Deception...

I went up to Durham on Saturday to help The Professor settle in to the rental house we have got him while we wait for the sale in Edinburgh to go through and while we look for something new to buy. I really enjoy these train rides. A bit of luxery to have 3.5 hrs to myself, just sitting reading or crocheting!

This is apparently the oldest University building in the world still in use, from 1027. Nope, it is neither the house we are renting nor the house we went to view... :-)

Glorious weather and lovely with some alone time with The Professor

♥

The house is fine and within walking distance to town and office. But it is a rental, so it takes a little effort to make it more 'home'.

 

On Sunday we went to view a house for sale. It was a big disappointment, to be honest. It is really annoying to see how the estate agents use wide angle lenses to make rooms look bigger...

Makes me really annoyed, actually!

 

But we should be patient.

This was the first house we viewed so I guess we should listen to the quote saying

patience is bitter, but it's fruit is sweet...



Some Small Projects

Simple in white.

Those of you that follow me on Instagram might have seen that I have found time for some small crocheting projects. Our Boy and I went to Edinburgh for a few days last week as it was half term, The Professor's birthday and Valentine's Day. Talk about having a lot to celebrate! It was probably the last time we visit before we sell the flat. I must admit it was a little nostalgic, but a new chapter opens and we will hopefully soon be househunting again.

 

On the way up to Edinburgh on the train I crocheted this bib which will be making it's way to Switzerland once I have put some decorations on it. I found the pattern via Fru Tunheim who had found it via some other blog, but here is the link to the original blog (in Norwegian). I am also working on a special item for a friend of mine (almost a secret so no pictures yet), but I like having more than one thing on the go, so last night I started this super easy scarf pictured below.

Purple - my all-time favourite colour!

It is the simplest pattern ever and can be done 'in your sleep' or at least while watching TV. I am pleased to have found a way to use up some silk mohair yarn that was just 'hanging about'. I must admit I have forgotten where I found the pattern, but I will get back with the link once I have had a look at the IPad where I stored it...

Travel Report: Zurich!

Wow!

How time flies!

I can't believe it is almost 2 weeks since I came back from visiting friends in Zurich...

 

This was my first visit to Zurich and I have to say I fell in love with the town. The air is so incredibly clean. You actually feel healthy just breathing there! And I am in awe of how efficiently everything works there... That was a welcome and surprising change from the UK

☺

 

Our friends have a lovely place close to the forest above the city centre with lovely views of green trees and the soothing sound of a brook below. Although we didn't have the best sightseeing weather I loved seeing the most amazing views of the lake. We ate well and we "played hard"! "Played hard" in the sense that we were working on kitting out the nursery for a little friend due to arrive in a months time.

 

I was also pleasantly surprised to note that my rusty German managed to surface. Not that I understand a word of Swiss Deutsch, but when people switched to Hochdeutsch I actually managed quite well. Amazing what is lurking and suddenly surfaces from the corners of your brain after not really using it for 30 years...

 

I didn't find any Hausbrandt coffee, but a few other types were brought home so we are well provided for in terms of coffee. However, the chocolates, cheeses and sausages are all consumed...

 

Mmmm.... I see another Swiss trip on the cards!

☺

 

Come To Lido!

Summer memories from Lido Di Venezia:

Just outside Venice is the island of Lido with a lovely, looong beach. We only had a couple of days on the beach when we visited Venice, but I think I would stay in Lido if we go back to Venice. It is just a short vaporetto ride in to Venice city.

Life is slower there than Venice (and cheaper). One of the days we rented a sort of tandem bike for two people and squeezed ourselves in (the 4 mans bikes were all taken) and rode around the island.
It was mad!
3 people squeezed in: two were biking, one relaxing (guess who!) and one steering (again, guess who!). Not the most efficient bike, but it was oooooh, so fun!

I had the biggest fit of giggles while we were making the roads unsafe for the rest of the islanders... I am just glad we didn't tip over in the curves...! It felt like we were 'racing' around...

