several palace-like

several palace-like former hotels remain in the town and on the hills overlooking the sea. Today’s Menton is a more bustling place, but it retains an air of relaxed joie de vivre. It’s undoubtedly influenced by its Italian neighbour but resolutely French. Smaller and more sedate than its famous neighbour Nice, a few kilometres round the coast. And less chi-chi than next door Monaco. However, this French Riviera beauty has so much going for it that it’s hard to know where to start singing its praises, but I think the lemons have it. Lemon history Lemons have been cultivated in Menton for 800 years. In the 14th century, the Grimaldis - who were at the time the ruling family of Monaco and Menton - built a summer palace facing the sea and they grew citrus fruits in the garden. Lemons have been important to Menton ever since, and by the 19 th century annual exports topped a whopping 35 million lemons. Production declined through the late 20 th century until the unique flavour of the Menton lemons underwent a revival. sculptures portraying Olympic athletes - rowers, swimmers, wrestlers all made from fruit! The 2025 theme is Journey to the Stars! There are night-time parades called Les Corsos, with the streets taken over by bands, acrobats and dancers, and floats that feature dreamlike magical animals and giant creatures made from oranges and lemons. Confetti canons blast a colourful mist of rainbow-hued confetti over the happy crowds as upbeat music fills the air. During the day there are shows, concerts and entertainment. It’s a feel good, fun and fantastic festival - when life gives you lemons at Menton, you’ll definitely be in a lemonade mood. Though it’s a celebration of the Menton lemon, the fruit used to create the sculptures comes from Spain, far more economical for use in the floats but you can try the real thing at the many stalls that line the gardens, at the restaurants in town and by visiting producers in the hills. And afterwards, the festival fruit is sold to the locals to make jam! Discover the lemons Lemon festival In 1895 local hoteliers thought a carnival might entertain the British visitors. They can have had no idea how popular their idea would become. In 1928 the carnival included an exhibition of citrus fruits, and in 1934 this officially became the Fête du Citron®, the Lemon Festival, in honour of the city’s revered fruit. Citrus sculpture in the Jardin Bioves View from La Casetta One of the best ways to find out more about Menton’s unique lemons is to visit to La Casetta, the municipal citrus nursery which opens to the public during the Festival. This steeply terraced citrus grove flourishes in a magical setting, protected by the mountains as it overlooks the Mediterranean. The nursery boasts 120 different species. Centuries old olive trees grow alongside the lemons, mandarins and oranges which were ripe for eating in mid-winter when I visited. Today’s Lemon Festival is a wildly wonderful and joyful extravaganza of colour and scent. Monumental fruit sculptures up to 10m (33ft) high are erected in public gardens in the centre of town. Made with a humongous 130 tons of oranges and lemons, they are an incredible sight. Every year has a different theme, in 2024 it was the Olympics, huge “Menton lemons are unique because of the microclimate” the guide at the nursery explained. “Even in winter, the town basks in the sun and the steep cliffs shelter the groves from northern winds, while the sea provides humidity. The climate is the most important thing, then the care we provide, nurturing the lemons” he said proudly “it makes them the 10 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 11