Saturday, December 01, 2007

Charlie at Home

Charlie at Home

Our "pet" pigeon Charlie refused my lift in the car to find a new life for himself.

I offered Charlie the ride in the car to a nice spot down the road. His own tree, running water near by and plenty of grain in nearby fields, but......

He is still at home, enjoying the comforts of a warm home in the evening, whilst during the day he is out flying about.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Martine Ménard

Martine Ménard

Another photo from our recent trip to Paris.

Well known Céramiste Martine Ménard (on the right) with a studio and showroom in Le Marais.

If you are in Paris visit her atelier in Le Marais, details can be found on her website: Martine Ménard

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Autumn Colours

Autumn Colour

It is that time of year!

When green turn into all sorts of flaming colours.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Claude Cerf

Claude Cerf

A relaxed portrait of the Sculpture Claude Cerf just before the opening of his exhibition on the rue de Servres, 75006 Paris.

Yes we managed to pack a lot into our short stay in Paris. Having lived in Paris for over 10 years it was nice to be back, after nearly three years of being away, and enjoy the vibrancy of the city.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Paris Autumn

Paris Autumn

While we were in Paris we visited our good friend Andrew who lives to the east - as pointed out (thank you Deslilas) it is to the west - side of Paris in the lovely town of Les Vésinet which is very close to Saint Germain en Laye.

A late afternoon walk around the lake was illuminated by the sun slowly setting giving those golden colours that belie the chilled air. We were a little surprised that winter frost arrived so quickly with temperatures well below 0°C.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Paris gone Wonky!

Paris

If you stop by from time to time you will notice that this is no longer a daily blog but I try and post a photograph when I can.

This was taken last week when we were in Paris. It was just before the transport strike began and I was wandering down the avenue George V when I saw all the rental bikes that were soon to become hard to get. The next day when the metro and RER rail systems were virtually non existent, these bikes were put to good use.

And the wonky building? Nothing to do with me although someone came up with the bright idea using Photoshop to create hoardings for work going on behind this original facade.

Monday, November 05, 2007

Flying Charlie

Flying Charlie

Charlie our rescued pet pigeon took his first outside flight just over a week ago. It was a bit difficult getting a good photograph but I liked this one.

He goes out most days now and we are wondering if he will one day fly off and that will be that - gone! On to live the life of a pigeon.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

The Long and Straight Road

The Long and Straight Road

One of tree lined roads heading out of the town of Uzés in the south of France. One of the lovely features of driving on these types of roads, and there are many lined with Plain Trees, is the shade they give against a hot summer sun. In the days before air conditioning in cars they were the only protection.

There are people that want to cut down these beautiful tree lined byways because they cause too many road deaths. A normal human reaction of course, if something might have the potential to kill you, get rid of it or kill it before it gets you!!! It doesn't occur to these people to have drivers stick to the speed limit.

Monday, October 29, 2007

Canoeing

Canoeing

The river that Le Pont du Gard traverses is not the river Gard, but the Gardon.

It's a great area for lots of leisure activities including canoeing and this photograph was taken as the canoeists were directly below 'Le Pont'

More on the River Gardon

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Roman Aqueduct

Le Pont du Gard 02

Nearly finished with photographs taken around Le Pont du Gard and the town of Uzés in the south of France - there are a few more though!

The ancient Roman Aqueduct of Le Pont du Gard is worthy of another posting. It took me a long time to go and see this magnificent piece of engineering, after nearly 15 years of living in France, and it was more than worth it. It took three climbs up the hill at the side to get the right light and that was also worth it.

Sitting watching the sun slowly set and the light changing on the stones that have stood the test of time for nearly 2000 years is another memory that will last.

La Pont du Gard was made a World Heritage site in 1985 more info here.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Bath Time

Bath Time

Charlie, our baby pigeon, had his first bath in the sink! I had put down a little bowl of water and after seeing him trying to get in the bowl I filled the bottom of the sink with a little water he jumped in, (just like a duck to water!!!) and had a lovely time splashing about, and afterwards lots of flapping of wings to get dried off. Of course Charlie is not sure if he is a duck, pigeon or human.

Some time soon we are hoping he will take his inaugural outside flight, another update will be posted when this happens.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Artisan Savonnerier

Artisan Savonnerier

Nature et Senteurs is the shop Uzés where my wife bought lots of lovely smelling products. This is one of the two ladies who hand make all the products that are for sale.

