Sideways Moon

09/09/2026

One of the nicest doors we have seen in all of France is in our own little Uzès

03/09/2026

I love all the angles at this little intersection in Arles. I probably should have spent a bit more time getting things to line up with the nodes but in the heat of the moment, those thoughts didn’t occur, and this particular heat of the moment was hot, so we moved on. I know where this is though—I think a return on an overcast day is inevitable

03/09/2026

Walkabout Arles

03/09/2026

30/08/2026

More from Tarn. As we circled back through on our way home to Saint Maurice we picked up a few more beaux villages we had missed on our earlier pass. The blue ceilings of the church in Puycelsi were as dramatic as expected, but Cordes sur Ciel was a disappointment. The town itself was nice, if only a tourist set, complete with living history enactments, but someone had made an awful decision on the lighting in the main cathedral. The sodium v***r glare revealed the ceiling to be sure, but the overall effect was what I would call “clinical warehouse chic” — it was like stepping into a Home Depot or Cosco, and I half expected someone to come onto the speaker: “Cleanup at confessional three, we have a spilled conscience!” Oh what someone with a bit of creativity could do with that space!! Somebody please, please rustle up a grant and get to work, will you? Your Cadillac is squarely in the ditch here! On the plus side, a rather unique door with an amalgamam of renovative approaches carried the day.

29/08/2026

Upstream, downstream, you stream, we all stream. Le Saison

29/08/2026

Today quite by accident we stumbled upon the cathedral at Auch, a town we had not previously had on our radar. We were heading from Osserain-Rivareyte to Albi, and Auch just happened to have a Saturday market, easy parking, and a fair choice of numerous restaurants. So it made perfect sense to stop and stretch our legs. Turns out the church is UNESCO world heritage, and for obvious reasons. I’d have to say it is by far our favorite of all the cathedrals we’ve visited during our three months of roaming about France. Not one, but two pipe organs, and the main instrument is an insane work of art. I love the way they’ve pushed it forward for prominence — most other cathedrals have the pipe organs tucked way to the back in a dark alcove, almost out of sight. I love the way the light plays on the interior ceiling. Truly awe-inspiring. Best of all, we hit it during the peak of the lunch hour, when most folks were face-deep in their pave de merlu, leaving us to wander and wonder all on our own. Christians of course would say we weren’t alone, but that’s a different discussion.

28/08/2026

A few scenes from La Bastide-Clairence

28/08/2026

After a couple of misses elsewhere, we finally found a great Basque restaurant in the picture-pretty and (in late August) non-touristy Bastide-Clairence. We skipped over the Dorade Royale suggestion of the day for burrata gazpacho and deconstructed deviled truffle eggs, followed by prawns and grilled squid on risotto in squid ink.

27/08/2026

A few scenes from the Pyrénées-Atlantiques: Chateau Gramont, boats at the old port of Guéthary, harbor in St Jean de Luz, Eglisé Saint-Jean-Baptiste where King Louis XIV married the Infanta Maria Teresa of Spain in 1660. Some forty years later, somewhere along the coastline near here, one of Karen’s ancestors, a member of the infamous “French National Rowing Team” perished.