Sunshine and jumpers

We climbed this set of steps every morning - 130 steps in total!

A few days away in the sun; Thursday morning we left temperatures of 25 degrees C and returned to a chilly English autumn afternoon of barely 12 degrees!  We had to put the heating on to thaw out  :(

It was, as always, a lovely relaxing break.  Lots of walking in the sun, good food and drink, friendly locals and a lifestyle we find very agreeable.  Everything looks somehow better in sunshine!

Back home again and we are reminded that winter is not so far away.  The summer clothes are washed and put away for the year; jumpers and extra layers are reached for to stave off the definite drop in temperatures.  It's taken a couple of days to get ourselves back into our routines again (or perhaps we're just taking time adjusting to the drop in temperature!) but I'll be back baking tomorrow, and tackling some of the pile of mending and alterations that seems to have manifested itself recently.  And I've been reminded that Christmas is not so very far away (surely not?) so I guess a bit of thought in that direction would not go amiss.  Obviously time for another list .....

Back from our hols

We had a lovely few days in Spain, enjoying the sun, sea and strolling along the prom.  We take the opportunity to chill out, relax and just slow down, making the most of much warmer weather and some excellent food - fresh from the sea and simply prepared, yum!  

Now, back home, and it's all go in the garden (and the washing machine's been quite busy, too!)

Before weeding and cropping . . .

. . . and after.

Despite our best efforts beforehand, there were one or two issues with watering whilst we were away - lessons learned along the way - and not all the seeds we sowed have survived, some drying out and some rotting in situ.  We thankfully have time for another sowing and we're now on hand to monitor watering.  N has been thinning out and potting on over the weekend, and all the raised beds are now full, in fact we did consider the possibility of another bed for veggies as we seem to have run out of space!  And someone is wishing for a bigger greenhouse, too.  I've taken on the role of chief weeder; even after those mammoth weeding sessions last year we are finding ourselves with a major battle against the little blighters but I am absolutely determined to get on top of the problem.  There is a perverse satisfaction to clearing a bed of weeds and it's simply a case of 'little and often' to keep ahead.

We've begun cropping the spinach, it is such an easy and obliging crop, and tastes delicious raw or cooked.  Plus it's very good for you.  What's not to love?

Taking a break

We've had a bit of a break.  To begin with, a lovely few days with the Newly-Weds (and the wedding photos; lots of oohs and aahs, and quite a few laughs too).  It was great to spend some time with them and show them our new home; a bit of gentle encouragement re DIY (it's really not that difficult, and there's such a sense of satisfaction being able to say 'I did that myself'), and, goodness, another set of curtains to alter!  I'm glad I can be of some help even if we don't live close by, and altering curtains I can certainly do.

Then a little bit of time away on our own, to the good old Spanish Costa del Sol, which is becoming a bit of a bolt-hole for us.  It is somewhere we can relax and chill out completely, making the most of the very good weather (high 20s and low 30s), flat promenades for strolling, lovely food and very welcoming people. 

Flat promenades ideal for strolling, cycling, roller-blading and jogging

It's not just the youngsters who stay fit on roller-blades!  This lady caught our attention - maybe we should try this out next time!

it didn't take long for us to realise just how tired we were after the summer spent working on the house (or is it that we are older than we are prepared to admit?!)  Admittedly we were both recovering from a pretty rotten head-cold (yes, DH very kindly passed it along to me so I wouldn't feel left out) but for a couple of days we took things very easy indeed.  We soon slipped back into the Spanish way of life which we find so pleasant.  We walked everyday, just ambling along, stopping every now and then to do a crossword, or take in the sights, or simply watch the world go by.  Sometimes we even had a drink!

One of our favourite stops for a glass of red wine, and some authentic tapas

We travel lightly, having long-since learned what can be left at home.  Do I need my own hair-dryer?  Or five pairs of shoes?  Three outfits for 'just in case' occasions?  Toiletries are provided at the hotel and are perfectly OK for a week so we don't bother with shampoo, shower gel etc.  I bought one item of clothing before I went - a long-sleeved t-shirt for £1 at a charity shop in town - but everything else was already in my wardrobe (and probably had been for, on average, at least five years!!)  By the end of the week, we both reassessed our baggage and decided we could probably pare things down even further, if we wanted to.  We don't, as a rule, 'do' souvenirs, nor do we buy gifts for friends back home, and we didn't do either on this trip.  It was, as usual, a very simple holiday, and I suspect some people may have found it boring.  Not us.  We had a really good time, making the most of simple pleasures and each others' company in a lovely location where the pace of life allows you to slow down and appreciate the little details.  It suits us just fine.

