April 03, 2013

"C" is for Chair

This is Day 3 for the
Blogging from A to Z Challenge
for 2013.

Today's topic is the Chair: a simple piece of furniture upon which one sits.

But put that chair in the right setting and it becomes something more.



To make my point in a rather grand way, I'll start with this stone bench set among the roses in the French Garden of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild on Cap Ferrat in the south of France.  In the background is Villefranche Harbour.



Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, Cap Ferrat


But simpler seating works equally well. These chairs are set out on the terrace of Château de Pierreclos overlooking the vineyards in southern Burgundy.


Château de Pierreclos, Burgundy

Other chairs are austere, like these stone benches in the Palace of the Popes in Avignon.


Palace of the Popes, Avignon

The chairs circling the pond in the Tuileries Gardens have been turned to face the sun, a much rarer commodity than spectacular views in Paris. That's the Eiffel Tower peeking out in the background.


Tuileries Gardens, Paris

Just as humble are these cheery chairs and table seen on a pedestrian street in the old town of Nîmes in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France.


Nîmes, France

While a sweeping vista can be breathtaking, sometimes a simple shady nook is the most inviting like these in the hilltop town of Eze.


Eze Village, France
Eze Village, France
Eze Village, France


The final photo is La Bocca, a ceramic sofa by artist Bertrand Lavier. The piece was displayed in Les Baux de Provence as part of the A-Part International Festival of Contemporary Art last summer, even more startling for its appearance amidst an exhibition of black and white photos of Grace Kelly.



La Bocca, Bertand Lavier

Which one of these chairs is your favourite?

Next:  "D" is for Dolphin


10 comments:

  1. Hi..
    Thats a wonderful assortment of chairs you have :)

    I'm from the AtoZ Challenge and its a pleasure to read your blog.

    Bhavya from Just Another Blog

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    Replies
    1. Thank you. The Challenge is a great opportunity to group my photos in new ways. I appreciate you stopping by.

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  2. I'm a sucker for plants and a hidden alcove so I'd have to go with the first Eze-le-village photo. The photos are just gorgeous, as is the scenery but I often wonder why the French have such hard chairs...the view invites you to lounge and the chairs look like they belong to a Victorian lady sitting up totally straight.

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  3. You're so right about the comfort factor, especially in the older style chairs. And I think I'd go with the same photo in Eze. The weather was very hot and any shady spot was tempting. Thanks for visiting my blog!

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  4. Oh man I've got a serious case of travel envy now. While we are going only to Paris this summer in the midst of a multi-country trip, I'm beginning to see the need for a trip just to France itself... I think my favorite photo in this group is the one from Burgundy.

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    Replies
    1. 'Only Paris' - now I have travel envy! I'm not going anywhere this year. I find it a real battle, trying to decide between seeing as many places as possible, and spending more time in one place to get to know it better. So I've struck a happy medium - revisit the places I've loved to see more, combined with a few new destinations. That's the plan for Italy, hopefully in 2014.

      And Burgundy - the scenery was the pure definition of 'bucolic'. Grazing Charolais cows and vineyards...

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  5. I'm jealous of your photos. I now want a chair in a Tuscan Villa. Surely there must be one with my name on it. Maybe I will have to go hunt one down.

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  6. Oh, the Tuscan Villa is part of my plan for 2014 - here's hoping!

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  7. I truly loved the lips bench. I noticed it right away. The vivid red contrasting against the white backdrop helped it to standout even more.

    Kristena Tunstall
    Dedication Website to daughter in heaven:
    www.mommysangelinheaven.com

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