a Curious Canadian in Provence : photography, art & renovation!
Menton is a colourful town on the French Riviera, very close to the Italian border. This town has been under the rule of Genoa, Sardinia, Monaco and finally France since 1861 (except the blip that was the Italian occupation of the area during WWII). Menton enjoys a special microclimate compared to the rest of the Côte d’Azur that is particularly favourable to citrus fruits. The lemon is the symbol of Menton and it’s said that the lemons here are so delicious that they can be eaten raw!
…This is what happens when a chef comes to Provence. All the wonderful ingredients that we have here, some of the best in the world, send them into rhapsodies, or at least they certainly did for Chef François de Mélogue. Read on to chuckle at his experiences with French parking in hilltop towns, discovering a pétanque festival and sourcing delicious ingredients in Nice.
Last August we spent a transformative week in the historic hill town of Cagnes sur Mer, widely considered the ‘Montmartre’ of the South and long favored by impressionistic painters for its alluring beauty. Within five days we went from our hurried, busy lives to a more relaxed, slowed down Provencal pace, hopelessly seduced by incredibly fresh seafood, perfect vegetables, and daily rounds of pastis and rosé.
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