Luca -The Boy

Regular readers! In fact do I have any regular readers?

Anyway regular readers of Réal DP will know I post a photograph of our Grandson Luca from time to time. The baby is now a boy and he is sporting an English shirt. I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do for a Scottish/Brazilian boy, but who cares he looks as if he is having fun.

Hopefully we will get to see him soon.

Photo Izabel James

Panel Panorama

One last image from the Notre Dame de la Garde looking at the panel that gives the information about the islands that lie just if the course of the port of Marseille including the famous Chataeu d'If where the famous fictional character The Count of Monte Cristo was held for 14 Years. Another one for you Betty!

And no it is unlikely that I will ever make my fortune on the Google ads but as I also host other sites like World Photo Adventure I am hoping it may go a little way to paying my hosting costs.

Kate, Nice to know you are in Mexico and yes I will come and visit. Now did you mean just your photo-blog or was it an invitation to come to Mexico?

The Old Port Marseille

In the quiet countryside of the Tarn where we live not a lot has been happening. I should perhaps have been out taking photographs but the weather has not inspired me to get out a snap away.

The weather has been very changeable with temperatures on at least one day reaching the heady heights of 20°C and then others where is has been wet, windy and miserable.

For that reason I have missed a couple of days and again post another photograph from out recent trip to Marseille - a fisherman working to repair his nets at the old port in Marseille.

Château d’If

From the Basilique of Notre Dame de la Garde. Told you it was a great spot to get some fantastic shots.

Looking out over to Les îles du Frioul and Château d’If.

Notre Dame de la Garde

Ming asked if yesterdays photo was taken from Notre Dame de la Garde and yes it was. It is the major landmark of the city of Marsielle, seen from a distance it is an impressive sight.

Affectionately known as La Bonne Mère it is well worth a visit to see the panorama I have already mentioned, the blue of the Mediterranean to the sweep of the urban landscape of most ancient city of France.

The altitude of the hill is just over 147 meters

Marseille

The telescope is a good accessory to have to pick out detail, although the panoramic vista of Marseille is a site to behold.

If you look closely you can see where the fish market is held. There may well be another fishy image before the Marsielle series is finished.

Marseille Close Up

The light was going fast and it looked great over the urban landscape panorama of Marseille.

The telescope was looking shiny and new and I can't image the amount of people who have scanned the buildings that surround one of the highest points of this Mediterranean city.

Fish Market

How interesting can a fish market be? Well the one that stretches along the quay side at the old port in Marsielle is certainly interesting. Full of fish of course lots of fun and some great photo opportunities.

I wish I had had more time to get some nice portraits of these people - perhaps another visit is needed.

Fish Market Marseille

Our trip to Provence was mostly spent in the City of Marseille and although we lived in the beautiful village of Allauch for 8 months we never took the opportunity to explore the city of Marseille.

This time we had a super guide who was born and grew up in the village of Allauch and gave us a great tour of the wonderful city of Marseille.

This first image is of the famous fish market that I last visited in 1989 - how time flies. I think the guy is telling us about the one that got away!

Wild Geese

Photographed in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The Pyrenees mountain range lie about 100 miles south of us and on a clear winters day you can almost feel you can reach out and touch the snow covered mountain tops.

This image was taken on one of our rambling drives through the mountains.

I will not posting for about a week as we are of to Provence for a five days.

Allauch Festival

Another interruption to Réal DP from this weekend for about five days. We are off to Sunny Provence for a few days. Well it's showing sunny and warmer than Réal at the moment. I hope it lasts.

This is an image from the village of Allauch where we used to live.

Church Door

Doors are my thing. Well not all the time and this is a church entrance. What really caught my eye was the little blue sign top right of the doorway.

It reads; Eglise St François. XIV et XV siècles. Ancienne Eglise des Cordeliers dont le couvent avait ètè fondé vers l'an 1220 par Sicard VI de Lautrec Baron d'ambres.

Quick traslation; The church of St François from the 14 and 15 centuries. Ancient church of the 'Cordeliers' monks. The monastery was founded around 1220 by Sicard the 6th of Lautrec - Baron of Ambres.

Taken in the town of Lavaur. I've walked past this church several times even been inside and only the other day did I notice the blue plaque, which in itself is an old style sign. Not as old as the church but maybe 50 years old.

Frosty Leaves

The frosty misty days have cleared for the moment and I have wondered at the design of nature with the hore frost that has coated everything - and loved photographing various subjects.

Still a little chilly although today has been a little warmer, meaning the temperature managed to creep above freezing. This global warming fooled me into thinking we were going to get a nice mild winter! Never mind another month and things will be looking good down this way.

Let me in

Old doors in France - I like them, they have style and you never know what you will find behind them. Sometime they open onto a lovely garden courtyard or directly into a home. It is tantalising at times to know what lies behind the door.

This fine fellow was waiting to see when he was going to be let in.

Photographed in Lavaur, Tarn.

Number One Guy

This little guy who is getting bigger everyday gets the privilage of a double hit on this daily blog.

He turned one year old on the 28th of January and I could not resist posting another photo send by his Mum & Dad. I know he had a birthday party with some other kids but this is a photo of Luca and his Dad Michael.

Thank goodness for the internet that we can get images so quickly.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Luca

Our Grandson Luca is one year old today (28th January). This was taken recently while visiting, with his mother, the other half of his family in Brazil.

He is back in the cold UK but I am sure he is going to enjoying growing up and visiting his family in Brazil. Maybe one day he may even choose to live there!

We will not be able to travel from France to spend time with him to celebrate his first birthday but I am sure he will have a great day.

Goodness me, is it really a year since he was born!!

Dogs and Stuff

On my wanderings around the town of Lavaur I came across the site of the an ancient Chateau and saw my second dog poop clean-up dispenser. I thought this is looking up, at last a positive step to cleaning up behind your dog (all puns intended).

I took the photograph feeling good that on this ancient site the Town of Lavaur were providing the means to keep the site clean. As I stepped back my foot squelched into a big lump of dog s**t. And the more I looked the more I saw. The town of Lavaur may provide the means of cleaning up after your dog, but dog owners obviously don't care.

France! I just love it.

Disappearing Mercerie

On a visit to the Town of Lavaur in the Tarn valley today I had the opportunity to have a wander round. Most of the snow has gone but it is still cold.

The back streets of this place had some gems. I love seeing old shop fronts and their old signs, it's just such a pity they are being left to fall into disrepair and will eventually disappear.

This was once a Mercerie a store that sold buttons, thread, cloth and all the things for sewing, and a Epicerie selling food like a grocer.

Winter Snow

The first snow of winter fell last night and we woke up to a winter wonderland. The most of France did as well although there was a lot of chaos on roads and motorways in various parts of the country.

It does mean that at least there will be enough snow for the skiing season to get underway which was beginning to worry an awful lot of people. I believe that the Alps and the Pyrenees had good falls of snow as well.

Catalan Musicians

Thank you all for your messages of support. It has been a difficult time of late but of course life goes on. I passed all your lovely messages onto my wife Ghislaine.

We traveled 2300 Kilometers for the round trip to northern France close to the Luxembourg boarder and on the way back saw some amazing sights but no time to stop and spend the time photographing. Perhaps another time when the mind will be more in tune with the creation of some good images.

Having not had the chance to photograph much lately I am posting an image of a group of Catalan musicians photographed at a festival in the village of Allauch in Provence some time ago.

In celebration of life.