Milan and Aix en Provence .....

It is difficult to write about Milan and Aix en Provence when we have already moved on from there but I am using this blog as my travel blog while away and will write sequentially while my mind is presently absorbed in the glorious sunshine here in Lauzerte, and full of wonderful serendipitous moments from the last couple of days.

Already eight of our precious days are gone and every day has been a wonder - fully of beautiful sights and smells, a different light, different colour spectrum and of course, a delicious meander through the cuisine of different areas.

Just over a week ago we arrived in Milan having flown directly from Brisbane via Dubai.  We staying very centrally and wandered the streets absorbing all the beautiful architecture and enjoying the change of season after leaving behind a very wet and cold Australia.  Mostly I walked without my camera - just soaking in the different cultural flavours.  I did however have my camera when we visited the cathedral and I was very glad.  IThought the sun was shining on a few patches of the huge front dorors but as this photograph above shows .... These beautiful highlights are created by visitors running the sculpural reliefs in just those couple of patches.  I imagine much like rubbing the boar's nose in Florence - for luck, or fortune.

Every detail of the Cathedral bespeaks of artistic ability and grandeur ... I wonder if we could make such marvelous things these days, or if we could afford to build with such attention to detail.

The light in such spaces if mysterious and majestic, adding to the experience as you wander about enthralled.

The bliss .....

And the angst .... Though this seems an emotion much deeper and more heartfelt than angst.

The knowledge of the workings of the body - though I am not sure that the quality of these photos an the mobile blogging sight allows for you to zoom in and look at these musculature details .... Which actually look so out of place in this instance when all other edifices seem more ecclesiastic or poetic.  The realism here seems misplaced even though absorbing in its detail. 

The marble colours seems to be issued from my favourite palette .....

And in Aix en Provence again the deep mystery of the religious or spiritual havens.  And the glorious light .....

The preserve of the ancient .....

And for me the joy of finding so many crosses in the streets and round about, in the architecture, the shutters and so forth.  Way too many to send to this posting!  Though I am tempted.

This perambulator is way past the point of use and yet has plenty of visual appeal ... It is a good attention grabber for the antique store behind.

Not only the colours of spring and summer but everywhere the smell of spring - jasmin covered walls and orange blossom.  Though not in these photographs, peony roses seem to abound in Aix en Provence - almost reason enough to pack one's bags and move.

I take great delight in the colours of the stonework and blue shutters we see everywhere.  This image reminds me of the colours of Morocco as well.

Steve noticed this painting in an alcove by a residential doorway .... A lovely touch of the creative but such a sorrowful image.

And though I am stopping here, as you can imagine I have any number of gorgeous images from these two cities - how could one not when everywhere you look there is something quite remarkable to see.  I am trying very hard on this trip to not take thousands of photographs which is my usual approach when travelling.  Instead, I am more often jsut gettign lost in the moment, enjoying this lovely weather and the privilege of being able to enjoy such memorable moments.

The trip continues with the next posting..... I am hoping I remember how to post this blog, so far it seems easy even though the image quality is poor.  As long as I press all the right buttons ......

Here goes ..