A Church in Spring – Une église au printemps

Taken on the bike path between Blois and Saint-Dyé-sur-Loire, the little church of Cours-sur-Loire that you may remember from our Loire crossing last summer. There was no sign of the boat though. Prise sur la piste cyclable entre Blois et Saint-Dyé-sur-Loire, la petite église de Cours-sur-Loire que vous rappellerez peut-être de notre traversée de la …

Easter Sunday – Dimanche de Pâques

We happened to be in Cour Cheverny just before Mass came out. Note the number of men as opposed to women. It’s traditional in France for the women to go to church while the men go to the local café! On s’est trouvé par hasard à Cour Cheverny juste avant la sortie de la messe. …

Through the Keyhole – Par le trou de la serrure

I love the way you can see one of the stained glass windows through the open door of the Romanesque church of Saint Denis Amboise. To me, it’s like looking through a keyhole. J’aime bien le fait qu’on voit l’un des vitraux par la porte ouverte de l’église romane de Saint Denis à Amboise. Pour moi, c’est …

Postcard from Alsace – Pink Sandstone and Varnished Roofs

I love the pink Vosges sandstone and varnished roofs of the churches in Colmar in Alsace. This is Saint Martin’s Collegiate Church frequently called Saint Martin’s Cathedral. The original Romanesque church was reconstructed in the 13th and 14th centuries.The variation in the colour of the sandstone is due to the fact that it comes from different quarries. …

Postcard from Italy – The Little Church and the Big Church

So, instead of renovating and extending one church, you build a bigger and better one next door! Santa Croce is outside the town of Noventa Vicinente in the Veneto. My Italian isn’t good enough to give any further information! Alors, au lieu de rénover et aggrandir une église, on fait construire une deuxième plus grande et …

Postcard from Italy: Sant'Antonio – Padua

I think that the church of Saint Anthony is by far the most interesting monument in Padua. It is an amazing combination of styles: Roman façade, Byzantine cupolas, Gothic central tower and bell-towers and late Renaissance chapel containing the tomb of Saint Anthony. Unfortunately, photos are not allowed inside. This is taken from the first …

The Transparent Cross – La croix transparente

In the real, this cross in front of the privately-owned church of Saint Lubin in Suèvres is not transparent, but the filigree work is so fine that in the photo, it blends in with the surrounding foliage! Dans la réalité, cette croix devant l’église privée de Saint Lubin à Suèvres n’est pas transparente, mais le …