london1952 | Entries tagged with franco

Well, it's the start of the second Bank Holiday of May, and it's pouring with rain, cold (a measly 7 degrees!) and there's a robin in the bird-bath......... is it REALLY May ? I went out food-shopping this morning in the wet but I'm not stepping out again today if I can help it ! The first Bank Holiday of the month the lovely Ricardo (aka

bazanges) was here for the weekend and it really did feel like Spring.................. especially with having some lovely gelati at Amorino in Soho

followed immediately by a second sitting at Gelupo (round the corner)

........this was after Franco and I had a pre-booked visit to the wonderful "this year's must-see" exhibition "Life and Death - Pompeii and Herculaneum", whilst Ricardo "cruised" the mummies (and goodness knows what/who else!) ..................... and looked for ~~his~~ some marbles (the Elgin ones !!)

May has been a "hospital month" for my mother..... I was with her the last weekend in April, and in spite of some breathing issues early in the mornings we managed to get out and about (with the sun showing its face now and then) and enjoy the daffodils in the countryside etc. Towards the end of the following week, however, her health deteriorated and she ended up in hospital for almost two weeks. The good thing to come out of it was that she was taken to the hospital that has a very good cardiac department, and that they found her heart-failure is what is really at the bottom of her breathing and lung problems. It appears that if she'd not made it there at that time she was so ill she may not be still "with us". I made a one day visit which cheered her up a bit. She was then home over last weekend and doing quite well but had a relapse, so has been in a second hospital until yesterday..... we're hoping it's all a bit more settled now. As a side issue, they have some concerns regarding some "lumps", so next week it's back for some more tests and a biopsy, but only for the day. Luckily she has had some excellent doctors and nurses (with the inevitable odd exceptions). I have a regular weekend visit booked in the middle of June, so hopefully we may be able to get out a bit.

I also gave my first guided tour at the Garden Museum recently........... "could do better" I put on my own report card.... but at least I know what I should do next time !! There were some lovely flowers left over from "an event" to cheer me up.....

So now I need to try and catch up with what has been going on with all my LJ friends................................it may take me some time.

Current Mood: awake
Current Location: home
Current Music: radio

Yesterday morning we left Ravenna under a blanket of heavy rain which had started the evening before and carried on non-stop all the way to Bologna airport (including a little mosaic stop-off!). It seems it was a wet day all over Italy. It very rarely happens, but we arrived back in the UK (at Heathrow) to brilliant sunshine and blue sky, albeit it still very chilly. It's not often we go away for a week and come back to find the garden exactly the way we left it - all the spring bulbs frozen in time !!

Today is back to grey !! And it's amazing, after a full week of doing quite a lot of sight-seeing etc, how today has whizzed by with me doing very little............. laundry, light-dusting, and lazing (and gazing) at the computer !!

These little fellows amused me in Fano (a small town on the coast in Le Marche.......

.....you certainly wouldn't want to run into them with your car ! After my rant about the never-ending graffiti and rubbish in Naples, I must say Le Marche region looks exceptionally well-cared-for.... so a bit of humour always makes me smile.

And today marks the 14th Anniversary of the day I met the absolutely wonderful Franco (

london1967) !!! - he makes my life complete, and so it really was the best day of my life !! (and all the days since...)

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Location: home sweet home
Current Music: radio

On Friday afternoon there was a get-together at the Garden Museum to formally introduce all the "new" staff who have come to work (paid) mainly behind-the-scenes....it's been feeling distinctly like "them and us" since the beginning of the year.... we also had some updates regarding the proposed "Phase 2" of the development of the Museum. I think most of us (volunteers) were thinking we'd get a chance to "air" a few things....... but in the event that was somewhat nicely side-stepped LOL ! - maybe for the best, or we may have ended up there all evening and with a slightly less than jolly atmosphere !

