Magical Moments of Summer

The summer's been magical so far, and I want to share some random moments here. I think this may well be the first of a series of "Magical Moments of Summer", we'll see.



Reflection I



Reflection II



Sitting pretty in the summer sun....

Found by peeping...

A Walk in the Park

Each time I hear the word "castle", I immediately see a picture in my mind of say, Disney's Sleeping Beauty, or the "chateux" in the Loire valley. Here, in the Swedish south a castle isn't at all the same thing. At least not the castle of Hovdala where we went today for a lovely lunch, and a hot walk around the premises. This is medieval southern Sweden, and I find it beautiful. If you add the enchanting "orangerie" to this... Well, it was a perfect outing, again.



Note the now-dried pole from the Midsummer's celebration! Up close we could still see some roses, now all dried, but still there.


















To the right the moat, now grassy and inviting. A far cry from the watery defense it once was.



So pretty in the sun! I peaked through all the windows, managing to get some good pictures, and some odd... The odd ones are for a future show...



Country Roads

To be visiting  here in the South is like childhood revisited. Not that my summers really were full of wild-life, red-trimmed cottages and cows, but the feeling of it all still makes me feel like an eight-year old. To be walking on these gravelly small roads, with either wood or field on the sides, the ditches full of wildflowers... It's like a memory from another time that I know of, but haven't lived myself. It's like summer as it's meant to be.



"The road leads ever on.."



     

Wet, Wild & Shabby Chic...

June in the garden started well enough; breakfasting at the marbletop-table in front of the house in the sun, with all the small birds chirping and eating furiously. Truly a blissful start of my long, and long needed vacation. Then, as always, it turned sour; chilly winds, rain-showers and grey skies took the fun out if it all... Still, the colours are there, and even though the peonies hang their heads in the rain, and the weed take over ever corner of the garden, it's summer. Summer as I know it.

La Fëte des Fontaines

Rushing around my little town today, I noticed that the fountains were all decorated. It seems there's a celebration going on! I didn't have time to get to all our fountains (there must be at least 10-15!), but at least I had my camera in the bag, and could whip it out on my way from A to B. Enjoy!

Maybe I should translate.... but no, you figure it out if you're in the mood!

The bible is an artwork ouf an local (American) artist, NALL...

La Foux is the name of our source here in Vence, and no, I can't translate the Provencal at all! Well, it does start " Oh Vence, my own country!"...sort of.

The end of my Dolce Vita...

I'm back home again, which is just fine. Just wanted to share some of my last photos from this very special "séjour"...
Sunrise

Also, apart from feeling that I've really received a gift, spending my time in an almost enchanted place, with a very special lady... I received these girls;

Pretty, nést pas? All vintage too...

The photographer at work