Last summer

I am having a very lazy summer here in Southern California. The weather has just been absolutely perfect, no temps over 80 deg F! The ocean breezes blows gently and rustle the leaves on the trees. I nap almost every afternoon. It's hard to imagine I was schlepping it in Europe all of last summer. Here I was eating smorrebrod in Helsingor, Denmark. It was so perfect! If you've not been to Scandinavia, you ought to go. Its like perfection! I loved my trip. I would like to do it again.

Petersham nurseries, Richmond

Take the tube to the end of the line at Richmond, then hop on a bus and you'll be dropped off outside of Petersham. This was my second trip. I remember years ago, it was very delightful. It still has the same delightful charm. This was the flowers at the main restaurant which require a reservation but they have a little cafe which sells salads, cakes, tea and coffee which does not require a reservation. This trip in June 2016 I took the bus to Ham house which was a mile further, then I walked the Thames path to Petersham. It was the loveliest day. England in June is glorious. There's only one June every year. Don't waste it. I intend to be out and about in England every June.

Next book

The cover is ready for my next Kindle ebook. I'm still writing the manuscript. I hope to incorporate a lot more pictures in this ebook unlike my previous work which is rather sparse where pictures were concerned.

Happy Sunday

Even as I prepare to go to church I remember the places that I've spent my Sundays. Sometimes its in a church in London, Bath or Rome. But sometimes its in another world like in Eastern Turkey with a few young companions. Here we were in Ani, the ancient city of bygone Byzantine times in St Grigor, an almost ruined church, still standing and with beautiful frescoes. It is such a blessing to have a glimpse into another time and another world. I remember saying 'the Lord's prayer' and singing a hymn and wondering the last time a service was held here......probably centuries ago.

Smallhythe

It was the home of Ellen Terry an actress on the British stage. She saw it when she passed by it in a horse and buggy going from Rye to Tenterden. Today that same dirt country lane is paved and the bus goes from Rye to Tenterden and back. I took the bus and got dropped off in front of Smallhythe place, a sweet little gem of a place. It is so beautiful and so delightful. I still feel tingles down my spine when I see this.

Sissinghurst castle, England

It is dubbed the second most romantic garden in the world after Ninfa near Rome. This was my second visit in my life, the first was years ago with my cousin and aunt. I don't remember much of my first visit but this visit was different because I have lots of pictures of it and I'm writing about it.

Chasing flowers

It started in the Peloponnese the year before and continued in earnest, the chase for wild flowers, starting with the wild red anemones. It is also the national flower of Israel and where better to see it then in Israel. Here in February 2014 I spent the good part of the day at Mt Carmel national park in Haifa, just hanging out, looking at these pretty blossoms. My life since then is to search out the prettiest areas for viewing wild flowers.

Property rights

I took this picture a few years ago in Eastern Turkey. The bus I was in stopped at this gas station and this tree was right next to it. Up to that moment all the mulberries I saw were white ones. I grabbed my camera and ran out to get a few shots. This picture is available for sale on the Internet but not by me. Someone is selling my photo on the Internet.

Toronto, Canada

I've been away the last 2 weeks visiting my parents in Toronto. I'll be back tomorrow, can't wait to sleep in my bed again.

Hungry?

A Caprese sandwich on Swedish seeded bread and a huge slice of Princess cake in a cafe in Stockholm. Was I hungry? No, just greedy, greedy for experiences! I'd give anything right now for a piece of princess cake.

Domus Aurea

'The twelve caesars' by Suetonius writes an excellent account of Emperor Nero. He is a fascinating study. I'm even more convinced now , now that I've seen part of his golden house, 'Domus Aurea'. Only part has been excavated. We enter by one of the galleys built by Trajan. After the death of Nero, Trajan obliterated any trace of Nero. He filled the whole complex with dirt and built a Roman bath over it. The walls are 39 feet high. Imagine the amount of dirt that needed to be cleared away. I read the work started hundreds of years ago. There are still a lot of Trajan's contribution that are still filled up. There is no intention to clear that because the Trajan part is bare and uninteresting. There are still traces of mosaics and frescoes left in the Nero part and one can imagine the original splendor. Suetonius wrote definitively that it was Nero who lit the first flames that burned down Rome.

