Wise Words..

If only it were so easy..

Quote taken from http://aubreyroad.blogspot.co.uk/

The Secret Garden...

Feeling rather traumatised from my house-sitting duties - the goldfish died on my watch and my sister was a little mad - I decided to seek solace in Norwich's "Secret Garden", before having to face the tears of my niece, and of course the wrath of my sister.

I cannot believe I have never been before, it is stunning and these pictures just don't do it justice!

 

It is so pretty. So quiet. So quaint. So hidden, and so worth the £2.00 donation - if the sun ever decided to shine, it would most definitely be where I would vanish to, a perfect corner of tranquility and calm. 

The sister returned, and she was as expected, mad.  It would appear not only did the fish die under my care, but the plants weren't too perky either - although I maintain that it was some sort of freak fish accident and nothing to do with me. I'm just thankful the rabbit survived the ordeal of the older sister looking after the house. Somehow I don't think I will be invited to stay again!.

The Schatzi...

My darling friend Jenny, with whom I scrubbed hotel rooms with in the Swiss Alps, shared many a giggle and schnapps with, fiiiiinally made it to London and we were reunited after a long 18 months apart. I should give the girl a break - she has been living in New Zealand ever since we left the mountain, so it’s not the easiest of commutes for her - but the selfish in me has missed her and her infectious smile a lot. It was amazing to catch up with her and give her a whistle stop tour of London; although her and her partner were nursing small headaches from the night before and I am certain weren't quite as excited about seeing the sights as me, especially when the heavens opened true British style!!! In the end I decided the only way to nurse them back to full health was the hare of the dog, which sadly backfired on me...  Much fun and frivolity was had, memories old were shared and memories new were made. It was a great day with my dear Jenny Schatzi.

 

 

 

End of Season Madness in Wengernalp...

 

 

 

 

 

Dodging the rain, seeing the sights, distracting her from her headache... x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All things bright and beautiful....

It is no secret that I am a magpie. Anything pretty and sparkly will always catch my eye and this can be quite problematic as I am sure you can imagine.

Current fascination (obsession) is this fabulous bangle which is from the Carat range, as stocked by Tombland Jewellers , the only stockists of Carat in East Anglia!

Its the spitting image of a stunning diamond bangle which I have been seriously lusting after for a long time, but as Carat's stones are "laboratory grown diamond simulants" it is a fraction of the price.  Carat's aim is to create stunning pieces that people will wear and enjoy - to not have to keep hidden in the safe under lock and key.  I have my eyes on several pieces currently... The magpis is relishing!
 

For obvious reasons Carat won't share their magic secret, quite frankly, who cares... If it looks this good!!!

Jubilee Fun...

As the country united to celebrate the Queens Diamond Jubilee, I found myself at Blickling Hall for a wee jaunt around the house and gardens with some very special friends.  Of course, being England, we were graced with lots of lovly rain and dark, grey skies, but that was not to mess with our jovial spirits, especially with the promise of a good old fashioned Sunday Roast and lovely red wine at the Wiveton Bell.

Here is a peek of our day....

Oooooooops!

Oh dear. 

I am rapidly turning into the worst "blogger" of all time!!! (although I don't actually class myself as a blogger at all)  Firstly, there is the small matter of never updating said blog, and secondly, my blog's "identity crisis"... which quite frankly, is nearing catostrophic disaster levels... Perhaps thats slightly melodramatic of me, and I'm sure if I stopped neglecting it so much it might just bounce back to life!

In Cape Town the upkeep was quite easy.  There were pretty pictures to take, stories to tell, mostly everything was still novel and my days weren't as governed by routine... Although routine is good - routine pays the bills!  My routine is especially good as I work with great friends and get to play with pretty jewellery all day long. It is great for the magpie within.

Its a hard job, but someone has to do it...!!! Carat Ring, stocked at Tombland Jewellers.. 

Life continues to plod along in sleepy Norwich. Worryingly, I have only been back for 2 months, yet it feels a lot longer.  Days are spent working, daydreaming, pondering, seeing friends and playing with the exploding population of babies I find myself surrounded by. Thank goodness for my friends who all decided it was time to grow up - I get to relish in the nice parts of the baby boom.

There are a lot of decisions to be made.. Some are glaringly obvious, some are a little more fuzzy. Taking a giant leap of faith into the unknown is never an easy task, especially for one who ponders and wonders "what if..." as frequently as I.  As the adventure unfolds I will endeavour to become decisive and assertive, and of course, share the results.

Exploring The Winelands...

Long overdue once again, but finally, here is the tale of my last adventure in Cape Town before returning home to the good old land of blighty...

I managed to persuade The Boy to take me to Franschhoek - one of the few places I had yet to discover. The sun was finally shining again, and there was a spring in our step as we ventured out of Cape Town to head deep into the winelands. Nestled amongst the mountains, Franshhoek translated, quite literally means "French Quarter". Famous for its fabulous wines, gourmet feasts, stunning views and it's pretty town centre, I was most excited about the day ahead.  It was also a good distraction from being sad about leaving.

By sheer chance we drove past a wine farm that I had been desperately trying to remember the name of, one which caught my eye when I first arrived to Cape Town, but I typically misplaced the piece of paper on which I had jotted the address down!!!  Deciding it was too early for lunch, we popped into the centre of Franschhoek itself... It lived up to it's reputation of being a pretty, bustling town, full of weekend markets, cafes and all things lovely. After a quick stroll, I couldn't contain my excitement and wanted to get back to what I was sure was going to be a pretty special wine farm... and it didn't disappoint.

Maison is a boutique vineyard, with it's first crops being produced in 2008. Mainly producing Chenin Blanc and Shiraz, they also have small quantities of Chardonnay (which was surprisingly good, as a non-chardonnay drinker!),  Viognier, Port, Straw Wine (Dessert wine) and Cap Classique. Their Shiraz is possibly one of the nicest wines I have ever drank, and I could happily have bought a case or two if I were not returning home!!!  The farm exudes style, minimalistic chic and comfort - and so it should with Chris Weylandt at the helm, famous in SA for his furniture store Weylandts.

Inside Maison...

We decided to explore a couple of other wine farms Backsberg, which sadly was closed for a wedding, and Vrede en Lust, where we managed to have lunch outside after admiring the wonderful views.  As you can see, they were pretty spectacular, and it was a great second last day in Cape Town.  Whilst it distracted me temporarily from my impending departure, it gave me a heavy heart knowing I soon would no longer have al this on my doorstep...

Backsberg & Vrede en Lust.. Pretty Pretty!!!