Menton, Mon Amour
Having decided to explore Menton, the hidden gem of the Cote d Azur, we decided to look for accommodation. Our reason for choosing Menton was to look for a little investment property for holiday rental.
Blimey, finding somewhere we actually wanted to stay, within a sensible budget and with parking, proved impossible.
Italy it was, just over the border (we thought) in a campsite called Delle Rose in Isolabona. We booked our mobile home and looked forward to our little holiday.
MOBILE Home, Rugby Zone
We didn’t have long to wait until we were packing up the car. Not only were we taking our pillows, we’d decided to take a full complement of bedding, Janine’s mattress topper and a TELLY! You see, the Rugby League season had started. With matches on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday often televised, what better to do on your holidays?
As we planned our route, we suddenly realised the campsite wasn’t quite just over the border. It was probably nearer to a 50 minutes drive from Menton. It’s actually not far, only around 25kms but it’s up a scenic winding valley and through the busy town of Ventimiglia. A route we knew well by the end of the week!
Hilda Hits the Highway
After a pleasant but long drive from home, around 7h and 612kms, we arrived at our lodgings.
We had planned to take Vera, our Volvo, but a massive hailstorm left her damaged beyond repair — a fact we only discovered after months of waiting for the insurance. So, we packed up Hilda, our Honda, for yet another adventure. We do keep planning to semi retire Hilda. She has been our loyal servant for many years but with over 350,000kms under her belt, she deserves an easier life. She isn’t getting it yet!
After checking in at reception, we were taken to our mobile home. It was in a little avenue of only perhaps 6 units, 3 on each side of the walkway but with no parking outside. We were able to park for a few minutes to unload but then the car had to be taken back down the hill to the carpark.
We discovered our beds had already been made with a variety of bedding from the 70’s but it was clean, comfortable and cotton!
Mobile homes in Europe aren’t the same as the traditional static caravans we remember in England. There’s really not much comfort in the living area, more just a base to get your head down and shower.
Our mobile home had 2 bedrooms, one double and one sleeping 3. The beds were actually very comfortable with thick mattresses. Once Janine’s topper was installed, it was as comfortable as home…. (not quite)
The ‘bench’ in the lounge area was a different story. No matter what we tried, it wasn’t comfortable! It was fine to eat our meals but relaxing to watch our TV, it wasn’t.
The campsite has its own pizzeria so we ordered a pizza to take away, it was delicious.
Cannes, Cars & Crowds
After a good night’s sleep we decided to take a drive. This was when we discovered that not only was it the Monaco Grand Prix, it was also the Cannes Film Festival, hence the price and lack of availability of accommodation!
We had a lovely drive, visiting Bordighera, a lovely Italian town on the coast, Menton and Roquebrune Cap Martin. As it was Sunday, there were a lot of day trippers so we decided to wait until Monday to explore further.
Just behind the coast, we discovered plenty of hilltop villages — each worth visiting, if only for a wander, a drink in a charming square, and the stunning views. We loved Roquebrune. A beautiful village perched high on a hill. We were lucky to witness a local wedding celebration taking place on a restaurant terrace. Lots of dancing, music and laughter. It also had a great view of the bay in Monaco.
Fried Pizza and Lidl — Living the Dream
Our week consisted of visiting lots of little towns, villages, studios to buy and Lidl. Wherever you go, there’s always plenty of Lidl’s.
From our campsite we visited Dolceacqua (see our blog on our day out here!), a beautiful village on the way to our campsite, Ventimiglia and Bordighera in Italy.
Janine also discovered fried pizza! Now we thought that only the Glaswegians fried weird stuff, but fried pizza turns out to be traditional Naples fodder!
It was delicious! I’ve no idea how they make it. It tasted almost like donut but a bit crispy, without the sugar and not greasy. Definitely one to try if you ever get the opportunity and fancy a change! The pizzeria was called Pizzeria Friggitoria Zero 81, just outside the village of Dolceacqua. If you happen to be in the area, try it!
A BIT ABOUT MENTON…
Perched right on the edge of France — so close to Italy you can almost hear the espresso machines humming — Menton has spent centuries playing a delightful game of cultural tug-of-war. Officially French today, it once belonged to Monaco, and before that, it flirted with the Kingdom of Sardinia. No wonder it has such impeccable taste in both croissants and pasta!
In the 19th century, Menton became the darling of Europe’s elite when British aristocrats and Russian royals discovered its mild microclimate — a place where winter barely shows up! Palatial villas popped up among the lemon groves, giving Menton its nickname, the “Pearl of France.”
Menton is a truly beautiful town. It’s an easy place to visit. The train station is in the centre and Nice Airport is less than 40 minutes drive away.
The old town houses are painted in all shades from yellow to dark terracotta and sit proudly overlooking the Mediterranean.
The ‘new’ town is full of good shops, bars and restaurants, a casino, gardens, squares and the botanical gardens. There’s also a great sea front walk from the border of Italy right through the town and onto Roquebrune Cap Martin.
It’s difficult to resist stopping in a bar or restaurant and just watching the sea sparkling on one side and the world going by on the other.
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS…
In February, Menton holds the annual Fête Du Citron (Lemon Festival). The squares and streets are adorned with 140 tonnes of citrus fruits! Each year a different theme is chosen and the floats and displays reflect the theme complete with towering sculptures made entirely of fruit. It’s a carnival of music, fruit, displays and frivolity.
At the end of the festival, the fruit is sold off to locals and tourists.
We didn’t find our investment property but that’s fine. It means we can go back again in the near future, probably to coincide with the fête de citron…
