The glow of the roses in the morning light gave them an abstract quality that I have tried to capture.
Classic North Canterbury
•November 18, 2010 • 4 CommentsI know, you have seen it all before, but its been a while and the trees are in now and growing, my brother Ian’s trufferie is well under way. Today we had glorious late spring weather, hot and still. The hills were green and the bird life prolific, monarch butterflies floated over the long grass and huge hawks soared above. Nestled into the hillside the long grass is taller than the trees for now but they are rocketing away and it won’t be long till it looks like an oak grove. I love the hills and limestone of North Canterbury, the scenery changes every turn of the of the road and the wild flowers splash some unexpected colour into the greens and golds.
blossom
•October 5, 2010 • Leave a CommentOn all journeys there comes a time for rest and contemplation before moving forward again. All around me I see the signs of growth and renewal and hopeful potential for the future, nothing shows that more emphatically than the fragile spring blossoms, bravely blooming in the wild winds and rain of spring weather only to be torn from the tree to carpet the grass in pink and white. Yet even though the beauty of the blossom is lost so quickly the fruit continues to grow.
Another taste of Paris
•September 20, 2010 • 2 CommentsHow could a foodie like me not mention one of my favorite tastes of Paris – the food and the shops, tiny specialist cheese shops, chocolate shops, puppet shops – the shops in Paris are small, unique and wonderful, I could explore them for hours, window shopping is such a delight. Oh Paris! I will be back…soon…
A Walk in Paris
•September 19, 2010 • Leave a CommentMy good friend Jose took me on a walk to give me a taste of Paris from a local’s perspective – the photo’s speak for themselves.
Sacre Coeur and Monmartre
•September 15, 2010 • Leave a CommentThis was my first real excursion into the true tourist zone and quite a shock, it was crowded, noisy and every second shop sold tacky souvenirs, the sidewalks were filled with slick hawkers selling chanel number 5 and watches. The interesting part came when I got off the tourist track and explored the narrow back streets of Monmartre.
La Dorat, Bellac and Limoges
•September 10, 2010 • 1 CommentThis is a compilation from these three towns, a taste of the countryside.
Sannat
•September 9, 2010 • 1 Comment
On the outskirts of St Junien Les Combes is a century old chateau still the family home of the Count and Countess de Sainte Croix and open as a boutique bed and breakfast. I was lucky enough to take some photos of the grounds and buildings. The location is superb with a commanding view of the town and valley, and the chateau itself has the air of a historic yet well loved home. The kitchen garden would delight any gardener with its array of heritage plants and the layers of colour, you can tell its been created with love.
St Junien
•September 7, 2010 • Leave a CommentOnly three and half hours from Paris but a world away is the tiny village of St Junien Les Combes. My dear friend Michelle welcomed me to her delightful home – nestled in part of an ancient barn on the estate of the Sannat Chateau. It was like stepping into another life, each view was a picture inside and out. I felt like I could live there forever. How to describe the french countryside?…I don’t know, each turn of the road on the rolling hills was charming, the villages, the towns, the oak tree lined roads, the hedgerows, the copper colored Limosin cattle, the gorgeous vistas, sunsets across the orangrey, starlit evenings with the sky so full of stars you could keep looking at layer after layer forever. So quiet, so peaceful, so friendly, I felt at home, almost as if I would fall alsleep and wake up speaking french.
The Traveling Kiwi 