I took so many photos on my camping trip this summer that I couldn’t share them all with you in that one Expat Chronicles post. I saved a bunch for this follow-up post that were simply inspirational to me. These photos of doors, buildings and art have something in the way of color or shape that tugs at my heart. I hope that they will speak to you as well. Enjoy!

We drove past so many sunflower fields on the way to and from France. The overwhelming abundance of these tall, ecstatically yellow flowers seemed to shout, “Yay, it’s vacation time!” to me. Maybe I saw in them a reflection of my own mood - vibrant, joyful, free.

But I wasn’t just drawn to pretty things on vacation. France is full of stately old doors with peeling paint and ancient locks. I love the ironwork on this one, and the fact that half its glass is missing made it only more charming in my eyes.

I took this photo from a terrace where Floris and I had sat drinking tea, across from a cathedral in Roaane. I find the colors totally bewitching. The soft peach combined with the dusty blue of the shutters and sky is perfect. Add to that the surrounding touches of black and teal from the shop signs, the terracotta of the roof and the golden hue of the cathedral at right, and it makes quite a sophisticated color scheme. Maybe someday a quilt!

I had to stop to photograph this building in Roanne as well. The color combination is similar to the scene by the cathedral. Roanne’s buildings tended to combine warm stucco with cool accents. Inspiring, yes?

And here’s another door that I particularly enjoyed. Maybe it’s that lovely green, accented by neutrals and red. Or maybe it’s the woodwork on the door itself. I love all the beveled trim details and the pull nobs on the door fronts. So elegant.

Ready for my favorite color moment from the trip? I was totally mesmerized by this building because that luscious green vine, growing thick on the walls, was waving in the wind like waves lapping against the shore. Yes, that’s what got my attention, but the colors kept it. I see plummy purples, rich mustard and an icy blue that feels almost-purple, surrounded by creamy tones and warm earthy browns. And then all that green, so cool and thick. I’m not sure if I would include the green if I transformed this image into a quilt; but then again, it could well be that the green combining with the purple is what I love best. Hmmm.

And this! I mean wow. This crumbling room seems like an addition built onto the house so that the owners could better enjoy the little river tinkling along below. The arches and flowers in the glasswork are so artistic. That everything has fallen to ruin and the plants are coming in makes it seem like an enchanted, once-upon-a-time place.

And, finally, this photo which I made in Luxembourg at the MUDAM art museum. It is a corner of a painting by Bernard Frize, which inspires me in color, shape and energy. It has a delicious 70’s vibe and reminds me also of tree rings. We visited the museum on our last day of vacation so even the autumnal colors felt right. With summer’s end comes something new and deep and vaguely mysterious. What exactly will it look like? Feel like? We have yet to discover.