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TRAVEL THEME: GLASS

January 12, 2013 by Patricia Sands Leave a Comment

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 …

Biot-PSandsPhotos
Biot-PSandsPhotos
Biot-PSandsPhotos
Biot-PSandsPhotos

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.

Biot glass-PSandsPhotos
Biot glass-PSandsPhotos
Biot glass-PSandsPhotos
Biot glass-PSandsPhotos

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.

Galerie Internationale Du Verre, Biot-PSandsPhotos
Galerie Internationale Du Verre, Biot-PSandsPhotos

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!!!

La Verrerie de Biot-PSandsPhotos
La Verrerie de Biot-PSandsPhotos
La Verrerie de Biot-PSandsPhotos
La Verrerie de Biot-PSandsPhotos

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.

Biot-PSandsPhotos
Biot-PSandsPhotos
Biot-PSandsPhotos
Biot-PSandsPhotos

There are many reasons to visit this historic village but, as you can see, the  glass of Biot makes it even more special.

Biot-PSandsPhotos
Biot-PSandsPhotos
Biot-PSandsPhotos
Biot-PSandsPhotos
Biot-PSandsPhotos
Biot-PSandsPhotos

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://janefriedman.com/

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!

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Filed Under: Blog, General Travel, If it is France... Tagged With: Biot, Cote D'Azur, French Riviera, glass, glassmaking, living in the south of France, Patricia Sands, postaday, The Bridge Club, travel photo theme

About Patricia Sands

Family, writing and travel are my passions ... okay, and chocolate ... and I'm seldom without a camera. I write women's fiction and keep in touch with readers by a monthly newsletter that also has giveaways and contests. Come and join us by signing up on the right. See you there!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. wordsfromanneli says

    January 12, 2013 at 12:53 pm

    Beautiful!!!

    Reply
  2. fransiweinstein says

    January 12, 2013 at 1:50 pm

    Love the glasses.

    Reply
    • patriciasands says

      January 13, 2013 at 11:18 pm

      Me too. I couldn’t decide which colour I liked best so I bought ten different ones!

      Reply
      • fransiweinstein says

        January 13, 2013 at 11:29 pm

        The perfect solution. I would have done exactly the same thing 🙂

        Reply
  3. adinparadise says

    January 12, 2013 at 5:03 pm

    I love to watch glass blowing too. It is a spectacular art, and yields such beautiful results. Great photos, Patricia.

    Reply
    • patriciasands says

      January 13, 2013 at 11:19 pm

      It’s incredibly fascinating and I was surprised at how different the final product often was from the first shape it took on.

      Reply
  4. Emmie Mears says

    January 12, 2013 at 10:11 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • patriciasands says

      January 13, 2013 at 11:20 pm

      Wow, how cool is that? And what a special wedding gift … a treasure for sure!

      Reply
  5. Sheri de Gromm says

    January 13, 2013 at 6:01 am

    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?

    Reply
  6. Kate MacNicol says

    January 13, 2013 at 3:13 pm

    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.

    Reply
  7. Kelly Hashway says

    January 14, 2013 at 11:13 am

    Wow! Gorgeous!

    Reply
  8. Kiersi says

    January 14, 2013 at 4:17 pm

    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 🙂

    Reply
    • patriciasands says

      January 19, 2013 at 9:52 pm

      Here’s their online addy! Enjoy!
      http://www.verreriebiot.com/fr/detail.php?RuNum=Ru00000001&InNum=In00000002

      Reply
      • Kiersi says

        January 20, 2013 at 12:31 pm

        Oooo, thank you!

        Reply
  9. Jenny Brooks says

    January 14, 2013 at 9:21 pm

    Lovely photos of beautiful objects!

    Reply
  10. ontheplumtree says

    January 15, 2013 at 11:54 am

    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!)

    Reply
  11. Julie Farrar says

    January 15, 2013 at 12:34 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • patriciasands says

      January 19, 2013 at 9:50 pm

      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

      Reply
  12. Wandering Carol says

    June 1, 2014 at 3:40 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • patriciasands says

      June 2, 2014 at 3:29 am

      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.

      Reply

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