ABC in Pictures Zut Alors!

If you're looking for my Fun Monday,
please scroll down to the next post,
but these will already get you in the mood,
I'm sure of that ...



The final two letters for Quilly's Photo challenge are Y and Z.


I am keeping the holiday atmosphere from my Fun Monday post
with two pictures from my favourite place on earth,
La Provence, in France.

Y ... for yellow ...

ans Z for .... "zut alors!"
"Zut alors!" is what you would say if you were in France,
trying to take a picture of this cute cat on the window sill.
You've got everything ready, and then your model
just does not feel like posing any more.

Zut alors!

This photo challenge was fun, I loved doing it.
Now go visit the others at Quilly's blog
one more time now, would you?

Fun Monday Vacation

Our host for this week's fun Monday is Allison.

And this is the assignment:

Vacations...
this is the time of year when most of us go on vacations.
Show us and/or tell us about your favorite vacation
- where you went, what you did, etc.
Pictures would be great.
Let's all take a trip around a the world via our FM friends!!

Our favourite holliday destination is Provence,
a region in the South of France.
Three more weeks before we leave.
I can't wait to see the purple lavender fields again,
hear the crickets chirping and feel the sun on my skin.
We are renting the same house every year since 2003,
and when we get there, it feels like coming home.


It has a great kitchen, and that's very important to me.
I love to cook, it's very relaxing to me,
and I love to experiment with the produce from the market.
There are some great farmer's markets that we love to visit
to shop for food. We go to the market in the morning,



enjoy a Pastis on the way back...

... and cook something nice for lunch or dinner.


Or we go on a photostroll into the mountains or the countryside,

and enjoy the gorgeous colours, yellows and blues ...


.... a couple of dots of red ...

Small villages that look like a postcard,
it's a photographer's dream ....

I'm in love with that country, does it show?
Regular readers of this blog already know I guess!

I'm counting the days, three more weeks and we are there.
My blog will not be left empty while I'm gone,
I am making posts for each day we are gone,
sharing stories and pictures from last years vacation there.
Huray for the planner button which makes it all possible!
So if you're interested, add my blog to your reader,
and come with me on a virtual tour of the Provence!
It will be like being there with me, I promise!
And of course it would be very nice
to read your comments when I get back!


This is my idea of spending our holliday.
To see others, visit Allison's blog,
she's the host of today's Fun Monday!
Have fun!

Weekly Winners, A Hidden Place where Time Stood Still

This week I want to take you with me

inside

the béguinage of Antwerp.

It's another very quiet hidden place,

right in the middle of a busy city.
I don't think many people can find it,
I had never been there before last week either.

There are some very old statues in the garden,


a tiny chapel,

and walls covered with old plaques,
giving thanks for wishes and prayers that got forfilled ...

It's a place of peace, prayer and thought.

Did you know, there's even a Madonna hidden in that chimney?
Neither did I, I read it while doing some reasearch afterwards.
Next time I'll try to zoom in on that chimney much closer.

Anyway, this picture already gives you some idea ...
If you click on it, it will enlarge and then you can see it even better.

This is another Madonna, I love how time has chipped it a little.

It's a place where time has stood still.


There are more Weekly Winners to be visited
at the homeblog of Weekly Winners,
the one and only Sarcastic Mom.

See you next week! Bye!

ABC in Pictures X is for XXLL ....

If you're looking for my Photohunt,
please scroll down to the next post.



X is for .... XXLL
XX .... Large Love!


We're celebrating our 17th wedding anniversary tomorrow.
The love we have for each other has always been, and always will be ... XXL!

Visit the other ABC players at Quilly's blog.

Photohunt " Shoes"

This week's theme for Photohunt is "shoes".
Now why on earth do I come up with a building?


The truth is, I don't.
Honest, I have shoes here!
Look closer, look ...

Can you see that second window on the top of this building?
Can you see the black dot?

If you click to enlarge this picture, you'll see what I mean.

I've got shoes here, see?
These pictures were taken in a monastery,
and one of the monks living there
must have had smelly boots!


Don't forget to visit the other Photohunt players!

ABC in Pictures, W is for ........ Windows

W is for ............. windows.




I love windows and I love to photograph them
when we are on holliday in France.
From my collection of windows in the Provence,
I present you two of my favourite window pictures ...


Now let's go and find out what the others have posted for "W"!

ABC in Pictures, V is for ... Violets

V is for ... violets.



They're not always blue ...


Don't forget to visit the others at Quilly's blog!