Weekly Photo Challenge: Textures
Posted on August 3, 2017
These reeds contrast with and at the same time emphasise the smooth flow of the River Indre as it flows through the town of Loches in central France.
Tuesday Photo Challenge: Three
Posted on August 2, 2017
Tuesdays of Texture: Wild Flowers
Posted on August 2, 2017
This year, we (which is to say Madame) sowed a mix of bee-friendly wild flowers in a couple of our raised beds. The bees certainly like them and it’s interesting to see some flowers that I certainly haven’t encountered before – like this colourful and very bristly specimen.
Dhow #179
Posted on July 28, 2017
The wooden dhow is the traditional sea-going vessel of the Arabian Gulf. This one had been taken out of the water for maintenance in the Bateen area of Abu Dhabi.
Thursday Doors: Meillant (2)
Posted on July 27, 2017
This week we have the second instalment of doors in the town of Meillant. Last week we focused on the imposing Chateau, but we are ranging a little further afield this time – although to begin with only as far as the family chapel, which stands in front of the main house:
Just inside the entrance to the site is this visitor centre, which houses a number of miniature models of the chateau and other prominent buildings:
All the doors so far have been in more or less pristine condition, but these two examples in the grounds of the Chateau are rather more neglected – and mysterious:
Finally, because there is a town (or village at any rate) outside the walls, two examples of where the other half 99.9% live:
Thursday Doors 27 July 2017
Tuesday Photo Challenge: Woods
Posted on July 26, 2017
Not quite constituting a wood in itself, this line of trees divides the two fields that lie behind our house. On a clear, bright sunny morning after a very cold clear night earlier this year, the frost on the bare branches was too good to miss.
Tuesdays of Texture: Fenceposts
Posted on July 25, 2017
Favouring the rustic look with these fenceposts at the Roman archaeological site of Cassinomagus:
Phaetons
Posted on July 21, 2017
These two old buggies – phaetons – are in the vintage vehicle collection of Chateau de Meillant
Thursday Doors: Chateau de Meillant (1)
Posted on July 20, 2017
After a visit to the restored Cistercian Abbey at Noirlac, feautured last week, we visited Chateau de Meillant, a very grand edifice that has ben in the same family for over 500 years.
How they made it through the French Revolution without an appointment with Madame Guillotine I don’t know, but the current owner lives in one wing, of which this is the main door:
The rest of the house is open to the public and is richly endowed with period features, taking photographs of which is forbidden – not least because they sell more guide-books that way. On the outside, though, there are plenty of Gothic doors to admire:
Behind the chateau is what used to be the servants’ quarters:
and the stable block, which now houses a collection of vintage cars:
Next week more from Chatea de Meillant, including some rather less pristine examples.
Thursday Doors 20 July 2017
Weekly Photo Challenge: Unusual
Posted on July 20, 2017
According to this reflection in a distorting mirror at Chateau de Maillant, I seem to have lost quite a bit of weight recently. And that is unusual.
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