France Archives - Page 4 of 5 - Just Enough Focus

December 20, 2015

Typical Day in Collioure

Actually, I have no idea if this is a typical day or not, I’ve only been here once. But because it was a Tuesday and not the weekend, I have to assume it was typical. I guess I’ll have to wait until I come back to be sure. The beach is protected by a seawall and the shops are all open and outdoor bistros serve beer, wine, coffee and pastries. Personally I could get used to this as a typical day. We stopped along here and had a drink at one of the cafes as we watched the everything around us. If I did live here I’d probably live to be a ripe old age, playing checkers or bocci ball with the other escapees from modern civilization. Then I’d sit and have a glass of red wine while I watched the people go by. Then I’d get up in the morning and do it all again. Just another typical day in Collioure, France.

December 4, 2015December 10, 2015

Gigondas Village

This is the village of Gigondas which is in a mountainous area in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur northeast of Montpellier. Like many places in this part of France, Gigondas is known for its wine. Some of the vintners here refuse to change the methods of production that have survived hundreds of years from generation to generation. The town is on a hillside over looking the vineyards and these narrow streets climb up to a church overlooking the village. I took this on the way back down after surveying the surroundings and wondering how it is that these people manage to live apparent tranquil lives without all the big box stores and high tech gadgets. I think I know the answer to that.

December 1, 2015December 1, 2015

The Harbor at Carnon

This is the harbor at Carnon in southern France. I stayed about a mile from the east of this harbor and thought I’d walk around to the west side. Only I didn’t realize that once I arrived on the east side there was no bridge close by and so I had to walk another two miles to get to the west side. By the time I got back home I estimated I walked about five miles and took five photos. So in reality I took one photo for every mile. That’s a very low miles to photos ratio.

November 26, 2015November 26, 2015

Montpellier Courtyard

If you walk the narrow streets of villages and cities throughout France you notice doorways that lead to courtyards. As residents open the doors to the street I would get a glimpse of the courtyard beyond. In a few places like this there is public access, as it leads to a restaurant. These remind me of scenes from movies, but in fact they’re quite normal for folks who live in European city centers. Here I am looking straight up and wondering what it must be like to live here.

November 17, 2015

By the Fountain

One of the best places to stand if you want to watch the world go by is by a central fountain in a european city. I stood in front of La fontaine des Trois Grâces in the center of Montpellier and no matter which way I looked there was something to watch. Sometimes quick, sometimes slow, but a lot of activity on all sides. Next time I should just stand there all day, stopping only for the occasional cappuccino and croissant.

November 17, 2015

Palavas Harbor

The harbors along the French Mediterranean are full of sailboats. This is in Palavas but in another town further south we watched children learning to sail on rough seas which I though was pretty amazing. But that probably explains why so many people along the coast love to sail. This is just a small section of the harbor, there were many hundreds of boats moored here, many more than I’m used to seeing in our small Florida harbors. This was the scene as the sun set last week and I walked along the docks taking it all in.

November 10, 2015

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert

This is a small village in southern France that has maintained its medieval state through the centuries. In one section I notice construction on a home, the builder was building walls of stone as perhaps no differently than ages ago. It’s nestled in a gorge along a river which was nothing more than a stream when I took this. It was incredible walking through the narrow streets and it was easy to imagine I had been transported back in time.

November 8, 2015

Cloudy Beach at Dawn

Its safe to say the beach was quite deserted this morning at dawn when I showed up to get a few pictures. This is in Carnon along the Mediterranean in the south of France. But, just like back home in Florida, there are still people showing up to walk or run the shoreline. As well there were a few fishermen plying their trade. Some things, regardless of the location, seem to be universal. Beaches are places were people come to play or work along the shore.

November 2, 2015

Carrières de Lumières

Les Baux de Provence is the location of an ancient limestone quarry where stones were cut for the construction of castles and nearby villages. It resulted in an enormous cavern which today has been transformed in to a venue for a fantastic multimedia light show known as Carrières de Lumières. This is an image I took from the show which featured works of the Renaissance masters set to a dramatic soundtrack. It’s a stunning immersive experience and one that moved me profoundly. If you’re in the area you really should check this out.

October 30, 2015

La Grande-Motte

The town of La Grande-Motte sits along the Mediterranean. All of the buildings were designed by a single architect and convey harmony with the sea and mediterranean sensibilities. I walked around one morning just observing the architecture and sense of theme.