This hot air balloon passed so close over our balcony, we could hear them talking.
If you are lucky enough to be visiting Europe this year, then to see it properly, you must do this: Look up!
One of the delights of the old world is the incredible detail that those master craftsmen decided to tack on to every building. In the future, will we look at our modern architecture and marvel over the details? Hmm. On verra, we’ll see.
I discovered the importance of looking up when I decided to flâner (to stroll, roam, saunter) around my own town of Beaune one day, with my neck, and my camera, craned up at a sharp angle. I discovered lots of surprises.
For example, I realized we have many, many stone niches, filled with tiny religious figures, perched up very high on street corners. I found that some of the stores I’m used to viewing at street level are quite fashionably dressed above their lower facade. And lots of other ‘architexture’, up above the eye-line.
Careful not to fall now, we are going for a stroll– so, heads up!
Sunlight hits a church steeple near our house.
A very fancy window on the second floor of a bank.
If you walk by this bar on the main place, you might miss the rather dazzling architecture that’s above it.
One thing I discovered on my walk: up high on many streetcorners are stone niches, filled with statues. This one is St. Vincent, the patron saint of wine.
In Beaune, we have a road to heaven! There is a back-alley cut-through well known to locals, called the Rue Paradis. But don’t take a wrong turn; around the corner, you might miss the sign high on the wall if you don’t look up…and descend a stairway into the tiny Rue d’enfer, the road to hell
The crown of a children’s carousel at the park
Love this door, but I hadn’t noticed the crest above it.
A tiny turret on a third floor
A gateway to the walled medieval town, with wonderful detail
Gorgeous stonework above a pretty shutter
“Peace”, on a public building in the main place.
The magnificent ceiling at the entry to our cathedral
An interesting brick pattern, above a bank
Look up from this storefront, and you’ll find a tucked-away terrace turret on a second-floor apartment, as well as a very old half-timbered building.
Small details delight the eye
An international set of flags by a window on an upper floor
And another pop of color! Royal purple above a liqueur boutique.
At the top of our belltower, look for the cat chasing a ball, which is part of a light show in the evenings.
And finally, look to the skies for an arc-en-ciel.
Favorite READS: Natalia, our reader-in-residence, says she is just getting around to reading Hamnet. Which of course is now also a movie. I’ve heard it’s very sad, and I confess I haven’t been brave enough to tackle it. Instead I’m going way back to Bill Bryson’s tour around Europe, Neither Here nor There. His books always bring a smile.
9 thoughts on “To Really See Europe, Look Up!”
I first became aware of what’s above street level many years ago in London, riding the top level of a double decker bus. Ugly shop fronts with glorious detail above. Another good place to view the higher levels is on the Promenade Plantee in Paris. Walking there I decided it would be better to live in a new building with a view of an old one, then the other way around!
bonnie in the vaucluse
I think you’re right! I’ve heard that you should buy your house based on the one across the street that you’ll be looking at. 😉
Your post is a breath of fresh air during an unusually grim time here in the good “ole” USA. I have snapped many a picture of those architectural surprises. Years ago, when we visited Venice, it was the doors and doorbells/knockers that captured my photo lens—back in the film camera days. There is much to offer beyond the advertising signs and cafe awnings.
Merci beaucoup pour toute l’information. Et oui vous avez raison, vous avez raison, c’est très important de regarder en haut et aussi le même en Italie. I spend much time in Rome and when I look up there is always something amazing that I have missed in 40 years!!!!!! Even if just an amorous pigeon going after another cute birdie! Merci for this lovely newsletter.
Another lovely post with beautiful photos. So much exquisite detail these old buildings have. Merci! Bon weekend.
Vous avez raison Lynn!
Toutes les villes plus ou moins médiévales ont un vieux quartier qui expose ce genre de sculptures dans la pierre tout en haut, le vieux Lyon, le Viel Annecy, Corrèze, Dijon, Vannes et bien sûr Paris.
Merci Lynn d’alerter vos lecteurs. trices sur ce charme de certaines villes françaises.
Regardez vers le haut
Eh bien sûr j’ai oublié Sarlat dans le Périgord qui est médiéval et rempli de ces sculptures ornées.
Not that I needed a reminder, but this is one of the many reasons we love being in and walking around French cities, and especially villages; the unexpected delights to the eyes and senses around every corner! And perfect timing. I really needed that to take my mind off the sad state of things here, and energize us as we start to plan our next visit to La Belle France to explore potential (hopefully) towns we might be willing to move to. Merci Lynn!
So true – always look up! The details are amazing and funny that it takes some effort to see. Thank goodness for all those artisans and architects. And right now it’s fun to peek out over the horizon before the leaves come out. Happy spring!!