There was also an organised light-hearted "Bake Off", which apparently was my idea...... I must have said something in the past and it had been remembered ! There was a wonderful array of delicious baked goods, the overall winner was a lovely fresh raspberry Bakewell Tart, and my favourite was Beatrice's chocolate dipped honey flapjack, she'd asked for ideas for decoration and I suggested making marzipan bees........ she added fresh violets.

As for me I trialled a rose chocolate cake, which turned out ok and attracted the "show-stopper" rosette, but I found it a bit bland..... it's quite difficult to judge how much rose to include without it tasting of shower-gel !!

It was nice to catch up with some of the other volunteers, as it's only every so often many of us are in the building at the same. At the same time it seemed amazing that a month had already passed since the opening night of the latest large temporary exhibition "Floriculture" - aptly on 14th February....... the fresh rose art installation is still looking good, the (around 3,000) roses have dried now and gives it a different look, but is still a real eye-catcher, and is certainly a talking point with all visitors.....

So, a few images from the opening........

last-minute touches to the garden-inspired canapes.....

Shelia and Manjeet, the other members of the front desk crew with me on a Thursday

Sheila and Franco enjoy a floral-inspired gin-based cocktail......

...while outside, there was quite a stunning (if brief) sunset

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Location: home
Current Music: radio

Well, the gloominess continues....... I know I'm being over-dramatic (who ? moi ?) but it almost feels like living underwater, such low grey-ness and the air is just so damp (when it's not raining) that everything is dripping out there..... but it's not as foggy this morning, so hopefully Franco's flight won't be affected (and hopefully the French air-control strike won't add to the mix). So, this weather is going to continue for the rest of the week apparently, before turning cold, as in snow on high ground ! ........Winter is coming, nooooooo!........... And, I'm having my flu-jab today !

So, it's time to look at some photos and remind myself of our wonderful trip to Spain.......

Just before we arrived at Avila we stopped to admire the sand-castle style city walls....there are 88 towers in total........ the view point is the spot where St Teresa was stopped before she could give herself as a martyr to the Moors, according to the legend.

We were booked into the lovely Parador just inside the walls for two nights............

Two smiling faces !

then a walk around the amazing walls.......

........and a view of a piece of modern architecture, I'm not big on modern but there was something mesmerising this one

although the walls are under restoration there were many other buildings, or remains of them looking rather unloved.....

the it was time for dinner, an evening stroll, and a little window-shopping (best to lust after things that are just too big to fit in our suitcases !)

Ahhhh.... I feel slightly brighter already !!

Current Mood: contemplative
Current Location: home alone
Current Music: radio

Yes, since I last managed to log on to LJ properly I have turned (that scary number) 60 !

I had a FABULOUS birthday thanks to the gorgeous

london1967 who planned our (my) wonderful birthday surprise trip.

And a big "thank you" to everyone wished me a happy one on his LJ posts !

I have very mixed feelings about being 60, no doubt I'll be posting about some of them in the near future........ be warned !! LOL

My feet have hardly touched the ground for quite a while, we were busy before going away, then 10 days of loveliness, then the day after we returned my mother was taken into hospital (for a couple of days as it turned out) and I spent the weekend with her just after she returned home, then it was 4 days back at home and then back to mother's for a pre-planned weekend, and now it's my first day back catching up with all sorts. My mother was much improved this weekend, and I managed to get her out and about which seems to have done her the world of good. She had had another "episode", and was particularly down and depressed this time..... "they" seem to think it was a "post stroke epileptic seizure" and she is due an appointment with the (excellent) stroke specialist she has seen previously. Unfortunately, she had a "bit of a do" with one of the doctors in hospital, who treated her like a "worthless" geriatric, but others (younger) were thankfully more helpful. I'm back "up North" in four weeks time again......

So, the day before my holiday trip a neighbour-friend had asked if I would do a repeat bake of my "Dolly Mixture Victoria Sponge" for a charity coffee morning she was hosting, so in between packing for a mystery destination I managed to produce this.......

No, that's not me standing with it, though my body-shape is fast becoming the same !

