As summer draws to a close, I try hard to photograph with my mind’s eye all the textures and colors that I love so much here in Burgundy. It doesn’t take long to realize that the sheer uniformity of palette, as much as it might seem to stifle individual creativity, gives this place a profound sense of grace. And it doesn’t take much longer to realize that the colors that live most comfortably and abundantly here, are the colors of the local stones themselves accented with a variety of blues and grays that speak to the ever-changing sky.

Variations on the theme abound. Stone walls plastered over with sand-colored render. Shutters in weathered blues as nuanced as cloud linings. Others leaning towards turquoise. Slate. Cornflower. Blues giving way to sage and moss. It’s a peaceful, palette, springing from ancient origins and not trying to be anything else.

Let’s face it. The weather here is a challenge. Sunny days are only all the more beautiful because they are commonly flanked by rain and manic-depressive fluctuations in temperature. But this is a place where going deeper into your mood is the best way to go. When the sun is out, blue is the color of a brightly illuminated sky. Sheer bliss. When rain is reigning, blue is the color of the human condition. And this, too, merits our profound appreciation.