W.I.T.W.I.M.

Sweden: Wedding ring 'found on carrot' after 16 years

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 08:31:06 PST

A Swedish woman has discovered her wedding ring on a carrot growing in her garden, 16 years after she lost it, says a newspaper.

Lena Paahlsson had long ago lost hope of finding the ring, which she designed herself, reports Dagens Nyheter.

The white-gold band, set with seven small diamonds, went missing in her kitchen in 1995, she told the paper.

Although the ring no longer fits, she hopes to have it enlarged so she can wear it again.

Mrs Paahlsson and her family live on a farm near Mora in central Sweden.

She took the ring off to do some Christmas baking with her daughters, but it disappeared from the work surface where it had been left, she explained to Dagens Nyheter.

The family searched everywhere and years later took up the tiling on the floor during renovations, in the hope of finding the ring.

It was not until 16 years later when Mrs Paahlsson was pulling up carrots in her garden that she noticed one with the gold band fastened tightly around it.

"The carrot was sprouting in the middle of the ring. It is quite incredible," her husband Ola said to the newspaper.

The couple believe the ring fell into a sink back in 1995 and was lost in vegetable peelings that were turned into compost or fed to their sheep.

"I had given up hope," Mrs Paahlsson told Dagens Nyheter, adding that she wanted to have the ring adjusted to fit her.

"Now that I have found the ring again I want to be able to use it," she said.

-Story from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16374283

My Exhibition at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 04:00:05 PST

My exhibition at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital comes down today. It was a whirlwind show. I painted the images on returning from Canada in November. Above is a shot from my studio as I get ready.

I sometimes takes shots of paintings in the middle of painting them. This one I felt had a really nice feel half finished and I wanted to document it to compare it to the finished piece. You can see the last painting underneath (I have flipped the painting upsidedown).

Here is a shot of the finished piece (under terrible lighting).

In the end this one area was too small to hang all the paintings. I had to sacrifice one of my favourite images because a weaker another painting actually made the grouping look better.

Further down my Antoinette series is hung.

I come back during daylight hours and get this shot.

(I just want to say having a new computer and a new blogger format suddenly makes blogging easy again!) Now to finish Croatia and the house blogs!

Merry Christmas from our house!

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:14:35 PST

Merry Christmas from our Edwardian house in London, United Kingdom!

(Yes, we are still missing the curtain rod and curtains!)

Croatia: Leaving Dubrovnik

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 04:00:08 PDT

This is our last morning in Dubrovnik. We are due to leave at 10am.

There is one last thing I want to see before we go. I take an early bus by myself into the Old Town and head for the Dominican Monastery which opens to the public at 9am.

Tour groups wander the streets in packs at this hour as the sun is not yet overhead and the heat has not reached its midday peak.

I head into the quiet courtyard of the monastery. The stones make the temperature even cooler and it is a quiet place to come in the morning (until the tours enter a short while later).

There are a few things to see here, a small museum and the church.

Building began on the Gothic-Rennaisance structure in 1301, the city, along with the Dominicans, provided funds and ordered citizens to contribute labour, due to its proximity right up against the city walls by the Old Port. It was constructed around the same time as the city walls.

A well sits unused in the middle of the central cloister.

The church has The Virgin and Child alter piece, 1513, with the bearded donor (from the Dordic family) kneeling at the feet of St. Martin in the lower right.

The Veneto-Byzantine crucifix by Paolo Venziano (14th century) hangs over the main altar.

Leaving the church by a side door one joins the cloister.

The cloister is filled with palm and orange trees.

I find the small museum which houses a small Croatian Renaissance Collection that blows me away. I spend most of the hour I have in this room pouring over technique, colour, gold leaf, composition, and framing. I am in awe.

I exit the monastery

and head down the stairs.

I pass the Old Port entrance on my way out.

The church and monastery resemble a fortress. One last look as I leave Dubrovnik.

Croatia: Sanja & Rosie's Laundrette

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 04:00:08 PDT

I just have to do a post on Sanja & Rosie's Launderette in Dubrovnik. It is our 10th day of travelling, we have packed lightly and are sharing a small suitcase. We need some laundry done soon. We come across an ad at my favourite veggie restaurant, Nishta's, that is advertising this launderette. We decide to give it a try.

