The Windows of Bilbao Spain

This week we have been visiting Bilbao Spain. My first impression? The windows, the beautiful windows. I was immediately struck by all of the amazingly beautiful windows.

The sheer volume of them....

....the shapes...

...the sizes...

...the elegance.....

....& oh the colors....

.... no matter wether bright or subtle... the colors, oh, the colors....

....& oh....oh, all of those incredible details.....

...of the beautiful windows....

....of Bilbao Spain.

Des Commerçants

One sees many signs & advertisements for businesses both large & small. There are of course the realestate adverts which one finds regularly on buildings & in windows. 

Then there are all the shop windows, the pâtissières & the boulangeries & all of the many others local enterprises. I do love shop windows but even more I love the petits commerçants or the small businesses one finds right in French homes.

For example I love the stone in this window holding the affichés or flyers advertising a chambre de hôte within.

Or this tiny sign painted in a window in beautiful traditional French script. The meaning is a play on words for the French phrase méli-mélo which means hodgepodge or jumble. On certain days of the week the owner opens her door & welcomes visitors to her small shop in the front room of her home. And you guessed it, she offers her customers a hodgepodge of merchandise, some antiques & some gently used items as well as a wonderful mismatched collection of old linens & lace.

There is also this window where a gentleman sells chickens, rabbits & ducks as well as the occasional bouquet of flowers from his home.

You might wonder about the photo below since there is no sign to indicate a bussness. This is where I went with my French friend on Saturday to buy eggs. No there is no sign, you simply need to know the farmer. You unlatch the door & enter with your recycled egg cartons & there on an old enamel table are eggs for the taking. You get the number that you need & leave your payment in a cash drawer in the table.

We didn't see anyone but the beautifully  plumed chickens roaming about & the sound of a rooster crowing in the background. That for me was the most magical way to go shopping for eggs.

If this seems like a dream to you head over to Paulita's 

Dreaming of France 

to see what other Francophiles have to say.

Roses sur les Fenêtres

The roses have been so lovely  this year. May is really the month for them & they just could not have been more beautiful. Here are but a few of the amazing windows covered with roses that I have seen recently. 

So if you happen to be Dreaming of France  & a rose covered cottage maybe some of these photos will inspire you. 

Happy dreaming & may your week be rosey?

A Little Heart

 This being Valentines week & all, I thought I would express my love of France with a few hearts.

 I love how so many of the houses from the middle ages in France are decorated with them.

When in France, I never tire of looking for hearts. On doors or windows, elegant or rustic, up or down, I always keep my eyes open. Whether, a child's happy drawing or heart shaped confetti this symbol of love always makes me smile.

A heart felt wish for a very happy week to each & everyone.

 I am linking this post with Paulita's meme Dreaming of France @ An Accidental Blog.

Throw Open the Windows

Yesterday we were given a reprieve from our cold, rainy weather. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day. Perfect! Although, today we have returned to the damp & chill, that brief taste of glorious weather, made me want to open the windows & let springtime in.

This is one of the things, that I love about France. There, without screens, it is truly possible to trow open windows & invite the fresh air in.

It is a common sight to see French women shaking out rugs or airing out bedding from their open windows.

One can lean out of a kitchen window to hang out a wet tea towel...

or just to chat with a passing friend....

One can simply pass the time watching the breeze blow the curtains bellowing in & out of the window.

Or, as what so often happens to me, one might open their window to discover a wonderful gift of fresh garden vegetables & herbs, left by a neighbor on the sill.

I am looking forward to this liberating feeling of openness after, what to me has been a very long & closed up winter.