Freedom and Grace....

Two essentials, or gifts in life....

A sense of freedom is the most wonderful thing. 

Being free to fly...not held back by all the negatives.

And a sense of grace, that despite everything,
 you're OK and loved and cherished....that's a comfort to the soul.

Sometimes things are so similar....

When we were in France we visited the village of Rossilon,
 known in the past as a producer of ochre.
When I drove past Vaughn Springs, (just before Castlemain in country Victoria)
and took photos of 'The Red Knob'...
I was struck by the resemblance.

The rocky out crop at Rossilon.

The Red Knob....Vaughn Springs.

Some Paris Cafes...

Wouldn't it be nice to have coffee in Paris?

This one was in the vicinity of the Sorbonne.

In St Germaine.

And again in St Germaine.

A Morning Stroll In Remy De Provence....

When we were in Remy, we went for a look around in the morning, it was fairly quiet, as most of the shops don't open until 10.00.

Although the lady at this little shop was open, and  did sell exquisite hand made bags.

In the old part of town, that was once behind the wall of the city, there's a kind of little channel in the middle of the cobbled street that carries water from one of the fountains.

Stepping Back....

On Sunday morning I passed by the old church garden and decided to stop in for some parsley...
I was so excited to see how things had grown, and ended up with the most beautiful country posy of flowers for my kitchen bench... (it's featured in the weekend photos.)

The beauty of the bunch

Looking through the gate.

Roses and Salvia with daises.

Penstimons, just starting.

Garlic Chive flowers.

Pelagoniums.

Daises.

Nasturtiums.

More Pelagoniums.

Lots of broad beans.

A small Tomato plant just poking through.

Parsley...going to seed, but so pretty

Strawberry flower.

Massive Rhubarb.

Silver beet.

Just one tiny Raspberry...there will be more next year.

Looking back towards the gate.

Looking towards the tank.

Make a wish......

Guess who's being really good...

Miss Nadia has recently proved herself to be a loving,
 and supportive member of the family...

(not that she hasn't been previously,
 just usually more just catish... and all about her)

But she's so beautiful, you'd forgive her anything....

My Kitchen Bench....

What was on my kitchen bench....

Pears ripening.

Dill.... roots and all.

Chillis' drying.

My Take On St Peters'....

We started our tour at the Vatican Museum, and wandered through kilometers of art. Working our way back to the Sistine Chapel, and St Peters'.The crowds grew thicker and we grew more tired...Finally we made it...and were suitably overwhelmed.However It was so over the top, in grandeur, and excess that I didn't  really warm to it at all.

I think I felt a lack of human scale...in my photos I'm interested in where the people are, what they're doing and how dwarfed they are by the architectural scale.

I'm showing you in sepia, I think it enhances the mood I'm trying to convey.

The lines of people look like ants.

Lost in the piazza.

Everything looks like Gothic Horror.

Although, the water was fabulous, so cold on a hot day.

Great towering walls.

All fairly imposing.

One of the domes.

Just need some 'vampire' music.

Everyone seems a bit lost.

Like they're about to run away from something.

So much chaotic jostling.

It looks like some sort of impending doom.

Looking ominous,
Like the roofs going to fall in.

Again the people look like ants.