Leave work early

If you are ready for something tranquil and uplifting to calm you before all the bonfire night madness and the weekend I suggest you head over to read issue 3 of Unicorn Dream Magazine.

Right, I will stop bombarding you now as I am heading out to buy more paper price tags for the clothes I am selling at a posh jumble sale tomorrow in Hastings Old Town and then meeting some friends for lunch. Plus I have a whole bunch of errands that have built up while I have been hawking round the internet for wallpaper.

Have a fun afternoon, leave work early, meet a friend or enjoy a peaceful coffee before chaos arrives back in your life.

Bye x

Lyon, everything I hoped.

We walked so far and saw so much in our two days of sunshine that an hour drifting in a boat on the huge lake in the park was the perfect way to relax, before finding somewhere to eat an evening meal.

Lyon, clothes cakes cheese and charcuterie

Overindulgence is always a danger when we cross the La Manche. Delicious cheeses, sausages and hams, cakes and pastries glazed and glistening with caramelised sugar and berries, pastel pink meringues piled high like raspberry clouds. I saw some beautiful dresses with cotton ruffles and light gauzy tunics, at least my credit card forgotten, safe at home was spared a battering.

Lyon, city of windows and carousels

City windows with flower baskets and window sill gardens, greenery for even the smallest space. Another great discovery was the many carousels dotted around the city, I love all the twinkling lights and ornately painted horses and wild animals. The music and the delight.

Lyon, keep looking up.

Last Tuesday we caught the Eurostar train to Lyon. One train change and on the comfy spacious top deck of a TGV we make our final half of the journey fleeting through the beautiful french countryside, whizzing past vineyards and vegetable crops. After leaving the grey skies of England behind, we stepped out into the hot early evening sunshine.
Our hotel was just a few streets away with a breath taking panoramic view of the whole city. Hotels are for sleeping though, so we dropped off our bags and headed straight out to explore the streets. Tall buildings with shuttered windows, two wide rivers to cross and glimpses of the cathedral up and beyond. Time to seek nourishment in one of the many bustling back street restaurants. Authentic Bouchon or not the food was hearty and tasty, just what we needed for the long walk back.

Time away

I am going away for a few days with the husband, on the Eurostar Explorer train, to Lyon. I am so excited to be visiting somewhere new and can't wait to eat my way around another great french city. If any of you have been to Lyon and have any ideas of how we can best spend our time, please let me know. I will be back at the end of the week to share my time away with you.

Marrakech, hope I'll be visiting again soon.

Snake charmers, crowded boxes of tiny yellow chicks, brass tray topped tables, a refreshing burst of cool summer rain, shimmering sequinned blankets, sultry heat, barbeque smoke, sweet pastries glistening with honey, iced milk with orange blossom, blue walls and green cacti, crisp white sheets, rustling palms, who knew we would find so much to fall in love with all inside the city of faded red walls.

Every time I want to go back I will unwrap the block of Amber Dean bought me in his favourite of the spice shops and breath in the warm sweet spiced scent, and of course I can't wait to brew up some fresh mint tea in the antique silver tea pot that we picked up.

Thanks for taking the trip with me and if you haven't been already, I hope you all one day get the chance to visit all the wonderful people and colours in the red city.

Marrakech the colours

Ultramarine Blue, Fuschia pink, lime green, cinnamon, burnt orange, shimmering silver and gold all on a background of faded red.

Marrakech the streets

I reread one of my favourite books whilst away and it lasted from the first day right up until our plane touched down in London. In my mind the perfect memoir for any holiday where local people and the blistering heat take centre stage. Within the pages I found a passage that described the drama unfolding on the narrow city streets of Marrakech perfectly. I am saddened to say I have no pictures of the hundreds of dusty sun tired Donkey's that we saw.

So from the the chapter The world in a wall, from 'My family and other animals' by author Gerald Durrell.

'It was a fascinating area, the cobbled streets crammed with stalls that were piled high with gaily-coloured bales of cloth, mountains of shining sweetmeats, ornaments of beaten silver, fruit, and vegetables. The streets were so narrow that you had to stand back against the wall to allow the donkeys to stagger past with their loads of merchandise. It was a rich colourful part of the town, full of noise and bustle, the screech of bargaining women, the cluck of hens and barking dogs, and the wailing cry of the men carrying great trays of fresh loaves on their heads.'

Marrakech the flavours

Honey drenched pastries, spiced carrot salad, chilled tomato and coriander soup drizzled with olive oil, sweet buttery onion almond and chicken tagine, baked aubergines, delicately spiced tomato and onion salsa, traditional peasant pancakes for breakfast every morning, ice cold milk with dates and orange blossom, marinated chicken and pork skewers with turmeric couscous and many glasses of super sugary mint tea.

Marrakech the Riad

We stepped from our battered Mercedes cab into a dusty street, solid faded red walls on either side small wooden doorways here and there. From the bustling street you would never know such a tranquil oasis of calm was beyond those sun beaten red walls.
A cool courtyard painted in white with pale marble floor, trickling water feature and a tiny excitable tortoise to greet us, stairs led to our room, decorated with shimmering rugs, colourful soft furnishings, topaz blue velvet, feathers and accessories of tarnished silver, antique painted doors cool tiled floors a roof garden with sun drenched splash pool, and to unwind from our journey to Marrakech a pot of hot sweetened mint tea and honey coated Moroccan pastries on the table of our private terrace.