- Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra
What a lovely private building, dating from the 5-6th century. The villa had at least 14 rooms, this one was probably a new reception room. In the centre, there is The Dance of the Seasons. - Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra
- Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra
Dance of the Seasons (original). Spring on the left, Autumn with the crown is in the front, Winter in the back and Summer is missing. A personification of Time plays a pan flute. - Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra
Dance of the Seasons (original), the musician. - Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra
Dance of the Seasons (original), Autumn. - Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra
The Good Shepherd, depicted as a pretty well-off young man with fancy shoes and stockings. This mosaic was found on a different (older) level that the previous ones. - Sant’Apollinare Nuovo
The church was erected by the Ostrogothic king Theodoric as his palace chapel in early 6th century. Reconsecrated in 561 by Justinian I, suppressing the Arian church. - Sant’Apollinare Nuovo
The Three Magi, Balthasar, Melchior and Caspar. They carry the gifts (gold, frankincense and myrrh) and walk towards the Bethlehem star. - Sant’Apollinare Nuovo
Bottom: Theoderic's palace and the town of Ravenna (PALATIVM and CIVITAS RAVENN). Middle: more unnamed prophets and evangelists. Top: the way of the cross, Resurrection: the women at the tomb, The road to Emmaus, Jesus appearing to the apostles. - Sant’Apollinare Nuovo
Top row is the life of Jesus, middle row the saints, prophets and evangelists, bottom row are the famous processions. Apparently Pope Gregory ordered the mosaics to be blackened, not to distract the worshipers. - Sant’Apollinare Nuovo
The town of Classe (only partially original). Middle: unknown prophets and evangelists. Top: The paralytic at Bethany, The Gerasene Demoniac, The paralytic at Capernaum, The Sheep and the Goats This side shows a much younger beardless Jesus. - Sant’Apollinare Nuovo
Let's go: bottom line: Saints Valeria, Crispina, Lucia, Caecilia, Eulalia, Agnes, Agatha, Pelagia and Euphemia. middle: unnamed saints, prophets, evangelists... carrying scrolls or codices. top: the woman at the well, the woman with the flow of blood, Jesus cures the blind, (partial) the calling of Peter and Andrew. - Sant’Apollinare Nuovo
The ceiling. - Sant’Apollinare Nuovo
The cylindrical campanile dates to the 9th-10th century. - Classe
Buffalo by Davide Rivalta. In front of the Basilica of Sant' Apollinare in Classe. - Classe
Moses in the sea of clouds. - Classe
A lot of mosaics were ruined (probably by the Venetians), but the apse and arch remained. We're talking 6th century here. On the top is Christ in a medallion with the Evangelists' symbols, underneath twelve lambs and two palms on the sides. - Classe
Saint Apollinaris praying with 12 little lambs. His coat is covered with golden bees, the symbol of eloquence. Wonderful background decorations, flowers, rocks, plants, birds... - Classe
What an idyllic scene. - Classe
Saint Elijah. - Classe
A 7th century mosaic depicting Abraham, Abel and Melchisedek around an altar. And the Hand. Why are there hinges on the curtains? - Classe
The 6th century abse depicts: - a cross on the sky with 99 stars - the hand of God - Elijah and Moses - three lambs representing Saint Peter, Saint James and Saint John. - Classe
All around the church are images of bishops. I guess this one became a pope. - Classe
One of the many 5th-8th century sarcophagi. This one, called the sarcophagus of the twelve apostles, is one of the oldest ones from the 5th century. - Classe
Saint Ursus, the bishop of Ravenna ca. 405-431. He built the Orthodox Baptistery. - Classe
My guess would be that the difference in green background also means the border between the original and restored mosaics. - Classe
More idyllic scenery. Not all of it is completely original though, but I don't know which part is and which isn't. - Fly me to the Moon
A sculpture by J. C. Farhi (2011) at Venice airport. Is it just me - but I see Pikachu :-) - Maritime Alps
I think this is the border between sunny Italy and cloudy France. Towards Monte Frisson. - Maritime Alps
I think Cima Ventosa is in the front left. I'd kind of like to know which mountains are in the background: Mercantour, Queyras, Ecrins in the clouds? - Above the clouds
Il fait toujours beau au-dessus des nuages :-) - Île Saint-Honorat
Areal view of Saint-Honorat. Lérins Islands are so so beautiful. - Antibes
A lovely morning in Antibes. - Brunch in Antibes
This brunch was to die for. The softest and lightest brioche perdue I have ever had and will ever have in my life. - Renoir's house
The house of Auguste Renoir and his family in Cagnes, now a museum. Not a bad house, not bad at all. - Renoir's house
Renoir's atelier. He moved to Cagnes in 1908. - Buste de Pâris
Paris by Auguste Renoir and Richard Guino, 1914. - Grande Laveuse
Auguste Renoir and Richard Guino, Grande Laveuse, 1917. Yes, because women do their laundry naked... - Venus victrix
Auguste Renoir and Richard Guino, Venus Victrix, 1913-1915. - Venus's hand
Venus's hand picking oranges and yet holding an apple :-) - Saint-Paul-de-Vence
- Salvador and Frida
- Saint-Paul-de-Vence
A wonderful town. I can imagine it can get very crowded so getting there off-season late in the day was a good choice. - Panthere
Panthere by Nicolas Lavarenne. A sleeping beauty. - Prévert's house
Jacques Prévert lived here. I would too. - Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Even mailboxes are art in this picturesque town. - Saint-Paul-de-Vence
The town fountain. - L’église Collégiale Saint Paul
The church was built between 12th and 18th century. - Impermanence
Impermanence by Dominique Rayou (2020ish). J'adore. - Olive tree
Sculpture of an olive tree by Constantinos Valaes in Galerie Lefakis in Saint-Paul-de-Vence - Saint-Paul-de-Vence
A sculptured olive tree. - Poppies!
