Waiting for lunch customers at a lovely French cafe. An atmospheric scene in a quiet street in Mougins France. Mougins is close to the perfume town of Grasse. The small village boasts several fine restaurants and is a lovely relaxing place to enjoy a long lunch and sleep it of by the fountain in theContinue reading “Waiting for lunch in a quiet moment in Mougins France”
Author Archives: Neal Atherton French Travel Book Writer
Impressions of Provence a Landcape for my French Travel Books
A lovely watercolour artwork from an original idea by my book illustrator – so looking forward to being back in this landscape. I do love to mix up my illustrations in my French travel books with photography and some original artwork. I think an artists impression allows your imagination to take you into the sceneContinue reading “Impressions of Provence a Landcape for my French Travel Books”
Paris Restaurant Cafe and location photography
A few shots taken over the last few years. Paris always draws you back – CLICK ON PHOTO FOR FULL VIEW
Emmylou Harris – Pieces of the Sky
The first thing that strikes you about this album is the cover. It is loaded with sentiment. Emmylou looks pensive, alone, wistful on the front. She is lost in thought – what would Gram think of this album and why isn’t he here? Above the photo is maybe a nod to Gram – an angel looking over her as she starts on her musical path alone. On the reverse she is dreamlike in a flowing light dress. Emmylou is in the desert, the scene of her unhappiness and the loss of her dreams. Was she there as the fire raged in the canyon? As James Taylor said ‘This is not a time for levity’. It is a heart-breaking cover, but does she move on with the music?
Neil Young – Time Fades Away
Carole King – Tapestry 1971
I was not one for spending money, of which I had little, on music. Music came in and out of my life, but sport was my main interest. I do recall though cycling around the whole town, visiting every newsagent, to try to buy a copy of a music magazine that was offering full lyrics of the latest hits. A girl I adored as a ten-year-old loved the Walker Brothers and I thought she would be truly impressed if I knew the lyrics. I failed to get a copy as all were sold out – so back to football instead.
TRAVEL BLOG More NEW Stories Please Enjoy these short memoirs and more
My passion is writing about travel and particularly French travel. I have traveled extensively in France and wine and food has always featured on my travels and now in my books. My friends always await our return from France with the latest new finds from the vineyards and I was more than happy to keepContinue reading “TRAVEL BLOG More NEW Stories Please Enjoy these short memoirs and more”
Hôtel Restaurant les Templiers and photography of Collioure France
On this mild clear evening the sun is going down, the scene is enlightened by the lights of the harbour front cafés and bars and the spot lights focused on Collioure’s church, Notre-Dame-des-Anges, a former converted lighthouse. Behind the church is the small Chapelle Saint Vincent on a rocky outcrop. There is of course inContinue reading “Hôtel Restaurant les Templiers and photography of Collioure France”
NEW French Travel Book out NOW – Photography from the Book
Please enjoy this selection of photography from my new book They are taken on Fuji print film and Nikon & Olympus Digital Cameras My fifth book about our twenty five years of French travel is due out in the summer of 2022, early July. It is mainly new writing and sets out to tour FranceContinue reading “NEW French Travel Book out NOW – Photography from the Book”
Normandy – History, Markets and Food to Start Touring France
The dawn chorus was just thinking about making an appearance when we started our approach to the ferry terminal at Portsmouth. It was then that I realized why my mouth had gone so dry and my hands were shaking. I had not got the faintest idea of how to proceed to the ferry and an embarrassed fear set in. Where on earth do I go – what lane do I take?
My Vinyl LP Record Collection – a life through Music
Today, as I listen to the Bruce Springsteen ‘River’ album, I am wondering what it is that shapes our love of music and particularly a genre that we seem to stay with for life. To be fair I did come to Springsteen a little later in life although the seeds were already there for him to step into my collection. My reason for starting this journey through my past, to paraphrase Neil Young, was my father’s vinyl collection. My father died recently, and he left a vast collection of vinyl including 78’s which I suppose are technically shellac. His CD collection was even more extensive, but it was the vinyl that fascinated me.
French Travel Books - France, Paris, Provence & French Food & Wine 