the cycle begins

It's like opening day.  The buds are just starting to form on these old vines.

a stand up kind of guy

These amazingly tall flowers are spread generously through the flower beds near the levee this year.

the open field

If you're going to live next to an open field, this is the one you want.

the picnic

Hanging out on the edge of the Loire and having a picnic lunch.  Does it get any better?

they're back

It's great to see these guys scampering around again.  But ya gotta be quick to catch them "on film".

spring - down on the farm

This rural scene could be almost anywhere but is in fact just outside the town line of Amboise.

tropical paradise ?

These amazing tall flowers planted on top of the levee create a scene that reminds me of palm trees and sea breezes.

the fair way

Here's a broader view of the Amboise fair that I mentioned in a post earlier this week.  The plane trees were just beginning to bud.  And soon this mall will be under a shady canopy.

now that's a boat load of flowers

This boat-like planter is in the median strip of the widest street in Amboise, Quai Général de Gaulle.

the portable art gallery

Now here is an unusual way to show and promote contemporary art.  This little structure is staying in Amboise for two months, displaying a single piece of work by two artists for a month each. After that, the little "gallery" will move on to another venue in the Central Region of France.  It's a great example of the many little surprises to be found on the streets here.

intense shadows

Or "on tents" shadows.  In any case they caught my eye as I was heading to the annual fair in Amboise.  The fair is a mix of US state fair-like amusements for the kids and consumer goods for the adults.

soon

Soon this tree on Place Debré will be casting a very different shadow.

le meilleur voisin du monde

Here is yet another reason we have the best neighbor in the world.  We can watch this glorious tree from our kitchen window.

l'Elgise de Saint-Ouen-les-Vignes

This church is a nice easy bike ride north of Amboise.  It dates back to the 11th century and was enlarged in the 16th, The prominent bell tower and covered entry which make this church so unique were added in the 17th.

opening season

It's like throwing out the first baseball of the season.  Here is my first spring sunset.

on guard at the train station

This magnificent conifer has plenty of room in the parking lot at the Amboise train station.  Right now it is just covered in small brown cones.

at last

Spring seems to have been slow to arrive here this year.  But at last* here is a tree that has just exploded in the recent warm weather.

*with a tip of the hat to Etta James

red sunset

The low afternoon sun really brought the red out of these aging doors.

the big arch

This arch on the Loire is cast by the Leclerc bridge in the late afternoon sun (as a result it is quite elongated).

and with icing on top

I always have garage envy here as our (rented) one is not too interesting.  But this one, whoa!

light under the bridge

I caught the Leclerc bridge last week as the early morning sun found its way underneath.

storage

There are lots of troglodyte storage spaces around here, not to mention entire homes in cliff sides.  The spaces were created many, many years ago by quarrying the stone for local buildings and châteaux.

Amboise - UNESCO world heritage town

These logos on a metal "banner" recognize Amboise as a town in the Valley of the Loire which was added to the list of UNESCO world heritage sites in 2000.

the bell tower

One of the landmarks of Amboise in the morning sun.

morning shadows

Long shadows cast by strollers and and a planter on Place Debré.

sat on the roof

It going to be a good crop of moss this year on the side of the church Saint-Florentin.

Please forgive my continued references to old rock 'n roll tunes, I can't stop myself.

log jam

We've had lots of rain this spring, and while the Loire was way up many dead trees were washed downstream.  Here they got caught by some small yet sturdy living trees and then were left high and dry after the river subsided.

l'horloge de la Basilique Saint-Martin

This clock tower is one of the remaining pieces of the Collegiate Church of Saint Martin in nearby Tours.  Below is a brief history of it as described by an historical marker on the street (click on the image to see it enlarged). It also shows how the pieces fit into the overall church layout, most of which is now gone.

the runner up

This was my 2nd choice for yesterday's Theme Day "the beauty of simplicity".

CDP theme day - the beauty of simplicity

The first of every month is Theme Day for the bloggers of City Daily Photo, and today's theme is "the beauty of simplicity".  Click here to see how the others interpreted it.