The Menton Market. An Embarrassment of Cold Weather Riches

Last night, for the third time this week,  the temperature here in Menton dropped to an unseasonably cold 3°c which kept most of the natives safely sheltered indoors, fearing for their lives and shivering under duvets.  Not me.  I'm Canadian and anything above freezing in the month of February is fine by me especially when my fellow citizens back  home in the Old Country are in the midst of a -16°c winter weather cold snap.  Gratitude is an attitude.

Have your citrus and squeeze it too.

Everywhere in the Menton market this morning, the cold weather and last week's snowfall was the hot topic of conversation with cries of "Oh la la" this and "mon dieu, il fait froid" that.  Everyone was bundled up in puffy coats, gloves and scarves, consoling and praising each other for bravery in the face of such hardship.  Even my favourite Vendeuse from nearby village of Gorbio was wearing a fur hat for the first time ever.  She, however, was not complaining.

What I found amusing was that amidst all the talk of the cold, wind, and snow, we were surrounded by  such fabulous things to eat.  Mandarins, lemons, oranges, lettuces, spinach, broccoletti, artichokes, fava beans, and coco blanc to name a few, all produced locally.  An embarrassment of edible riches. 

Come on in:  a wood fire to keep you warm

Seizing the opportunity, someone was selling nifty, mini, plastic, citrus presses to tourists so after they  bought their local citrus they could make juice in their hotel rooms and avert catching colds.

After tossing back a quick cup of hot tea, I lugged my grocery cart, heavy with all the goodies, up the hill home and that effectively kept me from noticing the cold.

One thing's for sure, retailers here have their gloved fingers crossed for warmer weather;  in two short weeks Menton's tropical Lemon Festival starts.

A local cold weather crop