Cour du Temple

In the old part of the city of Limoges, tucked away behind the tall façade of a terrace of buildings that are themselves quite old, is the Cour du Temple. Reached through a narrow, sloping covered passage, this is a small cloister surrounded on all sides by medieval buildings four or five storeys high. This is one corner:

newphoto

[Taken more than one, but less than two, weeks ago so hopefully qualifying for Cee’s latest challenge – taking a new photo]

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Take A New Photo

Thursday Doors: Abu Dhabi (again)

My earlier posting of a door in Abu Dhabi was uncompromisingly modern. This one, however is not so much a door as a still-life with bicycle. This irresistible combination was found down by the water in one of the older parts of the city.

AbuDhabi2

Thursday Doors 24 March 2016

Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Week 18 – Sweet

I recently posted a photograph of one of my grandsons in blissful contemplation of a pain au chocolat. That was in response to a WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge. Now, as I have twin grandsons, Hugh’s latest weekly challenge – Sweet – provides a perfect opportunity to redress the balance and post a photograph of my other grandson in equally blissful contemplation, this time of an ice-cream. Chocolate and pistachio: what’s not to like?

Sweet

 

Bellows

This set of bellows hangs next to the wood-burning stove in our kitchen. The shape contrasts well with the brickwork.

Bellows

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Kitchen

Thursday Doors: Epernay

Épernay is, after Reims, the principal town of the Champagne region of France – and well worth a visit. When we went, a couple of years ago, we stayed at a hotel that had been converted from a grand house that had probably once belonged to a wealthy wine merchant. This was the imposing entrance:

Epernay

Thursday Doors 17 March 2016

Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Week 17 – Calm

If I come out of my house, walk the 25 yards or so up to the road and look to my left, this is what I see. And people wonder why I refer to the petit hameau we live in as ‘Tranquility Base’.

(By the way, this is rush hour.)

Calm

Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge – Calm

Contrasting colours

Well, I learned something today. Did you know that colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel, when mixed, produce black? There’s a fact to be added to the store of useless information.

However, on this occasion we’re not looking to mix opposing colours but to juxtapose them. Essentially there are three ‘pairs’ of opposing colours, so here are a couple of images of each set:

Red and Green

Two roses, the first from Monet’s Garden, the second from outside our own back door (this one hs a wonderful, heady scent. Madame’s grandmother had some of these in her own garden and it brings back happy memories).

Orange and Blue

Two photographs taken on the island of Burano, in the Venetian lagoon

Purple and Yellow

I had to get a bit creative here, as I don’t seem to have many images featuring this pairing in my library.

The first is an imposing building in Bruges, where the yellow detail on the columns contrasts with the indigo shade of the reflected sky in the windows. The second is a detail of a window display in a quilting supplies shop in Sarlat. The purple and yellow are among the threads at the top, in case you’re wondering.

Cee’s Compose Yourself Photo Challenge: Contrasting colours

Weekly Photo Challenge: One Love

Nothing comes between a boy and his pain au chocolat:

One Love

Weekly Photo Challenge: One Love

Dried Ferns

These tightly curled dried ferns were in a roadside hedge just outside the hameau last December.

Wavy2

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge

Thursday Doors: Dubai

Think of Dubai and you probably have images of mile upon mile of glass-plated towers. That’s mostly accurate, it has to be said; however, there is still a small part of the old city that gives an idea of what it must have been like before the oil began to flow. It’s the al-Bastakiya area, just by the Creek, where it’s possible to see restored traditional buildings – and their doors:

al-Bastaki

al-Bastakiya

Not only do I have a photographic record of this piece of history, but Madame – whose talents are boundless – has also made a wall-hanging, which currently adorns our TV room:

image

Thursday Doors 11 March 2016