theonlyD800inthehameau
Photography by theonlydeadheadinthehameau
Tuesday Photo Challenge: Progress
Posted on November 22, 2017
Out here in the French countryside, many things are still done as they have been for generations – working off the lunar calendar, for example. However, the local farmers are by no means averse to using technology to make their life a bit easier.
So the horses have been put out to grass and the heavy work is now done with tractors. And that’s progress.
Just ask the horse.
Saint Cirq Lapopie (2)
Posted on November 2, 2017
This week, more doors from the lovely medieval village of Saint Cirq Lapopie, in the Lot region of southern France.
If it’s a village, it must have a church:
Another two-door image:
Arches are a common architectural theme…
…although not universal:
Finally, I had to include this one, for obvious reasons:
Thursday Doors 2 November 2017
Tuesday Photo Challenge: Broken
Posted on October 31, 2017
Still away from base, so for Frank’s Tuesday Photo Challenge this week it’s another dig into the archives to match his theme of ‘Broken’.
I must say, this is one of my favourite photos – a broken cartwheel seen through the window of the blacksmith’s shop in the nearby ‘living museum’ village of Montrol-Sénard. The blurring of the ancient glass and the spiders’ webs gives the image an other-worldly atmosphere.
Pastoral
Posted on October 6, 2017
Living, as we do, in the depths of the French countryside, it was never going to be a problem to find an image to respond to Cee’s theme for this week of ‘All Things Farm-Related’.
However, there’s only so much interest you can wring out of yet another picture of a tractor, so instead here is a landscape from just up the road. The item in the foreground is a hay feeder, used in the winter months when the sheep don’t have freshly growing grass to chew on. This photograph was taken in early summer this year, so no need for the winter silage.
Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: All Things Farm Related
Thursday Doors: Abbaye de La Reau (3)
Posted on August 31, 2017
A final set of doors from Abbaye de La Réau this week.
As we started last week’s instalment with an image taken from inside looking out, here’s another of the same, this time from the smithy/workshop:
This one is in the Visitor Centre:
In the grounds of the Abbey are the ruins of a round defensive tower, a refuge for the monks if some of their theological debates got a little heated:
And a couple more interesting doors from other buildings within the complex:
Thursday Doors 31 August 2017
Thursday Doors: Abbaye de La Reau (2)
Posted on August 25, 2017
This week we’re continuing our exploration of Abbaye de La Réau with some internal doors. I doubt whether any of these are absolutely original, but most of them are pretty old-looking, it has to be said.
However, to bridge the exterior/interior divide, here’s an image looking out from inside the monks’ living quarters:
A few examples of the doors leading off from this entrance space:
Rather prosaically, this is the door to the (communal) privy. Three seats (holes in a plank, to be more precise), no waiting:
And finally for this week, a door situated in the inner courtyard of the complex. Comes complete with bonus door within a door:
Thursday Doors 24 August 2017
Tuesdays of Texture: The Wall
Posted on August 23, 2017
A rather different perspective – from a roof terrace – of the cloister of the Cistercian Abbey of Noirlac:
Thursday Doors: Abbaye de La Reau (1)
Posted on August 17, 2017
The Abbaye de La Réau is an outstanding set of monastic buildings, some dating back to the 12th century, in the Vienne département of central France. In addition to the massive religious buildings, the site also includes the secular edifices that were a practical necessity to support the community of monks that lived here. The whole site is being sympathetically restored both internally and externally and a recent visit revealed many interesting doors – again, both internal and external – to be shared here over the next few weeks.
To begin with, though, some external views, starting with the great doorway of the Abbey itself:
The roof of the Abbey has completely gone, but the walls still look as solid as ever, even if some former doors have been closed up:
This is a view of the adjacent, and much more recent, residential block:
Although it seems clear from this image that some of the living accommodation was reclaimed from earlier uses:
This is in the grounds, next to what is now the Visitor Centre:
And finlly, for this time around, this building lies just outside the walls that enclose the complex:
Thursday Doors 17 August 2017
Weekly Photo Challenge: Elemental
Posted on August 10, 2017
It’s not the easiest thing to find an image that shows all four primal elements at once.
However, this picture, taken along a lane about a mile from here, undoubtedly conveys three of them: air, water and earth. And since the sun was shining, perhaps that could be taken for fire. In any case, it’s a tranquil rural scene.
The Path To…..?
Posted on August 4, 2017
This little-used track runs off the ‘main’ road between here and the nearby village of Saint-Martial-sur-Isop. It probably leads to an isolated farmhouse, but who knows?
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