Today my thoughts are a bit of a mixed bag, and today is the kind of day where you definitely need a slice of cake to go with your tea. Comforting cake, the chocolate sponge that my Mum used to make for me when I was a little girl. Actually, now it has started to rain, I think perhaps I shall go one further, and declare it a day for the chocolate sponge pudding with white sauce, the one that she made for my last evening of living at home.
The last few weeks have been busy, not with big, momentous things that would make interesting reading, but little, vexing things. Our oven broke, as did our washing machine (With all of our clothes trapped inside! And then the horror of the washing machine repair man seeing my knickers!) and the light in the bathroom (which has no window, so is pitch black without it) has started to stick. Dear Carl has installed Ubuntu onto his laptop, which I usually use to blog with, and I cannot get on with it at all, much to poor Carl’s consternation. Every time I try and close a window, I almost shut the machine down by mistake. To top it all, I have a horrible rash on my arms and legs. When I showed the pharmacist, she asked if I had been stressed and run down recently….
But, I do not want to be all doom and gloom. There have been lots of tiny adventures and things to share. A beautiful bunch of Cornish Pinks that adorn my chest of drawers, so they are the first thing I see in the morning, and their peppery scent is the last thing I breathe in at night.
I have also discovered a passion for Poirot novels. I wanted to read ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ to pass the time on the Eurostar, but the library copy was out on loan. I read it a week or so ago, and since then I have been devouring the adventures of the little Belgian detective with the egg-shaped head.
I have been been thinking thoughts about change recently. It started when I was at work, and went to look for a book for a customer, written by an author named Olivier. It gave me a little start, because after my biological father left my Mother pregnant with me, he went on to have two more children with another woman – one called Olivier, and another called Virginia. I have never seen any of them since, and it suddenly occurred to me that I still think of Olivier and Virginia as small children, when in reality, they must be twenty or even more. This in turn led me to think of things that change, things that don’t, ideas that we hold in our minds and so on. When I started blogging, I posted about all the magazines I read. Over the last few years, I have stopped reading so many magazines, and the ones that I do read are rather different. I now read Country Kitchen every month, Country Living occasionally (usually I peek at my Mum’s copy) Martha Stewart Living when I can get it, and have recently launched a quest to find Victoria magazine, and Marie Claire Idees.
Which then led me to think about reading. A little tiny part of me asks ‘am I reading too much?’. Shock! Horror! I never thought I would type such a thing. You see, it occurred to me that I often read baking books, cupcake books, knitting books, crochet books….if you were to look at the list of library books checked out to me, you would conclude that I am a knitter who crochets things and bakes cupcakes. Well yes, I am…I am knitting (nearly finished the last sock!) and I do crochet, but I cannot remember the last time I baked a cupcake. Partly because the oven was on the blink for a while before it died I will admit, but still. And although I often copy a pattern I like for future use, I do not make nearly as many things as I have patterns for.
What I resolve is this: if not to read less, then to do more. Once I have the oven fixed (this Friday, when I shall also be taking delivery of a new washing machine!) I shall bake more, and really make the cupcakes that I think are so pretty. I am also going to try and cure myself of a bad habit- when I photocopy a pattern or a recipe, I very often (ok, always) sandwich it carefully inside a book – often not related to the subject of the copy – and file it away on my bookshelf. I shall purchase a folder and keep them all in there instead, so I know just where to find them.
Although crochet and knitting and sewing projects take rather more time than whipping up a batch of cupcakes, or kneading a new loaf of bread, and cost rather more to do, I am going to start projects in these areas rather than just day dream of them. Have I let you into my little secret before? I have a tattoo! I got it when I was nineteen. It is of a little red rose, with the words ‘Carpe Diem’ around the outside. As you probably know, it means ‘seize the day’ and I have decided that I really must take a little more of the advice on my own ribs. (Yes, it is on my ribs, on my left side, tucked away where no one can see it unless I show them!) So for me it will be making the things I read about and dream of, instead of just dreaming about them….watch this space!
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
Adventures In Bruges (You will need a whole pot of tea for this, it is a long post!)
It is a distinct advantage when travelling, to set out on your journey convinced you are going to have a wonderful time, and love your destination, and I am pleased to say that I was not disappointed: Bruges was bliss, a real delight.
Somehow, despite being awoken at sometime around half past four, I was not grumpy! Perhaps this is because dear Carl pushed a cup of tea into my hands and then let me be for a little while! Having packed the night before, we were ready on time, and set out at half past five to walk into town to catch the train to London. The air was beautifully fresh, I so love that time of day. There is a kind of peace in the air, and the day is still slightly damp, like butterfly wings just emerged from the cocoon.
Surprisingly for such an early hour, we only just got seats on the train to London. Happily the tube was not crowded, so when we emerged at St Pancras station, I was still in extremely good spirits. This was my first visit since The Meeting Place statue was unveiled, in fact, my first visit for a number of years, and I was captivated by the place. There is so much glass that there is a great deal of light, and yet somehow, it looks very traditional whilst being modern, too. To my delight, there were discs set in to the floor, carved with lines from Betjeman poems (John Betjeman was instrumental in the campaign to save and renovate the station rather than demolish it) and then there was a statue of the man himself. The Meeting Place statue was curious in that it was much nicer viewed from further away!
It was not long before we boarded the Eurostar, and I must confess that no sooner were we settled than I dispatched dear Carl in search of tea. Little did I know it then, it was to be the last good cup of tea before we returned home! The journey was so much fun. I got to sit next to the window, and when I was not gazing out at the countryside (even the trees look different somehow to me, in France and Belgium to here!) I was reading ‘Murder on the Blue Train’ which is a Poirot novel. I had packed us up sandwiches (egg and tomato, my favourite, as discovered at Claridge’s) which we enjoyed as we gazed out at little French farms. I really think that train is my favourite way to travel. I love having my own little seat, with a bar that pulls down to rest my feet on (being on the short side, they are often left dangling!) and a little tray that I can pull down to rest my tea on, or push up and out of the way.
I was almost sorry when we reached Brussels; a few minutes later I really was sorry, because we were quite lost! We had imagined that our connection would be signposted somehow….but no. We queued at an Information booth, reached the front to be told they do not do train information. So we found our way to another place, where we had to use a computer to choose our nationality and if we wanted domestic or international train information; this then printed us a ticket that we had to take to a counter where the lady told us our train may or may not leave from platform 15 at five past the hour! Happily the delay gave me time to look in the magazine shop (I have not forsworn them entirely!) where I found Marie Claire Idees! A magazine about which I have heard much, but never until then found a copy of.
We were pleased to find that the train to Bruges did indeed leave from platform 15, and before we knew it, we were emerging from the train station into a sunny afternoon in Bruges. The train station is a short walk from the town centre, a walk which took us through a park, and along some beautiful little streets. One door had a lovely little wreath upon it, and many windows had little displays of ornaments, windowboxes full of flowers, or other thoughtful whimsical little touches.
Having been on one or two day trips to Bruges before, everything was at once familiar and a little strange. There are two main squares; Markt, which has many shops, cafes, restaurants, and a large belfry tower, and Burg, which has beautiful gold embellished buildings, and one restaurant, and then countless little side streets and lanes. We remembered a wonderful restaurant from a previous visit. For some reason ‘Tom’s Café’ stuck in my mind, and that it had green awnings outside. Well all of the café’s in the Markt square had green awnings, and none were called Tom’s Café or felt familiar. We wandered through to Burg, and happily, there it was! It was not called Tom’s Café, but Café Tom something. We sat outside under an ivy-patterned awning, and soaked up the sunshine and atmosphere. We ordered mussels and chips each, and a beer each, and a cola to share. (Beer on an empty tummy is not a good idea!) The beer came first – pink cherry beer for me (I only like fruit beer) and a dark beer for Carl, and then our cola. We asked for a large cola, so we could share it, and I have never seen such a large glass in my life! There must have been a litre in there at least! Our mussels came in such clever dishes; they are the pans they are cooked in on the stove, like a saucepan with no handles, and the lid is much deeper than on a normal saucepan. When they reach the table, they lift the lid off and put it upside down next to you, and you put your empty mussel shells into it. One day, when I have a bigger kitchen, I would love some of these! We sat and watched people going by, remarking upon the different nationalities and the way they dress. We looked and looked at the beautiful gothic buildings, really drinking it all in. So relaxing, and uplifting. I was really full after my mussels, but felt I could manage a little dessert. We each ordered a chocolate mousse as it was the cheapest thing on the menu, and so, according to our logic, the smallest. Not so! It came out in a sundae glass, and was the most wonderful chocolate mousse you can imagine. It was like a black hole of chocolate, deep and velvety, and not very sweet, but sweet enough, and utterly heavenly! While we were sitting there, spooning up this loveliness, a school band set up next to the café, and started playing. We were so lucky.