The birthday trip started off with something of an adrenaline rush ! ......we had to catch the 6.45am train to Victoria on the Saturday morning...not an hour I am familiar with at the weekend, or in fact in the week !! Half-way through the journey, and having just left a station, the train ground to a halt and after some minutes the power was turned off. Eventually the driver made an announcement after a nail-biting 20 minutes or so !! ...we only had two in the whole 35 minutes we were stranded !! I wasn't sure where we were going, I did wonder if we were headed for Eurostar, but a rather rattled Franco said we were en-route to Heathrow and there was an allowance for delays built in to his timing.... we just hoped there were no more, and luckily there wasn't. "Madrid" was displayed on the board at the departure gate, and I just had no idea what to expect ! (we'd had a weekend in the city some years ago) but by early evening we were enjoying a aperitivo in the sun, Martini Rosso for Franco, a "Spanish-style" (as in very large) G&T - just the ticket !! - on the terrace of our first Parador !

and our first view of Avila !

In my first bit of catching up this morning I came across this item............. sadly, only available in the USA !! Grrrr !! Of course we haven't quite caught up fully with the latest at Downton Abbey either..........

DOWNTON ABBEY KEEP CALM AND RING CARSON FOR TEA SHIRTS

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Location: home
Current Music: washing machine in competition with Gaydar radio

The lovely Ricardo (aka

bazanges) has joined us for a few days of R&R, which very nicely coincided with three days of glorious weather over the weekend. Today the temperature has returned to normal, it's rather gloomy and threatening to rain. We had a rather lazy couple of days after a busy week, so got to enjoy the relaxed feeling good weather brings with it.

Yesterday we ventured as far as our local plant nursery for tea and cake, it's only two streets away, so not too far to stroll......

Franco (aka

london1967) had his halo on and just had tea ! Ricardo had a slice of frosted blueberry cake, and I had coffee & walnut cake.

Earlier in the day, with the sun streaming through the sitting room window and catching the glass drop hanging from the centre catch Franco caught the rainbow (which just goes to prove he definitely is my gold at the end of the rainbow!)

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: home
Current Music: radio

..... it certainly feels a bit like that this morning !! I'm working my way through doing a big pile of laundry and listening to the radio (and reading online) people's thoughts of how the Olympics have gone and their thoughts on the closing ceremony last night. Plus, after a lovely weekend with the gorgeous

london1967, it's always a bit dull on a Monday !

I started the weekend off baking a Dolly Mixture Victoria Sponge for a coffee morning our neighbour-friend Sharon was holding on behalf of local charity being held at our local church....it turned out quite well, and apparently was quite a "hit" !

As the weather forecast was good Franco and I had planned to go and visit Horace Walpole's Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham which has been quite recently extensively restored, and F pre-booked the tickets for timed-entry. As he has posted his photographs of our visit I will hold mine back for a few days..... wouldn't want anyone to overdose on the confection that is SHH ! LOL. Our trip included a stop-off at Marble Hill House, which incredibly is only open for guided tours twice a day on Saturdays and Sundays, a rather busy Ham House with an even busier tea-room, and Orleans House Gallery, and a short ferry-boat trip across the Thames in both directions...my second Riparian entertainment of the week !!

The Cake !

Photo-crazy at Strawberry Hill House, and even the juice had strawberry in it !

At least we took the boat !! LOL

a busy tea-room meant a cream tea had to be fought for !! LOL - but we managed (just!)

and a lovely pot of marigolds with the sweetest flower of all !

Then Sunday evening arrived, and it was time for the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympics..... The Queen decided, very wisely I'm sure (as she'd already had to sit through a long "music" concert for her Diamond Jubilee), to send Prince Harry as her representative for the evening. Of course, it would be very difficult to "follow" the great opening ceremony, and the idea was for it to be a big street party, but really, they do manage to dig up some "blast-from-the-past"s !! ....and just to show how out of touch I am, some "who-the-hell-are-they"s !! LOL Personally I think there should have been a much wider range of music rather then just "pop"... but the Spice Girls were fun, Annie Lennox's entrance was fantastic, and a few of the "performances" were good.... and I did watch the whole three hours without leaving the room ;-) I have to say that the choreography of the whole event was spectacular, particular considering the thousands involved !

