Five Windows on the World

We live in a rather nondescript house, not very old, not terribly charming on the outside. (I love the inside.) As I sorted through my photos from our trip, I wondered if I had taken enough of windows to do a post for Five on Friday. Uh, yeah. Definitely. These are just a few, from France. There are many more, and perhaps I'll do another post on English or Welsh windows.

These windows illustrate individuality to me. Shutters can be painted in one's favorite shade, and plants act as frames. Monet's dining room window, above, is lush with colour and texture.

Another window in Giverny shows simplicity and charm with the gingham curtains that match the colour of the shutters. Blue and white is my all time first choice colour combination. 

In contrast, this stark photo of the abbey at Jumièges shows abandonment and devastation, and yet the pure lines of the window and wall speak eloquently of the architect's aesthetic.

Bright red shutters that match the roses growing nearby made for a striking look in Arromanches. 

The Abbey of Saint-Wandrille is a working monastery. In the photo on the right, can you see the figure of a small fox? The man who patiently carved the intricate stone for the pillar beside the window left his mark centuries ago. "I was here." "I created this." It's a statement of individuality.

In the top left photo, a ram serves as signature of the stoneworker who is helping to replace some of the windows in the cloister. She, for stone work is not restricted to men anymore, chose this symbol from the story of Abraham and Isaac on the mountain; the ram caught in the thickets.

We all display our individuality in unique ways. It might be via words or gardens, music or cooking, kindness or sports - these are our windows to the world. 

Linking to Amy's Five on Friday post. This will be the last until September.