If it’s Friday, it must be France …
I love it when I can tie the travel photo theme into something I know about France. This week’s theme of “Glass” is a perfect opportunity for me to share one of my favourite villages with you.
Biot is a picturesque medieval hilltop village that’s not too high up … unless you decide to walk up from the train station as my DH once suggested (before I knew better), assuring me it was just a few minutes … 4 km later in my strappy little sandals and silk sundress, covered in sweat and puffing my way up the final 50 steps … oh wait … that’s a whole other story …
BTW, that 1565 is NOT the street address! LOL
Biot is an easy 10-minute drive from the coast and about a half-hour west of Nice. Click here to see a fab website with great photos and info. We rented a house there a few years ago for a wonderful three months filled with visits from family and friends … hmmm, many other stories …
*bringing my focus back to GLASS* – Rich in fine clay, the area around Biot has been known for its pottery since antiquity. Today, the village is renowned for its glass works, typically a clear or colored transparent glass with little bubbles. I absolutely LOVE the variety of colours! This photo just shows a small sample.
There are several glassworks down the hill around the outskirts of the village and an excellent Galerie Internationals Du Verre with world-class works of art.
In La Verrerie de Biot, you can see the artisans at work and a comprehensive gallery of this famous studio and its award-winning pieces is displayed in beautifully lit showcases. Attached to this is an enormous sales area with a selection of something for everyone. Be forewarned: you will leave with parcels!!!
There are several small glass-making studios, including one right on the main street where you look through an open window to watch the craftsmen work their magic.
There are many reasons to visit this historic village but, as you can see, the glass of Biot makes it even more special.
Do you have a fascination with the art of glass-blowing? Have you ever tried it? I am always intrigued and impressed by the tremendous effort, delicate touch, and creative talent of these artists when I have the opportunity to see them in action.
In case you missed it, here’s the link to my post about the October 2013 12-day tour of the south of France that I, along with Susan Sommers, will be leading! Join us … sorry, guys, it’s a women-only party! Only 16 spots and they are going fast.
Check out some of these excellent photos sites from photographers who aren’t quite as obsessed with France!
http://wheresmybackpack.com/2013/01/11/travel-theme-glass/
http://imagesoftheheart.wordpress.com/
http://www.richardsugden.com/blog – I LOVE his quote “The important thing is not the camera but the eye”.
http://thewanderlustgene.wordpress.com/
And for my fellow writers, I wanted to share JoAnna Penn’s latest post from The Creative Penn. If you don’t follow her blog, I highly recommend it along with these:
http://www.thebookdesigner.com/
HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND … and yes, I do know it is Saturday and not Friday … sometimes these posts take longer to put together than my optimistic nature imagines!
Beautiful!!!
Love the glasses.
Me too. I couldn’t decide which colour I liked best so I bought ten different ones!
The perfect solution. I would have done exactly the same thing 🙂
I love to watch glass blowing too. It is a spectacular art, and yields such beautiful results. Great photos, Patricia.
It’s incredibly fascinating and I was surprised at how different the final product often was from the first shape it took on.
Pretty! I have a good friend who is a glass blower. Her studio has a standing commission from the White House to create pieces for foreign dignitaries, etc., which is pretty awesome. She gave us a beautiful red bowl for our wedding. 🙂
I love glass.
Wow, how cool is that? And what a special wedding gift … a treasure for sure!
Patricia – Thanks for sharing the glass with us. I was unaware of this location for blown glass but have now noted it. Does France have the strict environmental standards that the US has for the gas furnaces, etc?
How gorgeous! I’m fascinated! The Naples Art Museum (Florida) has an permanent collection of Dale Chihuly glass but I think there’s something extra special about seeing artisans at work, watching it being blown and seeing the beauty of the glassware laid out on a simple wood table. Simply gorgeous. Thanks.
Wow! Gorgeous!
Oh man! I want those teal glasses so bad! How gorgeous. I wonder if they sell online. So jealous you got to spend time there 🙂
Here’s their online addy! Enjoy!
http://www.verreriebiot.com/fr/detail.php?RuNum=Ru00000001&InNum=In00000002
Oooo, thank you!
Lovely photos of beautiful objects!
Lovely little town and glass-blowing is such an art. I became interested in all the things that can be made from recycled glass, including a type of super high tech, glass sand for training horses. Great for rainy climates (such as Ireland) and apparently gives the horse a better workout. Glass is a wonderful product and should always be recycled. (Sorry…nothing to do with travel, I know!)
I must have that glass! I’ve added this to my list of places to go in France. If I buy a carton or two of those beauties will they ship them to the states?
Julie – you can order the glass online and they will ship it. Shop away! Better yet … visit Biot!
http://www.verreriebiot.com/fr/detail.php?RuNum=Ru00000001&InNum=In00000002
I went to Biot today, and ended up walking from the train station, too! I arrived just as hot and sweaty – on Sundays the bus only runs once an hour. The glass of Biot is lovely, people are friendly and what a history. How fun to find your blog.
Oh, Carol! It’s quite a hike, nest-ce pas? I hope you were more appropriately dressed for walking than I was that day! There’s something about the colours of the Biot glass that is mesmerizing. I love it and the town … as you could see. I’m glad you did too. We just arrived back in Nice yesterday so I’m hoping to get to Biot one day … kind of a crazy schedule this year though! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I’ll pop over to your blog now.