Autumn Cottage Diarist

Surfacing

Slowly re-entering the land of the living after being hit hard by a nasty virus that I think has been lurking in my sinuses ever since returning from Lisbon. The descent on the plane at Heathrow took a long time this time and the normally uncomfortable but tolerable routine pressurisation problems this time made me feel as if my head was about to part company with my body.

I’ve felt odd ever since (even more odd than is normal, dear readers !!). Whatever has been hanging around finally blossomed as a miserable cold – or viral attack of some other sort, which has had me taking to my bed on several occasions in the last few days, attempting to resurface and finding I was not able to do so, giving up and returning to a horizontal position.

Up and about for part of today though – and into the garden to capture the laburnum tree in its biennial glory – like the apple tree at the back of the house, it is old and only gives of its best once every two years – and this is the year for both of them to explode with blossom.

The apple tree looks set to give a fine harvest – so we are seeking out an apple press for cider making (any for sale, please contact me!) – the laburnum, on the other hand, will not be consumed by anyone – merely admired in its abundance.

The glorious pink rhododendron is also at its best right now – this is the single bloom of a bush that I had planted just after we moved here, which had been buried in the undergrowth and forgotten. It was rescued last year and planted behind the pond – this year it will be cut back and fingers crossed, it will shoot again from its base. You can see why it is worth all the effort to renovate it – isn’t that dark flushing on the inside of the blooms strikingly handsome?

And as you can see, Lissie has been keeping an eye on me while I carry out my "duties" in the garden – it’s tiring being a pussycat and having to supervise the workers, you know!

Very Special Souvenirs

Anyone who knows me at all well knows that I have a passion for blue and
white - particularly ceramics. During my week in Lisbon, I was able to
feast on these just about round every corner, for the Portuguese seem
also to have that same passion. There is no preciousness about it - the
expression of the love of these colours (often combined with yellow) is
not just exhibited in priceless museum pieces  - it can still be seen
flourishing in both the antique and modern tile work which decorates
houses, expressed on beautiful applied panels of tiles, and as wall
coverings, fronting the whole facade.

Now - how to bring examples of these delicious objects home? And on a
broader note - how to bring other souvenirs of your visits to entrancing
and fascinating destinations back with you? To be sure, there are
probably numerous shops catering for you, where you can buy items
created for the tourist to purchase - and I do not disparage these
establishments - many craftspeople making a living from their work
depend on us to buy such items.

But may I suggest a way to collect and bring home almost everything that your heart desires? That glorious panel on the side of the church? - yes, you can have that......the square yards of tiles facing three or four five storey houses? Yep - you can have those too. You can bring home ceramics and textiles, architectural curiosities, food, costume - whatever you like. Whole collections of items that have particularly caught your eye, and you don't have to find a single inch more packing space in your luggage.

Because the items that  you transport home with you are photographs.
Unique, from your eye only, glimpses of views and scenes that have made
a particular impact on you. You can have as many as you want, and they
won't cost you an ounce more on your weight allowance or a penny extra in expenditure - (not if you use a digital camera,anyway!)

With a little outlay when you get home, you can print out your
"collections" as images, and then place a collection together in one of
the inexpensive frames with multiple apertures that are easily available
for a few pounds. If you also print out some of your travel journal
entries to the same size and intersperse them with your images, what
more special reminder of your travel experiences could you wish for?

Watch this space for my own compilation!

Home Again, Home Again!

Back from another fascinating week in the city of Lisbon in Portugal.
This time we were lucky enough to be present for a folk dance and song
festival on May Day, at which this first photograph was taken.

This time we rented an apartment instead of staying in a hotel, and I
can't recommend it too highly - both the experience and the actual
apartment, which was just three minutes (and what felt like 45 degrees
up a hill) from Rossio, the "centre of activities" for all visitors, as
well as many Lisboans.

The view that we had from our room was utterly amazing, both by day and
by night, when the Square and all the buildings around it were floodlit,
creating an entrancing and enticing atmosphere just calling us to wander
through it. Inside, the apartment, owned by an American lady, Deb (who
has apparently rented another of her Lisboan apartments to both Frances
Mayes ("Under the Tuscan Sun") and author Margaret Atwood), was
decorated and appointed to the highest standards, without losing the
character of the old house in which it existed.

All around, other residents still hung their washing from the windows to
dry, fed the flocks of pigeons, and hauled shopping up to their third
floor rooms with baskets and string. Community is still alive and very
well in Lisbon - but it may change as renovations and demolitions
proceed apace. If you want to see real, living communities still
functioning organically, I can't help but think that you should go NOW!

Hundreds of photographs taken and many more to share here - I hope you
enjoy these few for now.