Stone Staircases

These stone staircases can be found in the crypt of the subterranean church at Aubeterre-sur-Dronne.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Ways to move up and down

Sweeping

This old stone staircase in the Bordeaux town of Saint-Emilion is rather grand, especially considering that it’s not in a stately home but rather an open-sided building housing a number of artisan workshops.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Steps

Eye-Popping Escalier

Cee’s Midweek Challenge this week requires us to show something with an ‘I’ in its name or, indeed, an eye.

This is an unusual perspective on the multi-storey stairwell of a small hotel in Paris. Fortunately there’s also a lift (or elevator, if you must).

CMMC 23 June 2021

L’Escalier

For Cee’s midweek challenge she is looking for an image of something that either begins or ends with the letter ‘E’.

You may think that what you’re looking at here is a staircase (more specifically, one in the Abbaye de la Reau) and of course you would be quite correct. And it ends with an E. However, the French word for staircase is ‘escalier‘. Beginning or end, it’s your choice.

CMMC 28 April 2021

Spiral staircase

I’m always fascinated by the elegant geometry of spiral staircases.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge

Mystery building

I’ve been intrigued by this building ever since I first saw it over ten years ago. It is just outside the boundary of a shopping centre on the outskirts of Limoges.

I have no idea what it is, but the combination of shapes – including a spiral staircase – certainly fits the bill for Cee’s Black & White theme this week of ‘Geometry’.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Geometry

The condemned staircase

This is a view of the staircase that was in our house just after we bought it.  Originally, it was boxed in, which made the room – which is north-facing – even darker. However, Madame (with no little relish, it must be said) took a jemmy to it and exposed the original. It had to go however, as it was dangerously rickety.

Nonetheless it is a set of steps to meet this week’s challenge theme and, particularly in monochrome, the strong diagonals make for an interesting image.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Steps

The stairwell

Viewed from the ground floor, this staircase – in an old hotel in Paris – becomes an abstract composition of circles and curves.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Circles and Curves

The old staircase

This ancient and very worn staircase can be found on the Pont Valentre in the town of Cahors, in southern France.

Amazingly, worn as it is and with no handrail, it is not roped off in any way to prevent public access. It would take a brave or foolhardy soul to climb it, though, however impressive the views over the River Lot might be from the top.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Structure

The staircase

While visiting the restored medieval abbey of Noirlac last year, I was struck by this almost abstract composition of a curving staircase and austere stone walls. Another homage to M C Escher and suitable for Cee’s Black & White subject of ‘Walls’ this week.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Walls