Castellucio de Norcia, Italy

This was where I was going except I was too early in June. If you go today this is what you are going to see. So I'm planning my trip for next July and am very excited.

the best laid plan 2

I took a taxi from Norcia to Castellucio only to find I was too early for the flower season. The drive from Norcia to Castellucio was stupendous. It was like driving into Shangrila, with gorgeous wild flowers flanking both sides of the road. I made the driver stop a few times for me to take some pictures and this made up for the disappointment. I'm going back next year and I'll be sure it will be at the height of the flowering season.

The best laid plan

I wanted so much to see the wild flowers in the Sibillini mountains. The place to see it is Castellucio, near Norcia, a little village high in the mountains overlooking a huge meadow like plain. The plan was to go to Rome on Tuesday, be in Norcia on Wednesday and take the once a week bus, on Thursday only, to Castellucio and spend a few hours there. I boarded the train in Rome for Spoleto which is the place to take the bus to Norcia. At Spoleto, I asked this guy, 'dove l'autobus per Norcia?' where is the bus for Norcia. He pointed to the left to a parked bus under a tree. Biglietti? Tickets? He pointed to the tabacchi shop. I bought 2 tickets because I knew I would need the second one for the return trip. It was a Wednesday and I stayed overnight in Norcia, a small little mountain village known for truffles and wild boar. The next morning I waited patiently for the 6.25am bus for Castellucio but it never came. I learned later that it was a bank holiday, 'dei di republic'. The day of the republic. I was still determined to go to Castellucio........

Palimpsest?

The meaning? Something that is reused. In the ancient days, parchment and vellum are expensive and are often reused with the traces of the original still remaining. Here on one of the walls of this church is a wall where at least 6 layers of frescoes can be identified. Santa Maria Antiqua was built in the 5th century and holds frescoes cycles of at least 3 centuries, 6th, 7th and 8th until it was destroyed by an earthquake in 847. It underwent a 36 year restoration from 1980 to 2016 and was reopened in March 2016. I had the privilege of seeing it in June this year.

Chelsea Flower show

To celebrate the opening of Chelsea Flower show at the end of May, many stores in London were also decked out in flowers. This was a shoe shop near the flower show which is really cute.

Chasing flowers

The trip was all about flowers and chasing flowers wherever they may be found. Even within London there are hidden gems just a tube ride away. Here is a street on Bonnington square where things just grow without human manipulation.

Gardens in London

Some famous gardens may take a little work to get to, a bus ride and/or a train ride or even an overnight stay, do not despair. There are many beautiful gardens within London that are even more accessible and are as pretty albeit not as huge as those outside London. This is the Chelsea Physic garden and is quite beautiful and is one of these gardens in London that I'm referring to. Besides there is an organization called the NGS and every year they publish a free (a donation may be required) booklet where they list all the private gardens that will be opened to the public. They publish a roster, addressees and charges if any to see them. The booklet maybe picked up in tea rooms, hotels or book shops.Peruse through it and see which gardens you'll be interested in. The most important thing about visiting London is to learn the transit system and invest in an oyster card. There are always friendly staff in every underground system to field any question you may have. I've met many Australian visitors who refuse to learn to use the underground and therefor had to walk miles and miles and get lost. What a futile idea! I love the underground and I love my oyster card. You can surrender your card at the end of your visit and get back whatever money you have left but I keep mine for my next visit. Its like I'm a local!

English meadow gardens

In the early days of English gardening, Capability Brown dominated the landscape. Then came along William Robinson and his idea of 'the wild garden.' In the early days of 'wild gardens' the public was appalled at the sight of unmown meadows. Today they are such a common sight in every English garden from the small to the huge and from the unknown to the famous. Here at Great Dixter, Daisy Lloyd has long subscribed to William Robinson's wild garden concept and there are huge swathes of land left to be wild meadows. The lane that leads up to the front of the house is flanked by huge areas of wild meadows and one can only guess my delight during the first moments of laying my eyes on Great Dixter. I've found what I was looking for.

Thames path, Richmond

It so possible to walk along the Thames. One can do it in London too if you want to fight the massive crowds. But in Richmond, its another world, slow and bucolic. That day I walked from Ham House to Petersham nurseries along the Thames. It was a very beautiful day!