After this, we decided it would be best to find our hotel and check in, and leave our luggage so we could explore. Given the ease with which we often find ourselves lost, we were surprised to find our hotel exactly where it should be! See here http://www.hotelnavarra.com/en/ for some pictures. While we were exploring our room, I remarked that I was sure we were meant to have tea and coffee making facilities, but could see none. Then we opened a cupboard, and a tray lifted out, with all the things to make tea and coffee upon it. It was really clever, because the tray had a plug on it, and the kettle sat on part of the tray to work. Not a very good explanation, but a very good idea! We even had Lipton’s tea bags, but sadly only little plastic cartons of coffee cream, so a good cup of tea eluded me!
It was not long before we decided to walk back into town to take in some sights. We found our way back to the Markt square, and after a walk around this, we spotted a little yellow mini-bus giving tours. You sit on the bus, and each seat has its own headphones, and as you draw up to a building or statue, you get some commentary in your own language. I am really glad we did this, as it took us much further out than we would have managed on foot. It is so difficult to put into words how beautiful Bruges is; already I am aware that if you started sipping a cup of tea at the beginning of my post, it would be cold by now. But perhaps there is another cup in the pot? It really is a place that is untouched by time. Close your eyes and you hear the clip clop of a passing horse and carriage. Of course, they are for the tourists, but at the same time, they do not sound at all out of place. All the buildings are tall and narrow, many with little niches carved into them, which house beautiful statues. It is rare to see a building that is not decorated somehow, be it with a windowbox or particularly pretty curtains, or some such thing. The shops are often independent shops rather than chains, and are devoted to just one thing- there are lace shops, beer shops, hundreds of chocolate shops- not like we have here at all. In the shops, the window displays are lovingly crafted and really tempting, a joy to look at. Somehow the bus driver squeezed us down narrow roads, pointing out the beer museum, the diamond museum and the chocolate museum, and took us over countless bridges over countless canals.
After a very happy hour on the bus, we decided we would have a little light dinner. When I ordered my raspberry beer to go with the fluffiest and most heavenly cheese and ham omelette I have ever had, I realised that I had never before finished one beer in my life, let alone drink two in one day! We were sitting outside again, and it was lovely to see the shadows lengthen and twilight fall, as we were surrounded by the chatter of so many different languages. We shared a pot of coffee (such a lovely coffee pot! I really wanted to bring it home!) which was almost smoky in flavour, and finally wandered arm in arm back to our hotel, where, after a short rest, we descended to the basement, where we swam up and down and lazily floated about for an hour, for in the basement was a heated pool!
We were the only people down there, and for one moment, I wished I had read my murder mystery book a little quicker and finished it. All alone in the ladies changing room, I heard a bump from the sauna! I squeaked and hurried out, called for Carl and made him investigate. Nothing was there! And then Carl mentioned that there was a sauna in the men’s changing room too. THEN we realised there was only one sauna, with two entry doors, and the bumping I heard was not a murderer, but Carl exploring!
I will not bore you with the particulars of breakfast except to say that it was a joy- the kind of buffet that caters for all nationalities, and it was so much fun to guess what each table would go for. Were they meat-and-cheese people, or fruit-and-yohgurt? Egg-and-bacon or cereal-and-juice? Sometimes I guessed right, but more often wrong!
Our first adventure of the day was to be climbing the belfry in the Markt square. It is very tall, with 366 steps (I tried to count, but lost my thread halfway up!) for more information, see here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belfry_of_Bruges In the picture on that website, you can see some tall dark windows above the clock; it was to here that we climbed. It was very hot work, and the stairway was very narrow, but the views across Bruges were amazing. I even managed to pick out our hotel bedroom window!
