Southern Shutter Swatches.

I've written about Arles shutters before (here). I love pretty much everything about them, their colour, their weathered texture, with cracks and peeling paint that show the passage of time. During our holiday in Arles this summer I took some close up photos of a selection of these moveable window covers. Shutter swatches.

And here are some shutters in situ, looking wonderful against the creamy Arlesienne stone.



Previous Arles posts:

A Room With a View.

Round and About in Arles.

A Room With a View

We're back in one of our favourite places, Arles. A Provencal town 40 kms inland from the Mediterranean and 90 kms west of Marseilles. Arles is steeped in history and culture. Apart from the Roman amphitheatre, a Classical Theatre, and antique baths there are endless, narrow, incredibly picturesque streets that wind around each other in unpredictable ways. A pleasure to get lost in.

We're staying in the Hotel du Forum on the main square. Up on the third floor we have a beautiful view across the rooftops. Curved Roman terracotta tiles prevail.

Looking down and across the Place du Forum.

A window above Le Café Van Gogh, the Café which Van Gogh famously painted in 1888 while he was living in Arles. 

From our hotel room we can also see this domed tower on the top of the Mairie d'Arles. 

In the morning.

In the evening.

We move rooms today, the view is different but just as good. More photos to come!

Arles photos from previous visits.

Arles: shutters, clear skies and dragon flies.

Round and About in Arles.

Round and About in Arles

My Other Half and I have been visiting Arles since 1989 when we stumbled upon it by chance while rail-carding around Europe. It is a beautiful city in the south of France just north of the Camargue and south of where the Rhône river forks. It is about 35kms inland from the sea. 

The old city remains unspoilt, a maze of tiny narrow streets like this...

...and roofs like this. I have a soft spot for terracotta Roman roof tiles.

As you stroll around the town when ever you turn a corner there is something lovely to look at.

The small details never disappoint.

As in every city there is street art...

...and delectable decay.

We always go to the beach at Les Saintes Maries de la Mer. A small unpretentious seaside resort with wide sandy beaches that never get as crowded as those further east along the coast.

The first day we were here it was a little stormy but we went to the beach anyway. 

The next day the weather was much better. Apparently it was the perfect conditions for doing this.

Today the sky was like this.

I love this place!

Arles: shutters, clear skies and dragon flies

We were Arles last week. A beautiful small town in the south of France bursting at the seams with spectacular Roman monuments, affordable restaurants, cafés, museums, shops and boutiques, 

We first went to Arles in 1989, unintentionally. We were headed for Avignon, but our train went to Arles instead. We never reached Avignon until a few days later. We fell in love with this small Roman town and went back nearly every year after that. Until we had children that is. The last time we were there was when I was pregnant with our now 11 year old. I was a little nervous that it would have changed over the past 11 years but no, it's the same!

It is simply lovely. Here is the view we had from our hotel room. I love roman tiles, they make me feel like I'm on holiday, down south, somewhere a little exotic.

In the town centre, which ever way you look you see something that pleases the eye.




I love the narrow streets, though driving down them is rather harrowing.

I'm never quite sure what will get to me when I visit a place, but I can say without hesitation that the summer of 2012 brought me a shutter obsession. Just ask my kids, though they may just roll their eyes in reply. Old, delectably ageing wooden shutters in lovely pastel colours. Colours that require intense bright sun to look good. 

Here are some minty green ones.



Pale blue/grey shutters.

This half shuttered window was intriguing.


Moss green and pale blue.



The blue used so often must be inspired by the colour of the sky.




And also, by nature's wondrous surprises.

More Arles shutter photos can be seen here (thumbnails) and here (slideshow).