Always, always, always the sea

One of my favourite places is Greenwich. I was last there in November and visited the National Maritime with its beautiful model ships, the Painted Hall and ended the day in Greenwich Park overlooking Canary Wharf at dusk.

There's is a strong maritime theme in Greenwich-anchor and shell motifs, paintings of Neptune, shops selling nautical instruments and so on are everywhere- which I really like.

Here are some photos of things I love in Greenwich, starting with the amazing war ships.

There were a few museum exhibitions missing from the last time I went but it is still a wonderful place to walk around. After the ships, my favourite section of the museum is the one decdicated to artwork inspired by the sea. My favourite painting:

We visited the market, which is interesting to walk around but be warned: the vintage/flea markets have become very popular and the prices reflect that.

 

Greenwich is full of restaurants. Mexican is particularly well represented, which suits me fine as I love Mexican food. Lunch was had in Cafe Sol.

At dusk we headed to Greenwich park to get some photos of Canary Wharf illuminated.

The lamps on the gates of Greenwich park

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to visit the fan museum which is an excellent museum of hand fans. The is a large display of some beautiful intricate fans. Their website is here

http://www.thefanmuseum.org.uk/

There is an orangery in the museum which does afternoon tea for just £6-good value enough but I would happily pay twice as much to sit in the orangery which looks like this:

 http://www.visitgreenwich.org.uk/

Hopefully the summer which present another opportunity to visit Greenwich

20 reasons I am not cool

1. I have no tattoos/ unusual piercings because I'm a coward when it comes to pain.
2. I don't drink because it makes me ill. I'm always the quiet one at the party who looks like they're bored. I'm not always, just sober.
3. Ditto coffee.
4. There are no photos on Facebook of me pulling faces/being drunk/with a large group of friends-only cool kids have that.
5. I often prefer to stay in than go out .
6. I listen to Bollywood and 90s dance music sometimes.
7. I cannot dance in public, I look like a puppet as soon as I know eyes might be on me.
8. I don't like being naked/semi clothed in public.
9. I don't have many close friends in the BFF style.
10. I don't play computer games and don't even know the difference between an Xbox and a Playstation.
11. I don't have a television.
12. I never watch animation like Pixar. More Toy Story/Shrek references have gone over my head than Ryanair planes.
13. No matter what I wear, I never like that chic.
14. No matter what I do with my hair, it always looks a mess. I've never mastered cool bedhair or the tousled.
15. I'm the only 30 year old who still has to occasionally sponge their breakfast off their clothes, like a 3 year old.
16. I don't go clubbing. Ever.
17. People come into the shop and say things like "have you got that biography of X from Eastenders". I never have a clue who or what they're going on about.
18. I seldom get friend requests on Facebook (unless you count strange men over 50).
19. I only wear sunglasses when I'm on holiday or if it really is sunny.
20. I'm quite ignorant about topical things as I don't read newspapers and seldom read the BBC news-although I always plan to include it in my routine. Football, politics, the latest scandals-I'm oblivious to most things, unless people mention it on Facebook.

I know there are alternatives to cool, and unique is something to aspire to. Just occasionally though I wonder what it would be like to be like the majority of the population, to be 'in' and know what was going on....

Day Three-8 Ways to My Heart

If I have translated correctly, the next challenge is to list 8 ways to win my heart....

1) Tolerate my habit to want to take photographs constantly. A trip out with me will take twice as long as it would with everybody else because I will constantly be stopping to look/photograph.

2) Forgive my frequent lateness. I try, really I do but I am easily waylaid. Those who know me well may have realised that while I am often late, the extra minutes are often used to make sure I have packed everything we might possibly need-including babywipes and a cd to play in the car...even an extra cardigan for you because you must surely have forgotten something if you rushed to get here on time.

3) Make mix cds/tapes for me and introduce me to new bands

4) Do not always say "I agree" and "me too". I am happy to enter into an open minded and intelligent discussion with somebody of a differing opinion. In fact, I like people who are different to me.

5) Have an interest in languages/speak a second language.

