Weekly Photo Challenge: Ascend
Posted on December 13, 2017
This image shows the stairwell of the bell-tower of the restored Abbaye de La Reau, in central France.

Tuesday Photo Challenge: Season
Posted on December 12, 2017
This week’s Tuesday Photo Challenge, as set by Frank at Dutch Goes The Photo!, is ‘Season’ and, as he points out, that can mean more than one thing.
In terms of weather, a sure sign of the changing of the seasons is the first frost of the year – it might still officially be autumn but there can no longer be any doubt that winter is on its way.
We had our first frost of the year a good few weeks ago, which produced some interesting, almost abstract, images in our herb bed – so there’s the other meaning of ‘season’.

Tuesday Photo Challenge: Season
House of Remembrance
Posted on December 8, 2017
This model house, in the architectural style typical of the Alsace region of eastern France, stands outside the village hall in nearby Saint-Martial-sur-Isop.
This part of France lay just outside the area of direct German occupation during World War II, but the town of Seltz, on the Rhine in Alsace, was one of the first to be ‘annexed’. The plaque commemorates the refugees from Seltz who were given shelter in this locality after they fled the Nazis in 1939.

Thursday Doors: Confolens – After The Fall (2)
Posted on December 8, 2017
Another group of images from my PTSD (post-traumatic seeking doors) visit to the town of Confolens.
We finished last week with a half closed-up door, so here’s what it might look like when the process is complete:

There is a whole street of medieval houses down in the town centre that the local authorities are anxious to preserve…


…although some individuals do their bit for the doors in their possession:

Some with more enthusiasm than others:


Thursday Doors 7 December 2017
Weekly Photo Challenge: Cheeky
Posted on December 7, 2017
This sign on a door in a waiting room of a French hospital is cheeky enough to tell it like it really is:

Weekly Photo Challenge: Cheeky
Fence
Posted on December 1, 2017
Bright sunlight casting strong shadows made this fence by the riverside in Chabanais a good subject for Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge this week

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Fences
Thursday Doors: Confolens – After The Fall (1)
Posted on November 30, 2017
Those dear readers with long memories and the merest flicker of interest might recall that in February this year I took the concept of suffering for my art rather too seriously and had quite a bad fall in the nearby town of Confolens while on the lookout for new (old) doors to offer for your weekly delectation.
Naturally the injuries I suffered on that occasion brought a rapid halt to my photographic activities – apart from a couple of R-rated selfies. However, while we may have been daunted we were not defeated, so we returned to the scene a few weeks later to finish what we’d started.
Hopefully, you’ll be glad I did, because I think there were some pretty good doors on my second pass.
As a special opening offer, how about three doors for the price of one?

Or a couple of twin sets – one rather better cared-for than the other:


All of today’s doors are to be found on the steep, winding road that leads up to the medieval citadel of the old town:


And finally, for this week, an old door that’s been re-purposed:

Thursday Doors 30 November 2017
Weekly Photo Challenge: Serene
Posted on November 29, 2017
There are few things that convey a greater sense of serenity than a perfect reflection, as in this image of the River Vienne as it flows through the town of Chabanais.

Tuesday Photo Challenge: Build
Posted on November 28, 2017
What you see here is one of the towers of the new Queensferry Crossing road bridge across the Firth of Forth just outside Edinburgh, while it was under construction. That should qualify for Frank’s theme of ‘Build’ for this week’s Tuesday Photo Challenge.
Considering that this photograph was taken with a mobile phone through the window of a car travelling at 50 mph – over the old road bridge – I don’t think it’s too bad.

This is what the finished article looks like; it’s stunning:






