nov, 17th - portugal: alcácer do sal....

day 1376 / 475:

we fell in love with the town of Alcácer do Sal in Portugal.....with it's pretty, crumbling facade, river promenade, interesting restaurants and history.....it had us completely intrigued.

it seems to have passed through many hands: Phoenician, Roman, Arab, Portuguese, it strikes you as the type of place that keeps getting reborn. it looks like it's ripe for regeneration once again....

nov, 12th - tales of trips gone by......

day 1371 / 470:

back to Portugal this week and lots of pics of pretty buildings coming up......

(playing serious catch-up in all areas at the moment!)

feb, 5th - beach house.....

day 1085 / 184:

Limi's beach house....which is about as big as the Shoebox but with a much better view. i love this playhouse. it was part of the h&m UNICEF range {see day 989 / 88} and Limi opened it on Christmas day......after that, we were all coerced to spend ages in the house even though it felt a bit more like a sauna in the summer heat.

we haven't used it as much since we got home as it starts to feel a bit like a Russian doll house when we put it together in the Shoebox.....

jan, 26th - the china club....

day 1075 / 174:

if The China Club was a person, it would be an artist from 1930s Shanghai who has been heavily influenced by trips to England, France and Italy (and has a wealthy patron). it's a person I could happily spend hours with.....

the club is members only and located in the old Bank of China building in Central, Hong Kong. i had a delicious lunch there when I was visiting before Christmas. the homegrown art that is almost as prolific as wallpaper on the walls, is worth a visit alone. the club has a maze of rooms: a main dining room, the Long March Bar, private rooms where cards and mah-jong are played, a library and a roof terrace with stunning views over the city.

 if i was a local and lucky enough to be a member of The China Club, it's where I would escape to for a dose of Chinese aesthetic, mouthfuls of incredible dim sum and comforting wrap-you-in-a-blanket service. it's a lovely, lovely place.

jul, 4th - mast brothers....

day 876:

in honour of American Independence Day, these bars of chocolate are by the Mast Brothers in Brooklyn. they are also part of the The Makers project {see day 840} which is where i first heard about them. on their website, you can watch a beautifully shot video which gives you a better idea of how passionate these brothers are about the chocolate making process. each bar is completely handmade from filling the mould to wrapping the finished product. what i love is the idea that these brothers are successful doing something that they put so much heart and soul into.

A. brought back these two bars from his trip to New York, in May. 

the packaging is incredible and has an old, thick wrapping paper quality. the type of paper that you could imagine someone unwrapping in Victorian England. but i especially like the descriptions on the back of the bars....chocolate with a hint of tobacco? it was definitely there........

jun, 11th - village life....

day 856:

the village that we visit in Umbria, Italy is tiny. from the air it is shaped like a heart. on the ground, it is made up of tiny paved streets and a piazza with a breathtaking view across the valley. we've been visiting this village for eight years (and sadly my Italian still hasn't progressed much in that time) and part of our morning ritual has become to stroll up to the piazza to have our coffee and pastry. we sit at the simple tables looking out over the green landscape and feeling a million miles away from our lives in London. it was incredibly special to see Limi enjoying it just as much on this trip.

may, 27th - kings county distillery....

day 840:

the week before i came down with this virus that had me curled-up-in-a-ball-too-sick-to-even-read-or-surf-the-web (a first), A. was in Chicago, for work and Brooklyn, New York, for play. i told him about The Makers project by Jennifer Causey. Jennifer seeks out small artisans in (mainly) Brooklyn and photographs them in their work spaces. a very inspiring blog.

he didn't manage to make it to any of the studios or shops but he did find this bottle of bourbon by Kings County Distillery. 

i love the simplicity of the packaging and he says the bourbon is very drinkable. there were many times this past week where i was tempted to take a large swig to try and find some relief from the razor blades in my throat and chest. not being big on taking any medication while i'm pregnant, it was a case of riding it out. 

happy to say that i'm at last on the mend. thank you for the kind comments and emails. 

may, 2nd - all aboard the steam train....

day 816:

my last post from Dungeness but since it was one of our main activities (besides flying kites and eating) i had to include it.....

at the bottom of the garden at The Shingle House {see day 808} is a single railway track and throughout the day, a miniature steam train whistles backwards and forwards.....it's the local 'tourist' train that operates between Hythe and Dungeness, stopping at a few stations on the way.....

on saturday, we all went for a ride......

what a great piece of history.