Under pressure
Posted on October 7, 2016
As part of the wine-making process, in Bordeaux as elsewhere, the young wine has to be drawn out of the big stainless steel tanks into smaller containers under the force of gravity. Given how large the tanks are, it’s not surprising that it comes out at high pressure. That’s what you call letting it breathe.
And if you zoom in closely enough, it becomes almost abstract:
Thursday Doors: Maison de George Sand
Posted on October 6, 2016
George Sand was a noted 19th century French writer, known also for the glittering company (Chopin, Flaubert to name but two) she entertained at her house in the hamlet of Nohant, in the Indre département of central France. You can read more about her here.
Today her impressive residence is open to the public and a very popular destination for tourists and coach parties, which is how I found myself there recently. It’s got some nice doors too.
This is the gated entrance to the house; note the bricked up doors on either side:
The inevitable Gift Shop is housed in what looks like a former stable block. Not only are these doors a lovely colour but it’s unusual to see their inner side:
And here are a few more:
There is a formal garden to the side of the house. Rather incongruously, this ‘box’ of doors is plonked in the middle of the lawn. I suppose it must be art.
Thursday Doors 6 October 2016
Macro Moments: Week 13
Posted on October 5, 2016
This week, Sue at Musin’ With Susan wants us to ‘get real close’. Well here is a real macro shot of the top of the stamen of a lily, I think it’s the closest close-up I have in my collection.
Nikon D300, Nikkor 105mm f2.8 Macro lens. 1/5 at f22
Tuesdays of Texture: Landing Stage
Posted on October 5, 2016
Staying on the island of Burano, where that church door from last week needs a lick of paint, is this little wooden stage that allows boat-owners to avoid getting their feet wet when boarding or disembarking from their vessel. I was struck by the contrast between the glassy (anti-texture?) water and the rough surface of the wood. Complementary colours, too.
52 Weeks Photo Challenge: Week 9 – Patterns
Posted on October 3, 2016
The Girl That Deams Awake has set the topic of ‘Patterns’ for this week.
Most stained glass windows display overtly religious images. However, this example, to be found in the crypt of the medieval church in the French village of Gargilesse, is an interesting exception.
The geometric patterns remind me of Celtic designs (Celtic knots?). I’m also reliably informed – by Madame the quilter (a.k.a. The Best Girl Ever) – that there are very similar quilting patterns.
In another departure from tradition, the colours are far more subdued than in typical stained glass windows.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Nostalgia
Posted on October 1, 2016
Nostalgia? It ain’t what it used to be, is it?
The obvious temptation is to respond to this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge by pulling something quaint or sentimental out of the archives. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but as a counterpoint to the rose-tinted glow of memory I thought I would post this less cosy image.
The ‘living museum’ that is the nearby village of Montrol-Sénard has many features that portray a romanticised version of local life a hundred and more years ago. However, it also has this perhaps rather more realistic illustration of the way things were.
It’s a bedroom for a farm worker: a small, rough-made bed, a lumpy, dirty straw mattress and a pair of clogs (note the straw lining: no expensive luxuries like socks). When you see an example of the verité like this it’s possible to understand why the locals seem remarkably unsentimental about their comparatively recent history.
“And his wife made this”
Posted on September 30, 2016
The impressive architecture of St Mary’s Church in Beverley, East Yorkshire includes these graceful curves, which, to judge by the words carved on the little bust (“And his wife made this”), show a feminine touch.
Thursday Doors: La Chatre
Posted on September 29, 2016
On a coach outing last weekend, we stopped for lunch in a town in central France called La Chatre. I’m not really sure why, since it wasn’t anywhere near any of the places we were actually visiting either before or after lunch.
Be that as it may, perhaps it was the dull, overcast conditions, but it didn’t strike me as a particularly cheerful or attractive place to be, or to spend much time in. There was a sign pointing towards a ‘medieval centre’ – although we never got anywhere near it – so perhaps I’m doing it a disservice.
I think these doors rather catch the mood of the place:
Even these atrractive arched doorways are somewhat blighted by the accretions of grime at the top of the wall:
This grand house has a nice enough, if shabby, front door, but oh my dear, the shutters:
…and as for the tradesmens’ entrance:
Maintaining the theme of grubbiness:
But, to try and finish on an upbeat note, I liked these doors on an obviously recently refurbished building:
Fortunately, the afternoon was spent in rather more cheerful and picturesque locations, with doors to be shared here over the next few weeks.
Thursday Doors 29 September 2016
Macro Moments: Week 12
Posted on September 28, 2016
Last Sunday, we visited the house of George Sand, the prominent 19th century French author(ess). The house itself was very grand (she was a very succesful writer) and the gardens, while past their best, nonetheless still had some interesting flowers in the beds, including this. I have no idea what it is, but it’s very pretty:
Nikon D800 with 24-70mm f2.8 lens at 70mm. 1/90 at f2.8. ISO 100. Cropped and edited in Lightroom. I desaturated the green channel to minimise background distraction.
Tuesdays of Texture: Paint
Posted on September 27, 2016
This door – of a church on the island of Burano, in the Venetian lagoon – could really do with a fresh coat of paint.
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