EUROPEAN PATCHWORK FESTIVAL

Next chapter of solo travel in France...

 I leave Honfluer 

on the west coast of France 

and take a high speed TGV  train 

into Paris' Gare St. Lazarre.

There are five train stations in Paris,

each with transportation to and from

certain regions,

so I need to get from 

Gare St. Lazarre

to Gare L'Est

so I can make my way 

east to the town of Colmar,

my base for the European Patchwork Festival.

I decided to walk between the two stations.

(Since people have asked,

I travel with a medium sized backpack

with a change of clothes for three days.

It's light enough and easy to navigate 

all the stairs, cobblestones, etc.) 

The beauty, charm, and history

often takes my breath a way!

A brief down pour.

I take refuge 

under an awning of a tea shop

for fifteen minutes.

These three French pigeons take their own refuge!

Time to keep walking.

This is the big shopping area of Lafayette.

Finally,

I make it in time for my train!

I find this magazine in the newspaper stand.

I take it as confirmation that I am where I am supposed to be!

"ici and maintenant" translates to "here and now".

LOVE that!

I am up early the next morning and leave for the Patchwork festival.

Here's my hotel in Colmar.

My single room is up in the attic!

It's a taxi ride, 

to the train, 

to a bus ride,

through delightful landscape.

Hooray!

I get right down to business

and look through the small market first.

Ha!

Liberty fabric!

Drum roll please...

patchwork!

The quilts are spread out through four charming towns with a free shuttle running between them.

It took me a full eight hours to make it from one end to the other.

Quilts are displayed in churches, halls, 

store fronts, community buildings.

All four towns are saturated with quilts and quilters!

These two ladies took advantage of the crowds 

and set up a lunch stand.

Look at the size of that loaf!

My sandwich and nutella muffin were delicious!

OK, back to more patchwork...

LOVE this one!

This was a group quilt.

I really enjoy quilts when the humor shines through.

Unfortunately, I start to realize I am going to run out of battery power for my camera.

I apologize for not photographing all the artist's names!

This one is for you LeeAnn!

And then my battery dies!

I spend a few minutes feeling crabby and mad at my self.

Then I let it go 

and really enjoy just looking and being in the moment with the quilts.

It becomes a nice balance 

of having camera/tourist syndrome 

and being an awake and present human!

Great show, wonderful experience, completely unique.

I just love thinking of other nutty/addicted/creative ladies

worldwide

expressing themselves through patchwork!

C'est manifique