M & B Créations, Artisan Savonnier produces 'cosmétiques à base d'huiles naturelles et biologiques' and durinng the summer season you can make reservations to assist in the making of these products.

If you want to find out more about this beautiful town check out Wikipedia

Nature et Senteurs c’est le magasin d’Uzés où mon épouse a acheté un bon nombre de beaux produits de toilette. La photo est l'une des deux personnes qui font tous les produits naturels qui sont en vente.
M et B Créations, artisan Savonnier de produits naturels d'huiles de base et de cosmétiques biologiques et durant la saison d'été vous pouvez faire des réservations pour aider à la fabrication de ces produits.

Si vous voulez en découvrir plus sur ce sujet de cette belle ville cliquez sur Wikipedia (en englais)

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Savonnerie

Savonnerie

The interior of the lovely smelling shop in Uzés. Lots and lots of soaps and other products, a blaze of colour and my wife buying all sorts of different stuff.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Nature et Senteurs

Nature et Senteurs

Perhaps with a pigeon on my head I'd better make sure I have enough nice smelling soap!

Back to our holiday trip in France and we have yet to leave the lovely town of Uzés which oozes great images and is steeped in history.

This little shop which for the summer season is situated next to the Château de la Duc d'Uzés is owned and run by two ladies who make their own soap and other nice smelling products.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Charlie Pigeon

charlie

Just over two weeks ago a lost little pigeon was following behind anybody trying to find its Mum. What to do? It had fallen out of its nest somewhere and by the time we picked it up it was starving. We phoned the local Bird center who said boil up some cat crockets, liquidize them and feed every hour with a syringe.

We got into a good system of feeding and the little bundle of feathers it now nearly grown.

Now we have a flying pigeon that we hope will be ready soon to fly off into the big wide world instead of onto my head.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Cordes Climb

Cordes climb

The hill top Bastide village of Cordes sur Ciel is exactly that! It's a tough climb up full of twists and turns and delights to discover. Although dotted with tourists type shops this is a living village with village life going on around the tourist.

Visiting off season is a certainly a more pleasant experience than in the middle of the high season

For a bit of history of the village check here.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Serge Raynal

Serge Raynal

An artist of stature and also a kindly man of great gentleness. We talked for while with this lovely man, enjoyed his art and enjoyed his knowledge.

Someone who has displayed and sold his creations in the beautiful village of Cordes sur Ciel a hill top village in the Tarn, southern France

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Cordes Cat

Cordes Cat

A little break from our holiday pics, but there will be more.

Last Saturday we had a walk round one of the lovely villages in the Tarn and this lovable creature posed for the camera, or was she watching the birdie?

Cordes sur Ciel in one of the very beautiful hill top Bastide villages situated in the Tarn. This lovely cat is a habitant of the village - I think!

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Sud étoffe

Sun Etoffe

This is the shop that I had great difficulty getting my wife to leave. She loves materiel and the particular materiel that comes from this region of France called 'Boutis.' I think the credit card took a bit of hit here, but that's what holidays are all about.

We are still in the town of Uzés in Southern France and this shop is called Sud étoffe, La maison de Provence, 15 place aux herbes, Uzés.

Monday, October 08, 2007

Menu du Jour

Menu du Jour

A very tasty menu for lunch time - just what's needed to satisfy the tourists who have have had a hard morning wandering about enjoying themselves.

Taken in the town of Uzés southern France

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Late Summer Coffee

Late Summer Coffee

What pleasure to sit have and have a coffee or cool drink in the late afternoon sun and watch the world go by.

Place aux Herbes, Uzés, southern France.

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Fountain View

Fountain View

Still in the lovely town of Uzés, wandering around, watching people take it easy and enjoying themselves. Sitting by a fountain and thinking - or just sitting.

Place aux Herbes Uzés, southern France.

Friday, October 05, 2007

Soaring Church

Church Tower

The cathedral of Saint Théodorit in Uzés with its famous Fenestrelle Tower. Blue sky warm sunshine and it was only a few weeks ago, now summer seems at an end.