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: home

....and I am very, very blessed !!

Current Mood: happy

We had a whole week of blue skies and sun in Sitges, the most consistently lovely weather we've ever had there, and I think late June could now be my preferred time to be there.... it had a fresh look to it, flowers, greenery, and not too many people. Our favoured beach was quite a bit smaller this year, due, I believe, to some very heavy storms in March which took away a fair amount of sand...so we saw rocks which had previously been covered and felt closer to the water. There certainly won't be much room for all the bigger bears in September !

The lovely Ricardo (

bazanges) always gets to the beach early to ensure we get "our" sun-loungers in the spot we like and gets to enjoy the peace and tranquillity for an hour or so before it starts getting busy. Apart from at the weekend the mornings were rather a relaxed affair, taking until lunchtime to get busy.

Although it's rather lovely seeing the sights during the day, there is something magical about enjoying the view before it all starts (somebody must have been early to "book" their space at the front - the group of four arrived a good two hours later).

The weather here has been a great disappointment since we returned.......... more like November than July !! So our healthy looks have already returned to the pale !!

Current Mood: gloomy
Current Location: home with the heating on !
Current Music: gaydar radio

Hard to imagine, as I'm sat here with the heating on and my long-sleeved thermal top brought back out of the wardrobe, that it's 6 weeks since we were in Venice and looking forward to some nice weather when we got back. We left for the trip on a Saturday lunch-time when the temperature here was a miserly 9 degrees, and although we arrived as the rain had just stopped the temperature was so noticeably warmer.... just lovely. Our previous five trips to La Serenissima have always been in the late autumn, new year or early spring, so it was interesting to see the city a little more "relaxed" and enjoying the warmer weather unfold.

We hadn't planned very much for our few days, but to catch up and enjoy the familiarity of the place and take in some sights of the beaten track. Of course, our cameras were our constant companions and Franco (

london1967) was very good posting our experiences day-by-day.... a treat I go back and look at every so often. Naturally, I have some images to post but will do them in a more un-organised frenzy as my mind takes me !! LOL

So, here are a few of what I'd call Objects of Desire (even if they are not all of my particular taste - but they still caught my eye)..........

I spite of loving a "cluttered" look, the visual merchandiser inside of me can't but help love the
"less is more" approach for window displays (ok, the sheer number of arrows is hardly less, BUT there is only one [authentic] Louis Vuitton bag in there !!)

Ummmmmm.... how did these get in here ?

DARN IT !!!! - how did food get in here AGAIN ??

Current Mood: contemplative
Current Location: home
Current Music: paloma's album for the second time

Current Mood: happy
Current Music: paloma faith's new album

Well, it's raining again ! It has rained every day (at some poiint) for the last couple of weeks, though we are still "in drought", and apparently the wrong sort of rain has been falling ! We had thunder each day last week, and on Thursday evening it took me 2 hours and ten minutes to get home from Victoria station (it should take half an hour) as lightning struck some signals. We have had some lovely blue skies every now and then, but like this morning they give way to clouds and rain.... it does take the pressure of having to water the garden, but isn't to good for getting some gardening done.... oh well !

Talking of gardens, when our Italian visitors were here at Easter, we had a lovely sunny Good Friday morning and Franco planned a little outing, taking us to Hammersmith, then walking along Chiswick Mall and through the village, leading us into Chiswick House and it's grounds. I hadn't been for years, and the garden and grounds have had a much needed (and thorough) restoration recently and are now beautiful. Also the Palladian-style house has been wonderfully restored too.

We were a bit naughty and sneaked a few photos, though photography isn't allowed in the house. Amazingly, the blue paintwork in one of the restored rooms is the same colour as our dining room paintwork.... I guess we both used Farrow & Ball paint !

