Click on the first image to see it all in full screen gallery format – enjoy!
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- A hillside view of the beautiful village of Belcastel, about 1/2 hour drive from where I lived for a month in southern France.
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- The castle stairs were so cool – triangular shaped stairs to aid in climbing the steep incline. You have to walk in a zigzag fashion, but it works. Imagine these passing building codes now!
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- An artfully displayed selection of instruments of torture, thankfully clean! Have you flogged anyone lately?
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- A lovingly preserved set of armor in the castle in the town of Belcastel.
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- If you look out the window just right, it’s like a magically framed postcard – beautiful!
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- Another amazing framed view of the countryside below.
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- Okay, maybe its a bit morbid, but I find cemeteries sort of interesting. These are built like little monuments, almost like furniture – with granite slab tops adorned with “souvenirs” – which are little carved and decorated stone tablets commemorating the dead.
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- One of my favorite “souvenirs” – the outline of a jagged mountain range (not unlike my favorite Grand Tetons!) and a workman with his plow. You can even see my reflection if you look!
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- Overlooking the beautiful village of Belcastel
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- Hello? Who’s there?
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- The village of Conques, north of the Aveyron region in France.
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- An alcove outside the Conques cathedral.
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- I loved the majestic columns of the cathedral and did not hesitate to lay down on the stone floor to take this shot.
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- Tasty temptations are everywhere! To quote Oscar Wilde: “I can resist anything but temptation.”
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- Yet another castle above the town of Najac – the castle itself wasn’t restored, but the view is still awesome!
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- A corbel, elegantly lit.
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- Patisserie Break!
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- Fellow seen walking down the street – isn’t that Michael?
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- Gargoyles – all a bit gory if you ask me, on the cathedral at Rodez.
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- Another required stop to drool – the chocolate shop. Yum.
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- Cool modernistic shepherd at the entry to the cathedral in Senergues.
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- My home for a month in southern France, along with at least 15 other HelpX volunteers from all around the world, like a big extended “temporary” but loving family!
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- View from my bedroom window, the train on the bridge passed a few times a day on its way to Paris.
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- The stone home being reconstructed on the property I was volunteering at for a month at Valedy, in the Aveyron region of southern France.
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- Me and my buddy Nicolas who had another HelpX project property nearby. www.helpx.net
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- We went for a hike and were in time to watch them harvest grapes – the fellows in the field called us over and gave us each a hearty bunch of grapes to munch while we walked. Sweet, too!
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- I get a special blessing from Mother Mary.
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- Well, blackberries and blueberries were in season, too – so naturally we never left the house without a basket in hand.
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- Lovely stained glass in autumn colors.
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- A water fountain in the town center of the tiny town of Clairvaux
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- This happy boar was smiling down on us at a nearby pub. Hmm…
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- Here’s a pretty dragonfly that Mary found. It’s called a libellule in French, a libélula in Spanish – pretty in any language, I’d say!
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- Funny card I found in the castle gift shop!
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- Not-so-pretty cupids – I think they need a shave.
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- This says it all – Choose Peace!
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