Photos from travel to France: Paris & Bordeaux, Part II

interesting light fixture made of grapevine, wine labels & corks

Bazas cattle

Vintage wine production equipment

Graves terroir

In earlier times, wine was transported on the Gironde River by boat.

cooperage 

Many vintage bottles in the wine library

special device for pouring from a magnum 

Spire in Bordeaux 

Aubusson carpet

Potager garden at Smith-Haute-Lafitte

Potager garden II

Pottage garden III

Photos from travel to France: Paris & Bordeaux, Part I

a château with ionic columns

beautiful architecture and gardens at the châteaux

Lunch hamper full of tasty items

Delicate porcelain dinnerware at Château Haute Bailly

A view of Paris from the clock at Musée d'Orsay

The Tricolore, flag of France

gorgeous clock inside the Musée d'Orsay, originally a train station

Wines stacked and awaiting shipment from within Millesima.

Spitting is acceptable at wine tastings in France.

stainless steel vats

espaliered pear

wine tasting flight

 vineyards everywhere the eye can see

Concrete vats

 the optical sorter: technology to select the very best grapes frown production

view from our hotel in St. Émillion

model of the Statue of Liberty in the Musée d'Orsay

Many center sections of the  wine barrels are stained with the skins of the grapes. 

Bird's eye view of St. Emillion

a stained glass panel depicting the medieval method of "stomping of the grapes", a primitive form of pigeage.

The Summer Before the War

Helen Simonson pens yet another historical narrative, The Summer Before the War, set in a British seaside village during the Edwardian period. Complete with characters with names like Beatrice, Agatha and Hugh, Ms. Simonson charms the reader as these persons face the onset of WWI supplemented by all the nuances of a small town. 

While Downton Abbey dealt with the posh and privileged upperclass and those who served them well, The Summer Before the War opens the window to the lives of those more described as middle class.

Worth a read for all Anglophiles, for sure.

the delightful book cover for the British edition

At the Edge of the Orchard

I have just read Tracy Chevalier's most recent release: At the Edge of the Orchard.  This historical novel tells a tale of apples, trees and Western Expansion. 

Love her writing: worth a read.

Recent visit to Bermuda

Some snaps from a journey to Bermuda...

St. George's Parish is the historic area to see. A ferry ride to Dockyard and on to Hamilton is the least expensive and best value for every tourist!  

The banana trees were full of unripened fruit.

Corroding door knocker on a cedar door. 

The America's Cup will take place in summer '17 in the waters of Bermuda. 

The Bermuda Underwater Institute  is currently featuring a most informative exhibit on this age-old race to the finish. Worth a visit while in Bermuda. 

Charleston: Spring bloom-filled window boxes

Last week, I stopped by Charleston on my way back to Virginia. Spring blossoms are slowly emerging!

Spring in Florida....Cardinal eggs and a nest

First there was just one egg and eventually after three days, there were three!  The mother cardinal was watching carefully from afar as I snapped the picture. 

Oxford Exchange, Tampa

While visiting Tampa recently, the dau, her pal and I toured a group of historic homes in the Hyde Park area. Prior to, we had a lunch at the Oxford Exchange.  Inspired by buildings and architecture in the UK, this industrially-designed space is now home to a restaurant, shops and meeting spaces for private events.

Warby Parker shop within

an old photo of the Tampa Bay Hotel , now a museum and part of the University of Tampa

Worth a visit when visiting Tampa.