Monday Window – More Windows from France

Posted on May 13, 2022 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Ludwig for hosting Monday Window https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/44130619/posts/4001496234

21-B76-E5-C-F9-EB-4-E6-B-89-E4-EF20-EE87-B724 — *Windows in Paris*

1-FFF677-D-41-AE-4-EBC-89-EF-B6-ED00-C10843

546-F2299-854-C-4-CB0-9-F10-0-A3132-A20387 — *More Windows in Paris*

B28-F799-A-06-D5-4-CF2-8-B6-B-CAF4-CFDC731-E — *City Hall in Tours*

A120-C3-D8-3-E1-D-492-D-866-C-65-CC2054-AE70 — *Windows at the back of the cathedral in Tours*

750554-A9-F435-4655-923-C-1-A66-AD90-AD81 — *Looking out a window at the Musée de Beaux Arts in Tours*

27-C5-DA86-C21-A-429-C-B247-CA2-BC4636534 — *Musée de Beaux Arts from the outside*

D6891112-FF3-D-4-F2-B-AE75-CCF92-CBFA32-F — *View of the windows from above at Chateau Royal in Amboise*

E563-E70-A-E1-DA-40-D8-A688-8-A683188-E8-AF — *A house built in the side of a cliff in Amboise*

6-C531-B18-218-C-48-CD-B5-F5-BE831-C4-D8054 — *Side view of the Chateau Royal in Bois*

D5-DA6-EE5-C1-E5-463-D-BFA8-C78-EEE172-CD6 — View from inside looking out at the Chateau Royal Bois

8-DEEFCE6-847-E-4-AC8-8809-8-B9-BBB480356 — *View of Bois from the lookout at the Chateau Royal*

D29-E0129-F525-4125-BBF0-D307-B9644437 — *Windows outside the Modern Art Museum in Tours*

74567-C70-0-A4-C-4948-B7-F9-2321-AF7-F9-DFE

Thursday Doors in Highbury

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Mama Cormier

….close to our flat in London

Across from Highbury Fields stands a row of beautiful flats with colourful doors, some ornately trimmed and many of them have some kind of knocker on them. Some of them have the traditional lion and the more modern doors are adorned with shiny and sleek designs. The ones that I found most interesting were the dolphin door knockers.

Thanks to Dan for hosting Thursday doors over at No Facilities. https://nofacilities.com/2022/04/28/cheney-brothers-silk-mill-1/´

Thursday Trios From My Travels – April 28, 2022

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Mama Cormier

*A trio of sculptures by* *Yin Xiuzhen at the Tate Modern in London*

If you have any trios you’d like to share just copy the link from this post, copy it into your post and when I get your ping back I will be sure to comment.

Gargoyles in France

Posted on April 26, 2022 by Mama Cormier

…..they’re everywhere…..on and in churches and castles

Did you know that gargoyles are more than decorative motifs on the sides of buildings? Most serve a very practical function.

Gargoyles are designed to allow rainwater to run off from the roof, usually through the mouth of the creature, man or animal that it is fashioned after. They were the precursor to gutters and rain spouts.

Historians also say that gargoyles were designed to protect a location and the people therein from negativity and unwanted spirits.

Castles in France – Part 3

Posted on April 25, 2022 by Mama Cormier

….a visit to Blois to see Chateau Royal de Blois

The interesting part of this castle is that it has four wings from four different eras and in four different styles, arranged around the same courtyard.

From the Outside

*On the right side is the original medieval château built by the Counts of Blois beginning in the 9th century*

Inside the Courtyard

*This is the Louis XII wing built the Flamboyant Gothic style between 1498 and 1508*

*The Francois 1 wing was built in 1515 to 1519 inspired by the Italian Renaissance*

The Gaston of Orléans wing was constructed between 1635 and 1638. This wing was one of the first masterpieces of Classic French architecture

Inside the Château

Decorations over one of the two fireplaces in the King’s room

A throne with a fleur-de-lis canopy is where audiences were ranted by the king

*The Queen’s Chamber dedicated to Queen Catherine de Medici, wife of King Henri II*

*The Oratory, a private space for prayer*

*The Estates General Room built in 1214 and used as a courtroom*

*One of many fireplaces found in almost every room*

The vestibule of Gaston of Orléans giant construction project which was brought to a sudden stop

The wing remained an empty shell covered by an impressive oval dome…..the wing now houses temporary exhibition rooms

In the next post I will share the gardens and the views from the château.

Thursday Trios – April 21, 2022

Posted on April 20, 2022 by Mama Cormier

……leaving France today for London

*Three walls of stained glass* at the Royal Castle in Blois

*A trio of stained glass windows from the cathedral in Tours*

*A trio of Chimneys from the 19th century neighbourhood in Tours*

If you have any trios to share copy my link and paste it into your post. When I get your ping back I will be sure to check it out and leave you a comment.

Castles in the Loire Valley

Posted on April 19, 2022 by Mama Cormier

…..as of today we managed to take in two castles, the Amboise Châteaux Royal and the Château Royal de Blois

Visiting both castles required taking trains from Tours. The actual trips took about 30 to 40 minutes unless the train was delayed because there were too many bicycles on board. Yes that’s a thing apparently. The conductor refused to let the train continue until some of the bikes were removed or properly stored. Our last trip back to Tours took an hour. I’ve never seen so many people run as they left the train trying to catch their connecting train.

We have been very lucky with the weather since arriving in Tours. Our first castle trip was to Amboise and it felt like summer. We started out in an outdoor café got a bite to eat and then made our way through the old town to the entrance of the Château Royal.

The caste’s foundation was started in the 4th century by the Celts and over the medieval period the rights to the fortress was disputed between the counts of Anjou and Blois. In the 1400s the château was confiscated by the crown and became a place for all the Valois and Bourbon Kings to live, play and raise their families.

The style of the castle was greatly inspired by the artistic vitality of the Italian artists of the period. They were invited to Amboise and together with French tastes the Early French Renaissance was created.

View of the Loire from the top of the castle

One of my favourite parts of the Château Royal in Amboise was the garden.

Looking down from the top of the château

The Gardens of Amboise…..to be continue

Doors of Paris

Posted on April 14, 2022 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to be Dan for hosting Thursday Doors https://nofacilities.com/2022/04/14/entering-silk-city/

Paris is a city rich in history and interesting architecture. Not only are the doors on some of the iconic churches and museums interesting but everyday homes and businesses have beautiful and sometimes unusual entry ways.

Tuesday Textures – Vermiculation in Paris

Posted on April 12, 2022 by Mama Cormier

…. a dense pattern of irregular lines, so called from the Latin vermiculés meaning “little worm” because the shapes resemble worm holes

Occurring Naturally

Monday Windows in Paris

Posted on April 11, 2022 by Mama Cormier

…..from the library at the University of Paris

An art nouveau design by Eugène Bigot constructed in 1927. Ian Nairn describes it like this: “It is like a brick balloon inflated to its limit with an unquenchable puff…”