There was also a "flee market" by the beach, but that was the most expensive flee market I have ever encountered. Ridiculous prices, to be honest. But still fun to browse!

And yes, we did a bit of what you normally do on the beach, too

:-)

We fell in love with Lido, to be honest.

I can see us going back one day...



Colourful Burano and Wishful Thinking

We made good use of the water buses (vaparetto) while we were in Venice this summer. I get restless in these lovely sunny and hot places as with my freckly and fair Scandinavian skin there is a limit to how much time I can spend on a beach so we try to go to places where there is lots to see and do.

Venice was a perfect combination of city/culture/history/beach. One day we took the vaparetto to the island of Burano. Most people have heard of Murano where they make glass (yes, we went there too), but a little further on you come to the island of Burano where they make beautiful lace. Little old ladies were sitting in the numerours lace shops making lace. So intricate and amazing they see these small stiches and thread... Each lady specialises in one particular knot so each piece of lace is made by many hands and takes MONTHS to complete!

But the quiet car free island of Burano which is also criss crossed with canals like Venice was also a sight to see and we wandered all over (it is very small) looking at the amazingly colourful buildings.

There doesn't seem to be any rules as to which colour you can choose...

these buildings are not sinking (I think)... we can only blame the photographer :-)

The place was so peaceful and obviously with a lot less tourists than Venice.

I started thinking perhaps I wouldn't mind spending a year there, perhaps writing a book of sorts and spending the days just 'thinking'... It was that kind of place.

a tile on one of the colourful walls of Burano...

Ah, well, just as well this is mere wishful thinking.

It isn't only Pisa that has a leaning tower... Not sure I would dare to live too close to this church tower...

Knowing me, I would probably get bored...

Could you spend a year in a quiet, secluded place away from your normal life?

Our Olympic Weekend

Thursday afternoon all three of us went off to London to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary and for The Professor and Our Boy to go and watch the rowing finals at Eton Dorney.

We started off in Notting Hill browsing the rather empty shops. It was sooo quiet and so not like the London I tend to find too stressful.

It was rather peaceful looking in the shops...

Aren't these soap dishes beautiful? Too bad we don't really use soap bars in our house but instead liquid soap...

We stopped at Hummingbird bakery for a "small" taste, but tried to contain ourselves for dinner which we had in a Lebanese restaurant in Edgeware road . That is apparently were all the people were! It was really packed, but no wonder as the food was lovely and abundant!

We then headed to our hotel in Slough, chosen because it is close to Eton Dorney where the rowing was taking place early Friday morning. I can't really say anything about Slough since our hotel was right next to the train station (no noise, actually) so we didn't really see much of the place.

As I didn't have a ticket for the rowing, The Professor and Our Boy took off early in the morning while I enjoyed a leisurely lie-in before I took the train into London and spent 4 (!) hours in the Victoria and Albert museum. Those of you who follow me on Instagram might have seen some of the pictures I posted there. It was my first time at the V&A and I so enjoyed getting lost there. Amazing museum and building! I also discovered that exploring a museum is best done alone...!

The Olympic games have really taken over the country and there is little talk of anything else in our house. London was as I said very quiet. I think all the warnings about 1 million extra visitors a day had scared people off and the expected pandemonium led those that could to escape from town. It was evident that many shops had geared up with extra staff for a crowd that never reached them. However, I think the games will still be good business for the country long term and the tourists will come after the games.

I managed a quick trip to a bead store in Covent Garden before the guys called and said they were exhausted, happy and wanted to go home. So, I got on the tube to King's Cross train station where the troop reunited and they told me all about their adventures while we sat on the train back home.

And we all agreed it had been a great trip!

:-) 



More Summer Projects...

I am truly in a crocheting phase at the moment

:-)

When we went to Venice I had thrown some left over yarn and a crochet hook in the suitcase thinking I might find something to make in a quiet moment. No need to bring any patterns when you have access to the web! With no TV (that I could easily understand) I ended up making various things (actually ran out of yarn!), among them this light cover for jam jars. Many bloggers have made lovely light covers for jam jars and here is my version.

