Reveal Travel Challenge: Day 6

Mende a beautiful town in Lozere France. There is so much to see. We got a circular, information leaflet that took us on an historic tour of the old town! Boy it was old! There is evidence that there have been people living in the town since 200BC. Read about it here it is very interesting. 

This is the narrowest street the ancient town of Mende.

 We followed the map and found it very interesting. We visited the Cathedral , It was Pope Urban V  who started work on  the cathedral (1368), for a completion in 1467.

As you can see the two towers are completely different, one was destroyed during the religious wars. I am totally miffed as to why they did not replicate the old one? 

Here they are restoring part of the old ramparts of the town. This time unlike their predecessors they are honouring what was there before.

This is the the oldest water pump in town apparently it is the best water in the Town!! 

This spectacular moment in time  is painted on the side of a house in the old town it looks as if the guy with the flag is about to step on to the street! The scene in the painting actually depicts a scene from Voltarra an Italian town that Mende is twinned with . We have visited Voltarra too. 

Well that is all the photos the internet here will allow me to upload right now . 

K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge: Straight Lines.

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Dale  at  Diary  of  an internet nobody  said :”It’s the first full working week of the year and time for your Monday morning dose of photographic artistry from K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge, with this week’s theme set by me; Straight lines.

K’Lee’s post is  here 

Two images  from  our  holiday  in France. The  natural  and  the tinkered  with.  One  day  we  were  driving  betwixt  and  between  and  we  could  not  believe  how  straight  the  road  ahead  of us  was ! and  what a  glorious  sky  was  above us ! I took  the photo  from  the  passenger  seat!

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The  same  photo  with a  black and  white  filter .

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The  photo  above  was a  beautiful  tree lined  road, not  much  wider  than our  car  lined with  trees on  both  sides again  typically  french!

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The  one  above is  with  the  colours  inverted.

Beautiful  straight  lines, glorious  straight  roads.

Rules  and Pingback here 

 

 

If we were having Coffee: Chateaux and ghosts

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Boussay Chateau

Welcome  everyone  especially  Sheri  who  arrived  last  night  sleeping  bag  in  hand.  Now  I  have  explained  that  the  internet is  very  sketchy  around  here, in  the Rhone  Alps!

Now  I  have  decided  that  we  shall  travel back  to  Boussay  and  that  beautiful  Chateau  that I  felt  so  sorry  for! Let’s  bring it  to life  for  a  few  hours  if  only  virtually. We  can  throw  cushions  and  drapes  around  ,  maybe  you  could  all  bring  your own! We  can  have a  party  here  a  tea  party  and  breath  some  virtual  life into  the  sad  empty  place.

Don’t  worry  everything  is  as it  always  is  with tea  and coffee  from all over  the world not to mention all our cakes  and muffins  and  as Paul  calls  them sweets! Every single  one  is  calorie  free! Plus of course  we now have spirits  and liquors  to warm the coldest of  you.

If we were having  Coffee: I would ask  you what  has been going on in your world this week, has  anything  deeply affected  you, have  you need a sympathetic ear, a shoulder to cry  on or  just  needed someone  to make  you laugh! If  yes  feel free to talk it out  here  with us. We will all help if  we can.

Lets  join  everyone  here  and  all the  other  “IF  WE  WERE  HAVING  COFFEES”

If we were having Coffee: I would  remind  you  that  there  are lots of  other  coffee mornings  all shared  and organized  By  Diana  and  Gene’O  over at,Part time monster

Paul who is  over  at  Mark Bialczak   in Syracuse this  week  and  all this  month. So  don’t  forget  to visit  him  over  there! I  shall be  later!

If  we  were having  coffee: I would  welcome  you  to  this  wonderful place  and  ask  you how  you have  all been. Now  although  we  are  not  still in  Boussay   my  thoughts  are  dragged  back  there  by  the  beautiful  but  empty  Chateau. The owner  who  was 95yrs  old  and  lived in  two  rooms  of  the  Chateau  toward  the  end of  his  life  only  died in  May  of  this year….. imagine  that  old  man alone in  a huge  chateau  with  all his  memories  and ghosts.

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Now  If  we  were  having  coffee : although  we are in  a wonderful  place  with  mountains, swimming  pool and  lovely  hosts  I  am  still  drawn  back  to  the  chateau. I  hope  you  are  enjoying  our  sojourn here! I  have  to  dash off  now  as I  have  not  enough  time  to  stay  as long  as I  would  like  also  not  enough  wifi! So  please  stay  and  enjoy  I  am with you  in  spirit …just  like  the  ghosts  of  the    chateau!

I  shall love  you  and leave  you  all to  enjoy  I  am  putting  my  feet up  now  and  taking  in the  view  so  come  and  join  me  or  wander  over  to see Paul who is  over  at  Mark Bialczak   in Syracuse this  week  and  all this  month. Let us  see  what  they are  all discussing  ! It has  been lovely  as always  to have  you all here  and  I  hope,  as does  Paul  that  you will all join us here and  at Mark Bialczak ‘s again  next  week.

exploding dog

And of course  the

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE:  WEEKEND COFFEE SHARE

over at Part Time  Monster  and Gene’O’s

Cat’s teas Party

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE: GUEST POST 10/01/15

 

  Can We Be the Bigger Person?

