Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘France’

PHOTO OF THE DAY #163

Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 16, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

After leaving Dijon I took a TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) to Nancy, there to desperately dash for my connecting train to Strasbourg, capital of the Alsace region, and home to the European Parliament.

I checked into the hotel, then had a quick reconnoitre of the town centre in the evening, and liked the place immediately.

Architecturally it’s obviously German, but the inhabitants are resolutely and proudly French, a duality that has seen both nations fight over the region three times in the last one hundred and forty years…

A bigger version of this photo can be seen here.

Read Full Post »

PHOTO OF THE DAY #161

Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged , , , , , , , on October 13, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

I’m often attracted to the simple everyday things rather than the large and impressive.

As I walked back to the train station in the Burgundian town of Beaune I suddenly spotted this little shop and just loved the confluence of the green awning, blue sky, whitewashed walls and the reddish-brown of the pavement in front.

Perfection!

As usual, I can guarantee that I was the only person photographing in this residential quarter which does not register in the tour guides…

Bigger version here.

Read Full Post »

PHOTO OF THE DAY #159

Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 11, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

After my trek through the vineyards around the Burgundian town of Beaune, I still had some time left before my train back to Dijon, so I stopped by the amazing Hospices de Beaune.

Resembling a church, this ornate structure built in the fifteenth century was actually, as the name implies, a hospital for the poor.

Inside it houses some impressive art by Rogier van der Weyden and Lucas Cranach the Elder – big names indeed, considering the diminutive size of the town.

Here’s a detail from another part of this vast building’s roof:

Bigger versions of these photos can be found here and here.

 

Read Full Post »

PHOTO OF THE DAY #158

Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged , , , , , , , on October 10, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Another landscape from the hill above the town of Beaune in Burgundy.

Aside from the dramatic clouds, you can see the vines on the left of the picture.

I must admit I was very tempted to steal a few grapes off the vines.

I’d like to say that it was natural honesty that led me to decline such a course of action: in reality, it was fear of getting an upset stomach.

Look at a bigger version of this shot here…

 

Read Full Post »

PHOTO OF THE DAY #157

Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged , , , , , , , on October 10, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

In the French countryside, near the town of Beaune in Burgundy.

After gazing at the amazing vista spread out before me from the top of the hill, I turned around and saw this slightly worrying, but extremely photogenic climatic development.

It looked worse than it was, and soon dissipated without the heavens opening up, much to my relief.

Go here to see a bigger, more impressive version…

Read Full Post »

PHOTO OF THE DAY #156

Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 9, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Look again at yesterday’s photo, and the strange bell-shaped cloud in the centre: once I’d hiked up to the top of the hill overlooking the vineyards and the distant town of Beaune, it seemed to be dominating the landscape, hovering like a menacing UFO.

Here’s another view of it:

Be sure to check out the larger versions here and here.

Read Full Post »

PHOTO OF THE DAY #155

Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged , , , , , , on October 8, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Half way through my hike in the Burgundian countryside, and the cloudscapes on display were some of the most fabulous I’ve ever seen.

Observe the strange bell-like shape in the centre of the sky – or at least that’s what it looks like to me.

Are these clouds typical of continental Europe, far from the ocean? I’ve no idea, but I rarely see skies like this here in Japan, just a stone’s throw from the sea.

It wasn’t such a hot day, but I forgot to take a water bottle or food with me, but that was remedied by handfuls of blackberries I picked from the hedgerows – something I haven’t done since I was a child growing up in rural Britain. Nostalgic and refreshing!

Check out a larger version of this picture here…

Read Full Post »

PHOTO OF THE DAY #154

Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged , , , , , , , on October 7, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Most visitors to the small scenic town of Beaune in Burgundy are there for the wine-tasting or the architectural highlights, but my main goal was to follow the hiking trails out into the stunning countryside.

The previous days in nearby Dijon had been rainy, so I was very nervous about the weather, but as luck would have it, upon my arrival the sun returned amid one of the most amazing displays of clouds I have ever seen.

This shot over a vineyard towards the town was taken in the early stages of the ten-kilometre walk.

You really need to see the bigger version of this picture here…

Read Full Post »

PHOTO OF THE DAY #153

Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged , , , , , , , on October 5, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

More French urban artwork, this time in the form of a giant mural covering one wall of an entire building.

I’m not quite sure what the artist was trying to say here, but I like it anyway.

I photographed it by day as well as at night, but the latter seemed to have the best tones and textures.

Check out the bigger version here.

Read Full Post »

PHOTO OF THE DAY #151

Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 4, 2011 | 8 Comments »

This is perhaps my best photo so far of my recent trip to Europe, and as is usual when I pronounce a picture to be ‘one of my best,’ it will no doubt get only a paltry handful of viewers ;-)

This frame encompasses the medieval splendour of France, the romance of night, and the mystery of the lonely figure strolling down deserted streets.

There are hints of several famous painters here, I think…

As usual, a larger version can be seen here.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 74 other followers

%d bloggers like this: