Menton, France

Look at that beautiful town facing the Mediterranean Sea.

This is the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region known as the French Riviera.

And the town of Menton still has townscape that retains its charm from the 13th century.

One of the warmest places in France, it's famous for its lemons.

I'm heading to the center of town on the morning bus.

Look! There's the Mediterranean Sea!

And rising up right next to the town are the Alps...

What? Palm trees!

Am I in the tropics!?

I am so curious to meet the people who live here!

Ah, the bus stops right by the seaside...

Looks like everyone is getting off here.

So I guess I do the same and begin my journey through town from here.

It is now, 9:00 in the morning.

First, I want to check the map!

Here's where I got off the bus.

It's called "Promenade du Soleil."

Old town is towards the East.

First, I think I'll take a stroll through the center of town.

This area was built in the 19th century, so it's relatively modern.

Oh, look at those three women up there taking photos.

Having a good time, it seems.

Ahh, look. You can see the alps back there in the background.

Did you get some good shots?

"Yes!"

Have a good time!

"Thanks."

Are those oranges?

They look great!

Ah, but I can't quite reach them.

Is that the gardener?

"Morning!"

Good morning!

Wow, you're working so hard this morning.

"We have to look after the park.
Weeding, cleaning, and so on."

I just wanted to say those oranges look amazing.

Would it be all right for me to pick one?

"Those are Seville oranges. Very bitter."

Seville oranges?

"Very bitter!"

"Better for making wine or jam."

Oh, I see.

"There are palm trees here too.
Menton has a subtropical climate."

Subtropical?

"We can grow palm trees,
bananas, even jasmine."

That's fabulous!

"Have a nice day."

Thanks, you too!

Wow, I didn't realize that this part of France is a subtropical region.

Good morning.

"Morning."

Hmm, that area up there on the left has tables and chairs.

Looks like a cafe.

Must be a great place to enjoy morning coffee under the sun.

There's more outdoor cafe seating here, too.

That yellowish building with the green shuttered windows is adorable.

Good morning.

"Morning."

Just look at all the shops here.

And there are so many people.

Definitely a shopping street.

And what is over there?

"These are Menton lemons."

- "May I try one? "
- "Sure!"

Ah, lemons.

Menton's local specialty.

Wow. Isn't that sour?!

- "And the peel?"
- "Of course."

Ah, they eat the peel too?

Good morning.

"Good morning!"

Did you just eat a lemon peel?

"Menton lemons are special.
They're not sour at all."

Oh, they're called Menton lemons.

"Are the bigger ones tastier?"

"The bigger ones aren't
always juicier."

"I see."

I never knew that.

- "Thanks, ma'am."
- "Bye!"

Um, excuse me.

"Yes?"

Why are they able to grow so many lemons in Menton?

"It's thanks to the great weather."

"We're surrounded by mountains,
so it's warm and sheltered."

"Menton lemons are special."

Why aren't they sour?

"Lemons grow in Spain and Italy,
but Menton is at a higher altitude."

"So it's colder because it's higher up."

"I'll cut one open and show you."

"Look, the peel is thicker."

"That makes them sweeter."

Wow, it really is thick.

Thanks for showing me.

"Thank you. Have a nice day!"

Thanks. You too.

So if it's hot all the time, the lemons don't get sweet.

Interesting information.

The Menton lemons thrive in this unique climate and are the pride of the town.

Huh?

Oh, those two people are both cleaning windows.

Good morning.

"Morning!"

It looks like they're ready for the lunch rush here.

What's this?

Ahh, we meet again.

More Menton lemons.

They look so delicious!

Oh, he's taking them away.

Oh my, he's putting all those lemons into that pot.

Hi there.

What are you going to do with all those lemons?

"Lemon jam is a big seller.
So we need a lot of lemons."

You're making jam?

"We slice them thinly
with this machine."

"Then we heat them."

You don't need to peel them first?

"See how thin it cuts them?"

"This makes it easier
to cook the thick peel."

You use the whole fruit, huh.

"Next we add some extra juice."

Wow, that looks amazing!

- "Welcome. Hello!"
- "Hello!"

Oh, some customers.

- "That's lemon jam, right? "
- "Yes, made with real Menton lemons."

"Menton lemons, huh? That's great."

"Looks amazing."

"Fantastic."

Hello.

"Hello."

Have you eaten Menton jam before?

"We had it this morning!
It was great!"

"We wanted to take some
back with us."

"It'll make a great souvenir."

"Have a nice day!"

"Thank you!"

Thanks, you too.

Seems to be really popular!

