The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain

... but the rain in Catalonia fell mainly on our heads!  Having been reliably informed that the weather was lovely and warm in Polinya (half an hour from Barcelona) I packed lightweight clothes only to find that it was nithering!  Plus 9 was the warmest it got so I spent the week with cold hands and tootsies.

I expected it to be a pretty tough week on the work front but things went surprisingly well.  Ulla and I managed to stretch our legs most evenings but were usually the first to be at the restaurants - very un-Spanish.  The first one we went to wasn't even properly open and they looked surprised to see us and checked their watches!  I think I have gained at least half a tonne and retained sooooo much water from all the salty food that I daren't even get on the scales.  Ulla and I both had swollen fingers and feet - just not used to the diet I suppose.  We didn't complain or refuse any of the delicious pastries though!

This is pretty much the quantity of bread and pastries we at this week!

We also had to sample some very nice Jambon in this tapas restaurant (and some of the local wine, of course!)  The restaurant had been recommended to us by the lovely Despina from our sales office in Athens - it only took us an hour and a half to find it despite it only being about 10 minutes from our hotel!  We thought we deserved the wine by the time we got there and the waiter was VERY nice :)

I didn't do much crochet - just a little on the way out as the days were long and by the time we'd walked around, eaten and headed back to the hotel it was straight to bed.  We did manage to go to Barcelona on the last night and had a tour of the city in the rain.

A rather blurry shot of one of Gaudi's finest... well, it was tipping it down!

THE department store of the area - El Cortes Ingles - we almost got vertigo from the one in Sabdell as there seemed to be endless floors.

We had to seek shelter in this rather nice bar and have a glass of wine (or two) to warm us up and rest our weary feet.  Then it was off to enjoy a very nice meal (and a little bit more wine).

Ulla and Bernat toasting the end of a successful week (with, you guessed it, some very nice Spanish wine!)

Last time I was in Barcelona it was sunny and warm but the city is really beautiful, so much wonderful architecture and very alive.  The shopping is excellent too but there was no time for any of that, which is just as well as the prices were pretty steep.

I seem to be missing out on a fortune - first I have a clothes shop in Nancy, now a chain of parfumerias in Barcelona ..

But if I had to own a chain of shops I think this one would be perfect..

It's actually a candy store but what great name!

So, a week at home before I head off to Finland.  Hope it warms up a bit as they had record low temps last week at minus 40 C - yikes!  That's weather for staying in the sauna me thinks.

It's tipping it down with rain, snowing up on the moors and more cold temps forecast .... guess I'll just have to stay in and stitch and stuff, shame hey?  Hope you are managing to spend your weekend doing the things you love.

Jules

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Whistle Stop Number 3 - London

OK ladies, wait no more, now I have figured out how to work Photobucket (yes, I am one of the numpties to whom Lynne  refers) - here's Loop....

It was lovely but mega expensive so I headed upstairs to the jumble sale for patterns and some inspiration

Too much choice!

Gorgeous buttons

Some gift inspiration

So what did I buy?

Some reduced patterns and a couple of lovely books

Love, love this book by Julia Arkell although I doubt I'll ever make any of the projects.  It was all the lovely shelves of goodies that drew my eye.  Oh to have a work room like this.

By now we were starving - hungry students in tow - so we took a quick look around the market and then found this wonderful place called Elk in the Wood for a spot of lunch.

Just love this wallpaper

and all these lovely fireplace tiles in the kitchen

and all these mirrors on the wall.  That's Michael taking the picture for me - I haven't grown a beard, honest!

Next was a wander around Borough markets and a look at all the lovely fare.  

We were in search of desert but couldn't find carrot cake so we headed to Patisserie Lila for cake and tea/coffee.... well, I had a long train ride ahead, needed to keep my strength up :)

Mission accomplished!

Did I mention that Michael and Andrew met me at St Pancreas and we had a glass of bubbly in the Champagne Bar and then went back to Kingston for dinner at Carluccio's?

Oooh, get us!

So that was London, tomorrow I'll bring you Barcelona.  Gosh, my life sounds rather glamorous but trust me it's not!

Happy Weekend all and thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your comments - I look forward to every one.

Jules

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Bonjour mes amies... je reviens!

Phew, I feel like I've been gone for ages and I've only really got time to give you a whistle stop tour in this post, mention Lynne's Moda Bake Shop debut (well worth a visit to see the stunning quilt and the chance of a giveaway), do the washing and then pack again!

So, the whistle stop tour begins.  Monday, Paris - just an hour but long enough to get the feel of the place and sit outside the Gare de l'Est in the sunshine (everywhere I sat smelled like a men's urinal but never mind, it was still Paris!)

Then on to Nancy.  All the photos are taken at night as the work days were very long.  No time pour fair le shopping as the shops shut at 7 but I managed to take a good stroll each evening just to stretch my legs (and try and combat the vast amount of bread I ate each day!)

The Theatre

See the name?  C'est moi?  Clearly not, they must be confused!

This type of building screams France to me - I love it!

