Saturday 4 February 2012

France again!! Yes Yes Yes

I know people post at regular intervals but like the snow falling outside now, I post in Flurries......

Reading all these wonderful blogs based in France has got me reminiscing about old trips...and here is the trip to Paris..




Choosing a cake in Lauduree Champs Elysée is one of life's little pleasures.....

Complete with antique high chair, no plastic things here or stuff that attaches to the table! Oh no......this was perfect for the little princess, I must admit though I felt very casual and scruffy compared to the smart Parisians there for a chat with friends. I have never seen such ram rod straight backs.



So simple yet so captivating.
Saw this stunning shop on the way to Victor Hugos house. Perhaps below was in memory of miss guillotine?





I fell in love with the blue of this book, can you see its about Madame de Pompadour....My poor husband had to drag me away from this shop, I stood there musing over it for a good ten minuets.




La Charlotte de l’Isle - amazing......quirky....mumsey...this place will throw its arms around you, let it embrace you. As I made my way to the loo I saw three or four grandmas working in a tiled kitchen amid a haze of flour and kneading and baking....they have every tea known to man here, sublime. 





Every time I go to Paris I always say to myself I should come here more, living close to St Pancreas there is no excuse not too, but time and other obligations of course get in the way......I miss you mon cherie...

Honfleur

I have been to Honfleur three times, the first was with a boyfriend whose mother had a mini hotel here, I was so struck by it and each time I see it I catch my breath. The second time was years later with my husband and Father at christmas; saw a totally different side to it- then back again this summer.....

Reading all these amazing French Blogs have got me yearning to go to France again.....



And by Jove I will...in another post........Paris.....


Saw this lady with this pram, loved it...looks so right here....

Ooooh La La and of course the best of all....Giverny

Ok thats not Giverny thats Honfluer, wonderful little port tooo pretty, great shops and a good jazz bar, what more does one need.

the garden was in two parts with a rather unexpected trip under a tunnel to the lake side.






Unlike Chatea du Canon, this place was heaving with tourists....trying to take a pic without someones limb in it was quite a feat.

You can just see the house at the very back, this part of the garden was in rows...beautiful planting but I wasn't overly keen on the lay out....

Chateux du canon another gorgeous garden...

Another amazing garden, very rustic place, not stream lined for visitors at all, no one else there....



It was a very hot day, the garden was contained within these stone walls and made it into a heat trap. I did nearly faint but my sense of wonder and nosiness about what was round the next corner carried me through...

At the end we walked round to a delightful rustic sort of bar selling delicious cider.....and drank a few drops...



Au revoir lovely place.....

Sunday 8 January 2012

Dreaming of Summer & Hanham Court.....

My Christmas decorations have not come down and yet and wont until I feel ready to strip the house. Its too harsh for me to take them all down in the grey January light. Apparently the Queen also has hers up at Sandringham till Feb. My mother used to do the same, and even then, sometimes guests were greeted by a jolly " Happy Christmas" sign in June.
However thoughts are turning to the garden and roses, lavender and cosmos, Dahlias and sweet peas....here is some inspiration from gardens we saw last year. These were taken at Hanham Court near Bristol, private garden of the Bannerman's.

The most enchanting Garden....


What I  particulately liked about the garden was the house, amazing back drop, and then a large expanse of lawn to the front, fringed with large pots full of lilies, then to one side gravel and a wild but formal part with pathways, a sublime hidden swimming pool, but, beyond that was rolling fields and all round the huge garden you could see rolling countryside.


Sublime, I was sorely, and I do mean sorely tempted to sneak into this....






Round by the pool, path ways with a frothy profusion of roses spilling forth with scent and flowers.....

A tent where the family were celebrating a birthday.


Although I enjoyed the garden immensely I couldn't help feel I would rather be tripping merrily along the pathways, a glass of wine in hand, on my way for a cooling evening dip in the pool....



Unbelievably they are selling the house, they do a few open days a year, they have a website  if you Google Hanham Court, its without worth a look, if your lucky enough to still be able to take a look. I feel very privileged to have done so.