Friday, May 15, 2009

On the Road to Albi -- SkyWatch Friday (my twenty-sixth) -- Our Spring 2009 Europe Holiday

I could tell it was going to be a nice day, not a cloud in France's big blue sky!


We were headed to Albi, France, to visit the Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Museum (link). I have a picture (print, copy) Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (link) painted for my office and this would be an opportunity to see more of his original art.

I am glad we did because of the small things, being there with his associations, and seeing so many of his paintings in one sitting helped me appreciate this man still more.

My opinion of him? At first he painted fairly run-of-the-mill pictures of people. There may have been a slight impressionist leaning in some. Towards the end of his life he was so intrigued with dancers at the Moulin Rouge (Paris) and prostitutes that that was about all he painted. Well, he was still painting entertainment posters. I would like to have one of those or a copy.




These are pictures we took at a pull-out along the way. We were staying in Caunes-Minervois (link) which is a short drive from Carcassonne, France. At first there were a lot of grape fields which soon gave way to pastures with cows and sheep.

Then we hit the mountains. From the pictures you might guess were in West Virgina, U.S.A. We would next go down into this little town, Mazamet (
link), to the market. Thursday (April 23, 2009) was market day for Mazamet. Sorry, no pictures, we were to busy eating our food and shopping.




I never did figure out what the fields of yellow were. The plants were about height of yellow clover but they were courser and bushier. Anyway they matched the colors of the old John Deere tractor.

The tractor was decoration for the middle inside the turn-about. I went around twice to get the better picture. Of course the road was one way. How could a person miss with nice blue signs like this?



Finally we got to Albi. Parking was going to be a problem, but they must have known we were coming and saved this Handicap parking place just for me. I always travel with my hanging Texas Handicap Parking Permit.


We had fun. I will write more of our Spring 2009 Europe Holiday later.



My earlier SkyWatch posts are (click here)
over at my JIM'S LITTLE P&P PLACE blog.

Other Participants and How to Have Your Own Skywatch

Labels: , , , ,


Comments:
Great shots Jim, thanks for the tour.

Have a great weekend.
Guy
Regina In Pictures
 
I enjoyed catching up and reading some more about your trip Jim!! France looks lovely. I especially love the picture of you and A. high on the hill there beside the road. Awesome view!!
 
Thank You Rachel. Congratulations!

Your comment is No. 10,001. This is the first towards another 10,000.
You also were the No. 0001 (first comment on my blog).
..
It is a very nice comment too, thank you, I will be sure to show Mrs. Jim.
..
 
These are great photo`s, thanks for sharing.
 
Great picture Jim thanks for sharing with all of us.
Ralph
 
Sounds like a fun trip. I'll bet that yellow field is mustard!
 
Hello, Jim,
Seems like you had lots and lots of blue skies in France.
Never heard of a mustard field before.
According to the Bible it's a tree in which birds can build their nest.
What about mimosa?

I remember Toulouse Lautrec was great in the early seventies.Even for long time dead artists there seems to be "revivals".
From philosophizing Felisol
 
Those are definitely some beautiful blue skies you've got there. I don't know why but I expected France to look slightly more hilly but perhaps it was just the particular part that you were in. As for driving in a foreign country, I get nervous driving in another State so I'm sure I'd have kittens with another country!
 
Iim with fourwinds, wondering if that field was mustard, because of the "Dijon" mustard label.

Gosh, it looks like you had a great tour! Welcome home!
 
Bonjour! J'aime beaucoup ces photos.

You had some nice skies to photograph on your trip, Jim. I've been to Paris but haven't been to the countryside. Someday..

Thanks for visiting me. You said you thought I rationed my blog time. No, it's just that I haven't been coming up with ideas lately. In a lull, I suppose.
 
Nice photos. So where is Albi in France?
 
Gday Jim, Great photo's of your holiday, The Yellow field looks like Canola were the seeds are crushed for oil, over here when the Canola is growing you see fields and fields of yellow as far as the eye can see.
and thanks for visiting my holiday. The Flinders Columm was out in the open under a misty sky..
 
Sounds like you had a great time, Jim. Glad to see you back to blogging.
 
dear mr. jim...i have promised a little girl over at my blog that you would sing happy birthday to her, her name is taylor and she is ten years old...would you have the time?

i have felt very poorly the last few days but now that i feel better, i will surely come back and catch up on these nice traveling pictures i see here...love terry
 
Thanks for the recap, Jim. I'm going to have to come back and read the posts I missed. Have I told you how jealous I am that you were in France?
 
Lovely trip M&M Jim. I get to go on so many adventures via your vacations. Paris ... oooolala!!! How long have you been gone???
 
Looking at your photos reminds me of MY European holiday during the summer of 1968 ;--)
Hugs and blessings,
 

Post a Comment





<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?