Tuesday, June 17, 2008

l'heure bleue



I just came inside from the backyard. My feet are slightly damp and chilled. My spirit is light, buoyant. I’ve been enjoying my hour. Each day has 24, but there is only one that I call my own. The French call it l'heure bleue. The blue hour. This particular time between daylight and darkness that is my favorite hour of every day. You probably know it as twilight. In Scotland it is called the gloaming. Wonderful words for a magical time.


I think my love affair with this hour began in some distant childhood summer. This is the hour when the scent of summer flowers are strongest. This is the hour when children play hide and seek and hope their parents wait to call them inside long enough for them to play just one more game. This is the hour when lightning bugs begin rising up from the grass like fairies on their way to a dance.


The light during this hour is always romantic and lovely, like this song, written just for this lovely, melancholy blue hour.


I once read a story about a woman whose only perfume was l’heure bleue by Guerlain. The narrator was a man who had loved her nearly 40 years before. As he sat beside his wife in a darkened theater, he caught that particular scent and his mind traveled back to Nathalié , his first love. He was not a man who usually noticed perfume, but he always remembered Nathalié’s. Maybe because it was the only scent she wore. Maybe because it had the dusky scent of candies and almond cake bought in an old world apothecary. Maybe he remembered that scent because it belonged to his first love. First loves remembered, a perfect contemplation for the blue hour.







I’ve spent my blue hour watching fireflies and a full moon rising. It is June. There are fireflies. There are memories. There is a hammock, a full moon, and friends with whom I can share all this bounty. All is right with my world. Sweet dreams to you, my friends.








The first photo above came from this blog. The second photo came from an interesting article here. Please listen to this song, perfect for the blue hour.



16 comments:

The Feathered Nest said...

Oh Relyn, what a beautiful post!! And the song was magical!! I love the sound of old songs ~ we have XM radio on our DirectTV and I love putting it on the 40's channel. I love dusk as well ~ xxoo, Dawn

Rumour has it said...

Blue is really my colour; I love it because it's relaxing, fresh; but it's also the colour of contemplation and spiritual life. My blue hour mostly takes place between midnight and 1 o'clock in the morning if I haven't got a black-out before :D
I like your post about colour and scents; both fill my life and senses.
Love, Marjolijn

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad I began my morning with you, Relyn. I've always loved twilight, especially when all images are reduced to silhouettes, like paper cutouts, revealing their essential shapes.

My Castle in Spain said...

Hi Relyn!
oh..this the most perfect post i could read before going to bed....
The perfume bottle photo is fantastic! i'm a Guerlain perfume addict. An empty vial of l'Heure Bleue sits on my bath and I enjoy looking at it.

Have a great day!
i'm sure i'll have nice dreams...
:-)

julochka said...

you made me think of my own l'heure bleue...how wonderful to be transported back there to that prairie field on a summer night. thank you!!!

:-)
/julie

studio wellspring said...

oh how enchanting! i too adore this blue hour. and i am thoroughly envious of your experience....it's like a dream for me! fireflies, a hammock, a warm twilight....what dreams may come....thank you for sharing in mine.

Jessica said...

Relyn- Thanks so much for your advice. I am certainly going to make those lists and I will make time for sadness. Your words certainly brought some peace to my somewhat crazy day and for that I am grateful!
Even though I am an early morning person, I really do love twilight. When the crickets get a little bit louder and the sky turns the bright red as the sun sets over the lake. Of course, it's a little bit better to watch with a popsicle in hand and bare feet in the grass!

Laura said...

Absolutely beautiful and so evocative! I am going to try and enjoy a blue hour of my own this week.

Jaime said...

This is my most favourite time of the day as well. There's something about the calmness...a reassurance that you can let your guard down, as you let go of the busyness of the day and get relaxed and sleepy.
It's a time when everything is soft.

You have described it so beautifully.

Yoli said...

Relyn, your post blew me away. So much imagery, I became intoxicated. Simply beautiful, now I must smell l’heure bleue by Guerlain.

You are always an inspiration. I also love your name.

tangobaby said...

Oh, you do have fireflies! I wish I could be there, too. I would love to sit in the hammock with you and watch the fireflies twinkle.

This also reminds me of another phrase en francais: l'heure magique. The Magic Hour. Perhaps these hours are related?

Mrs.French said...

Lovely post! You write beautifully. I am happy you found me, so I could find you.

Ragamuffin Gal said...

When I opened up your blog page the blue jumped out and I knew I would love this post before I ever read it! And I did! Many Blessings to you my Friend.

eilandkind/islandchild said...

I first noticed how deep blue the sky gets just before it gets dark, while I lived in England for 5 years.
I am now living in the Caribbean and haven't noticed it here.
My 'blue hour' in England was also my loveliest times. I would walk in the streets and constantly look up. I was amazed that no one else seemed to notice it.
I so love your blog....

Anonymous said...

i wandered back to this post by reading todays about momma magic.. and this is just simply and completely beautiful relyn! each and every image just captured me in a most lovely, soft way. i connected to the memories of childhood and the mystery of that hour when i always feel like anything can happen, everything is possible!
xoxoxoxox i adore it and you too my freind :)

meandering pearl said...

i love this idea!!! & one post i particularly love is your L'Heure Bleue, what a gorgeous concept! hope you're having a very lovely week!!!

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