After this I was more than ready for a sit down, so we wandered down to the canals, where we had some lunch, before boarding a boat for a canal tour of Bruges. This is my favourite thing to do in Bruges; the feeling of being on the water is so lovely, and you get to see things from another perspective. Our boat was piloted by a man with an amazing gift for languages- he described the places we saw in English, German, French and Dutch! It was ever so hot, and I rather enjoyed it when we passed under the bridges, just for the shade!
Before we knew it, it was time to start thinking about doing a little shopping, before collecting our luggage from the hotel, and making our way back to the train station. I particularly wanted to buy a box of chocolates I had seen. The lid lifted up to reveal an intricate pop-up scene of Bruges, and then the chocolates pulled out in a drawer underneath. Unfortunately, I could not remember which shop I saw them in, and it is not exaggerating to say that there are a hundred chocolate shops in Bruges! I had almost resigned myself to buying some other chocolates instead, when all of a sudden, we came across one last shop, and there they were! Of course I was interested in the handmade chocolates, but the box was so pretty, I could imagine keeping little treasures in it, and bringing it out to show my nieces and nephews, and maybe one day grandchildren….
We chose some chocolates for Carl (raspberry creams and orange truffles) and then some chocolates for our family, and then visited the beer shop. We also bought a little lace ornament that we will hang from our Christmas tree, along with the crystal sledge we brought home from Barbados.
We only just made our train from Bruges to Brussels (there was another later one, but that would not have given us long before Eurostar left….a little too close for comfort) but I spent a lot of the journey fretting, because the electronic sign kept flashing up destination Brussels Zourd when we wanted Brussels Midi. Thankfully, they turned out to be the same thing!! It was whilst we were waiting to board Eurostar that I took a turn about the magazine shop, and this time, I spotted Victoria Magazine! We had a cup of tea (pretty glass cups, but again, cream instead of milk) which came with a tiny bar of chocolate, about the size of two first class stamps….just enough, and a delightful extra.
The train journey passed peacefully. I flicked through my new prized magazines, chatted with Carl, and drank the most delicious cup of coffee. It was about 10:00pm before we got home, and I have to say, that although I loved every moment of our adventure in Bruges, it was really good to be home.
(There will be pictures to go with this post, just need to get them off of the camera!)
Somehow, despite being awoken at sometime around half past four, I was not grumpy! Perhaps this is because dear Carl pushed a cup of tea into my hands and then let me be for a little while! Having packed the night before, we were ready on time, and set out at half past five to walk into town to catch the train to London. The air was beautifully fresh, I so love that time of day. There is a kind of peace in the air, and the day is still slightly damp, like butterfly wings just emerged from the cocoon.
Surprisingly for such an early hour, we only just got seats on the train to London. Happily the tube was not crowded, so when we emerged at St Pancras station, I was still in extremely good spirits. This was my first visit since The Meeting Place statue was unveiled, in fact, my first visit for a number of years, and I was captivated by the place. There is so much glass that there is a great deal of light, and yet somehow, it looks very traditional whilst being modern, too. To my delight, there were discs set in to the floor, carved with lines from Betjeman poems (John Betjeman was instrumental in the campaign to save and renovate the station rather than demolish it) and then there was a statue of the man himself. The Meeting Place statue was curious in that it was much nicer viewed from further away!
It was not long before we boarded the Eurostar, and I must confess that no sooner were we settled than I dispatched dear Carl in search of tea. Little did I know it then, it was to be the last good cup of tea before we returned home! The journey was so much fun. I got to sit next to the window, and when I was not gazing out at the countryside (even the trees look different somehow to me, in France and Belgium to here!) I was reading ‘Murder on the Blue Train’ which is a Poirot novel. I had packed us up sandwiches (egg and tomato, my favourite, as discovered at Claridge’s) which we enjoyed as we gazed out at little French farms. I really think that train is my favourite way to travel. I love having my own little seat, with a bar that pulls down to rest my feet on (being on the short side, they are often left dangling!) and a little tray that I can pull down to rest my tea on, or push up and out of the way.
