Patricia Sands

Author

Entrevaux

So much to do, so little time …

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If it’s Friday, it must be France …

Bienvenue juillet! July … here so soon! So many photos and so little time to organize them.

Setting aside the Promenade and the Med for now, I’m fascinated by the details of the splendid Bourgeois, Belle Epoche and Art Deco architecture in Nice. Strolling around each day, never fails to bring a new discovery.

And then there was a day in intriguing medieval Entrevaux … another peek … If you recall, that’s the town where I set the beginning of Book 2, Promises To Keep. After my husband and I accidentally visited there, I couldn’t take this village out of my mind. I just had to write about it. It was great fun to go back this past week with friends and find it has not lost its mystique.

 

And I haven’t given you a peek from Antibes yet, but I’ve got to get back to writing! Next week, Antibes.

I’ve realized I should put all the photos into their own albums or slideshows and then make them available for those who want to see them. Another project! Are you finding your summer is filled with projects too?

A photo journal two-fer: part one

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I didn’t plan it this way, but as it happens I have two different photo journals/essays posted this week on two of my favourite sites: The Good Life France and the LAHE Lifestyle Magazine.

Put your feet up, take a break and go on a little armchair vacay with me.

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First, we’re going to the medieval village of Entrevaux, tucked on a rocky crag above the Var River, just an hour’s drive from Nice.

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After my husband and I visited this town two years ago, I knew I had to include it in the manuscript I was working on at the time. As a result, Entrevaux is featured in Promises To Keep (Book 2 of the Love In Provence series). In the story, you’ll have a chance to wander it’s narrow alleyways and discover its intriguing history along with meeting a couple of cool new characters.

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It’s not a picture perfect charming village such as the ones we love in the Luberon. Rather it is intriguing, mysterious and enigmatic, but beautiful in its own unique way. Discover Entrevaux by clicking right here.

Later this week I’ll post a visit to magical Venice, La Serenissima, so please make a note to come back. I promise you’ll be glad you did! As much as I adore France and spend all the time I possibly can there, I do love to travel for short periods to other places. Venice is one of those places. It is truly a visual feast.

Here’s a taste …

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I’ll post the Venice photo journal on Friday. See you then!

 

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.)

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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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PubSmart Conference and a repeat meander …

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Bonjour! I am in Charleston, South Carolina, attending the 3-day PubSmart Conference and I can tell you there has been a lot of excellent information to absorb.

 

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Here’s a quick explanation: “PubSmart is about introducing new models that lead to smart decisions about how to seize opportunities in today’s transformed book marketplace”.

The keynote speakers, Jane Friedman,  Hugh Howey, and CJ Lyons were superb and the coolest, most down-to-earth people to chat with.

BONUS! I have a fabulous new free app especially for readers that I will share with you next week and I’m very excited about that!

Making this conference even more special was the opportunity to spend quality time with my friends and fellow authors Steena Holmes, Christine Nolfi, Leona Bodie, Bette Lee Crosby and of course, Bette’s charming husband and publisher, Dick. As always, when the literati gather, there were opportunities for wonderful connections to be made and new friendships established. The fact that PubSmart was limited to 200 attendees offered unique opportunities to mingle and chat with everyone! Truly a very special time!

This stop in Charleston fit in nicely with our trek back to Toronto from south Florida, but tomorrow afternoon we will hit the road again and be home by Saturday evening. Hopefully there will be no snow to greet us!

If it’s Friday, it must be France

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Entrevaux-PSandsPhotos

Along with attending the writer’s conference … which has been exciting, innovative and energizing … I have also been tweaking the final details in my MS so I can send it off to my editor this weekend. One of the chapters involves Katherine and Philippe visiting with some friends in this intriguing village of Entrevaux. I had such a good time writing about it, I decided to share my post from last November with you again. There is a slideshow of a walk through the narrow passageways and, as I wrote, I kept those photos on my screen to remind me exactly how it felt in that ancient and mysterious, semi-abandoned village. I hope my husband and I will have time to return there this summer.

I hope you enjoy your return visit! Click here to take another Medieval Meander.

Next week I will have my act together again and bring you a new post. Thanks for your patience!

Bon weekend, tout le monde!