I love poppies but mid-March is simply too early. Even for Côte d'Azur. - Èze
Carnival in town, Harry Potter and Naruto. - Èze
Carnival in town, Luffy from One Piece. - Èze
I know, I know, Èze is famous for its views... but I love Èze in fog even more :-) - Èze
Hedgehog Agave in the Exotic gardens of Èze. - Èze
Melisande by Jean-Philippe Richard. What elegance! - Èze
Barbara by Jean-Philippe Richards, depicting the wind. - Èze
Margot by Jean-Philippe Richard - Èze
Exotic gardens in Èze. - Èze
Another wonderfully placed beauty, unfortunately I don't know her name. By Jean-Philippe Richard. - Èze
The clouds are rising so we even got a bit of a view. - Èze
Château Eza, a lovely corner of the town. - Èze
- Èze
Rue du Barri - Èze
Rue du Barri - Èze
Up towards Col d'Èze. Now that is a steep climb! - The hills above Èze
A lovely foggy walk starting from Voie Aurélienne. - The hills above Èze
Apparently there is wildlife in these woods. A boar or a fox could be 5 m away and I probably wouldn't notice it! - Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Villefranche as seen from Plateau Saint-Michel. - Lac de Saint Cassien
Not much going on in this time of year at Lac de Saint Cassien. - Siagne river
- Siagne river
- Siagne river
What a picturesque place this is! - Le moulin de Saint Cassien des Bois
The mill is under renovation... and I suppose the people working there had a good time ;-) - Mimosa
Acacia dealbata - Eucalyptus
And plantations of eucalyptus. We are close to Grasse after all. - Lac de Saint-Cassien
View from Belluny. - Lac de Saint-Cassien
Hydropower plant and its dam. And a lonely tree. - Belluny
Well, the path around Belluny is not the most frequented. Yes, this is the path. - Mouans-Sartoux
- Mouans-Sartoux
I love the cat's admiring gaze. - Mouans-Sartoux
The traffic sign being swallowed by a tree looks almost like a lizard/dinosaur eye. - Mouans-Sartoux
A lovely old town, very similar to Valbonne. - Mouans-Sartoux
This is NOT how you repair an old wall. - Structure permutationnelle
Structure permutationnelle, an intriguing sculpture by Francisco Sobrino 1998/2015 in Mouans-Sartoux. - Structure permutationnelle
Structure permutationnelle in the gardens of Château de Mouans-Sartoux. - Mouans-Sartoux
The French. They can even make an ordinary town hall pretty. - Mouans-Sartoux
Le Mur de Mouans-Sartoux. The wall is repainted every two months by a different artist. This one was made by Mister Copy. - Good morning!
Ah, the mornings. One can never have enough of them. - Good morning!
Before sunrise in my favourite garden. - Hello sunshine
- Freesia
What a beauty she is. - Biot
Rue de la Poissonnerie in Biot. - 20
Tiny details make a street charming. - Carpobrotus
A stunning carpobrotus. How can anyone call this plant 'pigface'? - Freesia
More freesia in the garden. - Biot volcano
A tiny hill is all what is left of an ancient volcano. - Biot volcano
But what a lovely and remote place it is. - Sun pillar
Another morning - another wonderful sunrise. And a sun pillar!