Feb

Travel Inspiration from Lemons . . . Lots of Lemons

by Meredith Mullins on February 26, 2018

An elephant temple made of lemons and oranges, part of the Menton Lemon Festival that provides travel inspiration to learn about lemons and India. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

An Indian Elephant Temple made of lemons and oranges
© Meredith Mullins

Welcome to the Menton Lemon Festival

What happens when a small French coastal town has one of the most famous lemons in the world thriving on its sunny hillsides?

The townspeople know a surprising number of lemon jokes?

Q: Why did the lemon go to the doctor?
A: Because it wasn’t peeling well.

Q: Why did the lemon get depressed?
A: Because it lost its zest for life.

Perhaps . . . but they’re too cultured to say these eye-rollers out loud.

Bottles of limoncello, travel inspiration to visit the Menton Lemon Festival. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur
© Meredith Mullins

The townspeople make a plethora of lemon-based concoctions?

Yes. True. Lemon products abound. Limoncello, jams and jellies (confitures), lemonade, lemon tarts, lemon vinegars, lemon lollipops, perfume, syrups, soap, and olive oil and honey with lemon infusion.

Why not make the most of your assets?

Lemon magnets at the Menton Lemon Festival, travel inspiration for unusual events. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Lemon kitsch
© Meredith Mullins

The town promotes its lemons well?

The word is out. Many of the great chefs of the world have incorporated Menton lemons into their creations, prizing the fruit’s perfect balance of flavor and sweetness and the unique quality of its skin’s essential oil.

The town honors its treasure?

Most of all, the town honors its bright yellow gem (also known as “Riviera Gold”) with an annual multi-week citrus celebration that begins in mid-February . . . providing a town blanket of warm, sunny colors (and plenty of Vitamin C) in anticipation of spring.

Welcome to the now famous Menton Fête du Citron (Lemon Festival)—travel inspiration fueled by fruity innovation . . . in fact, 145 tons of fruit.

A monkey sculpture made of lemons and oranges at the Menton Lemon Festival, travel inspiration for unusual events. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Citrus sculpture designers begin a year in advance.
© Meredith Mullins

Lemons and Oranges Everywhere

For 85 years, Menton has been celebrating its love of the lemon during the annual Citrus Festival, each year evolving to add more artistry and more events.

The “Oh, I see” moments can be squeezed from every corner of town. (That’s another bad lemon joke in case you missed it.)

There are exhibits, fruit sculptures, concerts, parties, and parades with floats made of citrus and flowers and tons of confetti.

Parade float with Indian man throwing confetti at the Menton Lemon Festival, travel inspiration for unusual events. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

The night parades leave the streets (and revelers) snow-covered with confetti.
© Meredith Mullins

Each year’s theme is different, but all offer an opportunity for education and discovery.

Often, the theme features a country and its culture. Sometimes, the theme focuses on literary characters, famous people, or fairy tales (such as Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, Asterix, Jules Verne, and Mozart) or broader themes, such as music of the world, love, circuses, movies, or great civilizations.

Visitors can learn the history and characteristics of the Menton lemon and, with this year’s theme of Bollywood, can gain the added bonus of learning about Indian culture and the history of Indian cinema.

A rickshaw made of lemons and oranges at the Menton Lemon Festival, travel inspiration for unusual events. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

The rickshaw is a popular transportation vehicle in India.
© Meredith Mullins

What’s Different about the Menton Lemon?

The first OIC Moment at the festival is learning how to distinguish the Menton lemon. Its beauty is in its imperfections and in its hidden secrets.

It is not a perfect lemon shape as we know it. It is elliptical, with a little bell bump at the end. It is a brighter yellow than most lemons and sometimes has indentations and brown spots on the skin. It epitomizes the Japanese art of imperfection (wabi-sabi), where flaws are embraced.

Menton lemons on a branch, travel inspiration to visit the Menton Lemon Festival. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Think different: the Menton lemon
© Meredith Mullins

Its thick skin harbors the sought after essential oils and its sweetness is unusual. You can smell its sunlit fragrance from a distance. And you can take a bite without an after-pucker. There is no bitter finish.

These lemon trees flourish in the Menton microclimate—the warmest town in France, with more than 300 days of sun a year. The salty sea breezes, sandstone soil, and moderate differences in temperature between day and night are also beneficial to growth.

Lemon trees for sale at the Menton Lemon Festival, travel inspiration for unusual events. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Grow your own?
© Meredith Mullins

The mountains to the north protect the trees from wind, especially when the branches are heavy with fruit (branches that produce three times more lemons per branch than regular lemon trees).