St Sebastian Church

My kind of shop - wine upstairs and good food downstairs - my colleague and I enjoyed a much needed and well deserved glass of Palmer Brut Cuvee Rubis champers with our dinner

 Plas Stanislas - very opulent and stunning, especially at night.  Lots of couples walking hand in hand, friends meeting, embracing and enjoying an exorbitantly priced glass of wine no doubt.

Some of the famous glass work of the region.  L'Ecole de Nancy - a famous Art Nouveau movement from the area. The pics are not great as they are through glass at night.

A fine example of the movement in the Excelsior restaurant - sunglasses needed inside as it is dazzling - mirrors, glass, marble, gilt - you name it, this place has it (plus a huge amount of oysters).

Well, my dears, I have run out of space to upload photos so will post about my whirlwind 30 hour stop in London later on.  I have to tell you I was in ecstasy when I got to Loop!!!!

A plus tard

Jules

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Ooo la la

Another weekend draws to a close and instead of relaxing with my yarn and hook I'm thinking about packing.  I'm off to France tomorrow for the week - going by train all the way to Nancy.  It'll take all day but in between the work time on the EuroStar I should have plenty of time for crochet - if only I could make up my mind what to take with me!

My friend, Angie and I went for a walk at Sandsend on Friday - I say a walk, it was a struggle against the gale force wind on the way into the village and then a fast paced hurtle back to the car with the wind at our backs!  One of my sister's favourite shops in York, Wild Heart also has a lovely shop in Sandsend.  I didn't have my camera but took some photos with my phone - when I can find out how to get them from my phone to here I'll post them :)

This week's evenings have been spent making my Feb Ravelry CAL squares:

Pineapple Blossom

Grandma's Heart

Making more hexagon patches 

and knitting another patchwork blanket

I've made this one a bit easier on myself - same size squares but different stitches for each one and crocheted together.  I've run out of wool now so this one will have to go on the back burner until more suppliers are available.

I managed to get out in the garden for a bit yesterday - a bit more snipping and pruning and gathering of the moss from the side borders.  It's tidier but still looks rather sad.  Lots of shoots and bulbs poking their heads out there so that's very encouraging.

Wishing you all a good week.  February is whipping by, soon be Spring :)

Jules

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Come Dine with Me

Or rather, Come Dine with Will and Meg.  Just as I was feeling more than a little disheartened at the lack of interest - any interest - in my smooth and silky limbs life handed me a little ray of sunshine.  I have been quite a good cook in my previous lives but am becoming more and more lazy and less and less interested as time has worn on but luckily I have passed on some good cooking genes to my offspring and they are all quite, quite talented.  Even if I do say so myself.

So, diet (pah!) not withstanding I was very happy to accept an invitation from my youngest to come dine with him and his girlfriend.  I had to do the shopping but since I was going anyway that was no problem.  I was told to sit down with my knitting while the two of them set to in the kitchen.  Who am I to argue?

Good smells began to emanate from the kitchen and once my services as goat's cheese finder in the fridge and measuring spoon finder had been dispensed with all I had to do was wait.

The menu?

Will's starter: roasted stuffed peppers (goat's cheese, chive and chilli) 

with a rocket salad and dressing made from scratch

 Megan's main course: bacon and mushroom pasta with marscapone and parmesan cheeses (did I mention diet??)

Will's pud: meringue with strawberries and cream (no calories when made by someone else) 

Can't think why I haven't lost any lbs this week...

It was truly delicious but best of all?  They cleared up afterwards as well!  My cynical (male) work colleagues asked me what he'd done that needed to be forgiven!  

Whilst I was waiting for this feast to be served I got to work on this month's Ravelry CAL squares.

First one done (this was my second attempt as the first one was all wrong and wonky)

I've also been busy transforming my wool stash into 9 round granny squares for a big blanket and the pile is growing nicely but I think I might run out of wool before the quilt is finished.  Oh sigh, I'll probably have to go wool shopping .....

I've also embarked on a hexagon quilt made from some of the boys' old shirts.  I think both projects are going to last me throughout the year!

Hope your week has been a good one so far - helter skelter towards the weekend now - yippeee!

Jules

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Crestfallen...

Had appointment with my very dishy orthopedic consultant tonight to assess the state of the knees.  I have been diligently moisturising morning and night and remembered to shave extra carefully this morning.  What did he say?  'You can probably leave your tights on, I don't think I'll be able to see anything different on bare legs' - first thought, phew! Second thought, what a waste of smoothness.  Third thought, blimey, can't even get the man to take a peek at my legs - things must be very dire indeed!

Worse was to follow.  After shunning a peek at the flesh Mr Dishy was quite keen to take a look at the inside so an arthroscopy it is (not the first time so not too worried) but, things have changed since my last visit in 2007 and it was straight off for the pre-op assessment - yikes!  Blood pressure, height, wee test - no problem, now just get on the scales - bloody hell!  Pounds lost since the last post .... nil.

It's going to have to be nil by mouth until I can find a window in my travel schedule to get booked into hospital.   That or a serious case of food poisoning (trip to China might take care of that!)

Hope those of you who are trying to shed a few pounds are having more success than me!

Jules 

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