Weekly Photo Challenge: Order
Posted on June 8, 2017
In the cellars beneath Épernay, bottles of champagne lie maturing in racks.
Tuesdays of Texture: Woolly
Posted on June 6, 2017
In response to overwhelming public demand – by which I mean a kind comment left by Narami on a previous post – here are a couple more images from the recent Fête de la Laine in nearby Saint-Martial-sur-Isop.
Tuesday Photo Challenge: Weather – Foggy Morning
Posted on June 6, 2017
Freezing fog gives a ghostly appearance to this view of the little road that runs from our hamlet up towards La Motte.
(To enhance the mood, the original colour image has had a Blue high-contrast filter applied in Lightroom.)
Pollination
Posted on June 2, 2017
For the past week or so our ceanothus bush has been a-buzz with flying insects, including this large black beetle.
Nice to use a little selective colour for a change too.
Thursday Doors: Saint-Barbant (1)
Posted on June 1, 2017
Turn right out of our place and after about three and a half miles you’ll reach the village of Meziérès-sur-Issoire, the administrative centre of the commune we live in, and which has featured in this series in the past.
Turn left and travel the same distance, however, and you will reach the village of Saint-Martial-sur-Isop. Press on for a couple of hundred yards further and – on the same road and quite indistinguishable apart from the tell-tale road signs – you’ll be in the village of Saint-Barbant. Two churches and two mairies, all within a radius of about a hundred yards: only in France.
There are no shops or other amenities in either village: Saint Barbant had a part-time Post Office until a few years ago (now a private residence) and going further back it boasted a tram stop. The most important thing about both places, though, is that they have some very interesting doors (and gates), as we’re going to demonstrate over the next few weeks.
The doors in this first instalment are all located in Saint-Barbant – and they all come with flowers:
Although patently, this house is unoccupied:
And this isn’t even a house:
…and nor is this one:
Thursday Doors 1 June 2017
Tuesdays of Texture: Staircase
Posted on May 31, 2017
I think there could be some Health & Safety issues about this ancient staircase in the nearby village of Saint-Martial-sur-Isop. All very well to admire the textures, but you wouldn’t get me up there.
Tuesday Photo Challenge: Old
Posted on May 30, 2017
If I want to see something old, I just need to look in the mirror. Fear not though, I’ll spare you (and me) a self-portrait in response to this week’s Tuesday Photo Challenge theme, set by Frank at Dutch Goes The Photo!
Instead – and infinitely more interesting – here is an image of a Roman-era funerary statue recovered from archaeological excavations at Argentomagus, in central France. Is it just me, or does he look like he’s wearing a beanie hat?
52 Weeks Photo Challenge: Week 36 – Simple Things
Posted on May 30, 2017
An artfully rusted bicycle propped up against a wall in the village of Saint-Martial-sur-Isop during last weekend’s Fête de la Laine (hence the woolly decorations).
A simple subject framed according to the simple Rule of Thirds.
Y is for Yas
Posted on May 26, 2017
This final instalment of Cee’s alphabetical Black & White challenge was always going to be a bit tricky – unless, that is, you have a particular soft spot for yachts or zebras (I don’t).
However, inspiration finally struck when I remembered this iconic hotel (it actually used to be called the Yas Hotel), which is on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, right next to the Formula 1 race circuit.
We stayed there once. Very interesting architecturally, but as a hotel? – meh.
Thursday Doors: Nantes Cathedral
Posted on May 25, 2017
For the final instalment of doors from the French city of Nantes, we are looking at the magnificent cathedral, which has recently undergone extensive – and, I think, very sympathetic – renovation.
The first thing you notice about the external doors is how tall and narrow they are:
As I was snapping away, somebody had the temerity to walk into shot by coming out through one of the doors. At least it gives some perspective on how tall they actually are:
From the inside,they’re even more interesting:
…and any door within a door is worthy of a closer look:
Rather arrestingly, this door is halfway up a wall:
Door-shaped holes rather than actual doors on the Confessional:
Thursday Doors 25 May 2017
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