We arrive to find a wide open self-service launderette (the only one in Dubrovnik) with laundry soap sitting on top of every machine. Launderettes are very hard to come by in a lot of Europe. I remember that from Italy.

Not only is there soap, but Shout and a scrub brush.

There are fun retro posters all over.

And all the decor has a 50's theme.

We notice that although the place is unmanned there are two cameras installed. Someone is watching from somewhere.

Music plays and the paying machine reminds me a jukebox.

All the machines look brand new and I can't figure out why no one else is in here.

There is a stack of magazines to read.

Free water.

Outside in the seating area I discover a guest book with a set of pencil crayons.

I read through to see where all the other people washing their clothes have come from. All over the world, it turns out.

I do a double take. What lollies?!

I quickly do a scan of the room and find "Candy Time". Pictured above is after we eat through half of it.

We leave our own message in the book.

It turns out that Sanja and Rosie are from Vancouver, Canada! Now, how on earth have they found themselves in Dubrovnik running a retro laundrette?

Even free Internet. Funnily, most places we go have the exact same password.

A great place to do your laundry! We highly recommend it.

Nigel: "You aren't going to blog this, are you?"

Croatia: Mount Srd and Sveti Jakov (beach)

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:00:07 PDT

I guess our 4 days in Dubrovnik got a bit tiring since we book a hostel in the new section that takes us 30 minutes to reach the Old Town from. This is not always the best for stamina as there is no place to return to quickly for a break. So for the first two days we walk the old town of Dubrovnik and got exhausted. The last two days do day excursions in the area. Yesterday was Cavtat. Today is a trip up Mount Srd which sits above the old city and look down with great views.

Here we are driving up the winding road that climbs higher and higher in a series of switchbacks.

Wow, what a view on the journey up of the Adriatic Sea.

The road is extremely windy and treacherous and there seems to not be a single other vehicle climbing it.

The top is very dry and barren, although there are a few small farming villages this high up. Above is a metal something or other with what looks like bullet holes in it.

At the very top we reach the 412 metre high summit. The summit was taken over in 1991 by Serb forces when they tried to take over Dubrovnik. It is hard to imagine the town holding out with the opposing forces having this sort of vantage point. You can see the old town and its walls in the photo above.

The mountain top gives a panoramic view of the whole coast. On the top there is a cable car that was destroyed by Yugoslavian forces during the war. Our guide books have not updated the fact they are now in full use with a cafe at the top. The cable car leaves just outside the old city walls. Also on top of the mountain is Fort Imperial built by Napoleon's occupying army in 1808. It is still in a good state, but seems off limits to the public. We ignore a few signs and have a peep around. Wild sage grows everywhere. Next we descend and head to the a beach out of town. It is further down the coast. Sometimes the guide books that we bring come in extremely handy. I find a description of all the beaches in the area. The main ones come up when we ask our host and other travellers. But Sveti Jakov was one I read about that sounded remote and hidden. The Rough Guide reads:

Sveti Jakov: a small stretch of pebble at the bottom of a cliff, reached by steps which descend from the coastal path below the St James's Monastery. Twenty minutes from the city centre, fantastic views towards the Old Town, and west facing so catches the afternoon and evening sun. That is a cruise ship we are looking at from the shore. Obviously an alternative in the cruise ship industry. We stretch out for a nice day. Five minutes later we have had too much sun and head for shade. A view of the beach from a bit of a distance.

Croatia: Cavtat

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 01:24:47 PDT

We take a day trip 20 kilometres south of Dubrovnik down the coast to the small town of Cavtat. Cavtat, called Epidaurus, was founded by a colony of Greeks. It later became a Roman colony around 228 BC. We visit the 7th century town that grew up when the Slavs invaded.

When the inhabitants fled from the Slavs they set up what is now Dubrovnik (a city state).

I take a quick peak in the modest St. Nicolas Church that sits on the harbour front. In fact, the whole town straddles the horseshoe shaped harbour which is surrounded by a ridge.

