Tobermory Harbor, Isle of Mull, Scotland
Recently, over on Doug's 40on2 blog, Doug shared some beautiful photos of St. John's Newfoundland. The bright colors of the St. John's houses and buildings are part of the fun.
That got me to thinking about places that I have been where bright, bold colors are the norm in a community. One of those places was not too far away from St. John's, St. Pierre and Miquelon, which is a province of France off the south shore of Newfoundland. Another is the town of Tobermory in Scotland on the island of Mull.
What these places seem to have in common are that they are far north, on the ocean, and are filled with smart, friendly, and creative people. Perhaps these things come together in winter. If you were a smart and creative, sitting in a bar in the middle of an 8 month winter and looking out at a gray sky, a white land, and a slate
ocean, would you want to paint your house orange or bright blue when spring came? Or is it just for the tourists?
Village of St. Pierre, St. Pierre et Miquelon, France
St. Pierre, St. Pierre et Miquelon does indeed look much like the small fishing villages around St. John's, NL.
ReplyDeleteI've heard it said that in snowy climes residents began long ago painting their houses and buildings in bright colors to make them easier to find in a snow storm. I'd give just as much credence to the idea that they wanted to make the place more cheerful in the face of long, cold, gray winters. My friend in St. John's tells me that in the olden days postal addresses were simple as in "the blue house, Victoria Street."