A Pinay in Europe

It’s the time of the year when the house becomes a natural fridge and our heating expenses are madly going through the roof, hence, we decided that our “after-christmas-walks” should also be geared on saving on energy bills.  How?  By going out of the house and bask in warmer climes, where else but nearer the coast where ”le soleil” (the sun) shines more!

So off we went driving towards the sea and the place we chose is Varase, a glasshouse-ridden  hamlet of Ventimiglia, five kilometers from the sea.

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The centro historico of Varase, at 40 meters in altitude, requires that you are reasonably fit to walk up the top.

Only the one-passenger Piaggio is drivable on these narrow roads.

It has a population of 160 inhabitants but the whole time we were there, we saw only four people, two of them are farmers tending their fields above.

Located on the left side of the perched hamlet are glasshouses upon glasshouses, but looking closely, more than half of them seem to be abandoned….

A modern church guards over the glasshouses

The lovely succulents of Varase

and more succulents

We walked higher and higher until we reached the olive orchards. 

This must be more than a hundred-year old olive tree.

Walking though olive trees on a steep footpath, we were practically trudging on olives that fell on the road.  They lookk so healthy, it must be the all-year sunshine and the rich soil.

We also passed by these grapevines that have already shed their leaves in the winter. 

Huh! some mammal must have waded on the muddy soil to cool off..a wild boar perhaps?

Wild marguerites growing in the winter! 

Edward Scissorhand, made of machinery parts and tools….cool!

Even the chickens are healthy! 

A good part of Varase’s territory is occupied by this equestrian center

So if you want to go horse riding or even do business with the hamlet’s farmers, there is a 1-star hotel ready to take you in.  

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This is the second article of my “would-be-several-series of-Christmas-walks” that we had and still about to do until the holiday season is over.  It’s fun to walk especially if the scenery is staggeringly beautiful and time passes so quickly that you don’t realize you have already done up ten kilometers!  Imagine, if I walk that distance each day until the New Year, 2012,  I would be fitter and lighter than I was in 2011!

Our destination for today is classed as One of the 40 Most Beautiful Villages of France - SAORGE.

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With a population of around 400, Saorge is a very charming medieval village perched on a long narrow rock, 500 meters in altitude and overlooking the Roya river. 

The tall multi-level houses date back from the 15th-19th century

The roofs of the houses are the grey and dark-red slates that were chipped out of the mountains

The communal Lavoir (washing area) in the old days

This tall house which used to belong to an Italian duke was for sale for several years.  Seeing the curtains on the opened window says that it now has a new owner.

This building was the site of the old communal oven.

This ancient photo shows how the village folks used to line up with their bread dough for baking in the public oven.

This is the 17th century Monastery of Saorge which was built by the Franciscan monks when they came to settle in the village.  It houses a museum and the church is regularly used as venue for free concerts especially during the annual Fete de la Musique.

The 11th century Madone del Poggio church with its 15th century Lombardy style bell tower.  It was built by the Cistercian monks who lived in Saorge for 700 years.  The present owners now run it as a home for writers around the world wishing to find inspiration in tranquil and beautiful surroundings.

The old pulpit stairs of the Church of Saint Sauveur.  This must date back as early as the 18th century when the church was modified to conform to its present Baroque-style

The Sistine-chapel looking like ceiling which is getting into a bad state of disrepair.

Of all the various architectural designs used in churches, I just love the Baroque-style! Such glory and elegance!

In France, the colours of the window shutters must conform to what is legally allowed by the mairie (town hall).  In Saorge’s case, it must be green, different shades of green, however, is acceptable, as long as it is found in the colour chart which is kept by the Office of the Maire (mayor)

This bed and breakfast establishment, as typical in the region, is closed in the winter and opens up again in the summer.

A drinking fountain dated 1920.

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Autumn.  It’s that season of the year when Paris gets even more pleasant to indulge into my favorite pastime…….. people-watching!   

