Last Sunday - a very dull day but happily no rain - there was a brocante in Menton - this happens on the first Sunday in May every year with hundreds of stalls spread out through the town and along the promenade. People rummage through their attics and sell what they don't want - but also there are antique dealers selling their wares.
Who loves pugs?! This is Tchaou, which is the name of a cartoon character in Japan. She's 4 months old and lives in Brussels but was on holiday in Menton.
Looks fierce, doesn't he? In fact he's a gentle soul. This is Neo, a 5 year old English Staffordshire Bull Terrier who lives in Switzerland with his owner Christophe. Christophe is in Monaco for the Historique Grand Prix with the Fancy Racing Team and their BMW 328. In the smaller photo, Christophe and a friend are looking down on the stands that face the pit lane.
Choupette lives in Menton. She was sitting on a bench by the sea, blending rather nicely with the colour of the wood. This little bundle is 5 years old and looks as if she's recently been to the coiffeur, don't you think?
Meet Napszem, a Hungarian Puli youngster of 13 months. He lives in Mougins and was entered at the Monaco Dog Show.
We are in Apricale, a medieval hill village in Italy - about 28 kilometres from Menton. This dog is walking down the village pretty quickly and I wasn't fast enough - he's slightly blurry in the main photo but you get the feel of him, I think. A hunting dog, nose down, intent on where he's going.
So there I was photographing this adorable Cavalier King Charles puppy, when up strode the smooth-haired dachshund wanting to know what was going on!
Almost ready to be shown - he just needs those rubber bands removed from his whiskers. Yorkshire Terriers exhibitors always seem to have lots of dogs with them - I suppose it's not so difficult as they are small. So in the small photo we see 'three little ones all in a row' and in the last photo - well this one has given up and gone to sleep!
Carmina, this magnificent Great Dane, was competing at the Monaco Dog Show. She's two and a half and lives in Nice. I don't know if she won or not but if majestic, gentle expressions are required, she wins in my book.
Who is the more adorable? Diego, the Chihuahua or his fabulously dressed young owner, Laura? Don't you just adore her outfit.
Ava is a Newfoundland, of the type called Landseer, which is always white with black patches. I just love Newfies even tho they drool somewhat! Ava is 4 years old, lives in Monaco and is walking in the gardens near to the circus tent in Fontvieille.
Don't you love it when a dachshund looks slightly sideways and shows the white of the eye? (apologies for chopping his toes off!)
Despite the awful winter we had on the day I snapped these two Gorden Setters it was actually quite warm and as you see, they are puffing and panting just a little at the end of their walk.
Today I was in Ventimiglia, across the Italian border. Sitting on a bench by the sea was this lovely boxer. He looks pretty comfortable, doesn't he. Arturo is six years old and lives just across the street from where he was sitting.
This is Uxane, who I met walking on the promenade above the port in Menton. She was here with her owners, who spend part of the year in Menton and part in Pau.
There's not a lot in the world more adorable than a French bulldog puppy! Eddy is 8 months old and lives in Menton.
This little sweetheart was impossible to walk past. She's called Zora and is a year old and was sitting outside Le Balico restaurant in Menton. She and her family were on holiday from the Yonne area of France.
