French Doors

What is it about old doors? What is it that makes some of us stop dead in our tracks, take out our camera, capture the image, and keep it in our hearts forever? It’s just a door after all, isn’t it?

Or is it? I have dozens of photos of the door below. I have photographed this little blue door in each of the four seasons, at sunrise and sunset, and almost every hour in between. “What is the draw?” I’ve often wondered. And so today, I sat down and reflected on what it could be …

A door represents:

A warm greeting

A final goodbye

A quick, loud knock from someone with exciting news

A soft, purposeful knock from someone sent to deliver heartbreaking news

It is the place for a swift and slightly awkward kiss after a first date

and a final kiss goodbye.

We remember our first walk through a door

and a last walk out.

We see doors decorated with green wreaths and red ribbons with sparkly gold lettering: Happy Holidays!

… and doors adorned with a black or gold ribbon, passersby putting their heads down and walking with a sudden lump in their throat.

There are doors that lead to well-tended gardens …

… and private sanctuaries.

There are doors that make you want to sneak a peek inside to see what lies beyond. From the simple …

… to the stunning.

Red doors

Blue

Brown

Sweet

Small

Ornate

Whimsical

There are even doors that tell stories of unimaginable suffering …

… and of redemption.

There are charming doors that seem to come from a fairy tale …

and eclectic doors that surely have wild tales to tell.

And this incredible door, with its blue chippy paint, lion head, and warning sign. Anyone daring to knock should beware, for there is a cat inside whose duty it is to faithfully (and fiercely!) guard its owner’s home …

And why such an ornate door knocker? Is it because the person who crafted it sought to deliver a daily reminder for us to seek beauty in the smallest details, or does it hold a deeper mystery? Or was it simply all the rage at that time to make and display a lion head door knocker? These are the things I think about on my daily walks. Please tell me I’m not alone.

And what of windows, do they hold the same charm? Oh yes, I think so!

Shuttered

Looking in, seeing loved ones

Looking out, watching strangers walk by

Open

Windows that offer a little glimpse of the world beyond castle walls …

… and a reminder of what is being protected.

And what of this charming scene below? Do you imagine knocking on the door and asking the person who answers if you could have a cup of tea together? I feel like anyone with a door this sweet would be making a fresh batch of biscuits or something equally delightful.

I fully understand that not everyone understands my obsession with doors. For example, one day I was in Dol-de-Bretagne photographing what I thought to be a marvelous door whose colors contrasted perfecly with the surrounding shutters and adjacent shops. While I was taking my 15th shot of said door, a gentlemen stopped and watched me for a few minutes. He asked me why I was taking a photo of the door. I tried, in my spotty French what I found so lovely about the colors, the archway, etc. He listened then sported a large grin and said (from what I caught), “You know that’s the jail, right?”

Full disclosure, this was not the post I was going to publish today. This one came to mind during my morning walk. (As all women are aware, one can’t simply “walk” without solving the world’s problems, thinking about what to wear the next day, wondering if we paid that bill, identiying new topics for articles, etc. etc. etc.) What did you think of this rather quirky post? I figured we could all use a light post today. And do tell me, do you have an obsession with doors? If not, has this changed your mind?

Have a wonderful week. Please stay safe and well.

Amy, from Tales from Brittany

Note: All photos are mine. Please do not use without permission and credit. Merci. 🙂