One of the golden rules of photography must be to never have your own reflection in a shot… I do know better, yet here I am framed by ‘les délices de St Remy’… I hadn’t noticed this sign writing before… maybe it has been there for ages, maybe not… but it charmed me. Not overly elaborate… just a sweet and old-fashioned font with a branch of olive… ‘the delights of St Remy’… the sign matched my mood…
I hadn’t taken a walk around the village with camera in hand, for some time… all things familiar do get taken for granted and I can be guilty of ignoring the quaint charm and picturesque nature of St Rémy. I do become complacent to the beauty of Provencal France… and forget to take photographs… Sometimes I just want to soak up the atmosphere without searching for a new image.. other days, like this particular evening, I want to snap away and never stop.
This door step had escaped me… I must have walked past it a hundred times…. the tin watering cans and the greenery are delightfully shabby chic and positioned beautifully on the step… Behind the glass, the screen with the pleated cream fabric frames the window perfectly …
Next door is one of my very favourite shop fronts and this one I have photographed before… It’s closed of course and I don’t think it has operated as a coiffeur for a long time. The worn writing with the buttery faded background against the rosy hue of the stone walls has often made me stop and think. The passage of time, so evident here, has transformed this retired shop into a place of beauty… We are so often focused on the passing of time as a negative, in the way we approach our lives today, that I enjoy to be reminded that ageing and ‘refinement’ are equally as beautiful as youth and perfection.
And these apartments… it was the blend of colours… the ‘French blue’ and the ‘Cyprus green’ of the shutters that caught my attention… I thought they were in harmony even though as a colour combination I would not have imagined to place them side by side. I am sure it is by accident… and the owners have chosen their shutter shades independently and without consultation… but par hasard… something lovely and unique has been created…
Sometimes the very familiar can be full of surprises… xv
;)
Dear Vicki,
What beautiful little parts of St Remy you have picked out. Just everyday parts of the town that the residents see all of the time……it is so easy to take these things for granted.
….and I don’t know if you remembered but my 60th birthday present from my husband was a pair of blue, well worn French shutters !! Most women would have ask for diamonds !! XXXX
I am glad that spoiling yourself with your surroundings and time with your camera were shared with me.
You certainly spoiled me…..or tempted me to want to do the same. How often we need to take a step back in order to reflect and to spot the beauty in our lives.
pve
Lovely faded colours, I love seeing things anew!
Beautiful photos and wonderful descriptions – we are all too often too busy to really see what surrounds us – what a joy to stop and take a breath and look around now and again – this is proof. And how lucky you had you camera with you. Have a lovely day. Francesca
You know I’ve loved this post as St. Remy is my favorite village in Provence. I could look at French shutters for hours. There’s just something about them that’s so special.
Sam
Dear Vicki
You have managed to show the ‘essence’ of St. Remy which is a village very dear to our hearts! It has endless surprises around each corner whether it be it’s history, architecture, delightful shabbiness or pure elegance, there is something there for everyone, and such a treat to have as your local village. We adore the tree-lined avenues that cover the beautiful countryside aswell. We were so pleased to see that Cathédrale d’Images at Les Baux has re-opened. Sadly, time did not permit us to visit it last month but we highly recommend it to everyone.
Keep delighting us, Vicki…your photos and ponderings are wonderful!
You take such beautiful photographs. The small store front is just charming. Well said about the passing of time. In fact, I think from now on I will be “refining” also.
Wow, Vicki that Coiffeur picture could be out of a stage set, it is a beautiful photo!
Vicki,
We fly out to Melbourne tomorrow – This trip to France saw us revisit Saint Remy for the second 1 week stay at the same cottage on Rue de la Liberation. Your photos mirror many of ours over the two stays.
We have seen changes, not better or worse, just different. It was my wife’s 60th birthday trip on this occasion as well. We follow your blog and this is our first comment but I read your blog regularly as we have you as a favourite on our side bar of our blog.
We are a little sad leaving France (5th trip) but hope to return in 2014 for a much longer stay as I will retire.
Beautiful photos Vicki, I love the “coiffeur” shot too. It’s a lovely thing to do to take another look around where we live and the streets we see every day….I feel that about London most definitely, some days it’s good to look at it with fresh eyes.
Hope the sun is shining there as beautifully as it is in London today! I am yearning for August & France….it does feel as though it is getting nearer now…finally
XX
What lovely glimpses Vicki of your little town. That little Coiffeur shop…………..someone should rent it and open up a divine little gift shop and keep the name and sign. That is a sweet retail spot if I ever saw one. Wonder what the inside looks like? Much love and happy wanderings. XO
It’s the little things, isn’t it?
xx’s
Love your reflection Vicki…that one is a keeper.
I am a big fan of the little things…they make you feel so good!