Our holiday goes on with memories in images which I will be posting over the next few weeks.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Sugar Baby Love

Sugar Baby Love

"La Cure Gourmande" Is a little bit over the top (for me). I dared not enter this shop because it is filled with all those lovely tasty sugary things I love, and as the shop name suggests it is a cure for those that need a sugar hit!

Like lots of other photo opportunities around the beautiful old town of Uzés the colour and light was just right in the late afternoon as the sun was slowly bringing the day to evening time.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Football Arch

Football Arch

Playing football in the Place aux Herbes, Uzés France.

Uzés is one of those beautiful French villages that is a must to visit. It is situated in the region of the Languedoc-Roussillon close to Nîmes and the famous Pont du Gard in the department of the Gard.

Wandering round, as I love to do in the late afternoon sunshine, and watching a couple of kids play football under arches constructed centuries ago I wondered if they were aware of their beautiful surrounding, or did that come later in life. What mattered was seeing their joy playing in such a magnificent setting.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Daily Bread

Boulangerie

The Boulangerie in the Place aux Herbes in the town of Uzés. A lovely town to vist in the south of France.

More details to follow with an account of our recent vacation.

Monday, October 01, 2007

Pont du Gard

Le Pont du Gard

We are back from our vacation visiting various parts of France and doing the tourist thing.

I have always wanted to visit Le Pont du Gard, the Roman Viaduct in the Gard département of southern France. Three trips in one day to get the right light and a photograph that I was happy with.

If you would like to read more about this amazing structure that has stood for over 2000 years check out this link - Wikipedia.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Cool Hand Luca

Cool Hand Luca

A Luca photo to last you a couple of weeks. After my flying visit to the UK where the sun shone and it looked like summer had eventually arrived and I managed to get a few photos of our grandson Luca, I am now back in France.

I just loved this image with his sunglasses on - he looked so cool. Luca is now beginning to say a few words, although he understands a lot, but as he is learning his mother's native language, Brazilian Portuguese and English, he has a lot to take in. One of his new words is 'Tractor' so granddad had to buy him a tractor, a toy one of course and we had great fun.

Today we are off on holiday / vacation so my next post will probably not be for a couple of weeks.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Brocante puppets

Brocante puppets

On Sunday we had the Rabastens local Brocante, an open air sale of all things old, and it is a great opportunity to get some nice images of things from the past. Wandering around in the warm September sunshine and enjoying the relaxed atmosphere and making sure there was limited cash in my pocket. I still ended up buying and old camera!

This will be the last post for a few days, or maybe to the end of the month. I leave later today for a few days in the UK to see my son and family then after that a couple of weeks vacation / holiday somewhere in France - haven't yet decided where.

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Lady Table

Lady Table

This lady at the market on a Saturday morning in the town of Rabastens sells table cloths.

We have already bought two.

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Coffee Maker

Coffee Maker

At the morning market in the town Rabastens today I discovered a Artisan Torréfacteur. He has all sorts of coffee and Tea's that he cured himself. I'm not quite sure what that means but we bought some Brazilian coffee beans which this gentleman ground for our filter coffee machine.

I will be looking forwards to my coffee tomorrow morning.

Friday, September 07, 2007

Rugby World Cup

Rugby

Ready for the first game in the Rugby World Cup being held in France.

France V Argentina - Wonder who will win?

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Cool Luca

Cool Luca

My favourite subject our grandson Luca enjoying some British sunshine. I will be able to spend a whole day with Luca next week as I will be in the UK for a few days.

That's going to be shear joy.

Image by Izabel James

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Wind Power

Windmills

Windmills from the air taken by Christain Hot in his Micro Light aircraft. These electricity generating windmills are next to the Toulouse Narbonne motorway near Avignonet.

Les éoliennes à Avignonet, à coté de l'autoroute Toulouse-Narbonne.

Image by/par Christian Hot

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

The Little Needle

The little needle

Another view of the Tarn countryside from the sky taken from a micro light aircraft.

The first person to tell me what how the design is made might just receive a postcard from this beautiful area. I await your comments!

Image by/par Christian Hot

Monday, September 03, 2007

Lavaur

Le golf de Viterbe Lavaur

Le golf de Viterbe - Lavaur

The golf course of Viterbe near the town of Lavaur in the Tarn.

Image by/par Christian Hot

Sunday, September 02, 2007

High Flier

Micro Light

Le plaisir de voler

Depart pour un vol en ULM au dessus de la region par le Maire de Roquemaure Christian Hot.

