Beyond the sea. But also the deep beautiful blue pigment derived from Lapis Lazuli. For centuries the most prized of pigments. Lapis was mined in Afghanistan, ground up and then caravanned along the Silk Road, through Samarkand where the mosques and madrassas glistened with gold and ultramarine mosaic. Its destination was Venice and the studios of…Read more Ultramarine
#Blogtober
Spain
Ok, quite a big subject, and I've certainly not seen all of it. But what I've seen, I've liked. It wasn't always the case , on my first visit (also the first time me, MrS and MasterS travelled abroad together) I was slightly horrified by the aridity. I'd never seen a semi desert landscape before.…Read more Spain
Roads
I'm not a complete petrolhead, though back in the '70s I cherished my Sunday supplement guide to cars almost as much as my Donny Osmond posters. No, what like about roads is how they tell a story. Look at the numbering, A then M routes 1, 2, 3, 4 radiating out from London , the…Read more Roads
Quebec City
Well, I should say "liked" because when I sat down to write this post I did a quick calculation and realised it's been almost a decade since my visit. But I did like it when I was there and I'm sure enough of the things I liked were integral to the city and so would still…Read more Quebec City
Perfume
The scent setting the scene. Who will I be today? Musky, floral, fresh? I've usually got a few different bottles on the go. Favourites like Jicky are aways there but their companions come and go, depending on the season or my mood. Scent is precious memory, spraying a card with Eau du Soir I have…Read more Perfume
Orkney
This is a far from exhaustive post on this lovely island group, just a taster, because that's all I've had. I've only visited once, on a day trip from John O' Groats. We chose our day wisely, it was dry and sunny most of the time and we were able to sit outside on the…Read more Orkney
Netflix
Thank you to MrS for suggesting this topic. And coincidentally it's the subject of a post in my RMarinaeader too. We only discovered Netflix earlier this year, (thanks MasterS) but quickly picked up the habit of binge watching. It was a treat in the evenings back in the summer and we galloped though our favourite,…Read more Netflix
lazy lunches
Because lazy lunches mean holidays. Even if just for a day. Often out of doors (DogS comes too), sometimes with wine, always with pleasure. Lazy because there's no rush to get back to work, or do anything in particular, just being in the moment with some good food and company, my own can be enough.…Read more lazy lunches