"I always tell customers: Menton lemons are like a piece of
the local sunshine you can take home."

"It's like they're blessed by the sun."

"The color and taste,
are definitely Menton all over."

Sounds like the perfect souvenir.

Thanks very much!

"Thank you. Stop by again sometime!"

Will do!

Ah, here's the shop.

Wow, there's so much for sale!

And not just lemons!

Now that I think about it, the gardener from earlier said they make jam out of those bitter oranges.

Wow, it is like sunshine in a jar.

Maybe I will take a little of Menton's sunshine home with me.

Okay, I think I'll head over to the seaside, next.

And here I am at an old port.

Look, there are so many boats.

Oh, there's someone doing something on that boat.

Is he closing up the deck?

Getting ready to take it out?

Excuse me?

"Hi there!"

Great weather today, huh!

"Sure is. We're in luck!"

"They're shipwrights."

Huh? What?

"They're really good."

"They repair boats.
You can go and watch them."

That sounds great!

Would it be okay for me to come in?

"Sure. You can get in over there."

Thanks! I'll go around and see you soon!

Am I going the right way?

Oh, there they are.

Ah, the boat is blue just like the Menton sky!

Hello!

"Hi!"

So are you the best shipwrights in town?

"We may not be the best, but
we're pretty good."

Is that you being humble?

That's a wooden boat, isn't it.

What are you repairing?

"All of it. Right now, we're fixing
this hatch on the deck."

So, have you two had long careers?

"I'm the same age as this boat!"

How old?

"I'm 76."

You're still working at 76?

"No, this is just a hobby
in my retirement."

"We're volunteers here."

"We even do this at Christmas,
or New Year's."

"As long as it's sunny.
We don't work in the rain."

Amazing and that's why you have such a great tan.

May I ask what is it that interests you about repairing old boats?

"I love working with wood. Besides,
it would've been scrapped otherwise."

Ah, I see.

"We've made a bit of a name
for ourselves here."

"These boats help us
to enjoy our retirement."

Nice!

I'll let you get back to work.

"Don't worry,
we've got loads of free time!"

You guys are fabulous!

Take care!

Being able to enjoy doing whatever you like at 76 sounds great.

Ooh, talking with them, revitalized me!

Hmm, those people have fishing gear.

Hello.

"Hello!"

Have they been sea-fishing?

"Hey."

Yes?

"Take a look at these."

Ah, it was you who spoke, was it?

Wow! That's a lot of fish!

"I just caught them."

This morning?

"Yes."

You were fishing?

- "Yes, it's time to weigh in. "
- "Let's see how we did."

Oh, there's a place to weigh the fish that were caught.

Are they weighing them so they can sell them?

Is this it?

I'm going to check it out.

There's the scale.

And that woman is writing down the information.

Um, are you buying all these fish?

"No. This is a fishing club."

Oh, right!

"There's a competition today."

Ah, the fishing contest!

"He only caught this much."

Oh yeah, really.

How long were you out fishing today?

"4 hours."

That long?

- "Yes, 4 hours. "
- "4 hours, just for this!"

Wow, that guy's caught so many fish, they all won't fit on the scale.

So many different kinds of fish!

"Can I take these now?"

Are you going to eat all of those?

"They're all going in the freezer."

What?

"Come and see."

Those are just freshly caught and you're going to put all of them in the freezer?

"Take a look."

"See?"

Now, that's what I'd call packed to the gills!

Did you catch all of these?

"The fish are kept here
during the season."

"We usually get about 200kg in July."

200 kilograms?!

"Then we make 800L of fish soup
for the festival."

Oh, so it's for a festival.

"From the festival in 1978
that honors St. Peter."

Seems like it has a long history.

"We give out fish soup for free."

Ah, so everyone shares in the bounty of the sea! Nice!

"First place: Patricio!"

Looks like he's the winner.

"3.685kg."

- "How much? "
- "3.685kg!"

"Seventh place: Serge,
Robert and Gibert!"

They seem happy with seventh place.

"I think I did well."

"Considering how bad my line was!"

He's giving excuses already.

"Altogether, 26.365 kg."

Wow, they'll get to 200 in no time.

"Thanks everyone."

"Thank you all for your contribution."

Best of luck with the next contest!

Thanks, bye!

Bye.

Nice to see a crowd of fishing enthusiasts.

I'll bet the soup made with everyone's fish will taste amazing.

Hello.

I'm Franck, I'm sure you've all heard the story of Adam and Eve being cast out of the Garden of Eden after eating the forbidden fruit, right?