The Pleasure of flying.

We depart for a ariel view in a Micro Light Aircraft by the Mayor of Roquemaure Christian Hot.

Christain has sent me a few photographs taken as he flies around the region which I will publish over the next few days.

Image by/par Christian Hot.

Saturday, September 01, 2007

Gaillac Rooftops

Gaillac Rooftops

The town of Gaillac that sits on the banks of the river Tarn, France.

Friday, August 31, 2007

Diana, Princess of Wales

Place de L'alma. Liberty Flame

Today is the 10th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana.

Just two weeks after the deaths of Diana Princess of Wales, Dodi Al Fayed and others, I visited what has become the place that people now come to pay homage to the deaths that occurred in the underpass by the Pont de L’alma in Paris. A new tourist attraction had been tragically and instantly added to Paris. The Liberty Flame, a full sized replica of the flame that sits atop the Statue of Liberty in New York’s harbour was given to the city of Paris by America in celebration of the bi-centennial of the French Revolution. The Liberty Flame by the Pont de L’alma was now added to the list of places to visit when in Paris.

Although the monument is constantly cleaned and flowers and mementoes removed this is the place that for ten years people have stood and wondered...............

In those weeks after her death I went on to photograph Paris through the eyes of a tourist because no matter what tragedy had taken place here there were still all the other well known places to visit. This story can be seen here.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Albi Summer

Albi Summer

It seems like summer is over with the bad weather we are having. It is so changeable so this summer snap of a street in Albi is to brighten my day.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Sunny Pool

Sunny Pool

I am posting this lovely peaceful image of the sun rising over the pool and it looks so inviting. The weather has been like this for a few days although a little too hot.

This morning after some very noisy thunderstorms, and lots of rain we have woken up to a scene more reminiscent of my Scottish heritage - lots of Scotch Mist!

Changeable weather to say the least.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Cruise the Tarn

Cruise the Tarn

Cruise the River Tarn at Albi.

Right at the end of the vacation / holiday season we are now getting a heat wave!! From the weather forecast is is not set to last too long, but today is it pushing towards 40°C and that is just a little too hot.

I now need to go take a rest.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Old Wood

Old Wood

Strong beams of wood still holding up after hundreds of years.

On the corner of the lovely market square in the town of L'Isle sur Tarn is the Maison de la Presse. The beautiful vaulted walkway that surrounds the square has a variety of shops to explore.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Olive Bar

Olive-Bar

Bar L'olivier in the town of L'Isle sur Tarn. I know the weather this year has affected tourism in many areas and it has not been a good season for many businesses.

This image was taken mid afternoon, a quite period and I'm sure the Bar L'olivier is doing OK.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Fast Cars

Ferrari

Red! What other colour is there?

The area of the Tarn, although not exactly a sleepy backwater, is very much a farming and wine country. I have noticed elderly farmers driving around in 30 years old cars and I am fascinated that these almost classical cars still doing good service.

As you enter the town of Gaillac there is a used car lot with top of the range models for sale including a few which would definitely have difficulty negotiating the rolling twisting roads of the Tarn.

Red Ferrari! Who needs one?

Friday, August 24, 2007

Church Thinking

Church Thinking

I seem to remember there are two subjects that should be avoided at dinner, religion and politics, as neither interest me much it is unlikely I would get involved anyway.

I am however drawn to church interiors and photographing them and often wander around old churches and watch for how the light entering through the various stained glass windows can make for interesting photo taking opportunities.

I am not alone, as I see many people do the same do the same!

The interior of the church at the abbey of St Michel in Gaillac, Tarn, France.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Candle Light

Candle Light

Light a candle for me!

Taken in Albi Cathederal

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Old and New

Old-and-New

Modern art joins the old in Albi's ancient cathedral.

I wasn't quite sure if it worked as an exhibition because there is just so much detail to take in when you visit this vast cavernous cathedral.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Albi Windows

Albi Cathedral

The vast interior of Albi Cathedral. The detail of the design and art is impressive.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Buy a Bottle

Buy a Bottle

After visiting the Château and the surrounding grounds and tasted a few varieties of wine it is time to buy a bottle or two of Château Lastours.

I'm not sure my wife is seeing those number all that clearly!