The Festival of the Lemons (Fête du Citron)

To thank the lemon gods for such an abundance—and to share the beauty of the fruit with a wide audience—the annual festival turns lemons (and oranges) into high art.

The Indian god Ganesh made of lemons and oranges at the Menton Lemon Festival, travel inspiration for unusual events. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Ganesh: The most popular deity in India
© Meredith Mullins

More than 140 tons of citrus fruit are needed. Many of the lemons and oranges come from Spain and North Africa, since the Menton lemons are somewhat limited and are so highly prized for gourmet purposes.

In addition, 750,000 elastic bands and five miles of chicken wire are the basic tools for 20,000 hours of work by the artists and production team responsible for creating the parade floats and the garden sculptures.

A peacock made of lemons and oranges at the Menton Lemon Festival, travel inspiration for unusual events. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

The peacock, a symbol of immortality, is the national bird of India.
© Meredith Mullins

The theme is selected almost a year in advance. The designers immerse themselves in their new work and provide research and sketches for the floats and sculptures.

They then add color (yellow and orange are dominant, of course), and work begins on the first floats five months in advance. The fruit is the last component since it needs to be fresh.

It takes about 100 pounds of oranges or 65 pounds of lemons to cover one square meter of a float or sculpture. And ten additional tons of fruit are needed to replace damaged or deteriorating fruit during the festival.

The Taj Mahal in lemons and oranges at the Menton Lemon Festival, travel inspiration for unusual events. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

How many lemons and oranges does it take to build a Taj Mahal?
© Meredith Mullins

A Citrus Voyage through India

The 2018 theme of Bollywood was rich in travel inspiration.

We can travel from the Taj Mahal to an elephant temple and from Bollywood dancers to sitar musicians. We can learn about Hindu gods and everyday India life.

Hindu goddess Saraswati at the night parade of the Menton Lemon Festival, travel inspiration for unusual events. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, wisdom, and learning
© Meredith Mullins

Each imaginative sculpture of lemons and oranges provides a glimpse into the Indian culture.

Bollywood cinema is a world full of color, music, spirituality, and the beauty of nature, interwoven with the day-to-day lives of its heroes. It is a perfect theme for the Fête du Citron, as this festival has all of that . . . and more.

A Buddha made of lemons and oranges at the Menton Lemon Festival, travel inspiration for unusual events. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Buddha offers a sacred lotus flower, the national flower of India.
© Meredith Mullins

A Legacy of Paradise

Legend has it that Eve (of Adam and Eve fame) brought a “golden fruit” from the Garden of Eden when she and Adam were banished. This theft made Adam nervous and he begged Eve to throw the fruit away.

They wandered far and wide before coming upon Menton and the Bay of Garavan, a place that reminded them so much of paradise that Eve decided to bury the golden fruit there.

The rest, as they say, is history. The lemon flourished.

Whatever your beliefs, the town of Menton is indeed a paradise . . . and even more of a paradise with the celebrated Menton lemon. It is travel inspiration of the sunniest kind.

The 2018 Fête du Citron runs until March 4, with exhibits, parades, and even a Holi party to celebrate India’s festival of colors. Visit the festival website and the Menton Tourist Office.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins 2 Comments

Art of Travel/Cultural Heritage & Traditions/France

Feb

Cultural Traditions for Valentine’s Day

by Meredith Mullins on February 12, 2018

Valentine's Day wish with paper hearts, showing cultural traditions of the holiday. (Image © Alenaohneva/iStock.)

Hearts abound on Valentine’s Day
© Alenaohneva/iStock

Hedgehog or Cockroach—Which Would Your Valentine Prefer?

Valentine’s Day arrives this week, so there’s no time to lose in selecting the perfect gift for your special someone. In most countries, the gifts of choice are the usual items—flowers or chocolates, all wrapped in Valentine’s red.

But it might be time to challenge the marketing hype and create your own cultural traditions. Oh I See. How about a cockroach or a hedgehog?

Couple on a date on Valentine's Day, showing cultural traditions of the holiday with roses and dinner. (Image © George Rudy/iStock.)

Valentine’s Day can be full of surprises.
© George Rudy/iStock

Love . . . Sealed with a Hiss

This year, one of the Valentine’s Day thoughts getting top buzz (or hiss) is the “Name a Cockroach” program from the Bronx Zoo Wildlife Conservation Society.

You purchase the privilege of naming one of the zoo’s Madagascar hissing cockroaches (certificate included).

Madagascar hissing cockroach, a gift for Valentine's Day that defies cultural traditions. (Image © Lenkusa/iStock.)