And the sun-rises are pretty spectacular, too.


Back home it's all a bit grey, cold and damp, not great weather for drying a load of washing.  So this morning I made laundry liquid instead.

Holiday snaps

We've returned home after a week in Spain, thoroughly enjoying the change of pace, beautiful warm, sunny weather and excellent food (especially the excellent food!)  

A glass of rioja, at a pavement bar as the sun goes down.  This was our favourite bar; the owner went out of his way to ensure all his patrons were looked after - we felt our custom was really appreciated.

Torremolinos was one of the original package tour destinations on the Costa del Sol, and seemed to acquire a bit of a reputation as a cheap and cheerful, booze-fuelled place in the sun (or maybe that's how I perceived it).  Just goes to show how wrong perceptions can be.  We stayed there for a couple of days late last year and thought what a lovely place it was, and quite deserving of a longer stay.  We weren't disappointed at all - it is everything we thought it was, and more.  Venture a few yards off the promenade and it becomes much less tourist, and far more traditional Spanish.

The promenades are wide and flat, ideal for strolling along or jogging . . .

. . . and they often have a separate lane for roller-blading and cycling, all of which are very popular.

The lifestyle in southern Spain is slow and easy-going and N and I feel very comfortable there.  It's very much an outdoors life, and that suits us fine.  We spent the week just strolling up and down the wide, flat (and clean) promenades, in shorts and T-shirts, and managed to notch up over 60 miles in the process.  

A jug of sangria was very welcome after a few miles along the prom!

Food, it seems, plays a big part in our trips to Spain (and Greece; very similar climate and lifestyle).  We always appreciate the fresh, local produce which seems to have such a superior taste to anything that comes wrapped in plastic on the supermarket shelves in this country.  And meals are meant to be enjoyed and taken time over, not rushed.  I think we had all our main meals outside, and that simply added to the pleasure and experience.

Seafood paella at one of the many 'chiringuitos' (beach cafe/restaurant/bars) that are all along the promenades.  Excellent food everywhere.

We have 'found' Spain at a time in our lives when we are able to really appreciate all that it has to offer in the way of lifestyle, food and yes, the weather does help, too!  It seems to us to be a slow and simple way of life there which suits us very well.  Walking so much, as we do, allows us to take in things at a leisurely pace and whilst we may not see all the 'touristy' attractions, and we don't spend a penny buying tacky souvenirs, we feel we probably gain much more by taking things at a 'Spanish pace'.

Finishing touches

Brrr, it's been a bit chilly today.  Way down into low single figures and windy to boot.  But, the washing dried outside which was a big plus.  Taking advantage of good drying days saves having damp washing hanging around the flat.  I know there will be many winter days when I can't get the washing outside, but in the meantime I shall make the most of the days that I can.

N and I have had another great day pottering through a whole raft of little jobs around the house.  The wallpapering is now finished - yay!  Step-ladders have returned to the shed/greenhouse, rags washed and brushes cleaned.  N has made a little shelf for over the radiator out of an off-cut of wood he had, and the brackets that were previously used for a corner shelf which we've now taken down.  

He used one of those little tester paint pots to paint it, just the right shade green to match the leaves in the wallpaper print.  It is ideal for the few little ornaments that we couldn't find a place for, and it just gives a little homely touch that we like.  (The wood is slightly bowed, it's not an optical illusion, but what the heck, it doesn't bother us!)

I've cleaned out and polished up the old TV unit and that will go to the furniture warehouse of one of the local charities.  I also cleaned off the bay window sill and washed all the vases that seemed to have collected there.

These three glass vases are where we keep our holiday souvenirs - shells and stones we have collected from various beaches on our travels.  We're not ones for tacky tourist tat, but as we inevitably find ourselves walking along beaches I will pick up just a few interesting and colourful stones and shells as a momento.  In these vases are pebbles from Thassos and Spain; shells from Thailand, Orkney, various Caribbean islands, and my own Island; pumice stone from the Canaries and there is even some wool from Orkney, too.

As I was cleaning and dusting - everything had got very dusty - my next sewing project became clear.  I need something to keep the dust out of the vases and I think something like a weighted milk-jug cover would do the trick.  And maybe some patchwork mats for the vases to sit on.  I need to check my fabric stash, methinks ;-)

A trip to the dentist

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Happy Birthday to my 'little girl' - she's a year older than 29 today, but we aren't allowed to mention how old that makes her  ;))
                           
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This lovely geranium was in the grounds of the apartments in Thassos

What a difference a day makes, as the saying goes.  Yesterday I was in full swing, ticking things off my list through the day and feeling quite pleased with myself.  Today has not gone quite so well.

