domus vernacular

everywhere we go we are always looking at houses - possible new domicile and strong architectural interest in regional style - the older the more compelling, and of course, always unmodified charm!

facing the cote sauvage, a tiny cottage beckons with a grassed over pathway between the two inspired rows of miniature menhirs, no doubt emphasizing the primitive aspects of the siting...

the basic geometry of hearth and home of a built-in oven for this centuries old stone house in one of many ancient and perfectly preserved hamlets that we stumble upon...

in villages, larger and "newer" houses are animated by painted wood shutters of various harmonious hues, and in warmer weather, always enlivened by colourful floral flourishes...

across from the restaurant where we indulge in moules et frites is an almost tumbling down old fisherman's cottage... I feel a need to rescue it from further neglect and maintain its status as the main house in this minuscule port where brown and weathered fishermen still sit beside their boats smoking and looking quizzically out to sea...

[the last day of my stay the rose bushes in front had burst into a profusion of pale pink blooms...making it an even more irrisistible abode to consider...]

in larger towns elegant villas soar into the intense blue skies and are surrounded by generous gardens of exotic plants...this particular manoir stained a burnished burgundy to impart a semi-tropical ambience framed by the thriving palm trees...

and by my favourite beach a quaint stone house meticulously composed of rounded and varied sized rocks and detailed by pristine white shutters...its understated distinctiveness emboldened by the luxuriant dark foliage of a happy and vigorous prunus...