If it’s Friday, it must be France …
Many of you know how I love to take part in photo challenges and this week Ailsa’s theme of “DOORWAYS” fits perfectly with my addiction to photographing doors and windows in France.
(*Join us on our tour of the Côte d’Azur and Provence from June 22 to July 4 and see doors like this everywhere we go! Click here for info.)
The fancy iron grills at the top of many doors were part of the early method of “air-conditioning”. Fresh air would be drawn in through those openings and flow through to an inner courtyard where it would rise up and out an opening at roof level, helping to cool the interior. Look for them when you are walking through the vieille villes (old towns). These grills alone make pleasing photo collections.
These intricately-carved doors of the 16thC parish church (that served as a cathedral from 1624 to 1790) in the intriguing medieval village Entrevaux, depict the history of the time. Katherine was here in Promises To Keep. (I’m certain she took this same shot.)
The door in this wall leads to the restaurant terrace of the famed La Colombe d’Or in Saint Paul de Vence. Click that link to read the entertaining history of this inn. It’s quite the story! If you visit in the summer, be sure to make a reservation.
Now we’re strolling in the charming village of Tourrettes sur Loup. Stop here for violet ice cream and visit Le Bois d’Olivier, IMHO, the shop with the best handcrafted olive wood products in the region. Click on that link and look at the photos on their website. I think you will agree.
Visiting Saint Tropez above. This pretty portal below may look familiar … I keep it on the home page of my website.
Imagine the size of the keys they carried around!
When one door opens, who knows what lies beyond?
Something old, something new (note the repair at the bottom). What else do you do when your centuries-old door starts rotting away?
The lower door was once for the donkey.
See the date on the left side? 1581 … After the villagers and farmers of the area survived a deadly plague, they had these doors carved for la chapelle Saint Bernardin in Antibes to give thanks to God for sparing their lives. When we lived in Antibes while I wrote The Promise of Provence, I would walk past these doors every day and often stop just to press my hands on them. There was an aura and sense of history about them that inspired me.
Do you like to take photos of doors when you travel? Where have you found your favourite portals? Bon weekend tout le monde!
When you have a little time, you might want to stop by Ailsa’s Where’s My Backpack and see many other entries to this challenges. There are doors from around the world!
All photos on this site are the copyright of Patricia Sands.
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