Nothing says love like a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach.
© Lenkusa/iStock

“Nothing lasts longer than a roach,” says one of the Wildlife Conservation Society executives. So this gift certainly outlasts flowers or chocolates. Love, like a roach, can be everlasting.

For an extra donation, you can even get a Roach Broach, roach socks, and roach chocolates (no, not chocolate-covered roaches . . . just tasty chocolate shaped like a roach. Yum).

Roach items from the Wildlife Conservation Society of the Bronx Zoo, a gift for Valentine's Day that defies cultural traditions. (Image © Bronx Zoo Wildlife Conservation Society.)

The full array of roach items (called “the works”)
Image courtesy of Wildlife Conservation Society

Hedging Your Bets with a “Wild at Heart” Gift

If a roach doesn’t quite have the ring of “I Love You,” there’s always a hedgehog. England’s Surrey Wildlife Trust offers the opportunity to adopt (virtually) this prickly—but adorable—critter. (Otters and goats are also available.)

A Hedgehog as a possible gift for Valentine's Day, defying the cultural traditions of the holiday. (Image © eve_eve01genesis.)

A cute, but prickly, Valentine’s Day idea
© iStock

The hedgehog gains accolades for its ability to roll into a spiny ball. Their spines point out, their faces are hidden, and it takes a lot of coaxing for them to uncurl once they have felt threatened. What better way to say “I love you.”

The donation for an adoption allows the Wildlife Trust to continue important conservation work.

And, your special someone gets a species fact sheet, a cuddly toy, and an adoption certificate.

Maxim Eiffel Tower candies, a gift for Valentine's Day that is part of the cultural traditions of the holiday. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Eiffel Tower chocolates in Paris
© Meredith Mullins

International Kitsch

Some of the more unconventional gifts around the world include the “Grow a Boyfriend” kit, the “I Love You” toast stamper, the Valentine version of Venus de Milo, and just about everything you could think of transformed into Valentine red.

If you know someone who’s looking for that perfect boyfriend, send a “grow your own” kit. A tiny sponge boyfriend grows to 600% his size when dunked in water . . . and is, well, perfect. He never argues, always listens, always agrees, and doesn’t snore.

Grow a Boyfriend kit, a valentine's day gift that defies cultural traditions. (Image courtesy of Find Me a Gift website.)

The perfect date/mate: “Grow a Boyfriend”
Image courtesy of Find Me a Gift

Alternatively, you can order the “Magic Frog to Prince” kit, where, you guessed it, the frog dunked in water turns into Prince Charming.

If you want to surprise loved ones with breakfast in bed with extra flair on Valentine’s Day, treat them to “I ♥ You” toast with the “I Love You” Toast Stamper.

The I Love You Toast Stamper, a valentine's gift that is part of the cultural traditions of the holiday. (Image courtesy of Amazon.)

A toast to Valentine’s Day
Image courtesy of Amazon

And who wouldn’t want a Venus de Milo statue in red (or two)?

An ad for red Venus de Milo statues, a valentine's day gift that defies cultural traditions. (Image courtesy of Boutiques de Musées.)

Venus de Milo in red (and a discount!)
Image courtesy of Boutiques de Musées

Or a range of other gifts in red, for that matter.

Lingerie window in Paris with red for Valentine's Day, gifts the reflect cultural traditions. (Image © meredith Mullins.)

Paris lingerie: Ooh la la in Valentine’s Day red
© Meredith Mullins

The Rhythm of Gift Giving

Most countries celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14. However, some countries officially extend the gift giving.

In Japan, the women give chocolates on February 14. Giri-choco is “obligation” chocolate, given to friends, bosses, and colleagues. Honmei-choco is given for “true love.” Much of the time, honmei-choco is made at home by the women to make the gift more personal.

Chocolate hearts for valentine's day, part of the cultural traditions in Japan. (Image © Bojsha65/iStock.)

Giri-choco for friends, bosses, and colleagues
© Bojsha65/iStock

One month later, on White Day, the men must reciprocate by giving gifts to the women who gave them chocolates.

A similar rhythm exists in Korea. The women are the gift givers on February 14, with chocolates, candies, and flowers. Then, one month later, the men return the thought (with chocolates, flowers, and an extra added gift).

And, for those who don’t celebrate on Valentine’s Day or White Day, there is a third holiday one month after White Day—called Black Day.

The custom for some on Black Day is to mourn being single by eating dark bowls of jajangmyeon, black bean-paste noodles.

Korean Food Jajangmyeon Bowl, eaten around Valentine's Day to mourn being single, part of the cultural traditions in Korea. (Image © Pius99/iStock.)

