The Lantern of the Dead
Posted on January 18, 2019
Although there apparently remains only one example in Britain, ‘lanterns of the dead (Lanternes des Morts) can still be seen in rural France and there are a couple of (fairly) local examples.
And what, you may be asking, is a Lanterne des Morts? This is how Wikipedia describes it:
“Lanternes des morts) are small stone towers found chiefly in the centre and west of France, pierced with small openings at the top, where a light was exhibited at night to indicate the position of a cemetery. These towers were usually circular, with a small entrance in the lower part giving access to the interior, so as to raise the lamps by a pulley to the required height.”
This small photo shows the exterior of the top part of the Lanterne in the village of Rancon:
However, Cee’s Black & White Challenge this week calls for unusual perspectives, so this is what you would see if you were small enough to get inside the base of the tower and look up towards the sky.
Thursday Doors: West London
Posted on January 17, 2019
Late last year we went and stayed for a few days with our son and daughter-in-law, who recently moved down from Edinburgh to London, where they have bought a lovely house in the west London suburb of Chiswick. These are a few of the doors I noticed on our (many) dog-walking expeditions. Rather different from the usual diet here of tatty rural French doors, but a change is as good as a rest.
It’s fair to assume that this is not the only door belonging to this house:
This one boasts a closed-in porch:
While this one goes for the grand porticoed look:
But if you really want grand, you need to visit the Grade 1 listed Chiswick House, formerly the London residence of the Duke of Devonshire, but now a public park. This is ‘just’ the side view:
Finally, a couple of more prosaic ‘tradesmen’s entrances’
Thursday Doors 17 January 2019
Blue and Yellow
Posted on January 16, 2019
Cee’s theme for her Fun ‘Foto’ Challenge this week is ‘blue and yellow’ – always a harmonious combination.
As it happens, the colour scheme of our kitchen is blue and yellow, and the endlessly talented Madame has made table mats, napkins, covers for appliances and many other things to match the theme. Including this wall hanging:
Tuesday Photo Challenge: Breeze
Posted on January 15, 2019
Every seven years, the Catholic church in the Limousin region holds the ‘Ostensions’, when relics of the saints are paraded in procession around many of the towns and villages of the region. To mark the occasion the streets are decorated with flags and bunting, such as these flapping in the breeze outside the cathedral of Limoges.
The Harp
Posted on January 11, 2019
For Cee’s Black & White theme this week of ‘music’, here is an image of a harp in the music room of the Chateau d’Amboise.
Thursday Doors: Chez Durand
Posted on January 10, 2019
Only one door this week, I’m afraid, but it is a bit of a one-off.
If, like us, you spent many years living in Scotland, you couldn’t help but be very happy that, a mere twenty minutes drive away, there is a Scottish butchers shop, attached to a farm. They have cattle, pigs and sheep, all of which go into their exceptional products. How two people manage to run the farm and the shop pretty much on their own, I have no idea, but they do, even if sometimes the animals stray from their allotted locations into an old building with an eye-catching old door.
Thursday Doors 10 January 2019
A double helping of biscuits
Posted on January 9, 2019
Based in Nantes, the French biscuit manufacturers Lu (Lefevre Utile) are long-established and happily still producing, even if not in their original factory. Their ‘petits écoliers’ chocolate biscuits – especially the plain chocolate version – cannot be recommended too highly.
Apart from the product itself, Lu’s publicity material is also iconic. This image is of a pair of their advertising signs from around the turn of the last century, and was taken in the Chateau des Ducs museum in Nantes.
Tuesday Photo Challenge: Gentle
Posted on January 8, 2019
Frank’s theme for this week’s Tuesday Photo Challenge is ‘Gentle’.
This is a picture of my grandson enjoying bathtime. It goes without saying that the soap that produced all those bubbles was a very gentle one.
On the hotplate
Posted on January 4, 2019
In the old cafe at the rural museum in Montrol-Sénard there’s a wood-burning stove range. This is one of the hotplates.
Thursday Doors: Blond (2)
Posted on January 3, 2019
Back from the holiday break with a second selection of doors from the nearby village of Blond.
These first two are actually in the same bâtiment, but I think deserve separate consideration:
This next door perhaps isn’t so interesting in itself, but I’ve never seen a building with so many pinions holding it together. We have one, which prevents our front wall falling off, but this….
And then there’s this. Note how the lintel on the smaller door is not the original:
The final contribution from Blond. I’m assuming that this is unoccupied, but you can’t always be sure:
Thursday Doors 3 January 2019
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