I was almost sorry when we reached Brussels; a few minutes later I really was sorry, because we were quite lost! We had imagined that our connection would be signposted somehow….but no. We queued at an Information booth, reached the front to be told they do not do train information. So we found our way to another place, where we had to use a computer to choose our nationality and if we wanted domestic or international train information; this then printed us a ticket that we had to take to a counter where the lady told us our train may or may not leave from platform 15 at five past the hour! Happily the delay gave me time to look in the magazine shop (I have not forsworn them entirely!) where I found Marie Claire Idees! A magazine about which I have heard much, but never until then found a copy of.
We were pleased to find that the train to Bruges did indeed leave from platform 15, and before we knew it, we were emerging from the train station into a sunny afternoon in Bruges. The train station is a short walk from the town centre, a walk which took us through a park, and along some beautiful little streets. One door had a lovely little wreath upon it, and many windows had little displays of ornaments, windowboxes full of flowers, or other thoughtful whimsical little touches.
Having been on one or two day trips to Bruges before, everything was at once familiar and a little strange. There are two main squares; Markt, which has many shops, cafes, restaurants, and a large belfry tower, and Burg, which has beautiful gold embellished buildings, and one restaurant, and then countless little side streets and lanes. We remembered a wonderful restaurant from a previous visit. For some reason ‘Tom’s Café’ stuck in my mind, and that it had green awnings outside. Well all of the café’s in the Markt square had green awnings, and none were called Tom’s Café or felt familiar. We wandered through to Burg, and happily, there it was! It was not called Tom’s Café, but Café Tom something. We sat outside under an ivy-patterned awning, and soaked up the sunshine and atmosphere. We ordered mussels and chips each, and a beer each, and a cola to share. (Beer on an empty tummy is not a good idea!) The beer came first – pink cherry beer for me (I only like fruit beer) and a dark beer for Carl, and then our cola. We asked for a large cola, so we could share it, and I have never seen such a large glass in my life! There must have been a litre in there at least! Our mussels came in such clever dishes; they are the pans they are cooked in on the stove, like a saucepan with no handles, and the lid is much deeper than on a normal saucepan. When they reach the table, they lift the lid off and put it upside down next to you, and you put your empty mussel shells into it. One day, when I have a bigger kitchen, I would love some of these! We sat and watched people going by, remarking upon the different nationalities and the way they dress. We looked and looked at the beautiful gothic buildings, really drinking it all in. So relaxing, and uplifting. I was really full after my mussels, but felt I could manage a little dessert. We each ordered a chocolate mousse as it was the cheapest thing on the menu, and so, according to our logic, the smallest. Not so! It came out in a sundae glass, and was the most wonderful chocolate mousse you can imagine. It was like a black hole of chocolate, deep and velvety, and not very sweet, but sweet enough, and utterly heavenly! While we were sitting there, spooning up this loveliness, a school band set up next to the café, and started playing. We were so lucky.
After this, we decided it would be best to find our hotel and check in, and leave our luggage so we could explore. Given the ease with which we often find ourselves lost, we were surprised to find our hotel exactly where it should be! See here http://www.hotelnavarra.com/en/ for some pictures. While we were exploring our room, I remarked that I was sure we were meant to have tea and coffee making facilities, but could see none. Then we opened a cupboard, and a tray lifted out, with all the things to make tea and coffee upon it. It was really clever, because the tray had a plug on it, and the kettle sat on part of the tray to work. Not a very good explanation, but a very good idea! We even had Lipton’s tea bags, but sadly only little plastic cartons of coffee cream, so a good cup of tea eluded me!
It was not long before we decided to walk back into town to take in some sights. We found our way back to the Markt square, and after a walk around this, we spotted a little yellow mini-bus giving tours. You sit on the bus, and each seat has its own headphones, and as you draw up to a building or statue, you get some commentary in your own language. I am really glad we did this, as it took us much further out than we would have managed on foot. It is so difficult to put into words how beautiful Bruges is; already I am aware that if you started sipping a cup of tea at the beginning of my post, it would be cold by now. But perhaps there is another cup in the pot? It really is a place that is untouched by time. Close your eyes and you hear the clip clop of a passing horse and carriage. Of course, they are for the tourists, but at the same time, they do not sound at all out of place. All the buildings are tall and narrow, many with little niches carved into them, which house beautiful statues. It is rare to see a building that is not decorated somehow, be it with a windowbox or particularly pretty curtains, or some such thing. The shops are often independent shops rather than chains, and are devoted to just one thing- there are lace shops, beer shops, hundreds of chocolate shops- not like we have here at all. In the shops, the window displays are lovingly crafted and really tempting, a joy to look at. Somehow the bus driver squeezed us down narrow roads, pointing out the beer museum, the diamond museum and the chocolate museum, and took us over countless bridges over countless canals.
