I Prefer Paris: Menton Week Part 2: Le Val Rameh and Maria Serena Gardens

I was lucky to find the ideal hotel in Menton, Hotel Napoleon, situated on a quiet street overlooking the water. It's a modern hotel and my room was spacious, with a comfortable Queen size bed, good-sized bathroom with a powerful hot shower, and a terrace with a birds-eye view of the Mediterranean. The staff was most helpful and the manager Matthew Liekerman, who is a longtime resident, invited me for a coffee and shared the history, local folklore, and ins and outs of Menton. Best of all, the hotel was walking distances to many of the attractions. It was also a great time of the year to visit because the hotel was almost empty as are the tourist attractions, much like Paris in early January.

Menton is also famous for its lush gardens, as the climate is ideal for many types of plants and flowers to flourish all year round. There are about six major public gardens and they were high on my list of things to see.

My first visit was to the Le Val Rahmeh Garden around the corner from the hotel. Lord Percy Radcliffe, the former governor of Malta, created the garden 1905. Maybud Campbell took over the house in 1957 and was responsible for making it a botanical garden adding tropical plants from Japan and South Africa. There are over 700 species of flowers and plants including a very rare tree, the Sophora Toromino, a sacred tree from Easter Island. The French Museum of Natural History has owned the property since 1966 and it is open to the public.

The gardens are on several levels and so many exotic plants and trees I had never seen before amazed me. It was sunny and the temperature was in the low 60s, as it remained for my entire stay in Menton. The highlight was the lily pond with bright yellow green circular pods with red-ridged snake-like rims floating on the tranquil green pond. I spent over an hour soaking up the sunshine, the beauty, the quiet, and the magnificence of Le Val Rameh.

I think seeing Le Val Rameh first, spoiled me for the rest of the gardens in Menton in terms of sheer beauty and the Maria Serena Villa was a little bit of a letdown. Maria Serena Villa was built in 1880 and was designed by Charles Garnier, who designed the Opera House in Paris and it's one of the last villas before the Italian border. It's a perfectly lovely garden but it looks like a garden that could be in Santa Monica or any similar climate. Its best feature is that it’s perched on the hills of Menton with superb vistas of the crystal blue sea and Old Menton. The lily pond was also quite special and I got some fantastic photos.

Working up a hunger from all my garden visits, I sat down to a perfect salad Nicoise in a cafe smack on the beach. Afterwards, I went down to the water and stuck my hand in and it was surprisingly warm. I was very tempted to shuck my clothes and dive right in, but I knew I would suffer the consequences of the cool air hitting my wet body without the aid of a towel to dry me off when I got out.

http://www.napoleon-menton.com/new/

I had my 3:32 seconds of fame on Sunday when Cody Stark from Good Day Sacramento interviewed me. Yes, I still give autographs. Click here to watch. ( Look for Good Day Video on right side and it's titled Inside Look at Paris).

Below are Images from Maria Serena Gardens

New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos. I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

Tourslogo4

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com