6) Nothing makes me love more than kindness/thoughtfulness. Offer me a sweet or a lift, pick a daisy for me, remember my favourite breakfast, say something nice about me or something I've done. I never forget a little kindness.

7) If you cook for me, you might be able to just skip all of the above.

8) If you have a strange passion that I do not understand, I am all yours. I love people who are a little enigmatic, a little puzzle for me to work out.

Sweet Saturday and a Dreary Sunday!

In contrast to today, yesterday was a day of energy, sunshine and sweetmaking.

First up was Victorian creams, which I have been wanting to try for ages, but had to wait to find some rose water.
They are very simple to make and require no cooking as such. You literally mix sugar paste icing with golden syrup, food colouring (if colouring) and some flavouring. I chose rose but the flavour was so subtle as to be indiscernible. You shape the mixture into balls and leave them for a few hours to dry.

I suppose you could leave them like this if you wanted to. I coated mine in melted chocolate. Luckily, I accidentally bought mint flavoured chocolate and that made up for the lack of rose flavouring. Just before the chocolate solidified, I decorated the balls with a sugar flower.

Next up. I realised I had the right ingredients to make honeycomb. Dangerous. It's very easy to make-you just melt caster sugar and some golden syrup together and after they've simmered for 5-10 minutes, you take it off the heat and add sodium bicarb which makes the mixture fizz (this creates the aerated texture!). You quickly pour the mixture into a dish to set and then you can break it into pieces when it's set.

Today spring seemed further away than it has done recently. Grey skies, rain and a general feeling of malaise have dominated my day. I have however had a chance to nearly complete two more crochet projects so perhaps today has not been a total waste of time. The flowers I received last weekend look as alive and cheerful as ever and helped lift my spirits. Now to prepare for a busy week before a few days holiday at the start of next week.

Taken with my iPhone. I never tire of experimenting with the camera :)

Yankee Wax Tarts-One of My Favourite Things

This is a post dedicated to one of my absolute favourite things: the Yankee Candle Wax Tart.

Anybody who knows me well will probably already know how much I love these things, and indeed may well have been presented with one at Christmas or some other gift-giving occasion. My aim is to spread these as far and as wide as I can!

I remember smelling some of Yankee candles in a garden centre and thought Midnight Jasmine was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever smellt. They were quite pricey though so I noted instead for my Christmas list. Fast forward a few months and I'm in Broadstairs. I go into a shop where they sold the wax tarts. I thought they were mini candles at first, and I'm sure I'm not the only person who's done this, looked for a wick and thought I'd got a damaged candle. Further investigation and I realise I have a wax tart in my hand!

To use you place the tart in a dedicated wax tart burner, or I just use an old oil burner which can be cheaply obtained, then light an unscented tealight below.

I've experimented with oils, incense sticks and countless scented candles...but Yankee tarts are by far the best way I've found to scent a room. The frangrances are so lovely and the fragrance is strong enough to scent a room. When I had Midnight Jasmine in my burner, I might briefly leave the room and return and it was literally like walking into a summer's garden. They'd be excellent to add atmosphere to parties, weddings, dinner parties...

Their scents are updated seasonally so there are also new ones to try. I love browsing the list and reading the description of the scent, even though it makes me want to buy them ALL!! My favourites at the moment are Nature's Paintbrish (which was my Christmas fragrance) and Clean Cotton. They only cost 99p-£1.25 (depending on where you get them from) so are definitely easy to treat yourself to one...or ten.

http://www.yankee.co.uk/list/674/0/list.aspx

Nine Things About Me

I started something similar a while ago here, then my laptop left me to be repaired so I didn't complete it. This version I have borrowed fromYvonne. Let's see if my laptop lasts long enough for me to complete the challenge.

