A rugby segue: Cemetery of the Old Château, Menton

Fred flying the flag at the grave of William Webb Ellis

Our first visit to the Cimetiere du Vieux Chateau was for the great views of old town Menton and the port. We meandered all the way up through the historic quarter to this hilltop cemetery, it was hot and humid and we paid scant attention to the graves as we took in the views.

It's only when we got back to our apartment and we were doing some reading up on Menton that we realised the cemetery is something of a pilgrimage site for rugby fans! 

They come to pay their respects at the tomb of William Webb Ellis, legendary inventor of the sport. 

Well, here we are back in Menton, on the Cote d'Azur, and we are visiting a cemetery!

There were some tense moments, once again a hot, humid morning, and no sign of this specific grave. 

An Australian couple noticed our quest and got intrigued and got involved. Talk about a scavenger hunt and guess who won - the Australians, they found the lower level which we had missed and after that it was simple to find the gravesite. 

The grave is festooned with all sorts of rugby memorabilia and Fred was so chuffed to be flying his South African flag, he was also quietly asking for divine intervention for this weekends' game - South Africa vs France in the quarter-finals.