A fantastic week........

DH and  I have just got back from spending a fab week on the Greek Island of Skiathos.  It was a last minute booking and we were not sure what to expect.  We were hoping for a week of sunshine, crystal clear waters, chilling around the pool, and evenings spent in a taverna with a glass of wine and some good food.  Our apartment below was ideally situated, the view from our balcony overlooking the beach, and the little boat in the distance that took us into the town. 

Relaxing in the evenings, these bean bag chairs are so chic........

We took this little boat every night into the town, and one evening we went to the open air cinema to watch Mamma Mia, which was partly filmed on the island.  A real cheesy film but quite an enjoyable experience in the open air, we sat on deck chairs drinking beer and eating popcorn.  Lots of folks got onto the stage at the end.

  The jetty where the little boat brought us back to our beach and apartment.

A rare photograph of me taken on my birthday, our last evening. A perfect end to the perfect week.  We could not have asked for more.

The End of August...........

Where has this past month gone, I can't believe it is nearly September .  I suppose if I look back it has been a busy month.  It is the peak holiday season, with the schools having their summer vacation.

Here is a quick look at what we have been up to.  The beginning of the month brought the tall ships race to Teeside, so we took a day trip to Hartlepool.  The sailing ships are so beautiful and graceful, I always like seeing them, also visiting the festival was the BBC " Bang Goes the Theory" team, we sat and watched a half hour presentation on how to make science fun, and it was.  

 

A week later we began our main holiday and took off in this Motorhome, destination Isle of Skye, I had not realised how far away it is and it took ages to get there.  We only had a week on the island but we managed to see most of it.  The weather was mostly good, a couple of very heavy showers, but within a few hours we were back to lovely sunshine again. The light levels are fantastic, there is so much open space, unbelievable. 

DH is a bit of a Malt Whisky connoisseur so a trip to a local distillery was in order.  Talisker is one of his favourite whiskies and it did not disappoint. 

This is the view just down from the distillery, now would that be just lovely to wake to this every morning.

What a view, fantastic. 

Wildlife everywhere, this little robin was used to visitors I think...

and the seals get hundreds of visitors each day.

The main town on Skye is Portree, with it's pretty coloured harbour houses, we had the best Fish and Chips ever, from the shop on the Harbour front.

 I took some wool away with me and whiled away the time travelling making some pretty pink bunting, which is nearly finished 

                                                    

and some liquorice allsorts...........

 The nights are cutting in now and it is rather chilly in the evenings,  I feel the Autumn nip in the air. The berries are turning red and we have lots of hips on our dog rose bushes.  So I am going to attempt to make some Rose Hip Syrup for the first time.   I shall let you know how I get on.  Back to work tomorrow  so normality alas returns .

  

New York Day Three......

Morning coffee at a local cafe, soooooooooooo relaxing, I could really get used to this life style. 

A short ferry across the Hudson to Govenors Island, this once little island used to be a military base - home to the US Army and  Coast Guard, now a great public green space.

We sat and watched the Red Bull Air Race, it was won by a Brit.

New York Day Two.........

We started off the day with a trip to a local flea market, lots of vintage stuff for sale, unfortunately the purchase of anything big was restricted due to baggage allowance.  Much to DH's delight.

Then on to Coney Island to watch, The 2010 Mermaid Parade......... held every year to herald mid-summer Solstice, everyone gets dressed up in fancy dress and parades along the sea front. They were some terrific costumes, which were mostly hand made.  The atmosphere was great, and people were happy to stand and pose for photographs.  The weather was glorious too, which made the day even more special.

New York Day One..............

We are staying with family who live in Brooklyn Heights, they live close by the river and the Brooklyn Bridge.  This is the view from the end of their street.........

Day one we spent shopping and soaking up the sights. The Magnolia Bakery in Greenwich Village

Famous for its appearance in "Sex in the City".

There is always a queue and today was no exception. 

 Then onto Bryant Park to visit http://www.kinokuniya.com/   a Japanese Bookstore, the selection of craft/knitting and crochet books is amazing, alas the book I wanted was out of stock.  I will get it in the autumn when my brother-in-law visits the UK.     

We then walked what seemed miles to"Gracious Home" a shop which sells all sorts of  household items, our mission, to buy a Dehydrator, we have been wanting one for ages.  I shall show you more about that later.  Exhausted and a bit jet lagged, we found a great pub and saw the second half of the England/Algeria match.   The evening ended with a superb meal here http://thegroceryrestaurant.com/.  

Back to Normal......

Hello there... I have had a couple of weeks off work and we have been away. The first week was spent skiing in the French Alps in a small town called Embrum. The nearest slopes a 15minute drive away to .....Les Orrs a smallish family, friendly resort.

The boys were in their element, I myself find it so exhausting and need to take my time.

. The boys are now very good at Snowboarding.

Scattered over the mountain were some fabulous ice sculptures, they are so intricate. Not such a good photograph, but I hope you will get the gist.

We ended the holiday, taking the train to Paris ,where we spent a couple of days sightseeing.

This is the ceiling of the department store in the Galleries Lafayette, beautiful isn't it.

We patiently queued for 2 hours to take the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

The view from the middle station, you can see for miles.

Notre Dame, we were lucky to witness a service being held there.

Our final week was spent at home,catching up with bits and bobs. We managed to buy a load of Seville Oranges and Blueberries. Several hours later we have a good stash of Jam and Marmalade for the coming months.

DH is still baking his Sourdough Bread, and it is so delicious.

Our eldest son turned 21 midweek, so we paid him a surprise visit at University. I cannot believe I have a son this age. The end of the week culminated in a visit to Pins and Needles at the Arena in Newcastle. A couple of book purchases, of course.

And a few other non essentials, I could not resist.......

Back to reality, with a bump.