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| angel fresco in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, Nantes, France |
Walking is something I do a lot of, wherever I may find myself. Not only does it get me where I need to go in a guilt free, non polluting manner, the route provides an endless stream of beautiful and fascinating things to observe and is a calming form of moving meditation. Whenever I feel agitated my daily walks pacify me and help to put my life in perspective. Most of all I love to share the things I observe along the way, mainly recording impressions through photos.
On this particular sunny day in late July my first stop was the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, a small Gothic edifice tucked into a cobbled side street nearby. The interior provides views of fresco fragments, decorative wall treatments in various states of decay, small carvings tucked up high in the arches and a glimpse down through a window in the floor to a late medieval tomb crypt.
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| late afternoon sun throws stained glass colours on the floor tiles |
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| and on a rather graceless, over life size and badly eroded Virgin trampling a serpent underfoot | |
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| so many centuries of change have left their mark, however fragmented |
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| carved wall panels with biblical scenes |
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| a detail view of purgatory from a large painting |
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| a fresco wall inscription |
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| a carved stone figure curls in a corner, high up among the arches |
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| a neglected side chapel with lovely, decaying decorative painting |
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| chapel detail |
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| a memorial with winged vanitas skull |
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| a niche behind the altar bears the scar of a sculpture base |
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| close up of a stone dragon on high |
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| another side chapel with lovely gold stars across the vault of blue "heaven" |
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| the base of an ornately carved pulpit |
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| votive plaques offered in gratitude for answered prayers |
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| another empty sculpture niche among votive offerings |
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| view of a side chapel and the main altar to the left |
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| another memorial and reminder of mortality |
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| on my way out I spotted this charming fox-like creature at the termination of an arch high on the wall | |
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| on a back street--- for me this image tells a story that changes each time I look |
I like to take a back route to the Jardin des Plantes and this flowered summer dress drying on a tiny balcony caught my eye...
Arriving at the Jardin was a complete change of gears--from frozen stone and death's heads to young animals and the warmth of hundreds of miniature suns sharing their bounty with a full court of bees in attendance...
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| coot chick |
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| carnivorous pitcher plants in the afternoon sun |
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| turtles soaking up the sun |
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| a fairy waterfall in the Jardin des Plantes |