Our visitors enjoyed the place too, and Franco shares his jelly-babies !

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Location: home

I know I'm going to be "in the dog-house" for posting the photo of

london1967, but I think it's c.u.t.e ! ....and it ties in (sort-of !!LOL) with it being the last lesson, this afternoon (as I type), of his swimming class.....

I am totally in awe of him trying something so out of his comfort-zone when there is no particular reason to, and part of me wishes I was more like him.

I've never been that great at "pushing myself" at anything new, or challenging, and have often given up on things if they don't go according to (my) plan......... my mother's voice rings in my head sometimes saying "oh, you give up to easily!"...... whereas I like to blame it on being a typical Libran !

I must admit I'm getting worse as I get older..........

Current Mood: contemplative
Current Location: home
Current Music: the radio

Our weekend started early as it was Franco's (london1967) Birthday on Friday, commencing with me meeting him on Piccadilly for Afternoon Tea at The Wolseley. Having used his camera to take a couple of photographs outside, the camera decided, once we were shown to our table, to somersault out of his pocket and disappear ! We heard a "clunk" so it definitely landed somewhere, but where ? A great scene of moving tables and chairs, crawling around on the (tut-tut) dusty floor, and general mayhem with waiters joining in and bemused diners either side of us, and all to no avail....... In bewilderment, we had a last look down the very narrow gap behind the banquette Franco was sitting on, and spied the dratted thing there, beyond reach as the seating was solidly fixed. Luckily a waiter with "thin" arms managed to retrieve it and we could all settle down and have a much-needed glass of champagne to recover....... what a palaver !

From there we travelled to Waterloo to the Old Vic theatre for a performance of "Noises Off", which turned out to be hilarious and great fun throughout, and we laughed so much we were exhausted by the end !

The "Birthday Boy" pre-performance........ with the theatre behind.

I had started Friday baking a chocolate and cherry marbled Victoria sponge cake, with vanilla buttercream and cherry jam filling, topped with a cherry chocolate ganache and (shop-bought, tut-tut!) rice-paper flowers and of course candles, for a surprise Birthday cake when we eventually got home around midnight.

Saturday, I had planned to do a couple of hours gardening, but it started to rain and I decided to stay put indoors and do very little !!...... The garden is awakening now in spite of the cool weather and frosts we've been having recently.

On Sunday we were invited to a Birthday Breakfast at a neighbour friend's house for his friend's (who we also know) 40th.... so that was a fun start to the day. Franco then went for his swimming lesson, and I then met him in town to go for something to eat at "My Old Dutch" - pancake based menu - followed by a special preview of the new film "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" with great performances from a host of the UK's best loved older actors....... it was great, and the audience burst into applause at the end, but then again we were in Chelsea, darling !!

My Valentine Flowers have been a wonderful show all week..................

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Location: home

Late yesterday afternoon someone delivered/left a box in our porch..... it contained a gorgeous bunch of red tulips and purple irises in bud, and it's apparently from a secret admirer......... I'm sure who it's certainly from ! (begins with an F and finishes with an O !!) in spite of the protestations !!

It just so happened that I had made a Valentine-inspired breakfast for us earlier in the day...... pancakes with strawberries in cointreau, banana, and maple syrup...........

As it happens Franco has "a date" at the hospital on Tuesday afternoon, hopefully we can then catch a film afterwards... the new Muppet movie has been getting some good reviews......... ;-) and celebrate St Valentine's Day in style !

