Our weekends usually start well after the sun has come up – but not last Saturday. Sister Tina has been staying with us for the last few days and she was catching a flight at 8:30am. This meant the house was awake early on a July winter morning which was windless and warm.
After farewelling Tina we enjoyed a coffee on the deck watching the dawn slowly arrive across the harbour.
Little Bella has never really been fascinated with our bath – up until this evening when she jumped in. Luckily the bath was empty but even then she discovered that jumping in the bath is a lot less scary than jumping out.
So she sat there, and sat there, and sat there until she was finally rescued. But not before the obligatory photo had been taken.
Positano from Villa Greta’s roof terrace
Our Italian holiday is less than a month away and we are in the final planning stages. Rome, Tuscany and Sicily are all places we will visit but our base will be Positano.
Ahhh, Positano.
We have booked Villa Greta for a week in August to coincide with the Festival of Our Lady of the Assumption on August 14th and 15th, which is one of Positano’s most important festivals. To quote the Positano.com website:
The festival both honors the town’s protector and commemorates the ancient legend of how a ship carrying a Byzantine icon of the virgin Mary was beached in the bay of Positano. Not until the sailors gave the icon to the local inhabitants were they able to set sail once more.
On August 14th, the celebrations begin with the so-called “Alazata del Quadro” (“The Lifting of the Painting”) in front of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta. In the evening, a spectacular procession of illuminated boats heads to the “Mamma e Figlio” rocks by the beach of Fornillo before returning to the Spiaggia Grande beach and the Cathedral.
On August 15th, the festivities continue late into the night and conclude with a magnificent firework display over the sea, which lights up much of the Amalfi Coast.
We will be watching from the terrazzo of Eden Roc hotel – one of the best vantage points in Positano.
I was walking to my car one evening after work recently, and I noticed a great opportunity for one of those almost monochrome, grungy, industrial looking photos. Job done.
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It has become a common sight and sound in the garden – Tui flying and singing throughout the summer and into the autumn. For the first time I can remember yesterday two Tui (or Tuis) sat together on the telephone … Continue reading
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June 1 is officially the first day of winter but clearly no one told the weather gods as Wellington was treated to a stunning day. But those of you familiar with our place will know that we lose any sight of the … Continue reading
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Young Bella is taking a bit of time to get used to being at home alone with Poppie all day. She continues to surprise us every couple of days with some new level of destruction.
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Filters have been part of photography since, well, the start of photography. I remember using everything from vaseline smeared on glass to panty hose as a filter in the days of film. And with the switch to the digital world … Continue reading
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For the first time in years both Jean and I are working full time. This means Poppie and Bella have to spend days at home on the bed by themselves. For Poppie, this is an old routine but for Bella … Continue reading
Siena from the Torre del Mangia
For no reason, a photograph taken from the top of the Torre del Mangia in Siena looking towards the Duomo and the countryside beyond. The view, after climbing the tower’s 400 steps is absolutely wonderful.
This shot was taken 12 years ago and has survived a transfer from film to print to scanned image. The scan was state-of-the-art for 2002 (for that read low res, and full of noise) but, with a little Photoshopping, it can be brought back to life.
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I would love to be able to paint in watercolours but sadly any attempt I make ends up looking like the work of a 5 year old – splashes of colour randomly thrown at a page with no structure or technique. … Continue reading
Let me start with an apology. Sorry, it’s yet another cute dog shot. Yesterday Bella the puppy discovered a green Cicada in the back yard. Every time she went to sniff it, the Cicada flew a few inches away, which for Bella was captivating.
A footnote for the animal lovers among you – both Bella and the Cicada survived the encounter unscathed.
I’ve mentioned a few times that our place loses the sun for a couple of months every winter. This means we all make the most of any chance to enjoy a sunny day in autumn.
So when Rosie the 19 year old cat, Poppie the 8 year old Bichon and Bella the nutcase puppy had a chance to lie in the sun last weekend, they took it.
On Sunday afternoon my lovely wife baked. We were going out for dinner at friends and she had offered to make the dessert.
She has a stable of excellent desserts she could have called on but decided to try something new – to bake a Torta Gianduja or Chocolate and Roasted Hazelnut Cake.
The only issue with this decision is that Jean is not a natural baker – as she is the first to admit. Something about the discipline of following a recipe runs counter to her “free spirit” approach to cooking in general. After each baking adventure she wonders aloud why she ever attempted the recipe, why baking is so complicated and stressful, and why she doesn’t learn from past experience.
Testament to the complication and stress involved is the state of our usually spotless kitchen at the end of Sunday’s baking odyssey.
Toscanakiwi 