I found the pattern for the cover here. I then found a pattern for the flower, but I can't find the link to the flower anymore... But it wouldn't take much to find suitable instructions for the flower or get a lesson on YouTube if you don't know how to crochet. I learnt to crochet by myself when I was a child by looking at instructions in a magazine (imagine, there was a time - not too long ago - when there was NO Internet...!). My mother was very good at knitting and an excellent seamstress, but she didn't know how to crochet but I figured out the basics myself.

I don't have much of what I have made over the years as I tend to make things to give away, and this was the case now as well. The cover and flower stayed in Venice as a small 'thank you' to our lovely hostess who had seen it when cleaning the flat and in truly elaborate Italian style exclaimed her fondness for it. So, this is my little contribution to spreading Scandinavian style handicraft in Italy!

We have just finished a couple of jam jars in our house, so I think I will make a couple, for myself this time!

The Man With The Masks

One of Venice's big export article are masks, glass and lace. Venice is full of mask shops and glass shops. The masks are traditionally worn during the carnival, but I won't attempt telling their history as others have written more detailed about them, like here.

Like many tourist places Venice is also full of (expensive) rubbish things to buy. It was obvious that it was hard to judge what was a real piece of craft and what was not so desirable mass produced items, particularly when it comes to the glass beads.

One of the first evenings we were walking about in the warm Venetian air after dinner we entered by chance the mask shop around the corner from our flat. We soon realised that this was a special shop and that all the items were handmade paper-mache masks. While we were admiring the beautiful masks and costumes, I overheard the shop owner talking to somebody and realised he must be Iranian. The Professor then got chatting to him and he told us he had been making masks in Venice for 25 years!

As we showed interest for the history of the masks he invited us to join a group of American tourists he was giving a talk to the next morning in his workshop next door. Never ones for passing up such a chance, we were there bright and early the next morning.

It was fascinating learning about the various characters and the long process each mask went through.

It is a real craft. This is the book and characters he takes much of his inspiration from when creating his masks.

We left quietly after the talk as the owner got busy with customers, but we went back a week later to say goodbye at the end of our stay.

Yes, we did buy a mask, but I won't show it yet, as I have a plan with it before it goes with the Professor to be put on display in our flat in Edinburgh.

In addition to giving us a good price, we all got extra gifts like t-shirts and bags.

And I like to think we made a friend!



Back From Venice...!

This blog break was quite unplanned, but it just felt right to take a break from the blog while we were 10 days in marvellously, mad and magical Venice!

But I am back on the blog again now!

Venice... no place like it.

A very different way of life living surrounded by water (and tourists).

We had found a lovely romatic loft apartment 5 mins from St. Mark's with a roof terrace and the most amazing view of Venice. The charming hosts lived in the flat below and were extremely generous and friendly. Truly a lovely place with charm and character - although it had 78 steps to climb since the flat was in the loft... - yes, I counted! But we had air conditioning!
☺

We felt we got to know this maze of a city quite well since we were there for 10 days. Most tourists stay for only a couple of days. Madness, if you ask me as there is so much to see and do.

More stories and views of Venice will follow...

The Summer's First 'Wild' Adventure...

The first adventure this summer started this morning.

Our Boy had his last IGCSE exam yesterday (think he has had 20 exams since 10 May! not sure this is a satisfactory system of evaluating academic knowledge, but that will have to be discussed another day) and at 4 am this morning he left with the outdoor pursuits group from school for 10 days of canoing in Sweden.

They are heading to the Swedish 'wilderness' around Ed, north of Gothenburg in Sweden.

I must admit it was a bit amusing earlier this year when we attended the school's information meeting and they talked about the 'wilderness'...

Ed is just across the border from where I grew up in Norway.

We never looked upon it as 'wilderness'...

☺

I am sure they will have a great time!

Just hope it won't rain too much.

The Professor also took off this morning for two conferences on the continent leaving me and The Cat to fend for our selves.

I am sure we will be fine!

You can just imagine all the PLANS I have of all the things I am going to get DONE...

Famous last words...? 

