On Wednesday, February 21st, the fifth day of the 90th Menton Lemon Festival, the folklore group La Capeline de Menton performed traditional music, singing, and dancing to retrace the steps of their 19th-century Mentonnais ancestors. Imagine a light flute following the steady rhythm of a beating drum while girls and …

When Life Gives You Lemons. We Make Gin! The Citron de Menton has been cultivated since the 15th century, reaching its peak in the 18th century, when millions of lemons were shipped to the United States and Russia. Plagued by scurvy, many sailors were saved by eating lemons. In the …

We’ve just returned from our 3rd visit to the Cote d’Azur for our February fix of colour and fun at the Carnaval de Nice and (of course) the superb Fête du Citron that takes place in the beautiful setting of Menton from mid-February until early March each year. Menton’s Lemons …

In February, Author Gayle Padgett and her husband Ralph drove to the Côte d’Azur to visit friends who live near Menton.  There are many reasons to visit this coastal city. The citrus festival (Fête du Citron) is a big draw for visitors in mid-winter. The rest of the year, as …

There is nothing better than the tantalising aroma of roast chicken, well except for chocolate cake. As for savoury dishes, roast chicken is a winner for a family, it requires very little supervision, there are often leftovers for sandwiches and bones for soup or stock.  The credit for this recipe goes to Denise, my belle mere, she uses local, seasonal and when practical organic products for her creations. Enjoy Denise’s Poulet Provençal au citron de Menton, it’s a simple roast chicken dish with local lemons.

Thinking back now, the end of February wasn’t really the best choice for our wedding – it was a cold, wet and ultimately snowy day (although wonderful of course) – and for the last 28 years, we haven’t really had a long list of ways to celebrate –until now that …

Menton is a commune in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in southeastern France. It’s the last major town before leaving the French Riviera, wedged in-between the French-Italian border. It’s a place where you can tickle the turquoise sea, or enjoy the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Whether you call it the …

Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: We have bid farewell to 2016 and I am looking forward to what 2017 brings! For visitors to the French Riviera, February is an excellent month to visit because there are many interesting festivals and public events happening. One of my favourite festivals because …

Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: Menton on the French-Italian border is blessed with high sunshine hours and it is this climate that supports the growth of citrus fruits, in particular the famous Mentonnais lemon. Each year in February the town celebrates its citrusy wonders by hosting Fête du Citron, literally …

One of the life experiences I cherish the most is spending time along the Côte d’Azur. However, I must confess that I’m geographically challenged, so the more I visited, the more confused I became about something relatively straightforward. “Which seaside towns are below which hilltop villages?” To settle the question, …