The first set of train tickets I purchased from Andover to Bridlington were for 19 July; I planned to visit my sister and Hugh was revisiting the RSPB site at Bempton Cliffs in the hope of spotting an albatross…. Strange, but true. The day when the ‘A1 corridor’ experienced 40 degrees celsius was not the … Continue reading And what will late July 2022 bring I wonder? – heatwaves and a difficult journey north….

Raphael’s work is astonishing! Born in 1483 in the Marche (possibly Urbino) to a court painter at the Dukes of Urbino, he lost his mother when he was 8 and his father at 11, but supported by an uncle, he took over the family workshop and by 15 he was acknowledged in Perugia as a … Continue reading And what will early July 2022 bring, I wonder? Raphael at the National Gallery

We arrived home from Cyprus at the start of the extended platinum jubilee bank holiday, to a garden that blew us away! As you will see…. First the foxgloves! Wow! The very sunny May, and some conscientious watering by Hugh while we were in Italy has resulted in bright colours, strong plants and fantastic colour… … Continue reading And what will June 2022 bring, I wonder? A staggeringly beautiful garden!

A trip to Cyprus to see Rob and Joanna married on Tuesday 31 May (after a two year covid wait) The ceremony took place in the little court yard of the church used by the monks of the monastery on whose land the extraordinary Menthis Resort is now being built. The last monk died only … Continue reading And what (else) will May 2022 bring, I wonder?