                                                    (or are we slaves of our principles?)

Afternoon Tea in France

Paul your Barista
Paul your Barista

Welcome to Willow’s weekly coffee and tea garden. My name is Paul, I’ll be your barista today and I’m happy to be here once again. Please come in and make yourself comfortable. Willow has plumped the cushions and started a cozy fire so we can warm ourselves while we have a cuppa and chat. As usual, I’d be pleased to bring a pot of whatever beverage you prefer – we have a wide range of teas and coffees to satisfy our world-wide readership. We can relax with a cuppa and calorie free electronic sweets while we discuss the affairs of the week both personal and/or worldwide. How has your week been?

The horror of the terrorist killings in France this week has thrown a pall over international news. My heart and prayers go out to all those who have been hurt or killed and their families and friends. I abhor this behaviour on the part of those terrorists who are hiding behind the label of “Muslim”, a religion that is, at its heart, a study of peace. That said, I won’t elaborate as there has been ample coverage in the media and I am sure many are overloaded with the images and pain. As a non-practicing Christian I have some questions, though, and I wonder if any of you have wondered the same. Given that the Muslim religion makes it clear that it is forbidden to create an image of Mohammed, and the terrorists have made it clear that they will attack anyone who does, then why do people continue to create those images?

Image from Recent Parisian Terrorism

The examples that I have seen of those who have created images mocking Mohammed, have done so for purposes of creating controversy while being paid to make profits for companies. I don’t understand why they feel the need to mock the beliefs of a religious group. Is it the money they are paid to do their “jobs”? Is that the reason? Is it a hatred of Muslims that drives the need to produce cartoons of Mohammed? Those producing these images know before they do, that what they are doing is abhorrent to about a billion people. They know that there is a faction out there who has sworn to kill anyone who does this. What is the driving reason to produce those images? It is certainly not helping anyone else, other than providing a target for derision for those who enjoy belittling others.

Would you like a refill of your cuppa? A sweet perhaps?

Many of the world’s first nations media and leaders are standing solid on freedom of expression or freedom of speech as an inalienable right. That may be so but at what point does that turn into the promulgation of hatred? And even if one believes freedom of speech is inalienable, why would anyone do something that they are basically guaranteed will result in their death? As an old truck driver, I am reminded of a common adage that many drivers live: it is far better to go home alive than it is to be right and dead. That is used daily by virtually every driver out there. How many times do we avoid accidents when we have the right, legally, to kill someone? Answer: many times a day. There is a higher order of understanding above the rules- and that is “be safe”. Human life and life in general, is more valuable than any principle. The rules were made for Man but Man was not made for the rules.

Many will argue that if the Muslims are living in our country, then they should obey our rules. And really, that is a good perspective, generally. However there is an even higher perspective and that is: can we accommodate their beliefs without damage or harm to anyone in our current society? Are we big enough to look at ourselves through their eyes and understand what is important to them? By doing so, we can solve many of the confrontations and adversarial views. There are some things that we cannot accept for it would lead to the death or harm to others – such as Sharia Law. But there are other things, such as refraining from producing images of Mohammed, that are easy to do and do not reduce us one whit.

I do not believe that principles should have a higher importance than human life. And that goes for the Muslim terrorists who are attacking journalists and cartoonists. It also applies to us – we do not need to make images of Mohammed – it is not a valid argument, in my mind, that the Freedom of Speech trumps human life. In fact, this has been proven many times in our own courts – that the safety of people comes before any principle. The law is made to keep people safe, when it is doing otherwise, then we make an exception to that law. There is a legal argument in some jurisdictions that that which is necessary (saves lives for instance) is legal regardless of the written law. Freedom of Speech is NOT inalienable, human safety is inalienable.

Some interesting reading over here

I have to give credit for today’s topic to Doobster over at Mindful Digressions http://mindfuldigressions.com/2015/01/09/good-old-american-censorship-redux/ .He did a post that triggered these thoughts and although we do not agree, he has the right to his opinion– Ha!

Personally my week has been rather uneventful – hiding inside from the bone numbing cold of -34 earlier in the week. Other than that, not much exciting. How about you? Anything exciting in your world this week?

That’s about all we have room for this week, so it’s time to settle in with another cuppa and watch the fire. Sweets anyone? Please join me in thanking Willow for her invitation to tea. We are all honored that you dropped by today to visit. I hope you’ve enjoyed yourself and the conversation and please look around at Willow’s other posts while you’re here. Willow is over there serving her guests and chatting it up. Let’s go see how she is today. Have a great week. We look forward to seeing you back here for tea again next week.

And of course  the

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE: THE INAUGURAL WEEKEND COFFEE SHARE

over at Part Time  Monster  and Gene’O’s

Afternoon Tea at the Ritz Paris

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