiet Street 2

2008-09-20T18:22:00.003+02:00

Another Saturday shot from Valbonne village; I just love this place it's so pretty especially in Summer when people put out pot plants....
Have a good Saturday!

Sky Watch Friday

2008-09-19T08:11:00.002+02:00

It's pretty well Autumn and the weather is changing; dramatic clouds build up in the mountains but usually disperse harmlessly towards evening. Looking north west, you can see the village of Chateauneuf de Grasse huddling under a menacing cloud; the prealps of Grasse are in the background.
To see more Sky Watch photos go here

The Toy Shop

2008-09-18T14:49:00.002+02:00

Valbonne village is packed with restaurants, estate agents and small specialist shops like this toy shop. It's been there for years selling interesting and beautiful toys...in fact we got to the point where I didn't dare bring my children into the village because they'd always find some small toy or gadget they couldn't possibly live without. I don't remember them selling cats in those days, though!

A Trip to the Beach

2008-09-17T12:40:00.002+02:00

I spotted this young gull picking at a dead rat that had washed ashore and was very glad I hadn't gone in the water...

La Chasse..

2008-09-16T13:20:00.002+02:00

The hunt started last weekend. The woods are now full of middle aged men swigging beer and shooting wildly at any pigeon that happens across their path.
(That square bush is a hide!)

Busy...

2008-09-13T14:30:00.003+02:00

No time to write today as I have to supervise the builder, or maybe demolition squad would be more accurate.

First Sky Watch Photo

2008-09-11T23:54:00.006+02:00

This is my first Sky watch post so I've got my fingers crossed that I've done everything right..
This is the view north from home. I've taken a few sky photos from here as we do get quite a lot of "weather" from that direction. Storms sweep down from the mountains then follow the valley which is just beyond those buildings and eventually go out to sea so we have all the pleasure of watching the drama of a storm with no inconvenience to ourselves. This one promised more than it delivered in the end.
For more Sky Watch photos go here

Maitres du Feu

2008-09-11T09:22:00.005+02:00

I went to look at the pottery exhibition and market held in the Place aux Arcades. I liked this red bowl very much but someone else saw it at the same time and bought it so in the end I came away empty handed.

Momo..

2008-09-10T13:26:00.002+02:00

Momo gives percussion lessons on Saturdays. He's the sort of person who's always smiling, who never keeps still. He was giving his demonstration when the compere suggested that one of the oriental dancers joined him for an impromptu performance.
Overheard when passing the Danse Orientale stand: " Join the group and we'll make a real woman of you"

La Tete et Les Jambes

2008-09-09T10:07:00.003+02:00

Another look at the Forum des Associations and some of the activities. What amazes me is the number and diversity of the courses available to satisfy mind and body and most of them are very affordable. I give English conversation lessons for free, for example, though there's a small subscription fee for joining the Sports and Cultural association and you could study Italian for practically nothing too.
Me? I'm tempted by the Qi Gong class. I'd like to do Tai Chi but the hours don't suit. I'm no good at art but yoga is a possibility and I'd like to take up Bridge again...
What will you be taking up this year?

Sundays in Opio!

2008-09-08T09:29:00.003+02:00

Every year all the local sports and cultural associations band together to hold the Forum des Associations. This year it was held in Opio and was combined with the inauguration of our new Parc de Sports et Loisirs of which we are immensely proud. It was all such a pleasure I wish you could have been there...all the clubs had stands selling their wares and around the park were dotted activities for all the family: mini golf, basketball, 5 a side football, chess et al.
These are the teachers of the Salsa club in Opio giving a demonstration. The whole club danced later on stage but it drew such a crowd that it was impossible to take a photo....

A Quiet Street

2008-09-06T22:42:00.005+02:00

Unusually the old village, the heart of Valbonne, is built on a grid pattern in the style of Roman military camp. Most villages in this area were constructed in spiral fashion around a hilltop for defence. It consisted originally of ten streets crossing ten streets with the village square or place at the centre. No need to say that the village has expanded since then..
I was standing just at the edge of the place looking down one of the two main avenues of the village. Pretty, isn't it?

MG

2008-09-05T22:09:00.002+02:00

A little further on than the Coluche memorial is the garage belonging to The English Car Mechanics none other than Simon and sons. They've been around this part of the world for a while now but only moved to Opio recently where they have room to spread out and show all their wonderful classic cars. I took the photo of this 1955 MG over the fence; I wouldn't mind finding that in my Christmas stocking!

Coluche 1944-1986

2008-09-04T22:47:00.002+02:00

Sometimes you come across a person who has the gift of living well (I don't mean in a hedonistic sense) who manages to cram so much into their life it makes you dizzy. Such a man was Coluche who started his career as a stand up comedian, became a film star, set a motor cycle speed record and stood for President of France. Impressive career indeed but now listen to this: he worked actively to combat racism and in 1985 set up an association called Les Restaurants du Coeur. which helps to feed the socially marginalised.
In Winter occasionally their volunteers stand outside the supermarkets asking people to buy with their shopping one or more items from a list to donate; such an easy way of giving.
Coluche had a passion for motorbikes and died at the age of 42 on the road between Valbonne and Opio in a road accident.
His fans, and there are a multitude, have erected this memorial near where he died and every year on a Sunday near the anniversary they turn up here on motor bikes in their hundreds to commemorate this great man. You really have to see it; it's unbelievable. No one could wish for a finer tribute.