Cavtat bonus: we note the gelato is only 7 Kuna (10 Kuna in Dubrovnik). When I tell the young girl serving us I can't decide between two flavours she just wallops both flavours on top of the cone for the same price.

Croatia, I notice has some really nice features that we consistently come across wherever we travel:

-toothpicks in restaurants.

-built in seating everywhere (in walls, on walks, in towns, in harbours, in the middle of no where) all for free.

-stairs or ladders to the water for swimming (this is practically everywhere and Croatians take full advantage and swim anywhere).

-paper toilet seat covers

Unexpected features:

-bread and anything else that is brought to your table you can count on finding on your bill.

Time for a swim. We are catching what we think might be the end of the hot season in Croatia.

There is a proper beach east of the town but it is straddled by all sorts of big hotels. A short walk around the wooded peninsula from the town centre are rocks that we climb down on for a quiet swim.

We forgot our aqua shoes at the hostel, but manage well. Beaches in Croatia are rocky and aqua shoes are sold everywhere for about 30 Kuna (£3).

We had planned to stop at another beach that afternoon, but head back to Dubrovnik for a nice meal after discovering such good swimming in Cavtat.

Croatia: Dubrovnik Old Town

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:39:34 PDT

Above is the route we take down fron Hvar Island to Dubrovnik. We stay in a place in the new town called Guest House Marija, which is a highly rated hostel (individual bedrooms but shared kitchen and bathroom). We are in the off season travelling in September/October so it isn't packed. Marija is a Croatian grandmother that keeps the place so clean you suspect she comes in daily to clean it. She also looks like she is raising her grandchildren as well. A lovely woman who reminds me of my Baba and has a knack for not speaking any English but somehow one understands exactly what she is saying. The population of Dubrovnik is only 49,000 and sprawls several kilometres along the coast line. But the heart of the city is the old town. The entrance to the old walled city is the Pile Gate, above, where buses from ferries and city buses arrive. It is the most obvious entry point to begin exploring.

This is a map of the old city. (sorry about all this strange spacing that keeps occuring in this blog. It is exasperating and has almost finished my patience off. I am looking at leaving blogger and continuing in another one. Rant done!)

I am looking down from above onto Onofrio's Large Fountain built in 1444. It consists of a circle of heads that spout water and sits just within the Pile gate. Visitors to the city had to wash themselves before they were admitted to guard the city against the plague.

The fountain was built by the Italian architect, Onofrio Della Cava and was part of an elaborate water system that brought water from Mount Srd (above the city) to public washing facilities across town.

This small stone with a gargoyle face sticks out of the wall of the Franciscan Monastary just above the pavement. It is unknown why it has become a feat of male endurance to try to balance on it facing the wall and remove one's shirt without falling off. It is extremely difficult to do.

One "must-see" if you are in Dubrovnik is the War Photo Limited which exhibits some of the world's best photographers. It declares its intentions to "educate the public in the field of war photography, to expose the myth of war and the intoxication of war, to let people see war as it is, raw, venal, frightening, by focussing on how war inflicts injustices on innocents and combatants alike." It is extremely moving and we spend some time there going over the current exhibition by Yuri Kozyrev on his images from this spring of his photos from Egypt to Lybia to Bahrain.

There is a permanent exhibition on the upper floor devoted to the war in Yugoslavia with images from Ron Haviv. The following 3 shots are from this room. Above are recent witnesses during the war of the slaughter of 50 people.

Above, the siege of Dubrovnik (1991-92). In October 1991 units of the Yugoslav People's Army supported by volunteers from Montenegro and Serb-dominated eastern Hercegovina, overran the tourist resorts south of the city and Mount Srd, the high ground above the city.The bombardment of the city began in early November and lasted until May 1992. Dubrovnik's defences held out in the end and the siege was broken in July 1992 by a Croation offensive from the north. Once the land links to the rest of Croatia was restored the southern points were also liberated.

Here a photo of a funeral of the boy's father who is one of the victim's of the war.

A map of the city posted at the city gates.

The map key.

Also worth visiting is the Memorial Room of the Defenders of Dubrovnik which has a photo of every Dubrovnik who was killed in defending the city. It is housed in the Sponza Palace and is free.

Next we take a tour of the city walls. The entire wall (as old as the 10th century) is walkable and has an amazing view of the old and new city. The following photos are my shots from the 90 minute walk.

It is fun to look over the wall and discover a hidden swimming spot. One has to mark the place we are in the old city to return and find the door that leads to the swimming spot.

This is Onofrio's Little Fountain that is found at the other end of the city at the gate to the marina.

The sun starts to set and we start to think about dinner. If you want to beat the rush at the good places to eat you have to get seated before 7pm. We have a few favourites up our sleeves. My favourite is Nishta's (which comes highly recommended by locals and guidebooks). It is the only purely vegetarian place to eat and it does not disappoint a long time vegetarian who likes to cook! We ate there 2 nights in a row. Next is Nigel's favourite Dubrovnik eatery, The Taj Mahal. Strangely named, as it is traditional Bosnian food, that has a few amazing vegetarian options. It also comes highly recommended and both are reasonably priced. We eat here twice too.

This is my veggie option...roast veg and Bosnian cheese with a garlic olive oil. On the side two slices of savoury pie/struedel.

Our favourite icecream shop, Dolce Vita (only because it was 7 Kuna instead of the standard 10 Kuna in Dubrovnik). We liked to go to the edge of the city walls with our gelato and watch the sun set.

Croatia: Dubrovnik (day 6)

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:02:56 PDT

We are up early on day 5 to catch a 10 am ferry at the opposite end of the island of Hvar.

As we arrive at the ferry we park in the line for cars boarding. There are also cars all parked around the cafe. When the time of departures nears the cars at the cafe just drive on whenever they want...no tickets waving, no one to take the tickets. Then our line up starts getting antsy and some people leave the queue and drive on too. What the heck, we say, and join the rest of them.

Once on the mainland we head south along the coast towards the city of Dubrovnik.

Along the way we pass through a lush farming valley that stretches for miles. On the side of the road at this time of year stands sell large bags of mandarin oranges by the kilo, honey from the abundant lavender, pomegranates, and dried figs.

Again we pass picturesque seaside village after village.

The Croatian country going down the coast is broken by a small piece of Bosnia that comes right down to the sea for a stretch of several kilometres. One has two options: take a ferry to reach the southern tip of Croatia or drive through Bosnia. Above you can see the border entering Bosnia.

Then around a corner of the coast we spot the large bridge which will take us into the city of Dubrovnik.

The city retains much of its natural coastline.

Dubrovnik, the old city, is a walled medieval town surrounded by the sea on one side and a huge mountain on the other. It is the most popular destination in Croatia for tourists.

The main streets are paved in marble and are pedestrian only. "For the Croats themselves Dubrovnik serves as a powerful metaphor for freedom, having spent much of its history as a self-governing city-state independent of foreign powers. The city played a more than symbolic role in the war of 1991-95, when it successfully resisted a 9-month Serbian-Montenegrin Siege." (Rough Guide). The only sign of this now is new roof tiles, fresh paint and replaced stone.

Along the smaller streets restaurants place most of their tables outside in hopes of luring you with crowds and the sight of their food being eaten.

There are many hills in the city themselves. The east side runs along the base of the mountain and steep staircases take you to the edge of the city walls if you can climb that far.

Most of the shops are tourist tat oriented, which is always interesting to see what each city and country sport as stereotypes. Since lavender is grown everywhere you can get sachets, essential oils...everything made out of lavender. We opt for two jars of lavender honey where the bees pollinated the lavender plants.

The marina is one of the nicest places to hang out in the old city as the medieval builders seem to have thought of seating in every old city we have been to. Stone benches built into walls line most of the pier, so one is not limited to buying food to sit somewhere.

But as a result of being a port it is also a cruise ship day outing. The town can be over-run with tourists off the ship for the day. You wonder why there is one particular language of tourists on particular days and realise they are being ferried back and forth every 30 minutes from the ship anchored off-shore.

The sunset is also amazing from the marina. If you walk around to the far corner of the city wall you will find a great little area where locals dip in for a quick swim.

Hey, there is one of those cruise ships above that I mentioned.

Here we are looking at the city walls from the marina.

And this is the bit you can swim in, if you like swimming with the sunset.