The boots are back, designer stockings is the trend, men and women dress up,  mixing and matching their scarf, bag, their whole outfit, in a subtle way, yet the effect creates a stunner!  I already feel like I am walking in the middle of a giant catwalk everytime I walk along Boulevard Saint German, Avenue Montagne, the Marais district, around Place Vendome, etc but it has to be autumn when almost every Parisian becomes a street fashion model.  

I just love those lace up boots!

I don’t blame these boys….

Straight out from a fashion shoot…(well, aren’t they all anorexic…)

From the gym to the high street

Lovely mix and match….The flats are really sexy!

I would love to have a bag like that..

That outfit reflects the colours of autumn..

Ooppsss… I just had to squeeze this one because I adore her bag!

Who says you cannot be fashionable on a bicycle?

I love this!

A book can be an accessory, mind you…

Hmmm…must visit this lingerie shop one of these days

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It is the biggest business district in Europe with a total area of 160 hectares,  comprising 1,500 businesses employing 150,000 employees.  Aside from an indoor museum, the place itself is like an open museum because of the monumental sculptures scattered in different areas of the square.  There are also the parks and gardens where people can play boule or relax under the trees and the dancing fountains that helps create the zen atmosphere.

The best time to visit La Defense is at lunchtime of any working day.  These images will tell you why.

Interesting, isn’t it?  Last year, I also visited La Defense at lunchtime and a marathon for charity was going on. More than a thousand employees joined in the race. 

Shows, concerts, fairs and markets are organized in the Parvis (courtyard) on a regular basis.  So it’s not only a business district, it’s also a tourist destination.

 Please note that if you find yourself in one of the above photos, I would be glad to hear from you and offer you the original size on digital format.

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This has been my third attempt at exploring Paris without a map and so far, I find it the  best way of discovering its best secrets.  I  scour each and every rue (street) and get extremely fascinated by the the staggering details of a bygone era.  And  I thought I knew Paris from the back of my hand but I was wrong!  Each time I venture into an unknown street, I am endlessly discovering something new and something different.  And believe it or not, I’ve been going to and fro this amazing city since 1999 but it’s only today that I saw the bigger picture of the Jardin du Luxembourg!  I think this is the most beautiful garden in Paris!

 By the way, you will notice some strange effect of my images.  Well, I am using now my Point and Shoot (since my Canon 40D stopped working) and experimenting on its Pin-Hole mode and I think the result is amazing!  I find the traditional shots getting to be boring so from now on, I shall try all the special effects of this camera.

So arriving at the Place Saint-Michel Metro stop, I began my walk..aimlessly.

The name “Pont-Neuf” is New Bridge in French but it is actually the oldest bridge in Paris constructed from 1578 - 1607, listed as a historic monument in 1889 and entered Unesco’s World Heritage List in 1991. For me it is the most romantic-looking bridge of the capital!

This street which was first opened in 1672 was a part of theland where the residence of the Dukes of Savoie used to be, hence the name.  And since it had that Royal beginning, the price of property also has a Royal figure:  around 14,795euros/sq.m
‘Jeveuxetrephotographe.com’…..in English, Iwanttobeaphotographer.com, the name of this photography school in rue de Savoie.
A gastronomic restaurant specializing in Haute-Cuisine, where you dine like a King, as the building used to be the monastery where Louis XIII was proclaimed King in 1610 after the assassination of his father the King Henry IV. The royal bill would average 110 euros for lunch and 162 euros for dinner.
Another gastronomic restaurant listed as a historic monument opened its doors in 1766 and renowned clients were Alexander Dumas and Victor Hugo. Food is a bit affordable and if you have 45euros in your pocket, you can experience a gastronomic lunch of a lifetime.
This is the oldest cafe in Paris, founded in 1686, and situated in the covered passage of La Cour du Commerce Saint-Andre (1735)

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Well, actually, it’s the “Learning How to Sail Season” for the young. Everywhere I went, by the sea, I see this long line of tiny sailing boats gliding in the water and I thought, I could make a good photo collection of them. You see them in the Spring when it is not too hot and it is not too cold. So here they are:

Italian Riviera

Italian Riviera

Menton, France

Monaco

And the real thing….in Lake Geneva, Switzerland

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