After a very happy hour on the bus, we decided we would have a little light dinner. When I ordered my raspberry beer to go with the fluffiest and most heavenly cheese and ham omelette I have ever had, I realised that I had never before finished one beer in my life, let alone drink two in one day! We were sitting outside again, and it was lovely to see the shadows lengthen and twilight fall, as we were surrounded by the chatter of so many different languages. We shared a pot of coffee (such a lovely coffee pot! I really wanted to bring it home!) which was almost smoky in flavour, and finally wandered arm in arm back to our hotel, where, after a short rest, we descended to the basement, where we swam up and down and lazily floated about for an hour, for in the basement was a heated pool!
We were the only people down there, and for one moment, I wished I had read my murder mystery book a little quicker and finished it. All alone in the ladies changing room, I heard a bump from the sauna! I squeaked and hurried out, called for Carl and made him investigate. Nothing was there! And then Carl mentioned that there was a sauna in the men’s changing room too. THEN we realised there was only one sauna, with two entry doors, and the bumping I heard was not a murderer, but Carl exploring!
I will not bore you with the particulars of breakfast except to say that it was a joy- the kind of buffet that caters for all nationalities, and it was so much fun to guess what each table would go for. Were they meat-and-cheese people, or fruit-and-yohgurt? Egg-and-bacon or cereal-and-juice? Sometimes I guessed right, but more often wrong!
Our first adventure of the day was to be climbing the belfry in the Markt square. It is very tall, with 366 steps (I tried to count, but lost my thread halfway up!) for more information, see here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belfry_of_Bruges In the picture on that website, you can see some tall dark windows above the clock; it was to here that we climbed. It was very hot work, and the stairway was very narrow, but the views across Bruges were amazing. I even managed to pick out our hotel bedroom window!
After this I was more than ready for a sit down, so we wandered down to the canals, where we had some lunch, before boarding a boat for a canal tour of Bruges. This is my favourite thing to do in Bruges; the feeling of being on the water is so lovely, and you get to see things from another perspective. Our boat was piloted by a man with an amazing gift for languages- he described the places we saw in English, German, French and Dutch! It was ever so hot, and I rather enjoyed it when we passed under the bridges, just for the shade!
Before we knew it, it was time to start thinking about doing a little shopping, before collecting our luggage from the hotel, and making our way back to the train station. I particularly wanted to buy a box of chocolates I had seen. The lid lifted up to reveal an intricate pop-up scene of Bruges, and then the chocolates pulled out in a drawer underneath. Unfortunately, I could not remember which shop I saw them in, and it is not exaggerating to say that there are a hundred chocolate shops in Bruges! I had almost resigned myself to buying some other chocolates instead, when all of a sudden, we came across one last shop, and there they were! Of course I was interested in the handmade chocolates, but the box was so pretty, I could imagine keeping little treasures in it, and bringing it out to show my nieces and nephews, and maybe one day grandchildren….
We chose some chocolates for Carl (raspberry creams and orange truffles) and then some chocolates for our family, and then visited the beer shop. We also bought a little lace ornament that we will hang from our Christmas tree, along with the crystal sledge we brought home from Barbados.
We only just made our train from Bruges to Brussels (there was another later one, but that would not have given us long before Eurostar left….a little too close for comfort) but I spent a lot of the journey fretting, because the electronic sign kept flashing up destination Brussels Zourd when we wanted Brussels Midi. Thankfully, they turned out to be the same thing!! It was whilst we were waiting to board Eurostar that I took a turn about the magazine shop, and this time, I spotted Victoria Magazine! We had a cup of tea (pretty glass cups, but again, cream instead of milk) which came with a tiny bar of chocolate, about the size of two first class stamps….just enough, and a delightful extra.