There's a legend that Eve planted the seeds of that fruit here in Menton and out of those seeds, the lemons grew.

Whether that's true or not, lemons have a big place in this town's history.

Due to the subtropical climate, the town was able to cultivate lemons beginning in the 15th century.

By the 18th century, it was proud to be Europe's top producer.

Around 3.5 million lemons were exported all over the world, even to Russia and America.

Pretty posh building, right?

And due to the climate, Menton attracted Europe's ruling elite and nobles, making it a popular winter destination.

In the late 19th century, luxury hotels were built all over Menton.

Some of Europe's most important people, like Queen Victoria from the UK, and Albert I of Belgium, spent their winters in Menton.

It was European aristocrats who brought in tropical plants and planted them here.

In 1928 an exhibition of flowers and citrus fruit was organized to promote tourism.

Now known as the Fête du Citron - the lemon festival - it became the town's biggest annual event.

It's now in its 88th year and around 200,000 people from all over the world travel to see it.

Colorful floats decorated with lemons and oranges parade along the coast road.

A whopping 80 tons of lemons are used for festivals!

And our city officials place each by hand, one by one.

The theme for this year's event, being held after a 3-year break for the pandemic, was world music and dance.

It was a real blast!

The lemons used at the festival are all eaten by the townsfolk.

Come and enjoy.

Bye.

Now it's 1PM.

Let me look at the map.

In the morning, I met the gardener in that park with the orange trees, saw some Menton lemons, checked out the fishing contest, and now I'm around here.

This should be the old town, with all the 13th century buildings.

There are a lot of narrow winding streets here.

Very excited to explore this area!

Wow, check out that tall building!

It must be part of a church, I guess.

Ahh, I can see the sea!

And that stone mosaic is quite lovely!

What's it say in the guidebook?

This is the Basilica of Saint Michael Archangel, a Baroque-style church commissioned by Prince Honore II of Monaco, and completed in 1653.

Maybe I'll try going down here.

Oh, it's a tunnel?

It's dark in here.

Does this go underground?

It links up with another road.

Wow, this place is like a maze!

I think I'll check out this way.

Another tunnel and more stairs.

And this one comes out at different road!

Ah excuse me!

Now, that's a steep staircase.

Wonder what floor he's going to?

Hello, there.

"Hello!"

Do you live here?

"Yes, I do."

There certainly are a lot of steep staircases in the Old Town, huh!

"Well, it's carved into the mountain."

Into the mountain?

"Yes."

Built on a steep slope?

"That's why the roads lead uphill."

"The stairs link the lower roads
with the higher roads."

Oh, like a shortcut.

"Would you like to see inside?"

Would that be okay?

"Of course! Come on in."

Wow! Thanks so much!

Oh my!

This is a steep staircase!

Thank you for inviting me in!

"This is my wife."

Hello!

"Hello."

"Please, come in."

Thank you.

This apartment is so interesting!

"See, it's very long and thin."

Yep it is!

"The inner part sticks
into the mountain."

It really is carved into the rock!

Is this your whole apartment?

"Actually I bought
the one next door, too."

"And connected it to this one."

So, you connected the two apartments to make more space.

Have you been living in Old Town long?

"Since about 1980."

"Menton's warm and sunny,
and by the sea. It's perfect!"

It really is.

"Have fun looking around town!"

Thank you for inviting me into your home.

So Menton is a city carved into the mountain.

I wonder why they decided to build it like this?

Ahh, a little girl!

She's in a hurry!

Yep, meeting up with friends!

Hello.

"Hello!"

And what are you all talking about?

- "Just chatting."
- "Taking a break."

I see...

"I've got sausages and olives!"

I wonder who's over there?

"Should we get the rose?"

Those are some pretty loud voices!

"Abel! What are you bringing?"

So who is Abel?

Ah, there's a face up there in the window!

And another one over here.

And up there!

"Don't forget the Côtes
de Provence Rose!"

Hello.

"Good day to you!"

Are you having a party?

"Yes, to celebrate the weekend."

"It's like a small village here,
so we like to get together."

"In the square."

Celebrating the weekend.

So... they do this every week?

Sounds like fun!

That's the person who was at the window.

I'm going to check this out!

Looks like the kids made room for the adults.

Nice of them!

- "We've got some good drinks in."
- "That's great!"

"Cheers to you, too."

Thanks - cheers!

I think I'll ask them...

Can you tell me why the town was carved into the mountain?

"I'll show you something interesting:
The watchtower."

"They watched for
attacking pirate ships."

Pirate ships!?

"This place used to be closed.
The street was blocked off."

