Wednesday, September 07, 2011

The church

While in the nearby town of Mortagne-au-Perche, we stopped and ordered a few pizzas to take back to the house for lunch. Instead of standing around waiting for them to be ready, we ducked into the church around the corner for a look-see.

Standard wicker chairs and wooden benches in the church at Mortagne.

It was your standard French church, not particularly spectacular, but fun to ramble around in for a bit nonetheless. I took a bunch of photos, but it was very dark and most of them came out blurry. I took a few by putting the camera on a table or other surface and they worked fine.
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13 comments:

  1. Mark07 September, 2011 12:40

    You take the best "inside" shots. This one and the one of your Friends, last week, are the best. I really need to practice my low light settings. You've set the bar high.
    m.

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  2. Seine Judeet (Judith)07 September, 2011 12:51

    I remember that the first time I walked into a French church, I was struck by the fact that the seating is mostly chairs, instead of installed pews (I wonder where that word comes from?).

    I was reading quickly when I first started reading your blog today, and for a split second, I thought you were saying that you had brought the pizza into the church to eat it, rather than waiting to take it home :)))

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  3. Virginia07 September, 2011 16:40

    Wonderful point of view you chose for this. Love it.
    V

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  4. Genie -- Paris and Beyond07 September, 2011 17:13

    I found you through Virginia's blog, and how great to see your perspective on this magnificent church. I feature a church each Sunday on my photo blog and have a similar shot taken in Église Saint-Eustache. The chairs always look small next to the enormity of the architecture.

    What wonderful photographs and stories you have!

    Bises,
    Genie

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  5. Starman07 September, 2011 18:14

    I love the architecture of these old churches.
    Isn't that funny...today's word verification is...bless!!

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  6. Ur-spo08 September, 2011 04:40

    I love old churches; it is nice to see they are still used rather than merely museums.

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  7. chm08 September, 2011 08:22

    Hi Judy,
    I was also intrigued by the original meaning of the word "pew". Here it is:

    http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=p&p=21

    Pew — late 14c., "raised, enclosed seat for certain worshippers" (ladies, important men, etc.), from O.Fr. puie, puy "balcony, elevation," from L. podia, pl. of podium "elevated place," also "balcony in a Roman theater" (see podium). Meaning "fixed bench with a back, for a number of worshippers" is attested from 1630s.

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  8. Seine Judeet (Judith)08 September, 2011 13:01

    Thanks, chm!

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  9. Dean France09 September, 2011 16:53

    Thanks chm and Judy.
    I spent a little time in Le-Puy-en-Velay. Wrongly assuming that the word, "Le Puy" derived from the same word as "Un puits", I always thought it strange that an area dotted by high volcanic hills was named after a deep "well".
    Now I know that those were "podia" I was climbing up.
    Moments like these make me realize that I'm never going to really learn French.

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  10. chm10 September, 2011 06:08

    Be reassured, Dean France, most French people [me included until yesterday] have no idea where "puy" comes from and what it really means. Probably some kind of mountain but, IMHO, it's as far as it goes!

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  11. Dean France10 September, 2011 07:38

    I taketh great comfort in
    the book of Walt 2:3:09

    "Though I starteth learning French in 1970, I thinketh I may now be about half-way througheth."

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  12. chm10 September, 2011 08:56

    Dean France: LOL

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  13. Andy Nash11 September, 2011 09:27

    All your photos are good, but this one is really great!

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