Patricia Sands

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Biot

Strolling the backstreets …

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If it’s Friday, it must be France …

Take a stroll with me through some of the back streets of charming Biot … we’ll come back another time for more …

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If you are in the south of France, put Biot on your “must visit” list. This medieval village is just twenty minutes up into the hills behind Antibes and celebrated for, among other things, exceptional glass crafts created with their distinctive artisanal bubble glass. It’s possible to watch glassblowing artists in individual studios or the famous Verrerie de Biot. The colours of the glassware are mesmerizing. I bought a set of 8 glasses, each a different colour because I simply couldn’t choose!

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See what I mean? Yummy colours!

To read a far more amusing post than I could write, click here and spend a hilarious day in Biot with my friend Carol Perehudoff aka Wandering Carol. Bon weekend!

Travel Theme: DOORWAYS

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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.)

DSC01880The 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.

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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.)

La Colombe d'Or-PSandsPhotos
La Colombe d’Or-PSandsPhotos

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.

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PSandsPhotos

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.

Blue in Saint Tropez
Blue in Saint Tropez

Visiting Saint Tropez above. This pretty portal below may look familiar … I keep it on the home page of my website.

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Imagine the size of the keys they carried around!

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When one door opens, who knows what lies beyond?

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Something old, something new (note the repair at the bottom). What else do you do when your centuries-old door starts rotting away?

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The lower door was once for the donkey.

IMG_6311See 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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TRAVEL THEME: GLASS

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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 …

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!