Jeanne xx
These are beautiful shots. Im so envious you get to see this in person! Ive only been to Paris, in France, but yearn to go outside the city. Have a great week.
Nancy
Powellbrowerhome.com
Vicki, I loved your village of St. Remy when I visited there last May and part of what I loved, you have captured! Enjoy your day in France!
Hello Vicki
I love the ethereal feel of seeing you reflected in the window. Beautiful.
The store Coiffure is magical and you say it best:
“ageing and ‘refinement’ is equally as beautiful as youth and perfection”
To a day of refinement
Helenxx
Vicki, my parents are actually in Germany right now and then headed your way! I will tell them to look at this blog post and maybe they will get to see some of your lovely surroundings! I can’t wait to hear all about their trip! Have a great week!
Carolyn
Hi VA, I have a client at her home in London, will send them this so they can put it on their itinerary. Stunning images. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
Love the tin ware and greenery and the shutters…
your reflection is a bonus.
What a sweet and charming village.
How lucky you are to live where you do.
What a lovely tour of St. Rémy. Thanks for taking us with you!
Oh V, what fun to see you captured in the window reflection! J’adore the coiffeur photo especially. I would love a print of that one for my home. Maybe you should start offering your work for sale?
V
What a beautiful town. It must be difficult to resist snapping pictures. I too have a thing for shutters. On a trip to Venice I took many pictures of their delicately painted and worn shutters. The older I get, the more I like older things. Things that are not perfect. Now what does that mean…… Best, Lisa
You just made me so happy with this post. I love it, humorous and with lovely evocative pictures!
Thank you xo H.
I live vicariously through your photos! Actually, I like your reflection in the first photo. It makes me realize your beautiful photos are taken en plein air vs a studio shot. A testament to your expertise and discerning eye.
I love vignettes, and yours are priceless!! Always a joy!1
I will be in Aix next weekend and my camera will be with me. i also live part of the year in France and appreciate how lucky we are to live with the French beauty that surrounds us.
Hope to bump into you at Cote Sud.
Regards,
Audrey
Loved this, especially the rolling prose…
LOVELY photos/colors/textures!
And this: “…ageing and ‘refinement’ are equally as beautiful as youth and perfection’
…reminded me that my two closest friends in life were at quite opposite ends of that spectrum. One a Boston Brahmin/Harvard grad older than my mother. The other a Japanese girl/Tokyo Univ grad younger than my son. And both so much alike. Stylish, intelligent, charming, kind, very feminine and constant laughs to be with. Thanks for the smile….remembering that.
Beautiful photos – I wish I lived in that apartment house!
Vicki-
I can’t think of a better tour guide in France than you! Love all of the images.
Happy Wednesday.
Teresa
xoxo
Such beautiful photos of St Remy. Wherever we live it’s so easy to take it for granted but Provence has so many gorgeous photo opportunities because people put so much attention into their house/shop presentation. I too have the coiffeur shop among my images and a myriad of doors and shutters.
wow – so simple and beautiful are your photos and scenery! would love to visit Provence some day.
Beautiful photos! You are so right…we do take for granted what we see everyday…the little everyday things. Thanks for the reminder. I also love your quote about the passage of time…when I visit my in-laws in their little village in the Dordogne, I too wonder – what was life like earlier?…What were people wearing? What was their everyday routine like? Their decor? Just fun to think about those things sometimes…especially when there is so much history. Thank you again for the lovely post.
Ah, the simple things are definitely the most beautiful. I love the photo of your reflection and that sign is simply gorgeous! xxoo
Love the reflection in the photo!Beautiful photos I especially like the coiffeur shop.
Hi Vicki, Thank you. Yes, the imperfect, the weathered are beautiful when we take of our preconceptions and prejudices….hoping to stay more open to what is now.
Mary
Vicki, your Coiffeur has captivated me, too! As A Gift Wrapped Life has sugggested, it would be beautiful as a gift shop or the like. As for photos with reflections, it rather tickles me to see them ~ I think it’s lovely to see the person behind the lens enfolded within the scene they are admiring!
ooh what a lovely place St Remy is my friend owns a holiday home out there I hope one day to go stay there its on my list of things to do i hope i get to tick it off one day!!
)
I never tire of seeing your lovely images of France! Love these photos of St. Remy, a place I’ve yet to visit.
Hello Vicki, I stumbled across your blog whilst trying to find some info on St Remy and it’s now going on my must see list. I’ve already booked a few nights in Blaye for my upcoming trip – if I’d seen your blog sooner I would have changed my itinerary! Thanks for the beautiful photos, it looks like a great place.
Such beautiful images, Vicki. Oh, I do believe I would never take somewhere like that for granted, but it’s true, we really do when we live somewhere a long time. I still take photos & admire Syney harbour though, I must say. It’s beauty never ceases to amaze me.
~ Clare x