The jajangmyeon for Black Day in Korea
© Pius99/iStock

If that seems to be one of the sadder cultural traditions, then think hedgehog, cockroach, or “Grow A Boyfriend.” After all, it’s a day to celebrate love in any form.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

For more information about these special Valentine’s Day gifts, visit “Name a Roach” and adopting a hedgehog. “Growing a boyfriend” is available at a variety of sites.

For the “I Love You” toast stamper visit Amazon in your country, and for museum gifts in Paris, visit here.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins Comments

Cultural Heritage & Traditions/Worldwide Sites

Dec

Angels of Paris

by Meredith Mullins on December 18, 2017

The angels of Paris are abundant (from the Church of Saint-Jean-de-Montmartre).
© Rosemary Flannery

The Most Celestial of Cultural Symbols

Happy holidays to all! This festive season surrounds us with sparkling lights, fir trees of all shapes and sizes, menorahs, wish lists, santas, elves, mangers, jingling bells, and heralding angels. We celebrate with a variety of cultural symbols at this time of year.

One of these symbols, however, has more than just a holiday presence. Angels can be full-time residents, finding a home in history and architectural design, especially in a city such as Paris.

Take a closer look, often toward the sky. Oh, I see. Angels are everywhere—in plain view and in some magically surprising places.

Angels of Paris

In Paris, these celestial spirits play many roles. They are protectors, guardians, caretakers, defenders, messengers, musicians, frolickers, celebrants, warriors, religious heralds, and just plain rejoicers. Some are serious. Some are whimsical.

The name “angel” comes from the Greek word “angelos,” which means messenger. Angels are thought to be a link between heaven and earth. Thus, they are usually in high places, reaching toward the sky.

Two gold creatures atop the Petit Palais in Paris, some of the angels of Paris that serve as a cultural symbol. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

Not all winged creatures are angels. These graceful figures atop the Petit Palais,
represent Fame and Victory.
© Meredith Mullins

They are diverse, beautiful, and, as Paris angel expert Rosemary Flannery says, “They reflect the spirit of their times”—from the Middle Ages to the 21st Century.

They live on monuments, churches, mansions, theatres, museums, palaces, and in parks, fountains, and on street corners.

There are so many Paris angels that Ms. Flannery had the challenging task of narrowing the field for her book “Angels in Paris”—a difficult job when so many stories begged to be told.

Now, OIC is being even more selective as we feature our six favorite angels from Ms. Flannery’s elite group.

Red door with grill work of an angel and a dove in Paris, one of the Paris angels that serves as a cultural symbol. (Image © Rosemary Flannery.)

The Angel and the Dove

Cast-iron door grills in Paris were an architectural decoration that became popular from the 1830s to 1850s.

Here, at #66 Rue Greneta in the second arrondissement, everyone who passes through the bright red door is greeted by this intricately designed angel and dove—a constant reminder of protection, peace, and harmony. What a wonderful welcome to the building.

Close up of the angel and the dove at #66 Rue Greneta in Paris, one of the Paris angels that serves as a cultural symbol. (Image © Rosemary Flannery.)

The Working Angels of the Theatre de Châtelet

“Why not put the angels to work?” thought one building designer in 1862.

And so the angels on the rooftop of the Theatre de Châtelet steady a spire made of lead that serves as a lightning rod. Thus, the building is protected against a strike during one of the Paris thunderstorms (thank you Benjamin Franklin for the 1752 invention).

Two angels and a spire atop the Theatre de Châtelet in Paris, one of the Paris angels that serves as a cultural symbol. (Image © Rosemary Flannery.)

Two pairs of muscular, curly-haired angels, with wisps of wings, hold tight and avert their gaze (although someone should mention the old adage: never turn your back on a lightning strike).

One angel pair is on the eastern façade of the theatre and one pair is on the west.

Guardian angel on the side of the Church of the Madeleine in Paris, one of the Paris angles that serves as a cultural symbol. (Image © Rosemary Flannery.)

A Guardian of the Church of the Madeleine

Some say that each of us has a guardian angel, to guide us when times are challenging. Whether this is true or not, a guardian angel is clearly present on the northwest corner of the Church of the Madeleine.

She has a “Don’t mess with me,” look about her, with muscular wings to add to her powerful stature. She also, oddly, carries a crosier (usually carried by bishops).

She was carved in stone by Theophile Bra, an eccentric considered by his friends George Sand and Balzac to be a genius. He was also prone to hallucinations and mystical experiences, some of which can perhaps be sensed in this angel’s gaze.

Gold-painted angels at the Sorbonne sundial, angels of Paris that serve a cultural symbols. (Image © Rosemary Flannery.)