A fortress carved into the mountains.

"It was much higher before."

"You could see any pirate ships
from up high in that house."

It does seem to be a great look out!

"The watchman would shout 'Pirates!'
and warn the townsfolk."

Really!

Hey, isn't that where you live now ?

"He's our watchman now."

"Yeah, I always shout out. Hey! Hey!"

"He rallies the neighborhood."

- "With cries of 'Bring the rose!'"
- "Let's have a party!"

So, that's how it works now!

I get it!

"Enjoy your stroll around Menton."

Thanks.

Hope you all enjoy your weekend party!

It really does feel like a small village in Menton's Old Town.

I wonder if that's something they've kept from the olden days.

"Bye bye!"

Bye!

Stroke! Stroke!

We're the Menton Rowing Team!

And we've been around for over 100 years.

Row faster!

Stroke! Stroke!

I'm so hungry!

Where shall we go to eat after this?

You know it has to be - from the market!

The sources of our strength are a colorful mix of dishes to match the Old Town here.

In third place, a deep red treat from the market: Pichade!

There's no meat or fish in it, but Menton's residents just love its simple flavor!

It's covered with tomato sauce with plenty of fried onions and topped with olives and garlic.

Just bake it in the oven, and it's done.

Ahh, the onions go so well with the garlic.

I'm lucky.

Hey! Are you thinking about food?

Sorry!

Stroke! Stroke!

One more! One more lap!

Training is taking too long today.

If we don't hurry up, they'll be sold out!

Ahh, and it goes so well with beer, too!

I can't wait!

Second place, is this: A snack all done up in a cute little bow.

A staple with beer in Menton - Barbajuan!

It's simple but takes some effort to make.

The taste comes from the leafy greens used in the filling - Swiss chard.

The finely chopped chard is mixed well with rice, onions, parmesan cheese, eggs.

Then it's wrapped in a thin layer of pastry, and shaped to look like a bow.

Just deep fry for a moment, and it's done.

Ahh, the delicate crunch of the outside, and that warm cheese and Swiss chard!

Ah, so good!

You should be losing weight!

Faster!

Stroke! Stroke!

Actually, I have a special reward for the team today.

The top dessert in town, which uses plenty of Menton lemons!

First place goes to this beautiful sunny yellow tart packed full of Menton lemons.

It all starts with these beautiful, juicy Menton lemons.

They're pesticide free so the fragrant skin can be grated and used.

It's such a sumptuous desert!

Too late for the market.

Ohhhh, man!!

I'm really hungry.

You all did well today.

I got you something special!

Wow.

Mmm.

So good!

Great!

Thank you, coach!

My pleasure.

Come to Menton! Great food!

Bye bye! See you!

See you soon! Take care!

Okay, it's 3PM.

Time to check the map.

I saw the steep stairways and impromptu party in Old Town.

Now I'm in the Garavan area, east of town.

There's supposed to be a botanical garden with plants from all over the world around here.

Maybe this way?

Let's see.

Wow, check out that cliff!

It looks like it might come down any second!

Hello!

"Hi!"

Aren't you afraid there may be a rockslide?

"No, that never happens.
That mountain protects us."

Oh.

May I ask what you're doing?

"Weeding and tending the garden."

Ah, there's a garden up there?

"Want to come and see?"

Would that be okay?

"Sure!"

Thank you!

I wonder what they're growing up there?

"Please, come in."

Thank you! Pardon me.

"Be my guest."

Hello.

"Hello!"

What pretty flowers!

These are nasturtiums.

Nasturtiums, huh.

"You can eat the leaves."

Wow.

What do they taste like?

"It tastes fresh and fragrant."

Sounds good.

There are a lot of flowers here.

"You can eat about 95% of them."

Really?

Even that one?

"That flower has a citrussy flavor."

"You can use the petals in cooking."

"Because of the great climate here,
flowers bloom all year round."

Oh, I see!

Why does Menton have such amazing climate?

"See that mountain?"

"It blocks the cold air from the alps."

"At the same time,
we get warm air from the sea."

"That permeates into the rocks here."

"The mountains release
heat, even into the night."

Oh, so are you telling me the mountain's like a natural heating system?

"We're very thankful for
the climate here."

Well, the sea and mountains are what protects Menton.

"Back to work!"

Okay, thanks for showing me around!

I didn't realize you could eat so many kinds of flowers.

It makes me very curious about this area's cuisine.

The birds seem pretty happy, too!

I thought the botanical garden was supposed to be around here...

Ah, here it is.

What? Is it closing?

