Hanbury Gardens

Off to Italy today, to see the renowned Hanbury Gardens in Mortola Inferiore. The site is magnificent: an entire headland of steeply inclined hillside scoured into terraces. On this south-facing, well-watered spot pretty well anything that needs sun and water can grow, and it does. Enormous versions of twee cactuses normally sold in five-centimeter pots, aloes and agaves wilder than the visions of Douanier Rousseau, citrus fruit suffering from elephantiasis. And scents to die for...

We had a great time wandering around the terraces as the only visitors, apart from very vocal birds clearly savouring the exotic foods and nesting materials. Picnic lunch was had down by the sea, to the accompaniment of a symphonic climax of crashing waves. Just lovely, and a place to visit frequently, so as to profit from the different seasons.

On the way back, we stopped in Latte to buy the strong neutral alcohol for making limoncello. Ridiculously cheap and enormously potent (95°). The supermarket was full of grim-faced French people stocking up with cut-price booze, aiming for the liquor and spirits section without a sidewards glance. Though we were, in a sense, up to the same thing, we at least had the good taste to buy a few local delicacies such as local endives and some good cheese. Other people's trolleys merely clinked as they passed the checkout.

Came back via the Ponte San Luigi high road behind Vieux Menton. Well worth it for the wonderful views. Seriously nice place, Menton. Made us feel incredibly young, too, as the youngest locals were at least octogenarian. Mind you, they were in strapping form...