flanerie

Laden with snow

Laden With Snow, originally uploaded by Jez.

It was somewhat challenging to capture any decent images while attempting to control my excitable dog. Most of the activity in Heaton Park these past wintery days has been children sledging, and the snow carpeting the many hidden paths around the frozen boating lake was scarcely disturbed when I went there the other day.

With a few minor adjustments to the original photo, I’m fairly pleased with the result, with spider’s web intricacy of the tree branches contrasting well with the bright sky.

The whole set can be viewed here.

Allée de Migny

Allée de Migny, originally uploaded by Jez.

Bitterly cold, but we avoided the snow in la France profonde. The rusticity and tranquility of the area I find very appealing, after the bustle of pre-Christmas Manchester. Heading towards the woods, this is the more photogenic part of the village, although you have to take care not to stray far off the path, with plenty of shotgun sounds coming from the nearby huntsmen (hunting for food, not sport, I’m pleased to say). At the end of this road, there is a gorgeous little mini-château, with grounds and outbuildings, scandalously under-used by its Parisian owners.

Turning back, the welcoming heat of a real fire beckoned at the house.