The city is lit and alive at night. People eat late and it seems every second restuarant has hired a professional musicians to play for their clients sitting outside. The atmosphere is great and it seems at this time the cruise ship crowd has returned to their ships for their inclusive dinners there. (don't get me wrong, I think I would like to try a 3 day cruise just for the all you can eat food!)

The Stradun (the main city street) is alive and sporting gelato shops every block. My favourite flavours: black chocolate, tiramisu, pistacchio, mint, and creme caramel. Nigel's favourites: black cherry, pistacchio, mint, and creme caramel.

Croatia: The Pakleni Otoci (day 5)

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 04:00:14 PDT

The Pakleni Otici are a chain of eleven wooded islands with crystal clean seas, hidden beaches and deserted lagoons just to the west of Hvar Town. A few destinations can be reached by water taxi on the islands but for the most part hiring your own boat for the day is the best way to explore it all.

And that is just what we do, surprised at how inexpensive the cost is. We are also surprised that absolutely no experience is required. We are quickly shown the knot for tying to a dock and when to throw the anchor over 20 metres from the dock. And that is it.

We round the first little island to find a beautiful little beach and cove.

We immediately anchor off shore, jump overboard and swim ashore. It turns out to be a naturist beach (nude). We figure that one out by sight.

We have extended trouble getting our anchor up until Nigel realises we should drift back over it if it is wedged. It works, but not before we call one of the operators to come and rescue us. We call him back right away. As we set off we are met by a sailing boat of middle aged men calling out to us...to come back and join them on the beach? I don't know.

The next bay, Stipanska, is abandoned for the off season. We dock and swim some more in the clear waters. There is a series of huts, a stage, and a bar/restaurant (all shut). Carpi Diem, the famous Hvar Town club, hosts all night events here. We spot an old poster in town with Boy George as D.J. for an event. During our boating around the islands we are continuously encountering yachts and large sail boats anchored off shore. We start to get a feel that there is a great life of leisure lived by a section of the population that we know very little about. Above we sea a huge yacht filled with young people. From it comes a jetski and a speed boat pulling a water skiier. The rest of the youth lay on deck tanning or jump off the boat to swim. We find a great little inlet off of the main island around the far side that we anchor for lunch. The water is so clear we often mistake quite deep water for shallow as we can see every rock on the bottom.

By this time we have the hang of anchoring and tying down our boat.

One last swim before we set off again. We intend to round all the islands in a day and have our boat back by 6pm for a concert.

But the other tip of the islands is very choppy and rough. The wind has picked up and with the waves it is hard to tell how much distance is travelled in our little 5 hp boat.

We finally make it around the other side and head towards Hvar Town.

We drop the boat just by our apartment and head out again.

For our last night in Hvar we treat ourselves to a traditional Dalmation meal at Kenoba Menego. The Lonely Planet describes it as "a rustic old house on the stairway towards the Fortica kept as simple and authentic as possible. No grill, no pizza, no Coca-Cola. The place is decked out in Hvar antiques, the staff wear traditional outfits, the service is informative, and the marinated meats, cheeses and vegetables are prepared the old-fashioned Dalmation way." The "drunken fig" dessert and house wine are great!

We are also pleased to find out we have caught the tail end of the Hvar Summer Festival which runs all summer and into late September. We catch a concert at the Franciscan Monastary that night with a 4 piece band, a tenor (Stefan Kokoskov) and soprano (Alma Karmelic). It is excellent fun.

When that concert is done we head over to the main square to get gelato and watch the main stage show of Croatian musicians (whom we still have not learned the name of).

Nigel watches the singer air-guitar through every song and wonders aloud why he just doesn't learn guitar.

