The French Medieval Old Town of Menton

On the 27th June, we set sail in an easterly F2 to 3, sadly under grey skies again, heading for Menton, passing Monaco and Monte Carlo, which is all we can do as Seaclusion is a British flagged boat and so the bureaucratic process of clearing in is costly both in terms of dosh and time, much easier by train when we get to Nice later in the season.

Monaco in the clouds.

The wind having died, we then motored around the headland to the beautiful old town of Menton, choosing to stay on board for the afternoon, because of the rain plus the fact that the sun was due to shine in the morning, not that it did, sadly!

Menton

… the pearl of France and one of the most beautiful corners of the country. Here, the sleepiness of the French Riviera remains, with its shuttered villas, terracotta roofs, dreamy beaches, palm trees, and lemon gardens. Because of its close proximity to Italy, Menton can sometimes feel more Italian than French, from the culture and buildings to the delicious food (hello pasta & gelato!). It is home to the Basilique Saint-Michel, with its 18th-century bell tower, and the ornate facade of La Chapelle des Pénitents-Blancs which we walked up Menton´s version of the Spanish steps to see and take in the views, as well as a wonderful sandy beach and the usual compliment of bars and restaurants, both in the old town and downtown, which we discovered as we went on a hunt for a haircut for David!

The Views (with Seaclusion in the bay on her lonesome)

Downtown Menton

And with a very smart David, or was it Shaun, we had lunch of salad with a bottle of vino as you would all expect! The only downside was a very stroppy French gentleman who disrupted our lunch begging, and although we pleasantly declined, he chose to walk past 3 times with some derisive remarks and hand gestures…. At that point David decided enough was enough and stood, ready to see him off properly, and was quickly joined by another British gentlemen (a few years our senior, we might add), who thought the same. Fortunately that was enough for the French guy not to return a fourth time…

A little tipsy, we jumped in the dinghy and returned to Seaclusion for a siesta, a wonderful chilled night aboard, all ready to set sail again in the morning.

Next stop, Italy!

28th June 2024