Tag Archives: alsace

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: France, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Mercerie Bonneterie

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Anne Picot, Mercerie Bonneterie, Ribeauvillé.
“Mercerie Bonneterie” — A colorful shop front in Ribeauville, France.

During our late-autumn visit to Riquewihr in Alsace we spent time in several of the small towns in the area. The area is full of them, with many exhibiting links to their medieval heritage. I’m no expert, but it seemed like they have somewhat similar layouts — an entrance of some sort, a main street lined with shops, various numbers of smaller side streets, and surrounding countryside filled with vineyards.

I photographed this shop on our walk through Ribeauvillé. My main interest was in the colors, shapes and textures of the place, from the striking color of the store front to the upstairs windows and the patterned cobblestone street in front. It was only later, after we came home, that I thought to wonder “what is this store?” Translations suggest that it is a “haberdashery,” but that seems to have a different meaning that what I expect in English. The store’s website mentions selling fabric and buttons and similar items.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Europe, Photographs: France, Photographs: Travel

Eguisheim, Alsace

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“Eguisheim, Alsace” — A narrow street in the town of Eguisheim, Alsace, France.

Eguisheim is a medieval French village in Alsace, a region that has a deep German history as well. The village is definitely quaint, with timber-framed construction preserving its medieval roots with buildings that lean in sometimes-alarming ways and which are painted in striking colors. The village is laid out in concentric circles of narrow, curving streets.

We visited during out late-November stay in the nearby Alsatian village of Riquewihr. We drove over from where we were staying in Germany and spent three days enjoying the food and wine of this region and visiting a number of small villages and towns. Eguisheim was the destination of one of those day trips. We spent half of a day wandering its narrow street, stopping in to small shops, paying too much for a few souvenirs, and grabbing lunch before heading on.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | BlueSky | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: France, Photographs: Travel

Shades of Blue

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“Shades of Blue” — Details of a blue wall with shutter, Equisheim, Alsace.

I think of these photographs as a sort of “found geometry” — patterns of color and texture and lines that can be viewed abstractly if you prefer. When I travel I’m usually on the lookout for these little vignettes, which are everywhere once you start looking for them. This one is simply a wall of a building in the little Alsatian town of Eguisheim.

Beyond their abstract qualities, these subjects can also hold a lot of history if you look closely. Eguisheim is a very old town, and very old towns contain a lot of, well, very old stuff. But they also are usually continuously updated, repaired, and spruced up. We can let new things go for a while without maintenance, but these old structures require a lot of attention. Here someone has obviously taken the time to paint the walls in multiple colors. But before long the old walls wear out and chip and crack.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | BlueSky | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: France, Photographs: Travel

Ma Maison en Alsace

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“Ma Maison en Alsace” — An old building in the quaint Alsatian town of Eguisheim.

I have written before that our “home base” in Europe is Heidelberg, where relatives live. (Hi Greg and Jan, and others!) We were based there for the first three weeks of our late 2024 trip — we traveled out to Nürnberg, Munich, and the Alsace region of France. This photograph comes form the latter adventure. This building is in the little Alsatian town of Eguisheim, where there are a lot of these old school structures.

I don’t count myself as an expert on Equisheim or Alsace, but this town is apparently known for its circular form (based on very old protective walls) and for maintaining a whole lot of these old buildings. Most have, of course, been fixed up — and some turned into shops and lodging — but many of them lean in charming and occasionally alarming ways.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | BlueSky | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.