My Marseille cactus garden
My cactus garden on the balcony in Marseille
Brits abroad, we do love our gardens. Much as I would like a garden in Provence, it’s not a practical proposition on a balcony in central Marseille. Cacti and succulents are a viable alternative, they endure the drought when I am not here, have plenty of sunshine and are resilient to the Mistral and the autumn storms.
The weird shapes and colours are intriguing even if the sharp spines and hooks are intimidating and some will irritate if you get pricked by them.
I do get flowers but they’re a rarity, they show usually in the spring. You don’t get a big show like when the desert bursts in to bloom, the flowers are individual, brilliant colours and short-lived. But the garden breaks the view of the Marseille concrete jungle and it’s always different, even if it does sometimes seem that the spiky cacti don’t appreciate my attentions.
Thanks to Terry and to Peter for their contributions
Seaford Head to Newhaven Harbour
Seaford Beach is stony but faces south-west, the heat haze shows how the curve catches the sun
My summertime walk along this stony beach line, a 10 km (7½ miles) section of the Vanguard Way in Sussex
Seaford council beach huts have their own colour palette
Now showing at Leicester Square
Subversive sculptures in Leicester Square in London’s West End; subversive because of the locations, these bronzes are anywhere but on plinths
Changes: photographic essay & reflections from Dartmoor & South Devon
Changes - a photographic essay and reflections from Dartmoor and South Devon
More photos: Changes: photographic essay & reflections from Dartmoor & South Devon
Moretonhampstead
Court Street, Moretonhampstead
St Andrew’s, Moretonhampstead
A particularly pretty Dartmoor summer evening in Moretonhampstead in Devon
Cols du Galibier, Lauteret, Ornon and Festre
Col du Galibier (2642 m.)
Big smiles at 2642 m. It’s been a struggle to get back to this special place but great to ride here with Arno. Photos of a great ride together culminating at the Col du Galibier.
Col du Lauteret (2058 m.)
Col d’Aspres
L’Obiou (2789 m.) seen from the path to the Col d’Aspres in the French Préalpes
I found a doggie for my hike - well actually the local doggie found me and bonded temporarily
Don Giovanni - live opera restarts
Live opera restarts with Mozart’s chilling D minor chord from the Berwaldhallen, Stockholm, as their socially distanced production of Don Giovanni breaks the silence from the opera houses since March.
Symbolism pervades even more than usual in a Mozart opera. Don Giovanni, the promiscuous but lovable rake would be a super-spreader in Covid-19 parlance, there’s the masked ball of Act 1 and the banquet in Act 2, which arrives in take-away boxes.
2004 Saint Julien - Grand vin de Bordeaux
Enjoying roast pheasant with this Grand vin de Bordeaux (Saint Julien AOC, Médoc). Here are my tasting notes.