The train journey passed peacefully. I flicked through my new prized magazines, chatted with Carl, and drank the most delicious cup of coffee. It was about 10:00pm before we got home, and I have to say, that although I loved every moment of our adventure in Bruges, it was really good to be home.
(There will be pictures to go with this post, just need to get them off of the camera!)
Saturday, 17 May 2008
Hello, All!
Hello!
This is just a quick little note to say that we had such a wonderful time in Bruges- chocolate a plenty, lots of sights and adventures- and I am looking forward to a good long blogging session later, with lots of photos to show as well. For now, dear Mr Carl needs to use the laptop, so au revoir for now, have a fabulously scrumptious Saturday, and I look forward to telling all later!
This is just a quick little note to say that we had such a wonderful time in Bruges- chocolate a plenty, lots of sights and adventures- and I am looking forward to a good long blogging session later, with lots of photos to show as well. For now, dear Mr Carl needs to use the laptop, so au revoir for now, have a fabulously scrumptious Saturday, and I look forward to telling all later!
Sunday, 11 May 2008
Early to bed, Early to rise...
Seeing as I have to be up and about to leave our dear little flat for a half hour walk to town at 5.30am tomorrow morning, I will be early to bed tonight! Why so early? Because our train bound for Bruges leaves Kings Cross St Pancras at 7.55, that's why!
We are staying overnight, then coming back Tuesday morning. I will be abandoning my afternoon tea for Belgian hot chocolate instead, climbing an unfeasibly tall bell tower, and taking a boat on the canals.
See you Wednesday to share adventures and pictures! Hope you have all enjoyed brilliant sunshine and a scrumptious Sunday today,
love
Mimi
xxx
We are staying overnight, then coming back Tuesday morning. I will be abandoning my afternoon tea for Belgian hot chocolate instead, climbing an unfeasibly tall bell tower, and taking a boat on the canals.
See you Wednesday to share adventures and pictures! Hope you have all enjoyed brilliant sunshine and a scrumptious Sunday today,
love
Mimi
xxx
Friday, 9 May 2008
My First Sock!
Poor Mum was not feeling well today, so we didn’t spend the day together as we normally would. Instead, I took a gentle walk into town, and had an iced coffee while I read the paper, and then ventured into the park, where I sat on a bench in the shade, and finished my first proper sock. (I say proper as in four-needled-finished-with-Kitchener-stitch. I have made two-needle slipper socks before, but not proper socks!)I was so excited I could have turned cartwheels! Silly me though, as soon as I got home, I cast on the next sock, but knitted four rows before I realised I had the pattern slightly off...I should have been starting on knit one purl one every row, but I was doing purl one, knit one every other row. Oops! Still, at least I noticed before I got too far. Already I am thinking ahead to my next socks....something simple in a dark, fine, soft yarn for Mr Carl, I think.
~There will be a picture, but the light in here is so poor tonight, it will have to wait until tomorrow!
~There will be a picture, but the light in here is so poor tonight, it will have to wait until tomorrow!
Today I Am Wearing...
...a white cotton Victorian-style nightie, with a cardigan and a twinkly brooch. The cardigan was knitted by my Mum, and is a plum colour shot with violet. Just right for wafting about the house in bare feet with bright pink toenails, and feeling airy but cosy all at the same time.
I have started my own little welcome-home ritual now that the weather is so much warmer. When I get in, I throw open all the windows, and change into my nightie-and-cardi outfit. Then I fill a washing up bowl (kept just for this purpose!) with some cool water, and pour myself a cup of iced tea or coffee, and sit with my feet in the cool water for a little while. Such bliss!
What warm-weather-ways are there for you to welcome yourself home?
I have started my own little welcome-home ritual now that the weather is so much warmer. When I get in, I throw open all the windows, and change into my nightie-and-cardi outfit. Then I fill a washing up bowl (kept just for this purpose!) with some cool water, and pour myself a cup of iced tea or coffee, and sit with my feet in the cool water for a little while. Such bliss!
What warm-weather-ways are there for you to welcome yourself home?
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