Vielle Ventimiglia.....

Most people alight at the station in Ventimiglia simply to change platform and board another train to another destination......but the Italian town which represents the border between France and Italy on the Riviera is well worth exploring....and look at the beautiful setting of the Old Town...

True it is a bit rough and ready round the edges in a workaday sort of way, and true some visitors do take a quick trip to the market to do a bit of rapid cross border shopping before heading back to the station, as the produce is wonderfully fresh - and much cheaper than France....

But few visitors make it up the hill and enter into the heart of the Old Town, and thus miss not only a trip back in time (a cliche I know), but also the architectural treasures of winding cobbled streets, arched alleyways, old palazzo buildings and piazzas....

It is delightful to get totally lost in the maze edged with crumbling stone walls, trompe l'oeil, loggias, and beautiful stone churches....

There is something deliciously quirky about this place off the beaten track - it became impossible to take any photographs which did not include washing lines - and the neatest washing lines at that...symmetrical and colour-coordinated in  otherwise quite haphazard disorderly streets...

And everyone stopped to look down from the bridge at this lone gardener who has reclaimed a bit of disused, barren riverbed and turned it into a little blooming paradise where the river meets the sea...

I found the place a whole lot more enchanting than I was led to believe it would be - but that is the beauty of taking off for the day, crossing the border with just a camera in hand and few expectations - and as soon as you do cross that border from the French to the Italian Riviera it really does feel like a completely different country....

The train from Nice to Ventimiglia takes just 40 minutes - only 20 minutes from Monaco Station. Enjoy!!

Shadow Shot Sunday 143 - Jas de Bouffan

Jas de Bouffan is the country manor house owned by the Cezanne family on the edge of Aix en Provence. Cezanne attended the local lycee and started studying Law at university before switching to art school. His father gave him the Grand Salon of the house for painting, and Cezanne painted murals directly on the walls which are now recreated on the tour by a strange son et lumiere experience. The house has only been opened to the public in the past 6 years, and the interior now has a sad sense of abandonment, but it was interesting to see some of these removed paintings on display in the National Gallery in London a few days later....

The approach to the house is quite impressive with a long driveway lined by tall towering plane trees, and it is interesting to see how the shadow patterns cast by these trees can change so radically over just a few hours....

The house is certainly worth a visit if you are in the area - only available by guided tour booked in advance at the Tourist Office in Aix en Provence. Check out Shadow Shot Sunday for more shadows....Enjoy!!

The New Bonnard Museum - Le Cannet

Only open since the summer, the Bonnard Museum is a welcome new addition to the galleries on the Riviera, located in Le Cannet, originally a small town in its own right, but now simply part of Cannes itself. Bonnard lived in a villa in the Eastern part of town in LeBosquet which is still lived in by his descendants, so the museum is in a converted Belle Epoque hotel with some modern additions and beautiful gardens....

The Museum contains a fair selection and an interesting variety of Bonnard works including paintings, drawings, poster designs, photographs and ornamental screens, but not nearly enough of the classic pieces for which he is rightly famous. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside the museum, but it is certainly well worth a visit, and the film about his life and art is excellent.

Le Cannet, itself, is also well worth a wander with its impressive Mairie (town hall still with its christmas decorations on display), beautiful Belle Epoque villas, lovely views across the valley, the old town centre with its street of artisan workshops and artists at work, plus an amazing place for lunch......

This restaurant is called Arts & Assiettes (243 Rue St.Sauveur) and offers this wonderfully presented three course gourmet lunch for just 12 Euros (for those of you who know the Riviera well, this is a complete steal right??) All in all a visit to the Bonnard Museum, lunch at Assiettes and a stroll around Le Cannet makes for a special day out.......Enjoy!

Shadow Shot Sunday 138 - Old Town, Nice

I was going to limit myself this weekend to posting just for Weekend Reflections (my first attempt), but obviously I soon discovered that I could not forsake Shadow Shot Sunday even for one week! I have been away all week in The Hague for a MUN conference with students, so this one is from the summer archives of the picturesque Old Town in Nice.....

I wouldn't dream of taking photos of my own washing, but other peoples' is always so much more photogenic and picturesque don't you think?? So enjoy both Weekend Reflections and Shadow Shot Sunday this weekend!!

Puerto Vallarta - boating down the backwaters....

The Mexican Pacific coastal resort of Puerto Vallarta is very well known to tourists from overseas, and visitors flock to its beautiful beaches, hotels, marinas, restaurants, shops and galleries on a very regular basis. But how many have ventured out into the backwaters by boat?? Those who do are rewarded by these gorgeous scenic views above. Keen twitchers can easily spot this great variety of birdlife - look at all the different types of herons that can be seen....

Not to mention these very flamboyant and ferocious looking iguanas who hug the branches and literally bristle and puff up at the sight of intruders into their territory....

Take another look at these perfect vistas - where the reflections are so symmetrical and synchronised they look like the unfolded ink blot drawings from the shrink's office....

