Meanwhile Back at the Ranch

Meanwhile back at the ranch.... both greenhouses are full of plants mostly grown from seed and some plug plants I have nurtured to a sensible size. I have lots of flowers both perennial and bedding and some veg - sadly my tomatoes didn't do well so I had to resort to buying a few plants but everything else has really blossomed - I'm just waiting another week before I start planting out. I'm really hoping to have a lot more colour in the garden this year - there are a lot of established plants all over the garden - its been well thought out but its mainly green and a bit conifery for our taste - so we are still taking out leylandii - and I will add some more architectural plants in - Flax - Banana and I have grown Cardoons from seed - I saw them a couple of years ago while we were on holiday and I just love the size and magnificence of them so I hope mine turn out like that!!!

On the nice day this week we went for a fab walk through Binchester Woods. Full of bluebells and wild garlic... glorious colours and smells. Its not a very big area but was packed with bird song and wild flowers. We took a couple of bags to litter pick (you know - its not our waste but it is out planet kind of thing) and were completely amazed and pleased to find NONE!!!! We didn't see any one else out either and it was a little bit a peace and tranquility right on our doorstep. The trees are really starting to be in leaf now and the lush colour that spring brings is just radiant in the sunlight. Picnic next time....

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Alesund

Our final destination stop was Alesund. This is a very pretty town in southern Norway built on a peninsula. All the houses are painted pretty colours and a lot of the architecture is all very Art Nouveau based. This is because the town itself was completely burnt to the ground In 1904 by a fire for which they never found the original cause. The whole town had to be rebuilt and this became a huge National Effort and a lot of prominent and up and coming architects flocked to the town to stick there 20 pence in. Consequently the town is very heavily Art Nouveau which was very fashionable at the time. There is this wonderful Museum just off the harbour which is a very beautiful Art Nouveau house. It has amazing panelling, doors, wallpaper, and it's all furnished with beautiful art Nouveau Furniture. It also house a collection of of enameled Art Nouveau Trinkets,boxes, spoons, jewellery, very very beautiful. There is an interesting collection of old books and paintings a...

Isle of Bute

Another Landmark Trust tick - this time Ascog House on the Isle of Bute - stunning as always... a very comfortable warm accommodation for the usual 8 suspects. This time we had a wee tower house for Dr Fred and myself - a lovely bedroom up the stairs with a big window and a bathroom al to ourselves - having said that all the other bedrooms in the big house were large and serviced by two bathrooms so there was no hardship for any visitors! The grounds of the house were very extensive with ponds and secret passages - hidden paths and we even spotted a deer late afternoon - there were lots of old features - ornate staircases and a lovely hidden door which I did a quick sketch of. Bute provided quite a lot of entertainment as well - the weather was kind and we did a a muddy wander down the south of the Island taking in St Blanes Monastery and Kilcannon Bay. The views were spectacular and it was fabulous to be out in the fresh (and it was fresh on the tops) air and we...

Kalamata and random stuff

We suddenly got busy catching up with old friends met on previous cruises - and making some new friends who were working this cruise. Dr Fred got organised arranging Stargazing sessions and future talks, while I'm embroidering a coat! All this takes time and energy inbetween being available for food..... It was formal night in the 1920s style with the Captain's Cocktail party. So we donned our gladrags, smartened ourselves up and went meet the captain and have a to drink in the Neptune theatre before dinner. I have to say I'm quite impressed with the effort that people go to on these formal nights and some people have some amazing clothes And it was particularly good this night because of the 1920s theme They were an awful lot of headbands with feathers in them but they did look good and some of the frocks were just absolutely stunning. They've refurbished the selfservice area. Its now known as the Thistle - and it's very pleasant - al...

Planet Ruby Starrs

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