Nine Things about me

1) I'm obsessed with dogs, even though I've never owned one. I once abandoned my sister in the middle of Broadstairs to follow three Border Collies. Apparently she turned around and I had "just vanished".
2) I love crisps and roast beef Monster Munch have been my favourite crisps since I was young.
3) I'm a crochet addict and take crochet with me everywhere. I will crochet in tea breaks, at the bus stop (now it's light!), after dinner at people's houses. I feel weird if I'm sitting still and don't have a hook in my hand.
4) I have never grown out of car sickness and the worst thing about being without a car is that I now have to take travel sickness tablets everywhere.
5) My favourite words are halcyon, ethereal, efflorescence and plethora.
6) Unless I'm kept awake by noise (or the occasional disrupted routine) I sleep like a baby.
7) I read travel brochures.
8) I like to spend time in cemetaries because they always have wonderful trees.
9) I have visited quite a few places, some of which I really loved and will visit again (Venice, Barcelona)...but my favourite place in the world is actually my home, Kent. I do not think I will live anywhere else. Kent has more castles than any other county in England. It has the sea, lighthouses, cliffs, picturesque towns and villages, forts, ruins, woods, a little forest, twisty-turny country lanes, rivers, bridges, a Paladian church, a Gothic cathedral, hills, orchards and marshes. It has the most beautiful gardens. It never gets too cold. In 30 minutes you can be in london, in 2.5 hours you can be in Paris. Kent has green, green grass, white cliffs, gardens of pink, red, purple and yellow, golden sand and grey stone castles....

 

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!

Happy St David's Day!!

Today I celebrated my love of Wales and my Welsh last name by making Welsh rarebit for dinner and looking through the photographs of my last trip there.

Tintern Abbey

River Wye

Brecon Beacons

Welsh Rarebit is essentially cheese on toast with frills. There are lots of different recipes but I chose Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's. You make the rarebit by first combining butter and flour to create a roux. To this you add strong beer, then cheese (don't be shy with the cheese!). A sauce is formed and then seasoned with English mustard, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Spoon over toasted granary bread and brown under the grill. Voila, Welsh rarebit. Very tasty but I now need to sleep off the cheese. Fingers crossed I will dream of dragons, valleys and Tintern Abbey.

Happy 29th February!!

So today is an extra day in our year! It seems fitting to do something new or exciting. I'd love to have done something truly wild or lifechanging but unfortunately I'm not that extravagant.

I did however do two things I've never done before and have wanted to do:

Make shortbread.

Really, I've never made shortbread before so thought it was time to rectify that. I used a trusty Mary Berry recipe (100g flour, 100 butter, 50g caster sugar, 50 rice flour/semolina) and added cream and strawberries on top. The good thing is that they are so rich it's easy to limit yourself to just one!

Read a book in a day.

The books I tend to read are not often short or easy, also I work a lot so reading a book in a day is unfortunately not something I ever get a chance to do.

Today though I put my lunch hour aside to read A Song of Lunch, which is actually a long poem rather than a book. I really enjoyed it. The poem took about 40 minutes to read-literally a song for lunch if you like. For those who haven't read it or watched the television adaptation, the poem is about the lunch date between a man and his ex, whom he still loves. She is happy and married. He is decaying and full of regret. They meet in an Italian restaurant they frequented whilst together, shabby and past its zenith, the downturn in its fortunes seems to mirror the man's. The man gets increasingly drunk and as truths emerge it gets quite quite uncomfortable at the table. Witty and intelligent. Worth making 40 minutes for...

Enjoy the extra day!!!

On Being a Young(ish) Female

I have bathed in bubbly water. Exfoliated my skin with lemon body polish. Shaved my legs. Washed AND conditioned my hair. Sat wrinkled in tepid bath water waiting for a hair mask to work a miracle on my haystack. I've GENTLY patted my skin and hair dry. Covered myself in rich cocoa butter. Splashed myself with sweet smelling rose water. I've changed into flirty pyjamas because frumpiness is a slippery slope I'm not ready to slide down. I've blow dried my hair painstakingly with a little round brush. Applied defrizzer. Waxed my eyebrows. Tweezered the stubborn hairs. Applied a facemask. Sat impatiently as my face went tight and cracked. I've nourished myself with cleanser. Remembered my age-defying eye cream. Anointed my face with anti-wrinkle night cream in defiance. I've massaged my cuticles. Filed. Painted my nails. Sat impatiently waiting for the polish to dry and wondered what men do in their free time. I've matchmade my underwear like a Frenchwoman. Rooted through my wardrobe to find a pretty dress that hides my 'chocolate every day for lunch' stomach. Experimented with inappropriately red lipsticks. Just my feet to do and earrings to match. And shoes. The confounded shoe dilemma. There goes the rest of my evening.