Current Mood: loved
Current Location: home

Time to clear up after the excesses of Christmas, New Year and Panto Season. I made a great effort to clear all the Christmas decorations away and get the guest bedroom "straight" for the lovely David coming to stay last weekend to play his cameo part of Inspector Knowall. Our house is packed at the best of times, but there is a small mountain of gifts, food and "stuff" still to find a place for........though one particularly "odd" gift we got found itself amongst the raffle prizes last Saturday, so I'm sure it's gone to a more appreciative home! The guest bedroom is once again a heap of things waiting to be sorted out, I'm hoping inspiration comes over the weekend ! LOL

Apparently the "Mount Olympus Tarts" made by "Hera" inspired our friend (& neighbour) Sim to do some baking on Sunday, and we got a door-step drop-off of delicious Battenberg Cake (even the marzipan was made from scratch) and a quantity of Baklava (which was eaten before it could be photographed LOL)

A tired Franco (

london1967) in the middle of posting Panto photographs..............

....and that Amaryllis again (with it's green cast) together with an orchid that has been flowering for a couple of months

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Location: home

Franco, Franco, and Franco !! ;-)

Current Mood: happy
Current Location: home sweet home !

After a weekend in Yorkshire enjoying the sunny Autumnal weather, returning to London yesterday and a cold wind, and a house that felt like a refrigerator, my mind jumped back to only a few weeks ago, which now seems months ago, when we were living in tee-shirts, shorts, and sometimes even less !! It's even more noticable as we had a recent week of "Indian Summer"........ but now it's back to "seasonable" !

When I came to the computer at 9am this morning it was showing the temperature as 9 degreesC, the first time in single figures for some considerable time ! .......... Brrrrrrr ! ...........I'm really not looking forward to the coming cold months !

So, the gorgeous

london1967 and lovely

bazanges take in a few rays at the beginning of September............. as the song goes, Oh, "Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer" !

The early-bird(s) get the sun-beds !

After a hard morning of eye-candy-gazing and lunch someone needs a nap ! sound effects and all !! LOL

And in the evening it's Ricardo's turn to entertain........ Note: the large bottle of water is only for the saintly Franco ! LOL .......A gin bottle of the same size is out of frame !!

And looking forward to their long-awaited Paella in a small local restaurant we discovered last year........ being a little "squeamish" I settled on steak and chips (boring) !

Current Mood: contemplative
Current Location: home
Current Music: teeth-chattering !

Yes, today is a typical British summer day, pouring with rain and grey, grey, grey !! Yesterday was warm and sunny but, as often happens, come the weekend and the weather changes for the worse....................... oh well, no need to water the garden today !

Franco (

london1967 ) is sat out in the gazebo reading The Times.... viewing him through the wet garden from the kitchen window makes for a romantic picture.....

Dark Flowers ... in bloom in our garden

We have been invited to a (neighbour)friend's Birthday Party this afternoon... he and his partner were hoping it would be a garden party !

I'm just about to make the cream cheese frosting for a Chocolate Guinness Cake, as it's a favourite of the Birthday Boy ! I realised it's dark too !

Dark Cake ... not the one I made this time, the photo is of one my sister and I made last Christmas... no reindeers on today's model !

It's almost all "black & white" ! and shades of grey... let's hope it brightens up this afternoon !

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: home
Current Music: the sound of rain !

Although we missed London Pride this year, Franco (

london1967 ) did take the opportunity to model some Gaga-esque headwear whilst we were in Italy (though some considerable distance from the catwalks of Milan )

say it with flowers, or candles.............

or a straw hat...........

...or a big one !! LOL

PS: I don't think I'll be the most popular person in the world for posting these photos !

Current Mood: amused
Current Location: home
Current Music: the Gaga !

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london1952

May 2013

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Dragged out of Retirement

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Entries tagged with franco

Recently..............

HOME SWEET HOME

A Catch-Up with Adrian - Garden Museum-wise !

Rainy Days and Sunny Days

I'm Adrian, and I'm 60 !!!

Cakes, Rainbows and Sunny Weather !

The Party's Over !!

...says it all !

BLUE SKIES !

Objects of Desire

....and the loveliest flower of all !

Chiswick House

My Hero !!

Le Weekend !

An Early Valentine !!

Catching Up !

Writer's Block: Bare necessities

Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer !

It's dark today !

It's how you wear it !!