Les Bonbons!

2008-09-02T15:41:00.003+02:00

Just a few metres from the top of the main street through Valbonne village stands every parent's nightmare: the sweet shop. Forget running the gauntlet of hastily put together sweet displays in the supermarket, this is an extravaganza of sugar. What you see here represents a tiny proportion of what's on sale inside and outside this shop and even though I'm more a chocophile I find it hard to pass by without buying something; it's the colours, the presentation and, more than anything, that sweet, sweet smell that brings back childhood and candyfloss and toffee apples and home made fudge in one good sniff...
Many of these bonbons are made from guimauve or marshmallow though the french version is slightly less sweet, slightly harder than the commercial variety. If you'd like the details about guimauve then go here but if you haven't got the time then let me tell you about this recipe: apparently if you put 3 marshmallows in a bowl in the microwave, no more than that, let them cook till they've tripled in size, wait till they've collapsed and cooled and then knead the paste a little you'll end up with iridescent marshmallows like you find at fun fairs. Let me know if it works...

While Waiting for My Pizzas...

2008-08-29T21:52:00.003+02:00

I had my camera with me and the Church and sunset were all prettied up ready for a photo opportunity. How could I refuse?
Have a great weekend everybody...

Fast Food

2008-08-28T20:52:00.003+02:00

You know those moments when you arrive home with little energy or motivation for slaving over an evening meal...here's the answer: the pizza caravan. If you've been to the south of France you'll have seen these caravans dotted round the villages cooking up home made, well sort of, pizzas on a wood stove. The pizzas are truly mouthwatering.
We've got two caravans in the village, Pizza Flam' and Pizza Joseph. We prefer La Flam' shown here, the base of their pizza is finer and it's not too heavy on the cheese; others swear by Joseph, I find his cheese too salty and my daughter likes Chouchou, a little further away, true, but the bases are wafer thin and crusty.
Restaurants do take away pizzas too but, somehow, against all logic or reason these caravans produce a tastier pizza...

Liberation

2008-08-27T21:15:00.002+02:00

24th August, 1944 was the day when Opio was liberated by the allies. A commemoration ceremony is held on the closest Sunday and entails the laying of a wreath and a speech by the Mayor and the running up of the British, American and Canadian flags.
A lady I know who lives in the village was 14 at the time and she told me how when they heard the ringing of the bells and the marching feet she and her little sister ran to the road to see what was happening. She says they couldn't believe the soldiers throwing chocolates and candy into the air and were a little wary of gathering up the goodies...

Circus Performers

2008-08-26T11:59:00.002+02:00

After the animals the performers paraded down the street...one year the acrobats came to the local swimming pool and gave an impromptu performance on the poolside turning somersaults as they dived into the water. Everybody loved it, of course, but sure enough small boys started to emulate them and the lifeguards were obliged to stop the show.

The Camouflage Scooter

2008-08-23T17:30:00.006+02:00

The perfect accessory for the celebrity who wishes to buzz round incognito...the camouflage scooter.
Have a pleasant weekend!

The Dress Circle...

2008-08-21T10:45:00.003+02:00

This has to be one of the best places to watch the race...at least if you don't mind seeing only the competitors' backs. I saw this woman at her window waiting for the start of yesterday's race. The building is actually a hotel that overlooks the main street on one side and the place on the other

Corrida

2008-08-20T14:13:00.006+02:00

The Fete de St Roch is the high point of Summer in the village. It centres around the Feast of the Assumption on the 15th August and lasts 4 days, days which are packed with activities and entertainment.
Traditionally the 15th August marks the point when Summer begins the slow slide into Autumn, the weather begins to change and the days become shorter. It's definitely a good moment to have a party.
The first day of the fete saw the circus processing through the streets: the second day, Friday, there was the usual market in the morning followed at the end of the afternoon by the Corrida, a race through the village. This is great fun regardless of whether you're a participant, supporter or spectator. There are three races, 1km and 3km for children and one for adults(8km) which loop and twist through the narrow stone streets. I took this right at the start of the first children's race..if any one's interested there are lots of photos online and an account of the event in French.

The Circus Has Come to Town...2

2008-08-19T13:59:00.002+02:00

Here come the acrobats in their colourful costumes handing out circus leaflets. Behind you can see the donkeys and camels, or are they dromedaries. I never know...

The Circus Comes to Town..

2008-08-18T21:22:00.005+02:00

Valbonne is a village in Alpes-Maritimes, in the south of France, very popular with tourists and my stamping ground. I don't actually live in the village itself but benefit from its advantages like this circus parade..
The occasion is the Fete de St Roch and as part of the celebrations the Arlette Gruss circus paraded a selection of its animals through the centre of the village. These sweet ponies led the procession..