Unfortunately this perfect day did not have quite the perfect ending, as it was Christmas Eve 2010 and a couple of hours later, I was hospitalised following a very nasty sting ray puncture wound right through the sole of the foot....but let's dwell on how the day began with these serene shots of the river and wildlife!!! For more global glimpses this week, check out My World Tuesday Postings by clicking here. Enjoy!!

Shadow Shot Sunday 109 - Santa Maria La Ribera, DF

Where would you find these lovely green shadows in Mexico City??

Well they are on the walls of just an ordinary city apartment block on Calle Santa Maria La Ribera - but on the way to my favourite square in the whole of the city..........

Tucked away in the heart of the very ordinary working class neighbourhood of La Ribera is this gorgeous gem of a square - complete with Moroccan Pavillion. Last Saturday, as I arrived here, there was a full orchestra inside playing music most sublime - Such serendipity and just another reason to enjoy wandering the streets of Mexico City....

For more shadow shots around the world this week - click here - Enjoy!

Shadow Shot Sunday 105 - Durango

Here are some bold stripes in a secluded courtyard in the town of Durango, way up North in the desert and best known for its film set location where so many Westerns have been filmed in the sharp desert light and landscapes. The town of Durango itself, however, is far from being a frontier Wild West town.... There is a beautiful zocalo with an impressive cathedral, many churches, colonial buildings and a grand railway station....

Inside some of these colonial buildings such as the Government Palace, striking murals adorn the courtyard walls....

In addition to the cultural and architectural attractions, check out what attracted all the filmakers, that wonderful blue, blue sky, and sharp, crystal-clear desert light....

After drinking in all this blue, I will leave you with a few more shadow shots from around the town...

And a final few more of those opening bold stripes....


















For more shadow shots from around the world, check out Shadow Shot Sunday by clicking here. Enjoy!!

Xochimilco - why stay on land??

It looks like a scene from Tarantino's Lord of the Flies or a ghastly reminder from Swine Flu and Face Mask Days, but in fact this is a welcome to one of the most fascinating markets in Mexico City - namely Xochimilco. Most people flock to this far southern barrio to buy plants at the numerous nurseries or go for boat trips on the extensive network of canals, but it is worth staying on land awhile to browse around these particular market stalls. One of my favourite areas is the dried goods with chillis, frijoles, mole, jamaica leaves and all sorts...

Of course it has all the expected glorious displays of fruit and vegetables...

And tasty dishes cooking in giant ceramic pots....

but it is also the market closest to truly wonderful ones in the city of Oaxaca seven hours away...

So if you do venture all the way south to Xochimilco, don't forget to stop awhile and look at the beautiful church and browse the market stalls here before heading to the embarcaderos for the boat trips...

Check out what is happening in the rest of the world this week by clicking here for My World Tuesday postings. Xochimilco is easily reachable by public transport with the tren ligero from Tasquena, but it is a 90 minute journey from the city centre.

Shadow Shot Sunday 98 - Oaxaca

Welcome to the beautiful world of Oaxaca this week the very heart and soul of Mexico....and the Acapulco Armchair which provides very welcome solace and relaxation on the shady patios of "Las Golondrinas" which happens to be my favourite place to stay in town....

Who could resist this friendly pension with grapefruit trees aptly overhanging the al fresco breakfast tables, and all those beautiful lush plants and flowers blooming so vibrantly in all the courtyards....

Why visit Oaxaca? - Look at the images below and there will be no question about it.....

Check out Shadow Shot Sunday for more global photography....

Shadow Shot Sunday 94 - Cuetzalan

Cuetzalan is a magic village way up in the mountains in the state of Puebla at the very,very end of the winding road. There are many magical aspects to this traditional Mexican village - not least of all the markets. I love this photograph above with some tomatoes illuminated from above, and others in gloomy shadow. Look what else is for sale in the markets.....

What a colourful feast for the senses!! A very common experience here in Mexico!! For more shadow shot photographs from around the world, check out Shadow Shot Sunday by clicking here. Enjoy!!

Put on your Shades!!.....It's Time for Tlacotalpan!!

I know a lot of you living up North in the land of eternal winter and snow are weary of the weather, and eagerly awaiting the first signs of Spring....and a splash of colour. No need to wait any longer!! Feast your eyes on this banquet of vibrant hues courtesy of a very sleepy town in the state of Veracruz....namely Tlacotalpan. It surely is the most colourful place on the globe!! of course all the streets are a fine mixture of all the colours of the rainbow, cheek by jowl, by I couldn't resist colour coding them according to a Comex paint chart. What do you think of the results???

Red and yellow, and green, and blue.....Yep they are all here!! Which is your favourite?? Think I am plumping for the sizzling hot, hot pink!! For more global glimpses of the world this week, check out My World Tuesday by clicking here....Enjoy!! And Spring is surely just around the corner.....??