Passing Time with the Angels

Angels often serve an important function when they appear in historic stories. At the Sorbonne, a sundial created in 1676 (and moved to the Galerie Robert de Sorbon in the honor courtyard in 1899) hosts two angels, painted in gold, assisting in marking the passing of time.

One holds a compass to measure the dimensions of the earth. The other stands ready to record notes on a stone tablet. High above the engraved markings of the sundial, the Greek god of the sun races against time in his horse-drawn chariot, celebrating each new day and passing hours.

A tall angel on Rue Turbigo, one of the Paris angels that serve as cultural symbols. (Image © Rosemary Flannery.)

The Tallest Angel in Town?

Many of the angels of Paris are tucked away in hidden corners or so high on building tops that a significant backward head tilt is necessary to see them. Not so with the angel of #57 Rue Turbigo, which rises three stories on a busy street corner to watch over the neighborhood.

This well-dressed angel is there to be seen as it smiles over its palais collectif (shared palace), which is now an apartment building.

The architect, Eugène Demangeat, of the 1850s Haussmann building period, had an interesting artistic challenge—to soften the edge of this building to fit the oblique angle of the street.

He remembered a lighthouse design by Emile-August Delange, a student at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts et Architecture, that featured an angel and had been recognized for “poetic artistry.” (It didn’t hurt that the name Delange translates to “of the angel.” Hmmm.) It was the perfect solution for the structure.

The final sculpture was flat enough to fit the building codes, which prohibited projections. And, its wings support the fourth floor balcony with grace.

The archangel Michael in the Place de St Michel fountain in Paris, one of the Paris angels who serve as a cultural symbol. (Image © wjarek/iStock.)

A King of Archangels

Another high-profile angel lives in the grand fountain of Place St. Michel. This warrior angel—Michael— is seen by millions of people every year and has the honor of having a square, boulevard, fountain, and bridge all named after him.

It’s a deserved accolade since he fights a valiant battle against evil . . . and he edged out Napoleon Bonaparte for this coveted fountain position.

His theatrical pose is inspired by Raphael’s painting of Michael and the dragon at the Louvre museum.

A portal of the cathedral of Notre-Dame, showing angels of Paris that serve as cultural symbols. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

The angels, interspersed among other historic notables on the portals of the
Cathedral of Notre-Dame, are the oldest in Paris.
© Meredith Mullins

Paris: A City of Light, Love . . . and Angels

Paris has thousands of angels watching over the city or going about their daily angel business in their historically layered architectural worlds.

As cultural symbols, the interpretations of angels are diverse. However, The “Oh, I see” moments come when we take the time to discover . . . to really look at the details of the world . . . and to look in places where we might least expect to find an angel.

Happy holidays to all, and may the new year bring you angels in whatever form works best for you.

Stone carving of an angel playing a mandolin, one of the angels of Paris who serve as a cultural symbol. (Image © Rosemary Flannery.)

One of Nicolas Flamel’s medieval angel musicians, who bring the heavenly harmony
of music to the stone house at 51, Rue de Montmorency.
© Rosemary Flannery

Many thanks to Rosemary Flannery and her excellently researched book “Angels in Paris.” She studied her subject for years—reading historic documents, wandering the Paris streets on “angel alert,” and working in libraries most people don’t even know exist.

The French and English books "Angels in Paris," showing angels as a cultural symbol in Paris. (Image © Meredith Mullins.)

The English version of “Angels in Paris” is published by The Little Bookroom. The French version is published by Editions Guy Tredaniel/Editions Exergue. You can also find more angel-related material here.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins 6 Comments

Cultural Symbols/France (Paris)

World Views:

Topics

Author Archives: Meredith Mullins

Travel Inspiration from Lemons . . . Lots of Lemons

Welcome to the Menton Lemon Festival

Lemons and Oranges Everywhere

What’s Different about the Menton Lemon?

The Festival of the Lemons (Fête du Citron)

A Citrus Voyage through India

A Legacy of Paradise

Cultural Traditions for Valentine’s Day

Hedgehog or Cockroach—Which Would Your Valentine Prefer?

Love . . . Sealed with a Hiss

Hedging Your Bets with a “Wild at Heart” Gift

International Kitsch

The Rhythm of Gift Giving

Angels of Paris

The Most Celestial of Cultural Symbols

Angels of Paris

The Angel and the Dove

The Working Angels of the Theatre de Châtelet

A Guardian of the Church of the Madeleine

Passing Time with the Angels

The Tallest Angel in Town?

A King of Archangels

Paris: A City of Light, Love . . . and Angels