♥

Visiting the UK: Lavenham

The Professor and I went exploring to the medieval village of Lavenham in Suffolk this bank holiday. Lavenham is in particular noted for its 15th century church and half-timbered medieval cottages. There was an art festival going on, but to be honest we didn't see much of it.

It was a grey day and although there were some people walking about, it seemed like the oomph had gone out of the place or perhaps it just is a very sleepy village...? I just think they could have put on a bit more activities in the market square when they had a festival going on to bring in more people.

Anyway, we still enjoyed walking around looking at the cottages and popping in to some antique shops on the high street. A very 'dangerous' activity..., but we were good and just enjoyed browsing!

A quick lunch was also had in a local tea shop.

☺

So, to summarise - a cute place which could have made more out of it self.

Perhaps I will give it another chance on a sunnier day...!

To the Manor Born... Upton House

volunteers leaving at the end of the day

I have mentioned before the amazing National Trust which works hard to preserving many wonderful historic properties, gardens and villages around the country and keeping them open to the public. Many who work there are volunteers who don't get paid, but do it for their love of history and these wonderful properties. Wimpole Hall is as you may recall close to where we live and I go for walks in the grounds as often as I can.

Upton House, near Stratford-upon-Avon

 The National Trust (and English Heritage) do an amazing job restoring and preserving a lot of history and keeping them open for everyone to see, enjoy and learn from.

If you are a member of the National Trust you get in for free to most of their properties, but even if you don't take out a membership you can still visit the properties by paying an entrance fee.

I looove looking around the kitchens in these old properties

I recommend you check out their website if you are planning a trip to these green isles to see if there is a National Trust property close by to where you are going. You can even stay in some of their properties!

Remember, there is so much more to these islands than only London...!
(there are National Trust properties there, too)

Imagine what goodies have been conjoured up with the items...

I introduced our visitors to the National Trust last year and they immediately took out a subscription. Our trip to Stratford-upon-Avon would therefore not be complete without paying a visit to some of the National Trust properties in the area.

The table plan from the coronation of the present queen had been kept as a souvenir by the last owners

The first place we went to see was Upton House and Gardens, just outside Stratford-upon-Avon and all the pictures are from this lovely place. The weather did not lend itself to exploring the outdoors too much, but we all relished in the beautiful house which had been left as when Lord & Lady Bearsted - the last family at Upton House - lived in it.

"You rang, My Lady?"

The place with a definited 1930s-feel was donated to the National Trust along with a vast art collection and since the stipulation was that the house should be left as is without any ropes or restrictions like you find in a museum you almost feel like you are a guest in the house.

Next time, I will take you to a property with a real moat!

Coming Over For the Olympics? - Tip For Accommodation

As you may know, I work for one of the famous Universities in the UK.

I feel really lucky to work in such amazingly beautiful surroundings with very interesting people from all over the world.

With the Olympics in mind, I thought I would share a tip for a different type of accommodation other than a regular hotel room:

Many colleges and Universities rent out rooms out of term (and some during term) at much more reasonable prices than what a hotel room would cost. The rooms are mainly available in the summer (July, August, September), Christmas and Easter (March, April) vacation periods, when students clear their rooms. It gives people a chance to see what it is like to live in anything from rather modern buildings to ancient historical accommodation. As it says on the website:

"You could trace the footsteps of graduates such as Newton, Darwin, Wordsworth, John Cleese, and Prince Charles. You will eat in the college hall, and could wander through the college's gardens and courts, learn about the college's history, and take a punt along the river followed by a drink in the college bar."

Doesn't look too bad staying in a place like this, does it?
picture borrowed from www

This website (http://www.university-rooms.com/) gives you options to see availability and search for accommodation in many different countries, so well worth considering if you are planning a trip somewhere (for some reason I wasn't able to embed the link today!).

A tip for 'thinking outside the box' is if you are planning to come to the UK for the Olympics is to consider staying outside of London. Many of the University towns are less than an hour away by train and you get to see more than 'just' London.

There is a lot more to this island than London, you know...

♥