Flâneur ...

I stumbled across a new word; flâneur.   It's a French word, meaning "one who strolls around aimlessly but enjoyably, observing life and their surroundings".

Isn't it a marvellous word ?

I think I have been  flâneur-ing much of my life.   I call it hiking but my plodding pace is probably too slow to qualify technically as hiking.  

I worry that if I walk too quickly I might miss something.  There's so much to see.

Time spent in the woods is both peaceful and exciting at the same time.

Almost magical.

Stopping to look at nature's wonders slows me down; to an amble pace and sometimes to a complete stop.

And since I'm down here I may as well look up.

But I do look down too;

  at least I think this is down.

So ... have you been  flâneur-ing lately ?

What's it all about Alfie ?

What's it all about Alfie ?   Is it just for the moment we live ? 

What's it all about when you sort it out, Alfie ?

 Are we meant to take more than we give ?  Or are we meant to be kind ?

And if only fools are kind, Alfie

Then I guess it is wise to be cruel ?

And if life belongs only to the strong, Alfie

What will you lend on an old Golden Rule ?

As sure as I believe there's a heave above, Alfie

I know there's something much more, 

Something even non-believers can believe in

I believe in love, Alfie

Without true love we just exist, Alfie

Until you find the love you've missed you're nothing, Alfie

When you walk, let your heart lead the way

And you'll find love any day, Alfie.

Alfie

 
 

I really was aMAZEd !

Having chums who live on Nova Scotia's south shore in the Bridgewater area, I've often found myself heading that direction on highway 103.  Sometimes on my way, glancing off to my left after passing Exit 11,  I'd notice some stone walls and a large spider. I cleverly guessed that it was a paintball range.

My "clever" guess was wrong.  Quite wrong.

It's something far more special and unique; it's an art maze.

From their web site,  I learned at the creators of the maze, Bernt and Nicole moved from Germany to Canada in 2002.  Ever since Bernt was a teenager he had dreamed of building a maze; beginning in 2012 he began making his dream a reality.  With contributions from artists around the globe his dream became a reality when the maze opened its doors in August of 2018.

We spent ten minutes before we even entered the maze taking photos of each other in one of the "windows".  Some sections were mirrored, some were open, some were glass.   Look at the pics below and you'll see how fascinating and confusing these windows are.  I'm sure that children would love this just as much as we did.

Donna's head is there but where is her body ?

And there is Kelly' head and half of my body.

Within the maze the "walls" are made of netting up which various vines are climbing.   For now you can see through the maze but it is still a challenge to find your way around...and OUT.

The maze is full of wonderful, uplifting messages and a myriad of easy to overlook details.

The world is your house, no need for a key.

Tea cups overhead. (and saucers on the floor)

With nearly a kilometer of paths to explore, concrete sculptures, murals and mosaics created by artists from around the world, you won't know where to look first and you certainly won't be disappointed.  

I loved the concrete cave house.

Some features were hard to miss; like the shark.

While other things were easily overlooked.  It was only when I was editing the photo (below) of Kelly and Donna that I spotted a detail I had missed when I was there.  Can you see it ?

 There's a face in the metal  tree !  See it now ?

We played the gongs.  The long one resonated for ages.

 

I think this could be my motto.

I wish more people knew about this magical place and so I'm telling you.  If you live in Nova Scotia add it to this summer's exploration list.   

If you're from away tell your friends who may be heading down this way.

You can learn more about the maze and its creation at:  http://www.be-amazed.bernart.ca/about/

They're on FaceBook at:  https://www.facebook.com/bernartca/

Here are some more photos that help give you a sense of the place.  Enjoy !