We started the day early with a visit to the dentist.  NHS dentists are hard to come by here; if a new practice opens, or if one starts taking on more NHS patients, there's always a rush to get taken on.  N and I have both had to go to private practices for several years as we have been unable to find an NHS practice with vacancies.  A few weeks ago we were alerted to a local practice that was taking on new NHS patients so N was on the phone straightaway to get us registered.

Today we went for our initial assessments.  We assumed a 10 minute check-up each.  We were there for 8.45, I finished at 9.45 and N finally emerged at 10.40!  We had to go home for a strong cuppa to recover!  Now, I will say that our new dentist is very good and we both felt very confident in his ability and the treatment programme he has recommended - and that is from two confirmed 'scaredy-cats' when it comes to visiting the dentist.  However, what has left us feeling slightly miffed is the fact that the treatment we both require should have been picked up a long time ago by our previous respective dentists.  We have both been going for our regular check-ups, and were under the impression because we didn't seem to need further treatment, all was well.  It is a little annoying to say the least to find that the private treatment we have been paying for was not quite as thorough as it might have been.  *huff*  Anyway, I have another appointment tomorrow for a 'deep clean' which requires injections; I am, as you can imagine, looking forward to that immensely =:O

Spending most of the morning at the dentist's meant I have been nearly 3 hours behind schedule all day - I never caught up again.  And the weather has been wet, windy and so cold that N actually wore a beanie hat indoors!  It was just one of those days that didn't go according to plan.

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The grounds of the apartments in Thassos were beautifully tended, with lovely flowering plants and a range of trees, all of which attracted lots of wildlife - birds and insects.  Above is one of several Morning Glory plants whose flowers opened early each morning.

I love this photo - it looks as though a light is shining out of the trumpet of the Morning Glory flower; it was quite beautiful.

Tomorrow is another day and it will be tackled with renewed enthusiasm.  I just have to remind myself when I have a day like today to simply 'do the next thing'.  What doesn't get done will keep till tomorrow.  No big deal.

Back home from Greece

We've returned from our travels, having had a wonderful time on the beautiful Greek island of Thassos, in the Aegean Sea.  It is every bit as lovely as we remembered, and the weather could not have been kinder to us - hot, sunny and with a gentle breeze from time to time.  Wonderful hospitality (we stay at a family-run, self-catering apartment, which suits us well), great local food, lots of walking, swimming and taking in the sights. 

The view from our balcony, with the early morning sun-rays just catching the trees and mountain slopes

Although tourism is important to Thassos, more traditional industries such as fishing, marble quarrying, olive oil and honey production are still continued.

Fishing boats in Thassos old harbour

Octopus tentacles hanging out to dry!

Marble quarrying - the chippings in the forefront are dazzlingly white! 

Olive groves are everywhere.  Harvesting is in November.  (You can just see a herd of goats in the shade)

Colourful beehives

Limenas, the capital (also referred to as Thassos Town), has a wealth of ancient archeological sites, sadly now in a state of some disrepair and an equally sad lack of information boards (there is an Archeological Museum which probably provided lots of information, but I didn't have time for a visit), so I had to use my imagination.

This is the amphitheatre, originally built into the natural bowl-shaped hillside over-looking Limenas, furing the 5th century BC.  As you can see, it is being 'renovated'.  I'm not sure I think it's a good idea; sometimes it is better to leave such ancient monuments and buildings as they are.  However, for better or worse, new marble seating blocks are being cut to fit in between those original seating blocks that still remain.  I believe the idea is that, once restored, the amphitheatre will be used for performances again.  It certainly has an imposing setting, high up on the headland.

These photos show the Agora, the Greek equivalent of the Roman Forum, the main commercial, business, administration and gathering area of ancient Thassos.  The main construction took place in the 4th century BC although some parts date back to the 6th century.  It covers a huge area just behind the harbour, and you can just wander around it.  But no information boards, which was such a shame.  When I see something like this, I want to know what I'm looking at - what this building might have been, or what happened in that particular area.  All I can say is that based on the remains, the Greeks certainly knew how to build.

Impressive columns - these are still standing, but many more are in pieces over the whole area.

Beautiful curved seating area, with some intricate carving (swags and minataur heads, I would guess) around the top.

I took lots of photos at the Agora, the carved stonework was still so clear and it has given me several ideas for quilting patterns and designs. 

