Au Revoir France

Jill: we had a fun and relaxing last day in Menton. Chocolate croissants for breakfast and front row seats at the beach. Because I once read an article by Erma Bombeck in which she remembered finding an old photo of a picnic she had with her kids (she could see everything they ate but wondered what they talked about) and because we hope this blog captures the memories for us too, I wanted to add that we spent the week looking over and over again for "the big flat mossy rock" at the edge of the water, which then helped us find "the big rock" which was just tall enough that you could jump off it into the water. Goggles made it easier to find and helped tremendously in spotting fish that were also fun sport. We swam out to the platform, but didn't always stay too long (especially if the teenagers were being crazy). We talked about why moms sometimes didn't wear tops and why we do. We caught tiny crabs in long shells and watched them eat seaweed in our buckets. We looked for our favorite rocks and sometimes found a shell or piece of glass. We built hot tubs, castles and spas. Davis brought at least four Lego men everywhere we went and had many epic battles at tables throughout town while Emmy fell in love with every dog we met along the way.







We also finally made it up to the cemetery and basilica. As you stand on the beach and look back toward the Vielle Ville of Menton, you can just make out some of the crosses from the cemetery at the very top. It seemed daunting at first, which is why I think we waited until the last day to make the trek, but getting there was truly part of the fun. The alleys twisted this way and that and stairs were around every turn, some that led you to new alleys, some that led to a dead end of apartment doors. I couldn't imagine how a postman could ever find you if you lived up here! We came across some women who had pulled lawn chairs into their alley along with a table where they were instructing five or so kids to draw pictures with the pens and paper they had also brought out. It seemed very neighborhood-y and sweet. In the evening people on our street also brought their chairs out and sat in the alley.













But the cemetery was every bit worth the walk. It was beautiful and we couldn't help but appreciate that the most beautiful spot in the whole town had been reserved for the cemetery. Kind of a nice way of looking at things. We enjoyed wandering around looking at the dates, names and wonderful views.





















We then walked down to St. Michaels basilica which was an easy walk by comparison, just down, and we stumbled upon a wedding about to get underway. The bride was standing to one side while the groom and wedding party were assembled near the entrance and greeting last minute arrivals. It was such a beautiful day, they looked so happy and the bride was gorgeous, we just had to stay and watch them all walk in. Emmy said she wanted to be a bride like that. (sniff, sniff)









Dinner at a pizza place in town and one last swim and the day was done.












We couldn't recommend Menton enough, especially for families and families with young children, and families with young children and grandparents, and anyone who'd like to explore the French Riviera. I never felt like a tourist, or an American, just someone on vacation at the beach.

Now we're at the airport en route to Rome where we will pick up a car and make our way to Umbria!

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Location:Menton