Cliveden House

My recent stay in the great english countryside wasn’t just valleys and hills. It also included a visit to this magnificent estate, set on banks high up above the Thames.  The grounds are lovely and varied, the house itself is stunning and the views across the valley below are gorgeous.

Strolling down the sloping banks away from the house got us to a stretch of the river that was impossibly beautiful. It was hard to believe this is the same river I see every day in the heart of London.

If you happen to be in Buckinghamshire someday, do visit Cliveden, it comes highly recommended.

Oh I do love to be in the countryside!

I didn’t tow a boat, but I sure did walk along many towpaths. And footpaths. And bridleways. And country lanes. I walked through fields, up and down hills, through woods, over bridges and along the river. This book-inspired holiday definitely wasn’t a relaxing, restful one. But with such beautiful countryside waiting to be explored, and the glorious weather we were lucky to have, staying was not an option. Even if the b&b we stayed at was adorable and the full English breakfast every morning made taking naps very tempting. Here are some of my favourite pictures…

In the land of endless summer

I don’t usually think about it but, I’m quite lucky. Because, as much as I love living in London, the teeny tiny mediterranean island I come from is a pretty awesome place to go on holiday. It is practically guaranteed to be warm and sunny, with glorious white sand beaches and of course delicious mum-made food.

So here are my favourite things about the place I call home… First of all, looking up at the blue sky, with no clouds in sight, preferably while reading underneath palm trees by the sea. Long walks by the sea, my toes sinking in white sand, collecting seashells and pebbles.

Swimming in secluded coves, where the water is surreally, out of this world turquoise and so clear you can see fish swimming beneath you.

Tiny fishing boats lined at quaint little ports in the mid-day heat. Playing with kittens in the late afternoon sun.

Quenching my thirst with fresh water from a village’s stone drinking fountain. Cobblestone streets and myriads of potted plants outside houses. The night air scented with the smell of jasmine. Hidden, secret, streams and small waterfalls in forest clearings. Delicious, mouthwatering meals like freshly caught trout with a lemony, buttery, garlicky sauce.

Do you have a favourite summer destination?

All pictures were taken by me.

Picture of the day 17/06/2011

I spent Friday afternoon cleaning and organising my room, trying to make it pretty and feminime. One of my favourite bits: my cookbooks stacked on the windowsill, a vintage teacup holding jewels and various treasures and a jam jar filled with fresh peonies.

The Georgian House

A few weeks ago, The Boy took me to The Georgian House in Bristol. Clearly, he’s a keeper, because exploring a fully restored and decorated, late 18th century merchant’s house is probably the best way to spend a grey, rainy Sunday morning if you ask me.

Attention to detail has been paid in all the rooms, from the drawing room and the bedroom upstairs to the kitchen and the laundry room in the basement. The whole house is the perfect place for you to play out your georgian/regency fantasies.

The rooms that are above ground are all very grand, all sparkly chandeliers and delicate china and polished silver. I could almost see the ladies doing their needlework or playing the pianoforte in the drawing room, the gentlemen doing business in the library surrounded by hundreds of leather bound tomes. But the less glamorous rooms in the basement were the ones that I thought were amazing. The kitchen, the pantry, the laundry room, bare and in sharp contrast with the comfort found upstairs illuminated the hard life of the servants.

If you are ever in Bristol, I highly recommend visiting The Georgian House, especially if you, like me, dream of being a heroine in a Jane Austen novel. And if you have time, do as we did and go two blocks up Park Street to The Last Bookstore for some guilt-free book buying since every book there costs £2.

You can find The Georgian House at:
Great George Street – Just off Park Street
Bristol
BS1 5RR
General House enquiries: 0117 921 1362

Admission is free

Picture of the day 04/06/2011

Gothic prettiness.

 

Picture of the day 29/05/2011

Lovely evening spent with The Boy, drinking cocktails in a a lantern lit garden.

Escape to the countryside

Just as planned, I managed to avoid the royal wedding mania that took over London and escape to the countryside for the second long weekend. And it was perfect. It was extremely relaxing and only made me want a cottage in the country (or at least a garden) even more. You see, I may have always been a city girl, but I just adore the english countryside. These are a few of my favourite things about Spring in the countryside…

The sun shining over delicate white flowers sprinkled all over meadows. Walking under the shade of tall trees, their leaves rustling in the wind to sound almost like waves on the sea.

Long strolls through the woods, taking care not to step on the myriads of bluebells. Cycling from village to village with stops at proper country pubs. Walking down leafy country lanes to reach medieval parish churches.

Enjoying the late afternoon sun among the wild flowers by a tiny little lake. The flowers on the hedge enclosing a cottage that looks as if it belongs in a fairytale. The luscious green of the forest after a spring shower.

What do you love most about the countryside? What are your favourite things to do in the Spring?

All pictures taken by me in Suffolk.