Oh, that's just for cars.

Okay, here's the pedestrian entrance.

In I go.

Wow, it looks like a jungle!

It seems that over 60 years ago a wealthy British woman collected rare plants from all over the world and brought them here.

I wonder if the palm trees were transported by boat.

A greenhouse?

They must be the gardeners.

Hello, there.

"Hello!"

There are a lot of tropical plants here!

"This is a national botanical garden."

"We have 1,700 types of tropical
and subtropical plants here."

"The owner, Ms. Campbell,
loved tropical plants."

Oh, so she collected them all herself.

"She especially loved daturas.
They called her 'Lady Daturas.'" These big flowers are daturas, are they?

"They're poisonous
if you eat too many."

They're so pretty, but kind of scary that they are poisonous!

What was Ms. Campbell like?

"She was like a child
when she was in the garden."

"She'd cut flowers and make
colorful bouquets."

"They were so beautiful."

You knew her personally?

"I've lived here since I was 3.
My father was a gardener here."

Ahh, that's how you knew her.

Wow, those flowers are so colorful!

Huh?

"A banana tree."

Bananas?

"She knew that Menton's climate
was perfect for tropical plants."

It's really growing well.

"This was Ms. Campbell's house."

"She sold this place
to the government in 1966."

Why did she sell it?

"She'd used all her money
caring for the plants she loved."

"Her one wish was that the garden
should always remain beautiful."

So she had to sell the land to make sure the beauty of the garden would live on.

"Please, come inside."

Oh, thank you.

"This is her."

Wow.

She was beautiful.

"I'm sure she'd be happy."

"To see all the flowers still blooming."

"Here in the garden."

- "Thank you for coming."
- Thank you for teaching me so much!

What an amazing thing this woman did.

She poured her whole being into creating this beautiful place.

I'm so happy that I got to see and experience this.

I hope I come back again.

"Goodbye."

Thanks, goodbye!

Now it's 7PM.

I'm back by the sea.

I wonder what that woman is photographing.

Ah, it's that zigzagging staircase.

Looks like a shortcut back to the Basilica of Saint Michael Archangel I saw earlier.

I didn't know about this shortcut.

I think I'll take another look at the sea from up there.

Looks like everyone else is going to check out the view also.

Hmm? Is that music?

"A pretty caplin on her head,
to hold a lemon basket."

"Barefoot with her hands
on her slender hips, and a flower above one ear."

"Let's all go and pick lemons together."

They're dancing in front of the church.

"Like going to a festival,
feeling good from morn 'till night."

I really like what they're wearing!

And there's a band!

"Take pride in your caplin,
and pride in your lemons."

They're singing about Menton's lemons, but what's a caplin, I wonder?

"There is only one town
like this in the world."

"Where the sun promises good times."

There's only one town like this in the world, huh.

"Let's go again.
Back to your places."

Hello.

"Hello!"

Is this some kind of event?

"No, we're practicing
for the festival to St. Peter."

Ahh, the one with the fish soup.

What's a caplin, by the way?

"It's this kind of hat."

Oh, I see.

"It keeps the sun off."

"It stops you from getting sunburned."

Ah, protection for your skin!

"It is!"

It's a wide, flat, straw hat.

"Women would place
baskets of lemons on them."

"Then go to sell them at market."

That's why it's flat, I see.

So, what do you all do?

"We're a club that promotes
Menton's history."

"We show what life was like
in the 19th century."

"Here's our prettiest dancer."

Oh, she has a cute flower in her hair.

"It's a jasmine flower.
Young girls would often wear them."

Oh yeah - you all have them on.

Is that a Menton tradition?

"They keep the mosquitoes away."

"Plus, they also attract other things..."

Other things?

"Like Menton's handsome fishermen!"

Ahh, it's also quite attractive!

Do you enjoy your rehearsals?

"We mostly just chat."

"Plus we're like family.
So sometimes we fight."

"But then we joke about it,
and all laugh together."

You sang, "There is only one town like this in the world."

"Beautiful weather and scenery,
nestled between the sea and mountains."

"Beautiful plants, too."

"What more could you wish for?"

"The only problem is the mosquitoes.
If they bite you, it itches!"

"Other places have them, too."

That's true.

"We'll send you off with a local song."

Really? Wow! Thanks!

Have a great rehearsal!

The sea, mountains, great weather, what a perfect place to live!

It's nearly 9PM.

Looks like everyone's out enjoying the evening!

The people of Menton are so warm and hospitable.

I bet there will be a lemon-colored sun again tomorrow lighting up this town!