I shall say zis only once

Hi there.  How is everyone?

I'm back from a glorious 10 days in the South of France, hoh he hoh he hoh!

It was beautiful and lush and scenic and rustic and true to all of the cliches.  We only got home last night and my mind is still a little scrambled so... where to start...

I suppose some pictures of me eating an ice cream on our first day is as good a place as any 

This very ice cream in fact

I ate rather a lot of ice cream

Beaucoup des glaces

In as many different flavours as I could manage 

Including, violette, kiwi, limencello, framboise et rose litchi, orange sanguine, creme brulee, pampelmousse, bonbatofs (tutti frutti), bubblegum and some weird blue one decorated with smurf sweets

We stayed in a converted farmhouse owned by a lovely British expat couple

They had really preserved the original charm but with added personality 

I fell in love with the wallpaper between the oak beams on the kitchen ceiling

The bedrooms were equally colourful 

Our bedroom even had a bidet, which made me giggle

There was even a barn full of retro games including table football, ping pong and old school pool

In the evenings we sat on the porch drinking wine and whisky, or in the living room watching Allo Allo

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The dvd of which had been left in the gite by the owners, much to my sheer delight

I introduced Miss 6 to the joy that is Officer Crabtree

So much so that she bought a doll with her holiday money which now greats us 'good moaning' every day

I've taken so many photos and have lots more to share with you lucky devils.  

I'll be around to catch up with you all once I've worked my way through the mountain of washing and sorted through hundreds of photos

Bear with me mes amis

xxx

 

Floodland

So I've been meaning to share some pics from our  trip to the Welsh valleys.  Not quite a month but what seems like a lifetime ago.  That was until I looked back and realised that I'd hardly taken any, apart from a few family snaps...

So here are some pictures of self proclaimed intellectual love god Andrew Eldritch instead

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He has been in my life since I was 12 years old and still slumbers rent free in my head from time to time

Anyhoo,

Oh, I took some pictures of the ice creams I had, obviously.

Lemon crunch and bubblegum & rhubarb crumble and lemon crunch (with bubblegum sauce)
 
Anyhoo,

 The only other photos I took were of Lake Vyrnwy.  A place we've often visited but I never ever tire of.

Found here

 

Isn't it magnificent?   On the surface, a picture of natural beauty.  In fact, Lake Vyrnwy is a Victorian reservoir. 

The huge stone aqueduct was constructed between 1881 and 1888 at the behest of Liverpool Corporation for the purpose of supplying the rapidly expanding city of Liverpool with fresh water.

During those years the people of the nearby village of Llanwddyn went about their daily activities.

  

They were eventually rehoused in a new purpose built settlement lower down the valley.

By November 1889 the village of Llanwddyn, its two chapels, three inns, ten farmhouses, and thirty-seven houses were all lost forever under the water. 

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This under water image is thought to be the remains of Llanwddyn

Apparently the remains of the dead were exhumed from the churchyard and re-interred in a new cemetery above water level

I'm told that several buildings of the old village are visible when the reservoir is low.   I have personally never seen this but Mr N has.  I hope to see the drowned village for myself one day.

I love the gothic style of the straining tower.   Worthy of many towered Camelot

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It was a sunny day when we visited, which was nice and perfect for ice cream.  However, I always prefer Vyrnwy later in the year when it is overcast, there are fewer visitors and there is a mist on the water.  There is something about being in the vicinity of a drowned community that is endlessly fascinating.  The stillness of the water and the eerieness of the area make my hair stand on end!

If you ever get the chance, it is definitely worth a visit.

I've just realised that my post title might be making some people in the UK recoil a little.  My apologies.  For once I am not using this blog as a platform to bemoan the weather.

Here you go

Enjoy
  

Lucy x

According to Betjeman...

"...Ludlow is probably the loveliest town in England."

My sister used to go on and on about Ludlow and how we should all go for holidays.  "Yeh great" I'd say, and then forget about it.

Then she decided she liked it that much that she moved there

And we went to visit for the first time

1.  Vintage leatherette travel bag £1.50.  2.  Directions and supplies.  3.  Soundtrack to the weekend.  4.  Alice in Transit

And I got to see what the fuss was all about 

Yes it certainly has character

And rows of pastel colour Georgian town houses alongside treasures from the Tudor period

Streets with bunting

Good food

And ice cream

Bubblegum and Black Cherry & Kirsch, mmm!

Pretty much everything you could ask for really

It was a beautiful place and we had a beautiful time.  Particularly as the weather was awesome.  Yes, you heard it right, we had a summer's weekend!  Unfortunately we've just got back and I am too tired to try and put together a coherent narrative.  I will try harder tomorrow

Nite!

Lucy x

Dessert Nails

Another quick nail post featuring: Barry M: 'Lemon Ice Cream', 'Strawberry Ice Cream', 'Blueberry Ice Cream', 'Lemon Ice Cream' and 'Peach Melba'.  Finished off with a flourish of Technic 'Carnival' rainbow glitter! Mmmm!

My go to nail of the moment

Back soon

Lucy x

Ice Cream & Owls

Channelling Alice in Wonderland.  Looking at imaginary tiny packs of cards around my feet.

Pink floral owl!

 

Blouse & Shoes - Dotty P's via Ebay
Cardigan - M&S Outlet
Skirt - Primark
Baby blue tights - New Look
Boat necklace & Owl brooch - Primark
Typewriter tote - Mystic Moose on Etsy


Been thinking about

Newly purchased pretty things...

Fox's Party Rings...

And mouthwatering flavours all in a row

Despite everything I said in this post I have been really enjoying our Spring so far.  I am fully embracing the ice cream shades inspired by some newly discovered bloggers and all little pretties I've found in the shops.  I got the above haul of pretty things from Primark yesterday when I was looking for pastel coloured tights.  I was just about to walk out without buying anything when I caught site of the cute little pink owl.  Of course you can't just buy one little thing so I picked up the two necklaces.  Then whilst queueing, I spotted the Angelica range of nail varnishes and couldn't resist picking up the 2 gorgeous glitter colours.  

Lucy x