Reverend Anne's latest articles reminded me, lest we forget, that there is beauty all around us and Provence and the Cote d'Azur are past masters at delighting our senses. Her article also jogged my memory that I'd taken a photo in early spring by our pool house upon which grow some crusty old succulents.
As I wandered round early one morning I spied something tiny moving: it was a baby Praying Mantis about one centimetre long and almost translucent in colour. I can't tell you how privileged I felt at finding him and possibly sharing in the moments following his hatching. Needless to say I charged straight back indoors to collect my Nikon D70 and photographed him. Thankfully these creatures do not move very fast so I had ample time to photograph the little fellow.
While there is much unhappiness happening around the world, let's not forget that there is beauty too. While it may seem that we are cocooned here and set far apart from the trials and tribulations that many people sadly suffer, in some small way I hope that I can bring some beauty back into the world through this website. After the Bastille Day 2008 video, I'm proud to share with you one of my favourite areas of the Cote d'Azur: the Promenade des Anglais. There is a beauty and magic there that can take your breath away and stun the senses. While summer holidays will soon be a thing of the past, I hope you'll enjoy returning to view the video and be touched again by the magnificent beauty of the Baie des Anges and that, also, there is beauty in the tiniest of things too.