Amroth

The house

The books

The knick knacks

My bedroom

The wonderful Ladybird books

The comfy seats.

We came here 4 years ago and it was like stepping back in time, the house appears frozen in the fifties. The feel of the place was like our Grans house very worn and lived in. we went again 2 years ago and it was again perfect. It was like the owners had just popped out. This year the atmosphere had changed I cannot put my finger on what exactly, whether it was because Daisy did not go, or our Niece turned into a 13 year old monster, I cannot say what exactly was missing, but the sparkle had gone. Nevertheless we had a lovely time despite the cutting Easterly wind, lots of pints in the pub and long walks by the beach.

Home and all my daughters are back, so is Emin with a very young nervous Au pair, 19 years old never left home or been on a plane and she is home sick already. Thank God for web cams!

6 necklaces

A productive but relaxing week, the top left I gave to mother the top right to Lucy. I truly believe anyone on the verge of a breakdown should be given a bag of beads to thread, it is the most calming of activities, but my mother disagrees as she tried it and could never make her mind up as to the right mix.

When they grow up

I realise there is a touch of 'Damien' about this photo! but it illustrates Kitty's favourite view, that of Parisian school children. Kitty loves children the younger the better and they were all back at school, here was a group of children peddling furiously round a square. You see them at all times of the day walking in crocodiles, it looks lovely, but I reflected that the french must bind the calves of the girls from an early age just like the Chinese used to bind the feet of their children all those years ago. Because how else do you explain there amazing ability to wear tiny skinny jeans tucked into the narrowest boots I have ever seen. They have legs like drain pipes with no shape at all. I suspect the lack of green space helps as you can't run around like normal children, instead they just potter in a sandpit instead. All female French school girls dress really really badly so again I assume they are all quietly shipped off to a Swiss finishing school where they emerge from their chrysalis mean, lean and ready to strike a pose, for pose they do 24/7. Kitty asked how on earth fat people got through the barriers in the Metro? I explained that there were no fat people in Paris. Fat people are quietly removed. So how does this city support so many bakeries and patisseries and brasseries and cafes and restaurants? it is just so unfair.

Cafe Botak

Ms Rouge after Cafe Flore try Cafe Botak at the bottom of the steps up to the Sacre Cour.

Even little Miss Fusspot was happy...
One of the best things about Paris is you can have so much fun trying out Cafes, no matter where you are there will be at least three within touching distance, the less I understand the menu the more fun I have!

Paris

Last Sunday I realised that the credit card I had used to pay for the Eurostar was the one I had lost so I emailed to find out how I was to access my ticket since they had insisted I collect them rather than have them sent. I needed proof of payment and a police number. I got the latter but failed to find the former. I was told on the phone that I would be lucky to have the ticket reissued and may have to pay for a new set. I went ballistic and on Monday decided to go to Kings Cross and have a face to face chat. This cost me time and money but I decided that I would not be very calm if I had packed and was ready to go on the morning and failed to board so this seemed the best way. I got to London Bridge and was told the whole of St Pancras was shut due to a bomb scare. I lived with the IRA for 20 years so I know the closures are finite so I went to Angel and walked slowly via the Gagosian to see Howard Hodgkin, which was OK but not overly fantastic. I then wandered to the station which was still shut but I knew it was not for long as various vehicles were drifting away. 30min's later I was in. The person at the desk gave me a duplicate ticket with very little trouble.

Home, pack and bed.

On the day of the trip we were up early, wandered to the station only to see that there were no trains! we got a bus to the only functioning station made it to London Bridge only to find the Northern Line was closed so 2 more journeys later we made it. Kitty was quieter than normal, said she did not feel too good when we got there she complained the room was not as nice as Austria and why was she here and where was Granny and Lucy and she was tired and bored etc etc.. and so what I perceived to be a lovely few days together turned into an endurance test of my patience. I had no cards only cash, we had 80 euros a day and trust me it was only JUST enough, the exchange rate is eye wateringly low. In GAP a top that retails £25 is 39 Euros which at today's exchange is £32+ so you can see how tough the prices are. The galleries all had huge queues, but I walked a number of journeys new to me and as usual never tired of looking and watching.

I will post more later but a week in Wales beckons WITH Granny, Lucy, Julia AND Ellie so hopefully that should shut her up!

The view from here

No, not Austria or an old photo from Christmas, but the view from my balcony at 9am this morning. What really is funny/tragic is that I had just piled up all my tweed and wool to be boxed up so that there was room for my spring clothes to breathe and then I wake up to this. I was so sad Leyla missed it, but it is thawing already so she will just have to make do with a photo.

P.S the photos are in colour!

Best laid plans

My aim was to get up early hoof it up to the Gagosian for 10am to see the Howard Hodgkin show then hoof it back to Oxford Street to mooch with Mum round Selfridges. But no, Instead of a leisurely cup of tea I waste half an hour looking for Kitty's MP3 player (not found) I then rush up to the library to return a DVD to avoid a fine, but I am thirsty to I go to the station via M&S to get a coffee then walk briskly to the station. BUT no purse, so I phone M&S convinced I left it on the counter, but no and finally the penny drops, on the way out I stopped to read the news paper headlines and and it was then my purse was stolen. Now I never put my keys in my purse but today I did why? so no purse and locked out. My purse had little cash, one debit card and a few membership cards so unless the thief was an art freak he was only £4 better off. But the fear they would find out where I lived meant I had to change the lock. £60 for a man to break into my house in 15 seconds and change the barrel in 5 Min's is seriously easy money. I then drive the car to my sisters where she buys me a train ticket and we finally make it up town for a delicious chilled glass of Champagne and lunch at Arbutus, wonderful as always. After we spent well over an hour in Liberty's. The top floor is a treasure trove of fabulous ginky old furniture, a joy to wander around, so not such a bad day after all.