Having been enjoying temperatures in the high 80s for the past fortnight, it was a bit of a shock to the system to arrive home to pouring rain and a howling gale yesterday!  Thankfully I have managed to get 3 loads of washing dried on the line today, although I'm not so keen to tackle the ironing yet! 

I don't seem to have stopped since I got up this morning, but I have managed to achieve everything I set out to do which is always satisfying.  And having plenty of things to do fills the time.  Besides, I need to keep active as I have returned from Greece just a tad heavier than when I went out - maybe something to do with all the freshly-baked bread everyday and the occasional glass of Mythos (local Greek beer) ;-) - there was a very sharp intake of breath when I stepped on the scales this morning!  

Digital detox

'Digital detox' has made it into the Oxford Dictionary, and is the term for a period of abstinance from computers and digital gadgets.  You can go on a digital detox camp, apparently, I suppose a bit like a boot camp :o)   

We are going away, and we have choosen not to take the iPad with us.  It will do us both good not to be linked to a computer for a while; I think we probably use it far more than we would like to admit to.  I know I feel a bit cut off if I can't check up on various blogs, or indeed be able to blog myself, and N reaches for the iPad to look up things all through the day.  Great for having information at your finger-tips, 24/7, but there's an inherent danger in relying on digital communication.  So for us it makes sense to have some 'down time' away from the keyboard, email and blogs.

We are going to Thassos, a little Greek island.  It's very green, very beautiful and very quiet!  Same size as our island but only about one fifth of the population.  Lovely beaches (and the swimming is safe and the water warm so we will spend a lot of time in the sea), good walking, quite a bit of history and very friendly people.  We will eat locally grown produce bought at the local shop - we don't mind mis-shapen fruit and veg, and the taste is far superior.  It's a very simple, traditional way of life and suits us well.

This is Gus, a little mouse who travels with us.   He is a well-travelled little chap and is very good at making friends in new countries.  He also has a wardrobe of clothes to reflect the places he has visited (maybe I shouldn't admit to making clothes for a six-inch toy mouse, but it's become a bit of a tradition, making Gus a new outfit if we go somewhere new), but this time, in the spirit of frugality, he is wearing a pair of shorts he had for a previous trip, a sun-visor made from a margarine tub lid, and a very nifty pair of sunglasses that N manufactured this morning from some garden wire and shiny black card.  On reflection, maybe we are taking this too far!!

I love this sling N has made to support the cucumber as it grows :)  When we return, we shall have plenty to keep us busy in the garden; we need to dig out a couple of the beds, lift and split the perennials, take cuttings and plant the brassica seedlings from the nursery.   Autumn will be upon us, and there's a lot to do.

Thanks for visiting.

A break in Manchester

Walking along the pier to catch the ferry, the sun just caught two of the forts in the Solent (it was quite early in the morning!)

We've returned from our short break in Manchester, and have brought FIL back with us to give him a little holiday on the island.  

We managed to get out and about in between rain showers (a bit of a feature in Manchester) including a day out in York.  I've not visited there before, and I would love to spend longer another time.  It's full of wonderful quaint lanes with wonderful interesting little shops, and lots of tea rooms serving very nice cakes!

York Minster

Beautiful row of half-timbered Tudor buildings

The view down Shambles - the houses look as though they are leaning towards each other

We went for a couple of nice walks through Heaton Park, one of the largest areas of parkland in the country, and spotted this little chap beside the path, obviously quite used to people.

We travelled back home yesterday, and by the evening two loads of washing had been hung to dry in the shed.  The lettuce was looking a little wilted so it must have been quite dry here.  N and FIL had a dead-heading session this morning and the garden looks a bit better for a little TLC.

This afternoon we drove to Cowes with the intention of parking up and walking along the front to watch the yachts racing in the Cowes Week regatta.  Well, that was the plan.  Unfortunately it seemed everyone has the same idea - I have never seen it so busy, and there was simply nowhere to park at all.  It was a little disappointing as it is always exciting to watch the racing.  However, we had a detour on the way home, and stopped off the see the remains of the PS Ryde, a much-loved, but now sadly neglected and rusting hulk of a paddle-steamer that used to ply the local waters.

Many residents remember the days when the Ryde was used as a floating disco!  There have been several attempts to raise funds to salvage her but to no avail.   It is so sad to see her in this state, and it is only a matter of time before she disintegrates completely.

This evening we glimpsed the Red Arrows performing their breath-taking air display in the skies above Cowes - from time to time we saw the coloured vapour trails and caught sight of them in various formations.

Vapour tails in the sky show where the Red Arrows had been - the planes were just too quick for me to get a photo of them!