Being a girl is a full time job.

Favourite 25 Books

Earlier today in spring cleaning mode, I came across some sheets of paper on which I had started to list every book I read. The habit has now transferred to a dedicated book for the lists, quotes and so on.

What surprised me most was the number of books I've read which have completely vanished from my consciousness. I decided to start a list of my favourite books. I've always wanted to compile a Top 10 Books list but have never found the patience to sit down and whittle the list down to 10. Tonight though, I made a start by writing down every book I've loved.

The Lord of the Rings-Tolkien
Moon Tiger-Penelope Lively
The Amber Spyglass-Philip Pullman
The Prisoner of Azkaban-J.K. Rowling
I Capture the Castle-Dodie Smith
Cat's Eye-Margaret Atwood
Dracula-Bram Stoker
Memoirs of a Geisha-Arthur Golden
The End of the Affair-Graham Greene
To the Lighthouse-Virginia Woolf
Dune-Frank Herbert
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell-Susanna Clarke
The Life of Pi-Yann Martel
An Equal Music-Vikram Seth
The Road-Cormac McCarthy
The Mill on the Floss-George Eliot
The God of Small Things-Arundhati Roy
Never Let Me Go-Kazuo Ishiguro
On the Road-Jack Kerouac
Lolita-Vladimir Nabokov
All Quiet on the Western Front-Erich Maria Remarque
The Wind in the Willows-Kenneth Grahame
Watership Down-Richard Adams
The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets-Eva Rice
Rebecca-Daphne du Maurier

All of these books are books which have changed me in some, however small, way or stayed with me...or just infatuated me.

Many of these books were read years ago. Yet I still think of Cassandra swimming in the moat whenever I see Bluebells. At the top of beautiful staircases I think of Sarah saying everything with "you" to Maurice. My desire to visit Japan and see cherry blossoms hasn't faded even though the last page of Memoirs of a Geisha was turned 10 years ago. I have never looked at rabbits the same way since finishing Watership Down and the bucolic idyll of Wind in the Willows has followed me half my life. I still want to be in a heroine in a Penelope Lively novel. Violins and top deck bus journeys are always imbued with a romantic hope. The sheer brilliance and imagination evident in Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, and The Amber Spyglass still dazzle. Harry conjuring his Petronus is still one of the most powerful scenes I've read. I still plan a pilgrimage to Whitby and want vampires to exist. German soldiers' experiences, British soldiers' experiences all cannot be separated from the same tragic mess. My pen has lain still since my wannabe writer was killed by Lolita. And I'm still waiting for my Faramir...

On second thoughts, maybe I don't need to get down to 10 for the sake of neatness. These books have all contributed to who I am and all deserve a mention.

Winter Wander at Knole Park

Today I wrapped myself in 3 layers, a large padded coat and spent a peaceful day in Knole Park. The house is closed but the park is free and open 'from dawn till dusk'. It was very cold, with subzero temperatures all day but the snow stillness, tree skeletons, deer and sunset made for a lovely day anyway.

We walked through the park to Sevenoaks town centre, where I was seduced by exquisite truffles in a chocolate shop and we ate beautifully presented Thai food at Thai Square. We made it back to the park for sunset to see the white world glow orange.

There are beautiful trees in the park, including one of my absolute favourites-the Lebanese Cedar-so I plan to return in the summer, when I expect that place will look very different.

Photos as follows, the iPhone blogspot app doesn't upload them chronologically, preferring to mix them all up. Also I can't include photos in between text, it lumps the photos altogether at the end. Not the sleekest of apps it must be said :/