Croatia: Hvar (days 3-4)

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 10:20:10 PDT

We leave the town of Trogir and head down the coast to catch a ferry to the island of Hvar. The coast is rugged and arid with small towns dotted along the coast. And a steep cliff to our right. We get to the town of Drevnic where the much cheaper ferry leaves from. This means we will have to travel the length of the island to get to our accommodation in Hvar Town. We leave Drevnic behind. The point of Hvar Island has a lone lighthouse, although you can see the island from the mainland. Hvar is the most luxurious of the Croatian islands, the sunniest place in the country (and in Europe according to our host who installed solar water heating panels) and along with Dubrovnik, the most popular tourist destination. The long drive along the peaks of the island are beautiful. The 3 main towns of the island, Hvar Town, Starigrad, and Jelsa are all nestled in the south end of the island while the rest of the land mass is largely uncharted. Over the entire island grows wild lavendar, rosemary and heather. We arrive in Hvar town where we are staying in the evening, dump our bags, and walk the 7 minutes into the main old town centre. According to Lonely Planet, Hvar Town, the island's capital, is a place with "swanky hotels, elegant restaurants, trendy bars and clubs, posh yachters and a general sense that, if you care about seeing and being seen this is the place to be." We are told numerous times that both Beyonce and Prince Harry were both recently here. Despite its big reputation it is a beautiful and small seaside town bustling with life and gelato shops.

We stay in a great and inexpensive place called Apartments Komazin run by Andro (and his mom who live downstairs). He is a great businessman, extremely helpful giving us a map of the town, telling us where to eat, what we can do...AND his mom is renowned for her struedel! But on our first day he gives us a tray wit his sister's chocolate mouse cake and two shooters of sweet dinner wine (cherry and lemon).

The picture hanging above the bed is a bit startling, but then this is a very Catholic country.

The next morning we walk the 5 minutes along the town boardwalk to the centre of the old town in the daylight

where the main drag begins.

St. Stephen's Square is the centre of town which used to be an inlet from the bay, but was filled in. It is one of the largest old squares in Dalmatia. At the end of the square is the Cathedral of St. Stephens built in the 16th and 17th centuries at the height of the Dalmation Renaissance.

One unique feature about Hvar Town is that it doesn't have any street names. The town is in a bay with steep hills on one side and the Adriatic Sea on the other side. The only motorized vehicles in town are electric "wagons" which the one person steering stands on to deliver goods on the lowest (and flat) level of the town and boardwalk. Otherwise one is on foot exploring the small alley streets (pictured above). The Fortica sits on top of the hill which we climbed to get some arial views of the town. The fortica/citadel was built on the site of a medieval castle to defend the town from the Turks. The view from the very top. Croatia is not only known for its seafood and gelato, but it is also famed for its pastries (both savoury and sweet). The one on the right is a popular and much larger than it looks. That piece will fill two people. It is a chewy dumpling pastry dough filled with cottage cheese. Basically it tasted like a giant cottage cheese perogy. I am very addicted, but have to convince Nigel of them (as he has to eat the other half and is a sweet pastry lover). This is the view of the sea from our spacious apartment

and Nigel lounging in the warm weather on our balcony. That night there is a big ceremony to celebrate the birthday of St. Stephen the patron saint. There is a choir (that emerges from the church following evening mass), a visiting bishop... traditional costumed dancers... and most amazingly buffet tables set up along the square with free food and wine for a small charge a glass. We really timed this visit right without even realising it.

Croatia: Trogir (day 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:08:52 PDT

Our host, Niksa Buble, is keen to drive us anywhere we want to go. He suggests on our second day driving us out to Medena Beach, a 10 minute drive up the coast. From there we can walk back along the boardwalk. The water is clear turquoise and yet we don't bring our bathing suits as we plan to go into town one last time. Along the way the path is lined on one side by the Adriatic Sea and on the other by houses and orchards. It reminds me so much of Kelowna, BC, Canada.

There are little walkways down to the water every 20 metres. We watch the local elderly leave their house in nothing but aqua shoes and bathing suits, walk down to the water, swim, then walk back home (drying and sunning as they go). What a healthy lifestyle!

There are olive trees everywhere growing wild and in gardens. Pomegrate trees are also a common site as in the one above.

Our host has grape vines and even larger kiwi vines. I spot a wallop of them hanging and he invites me to pick as many as I want. The 6 I take are still hard, but he assures me they will ripen in a few days. (6 days later they are still as hard as anything). Every day Nigel says to me, "if those things are ripe before we leave this country, I will eat my hat!"

Next we hoof it into town to visit St. Lawrence's Cathedral. The front portal (above) is carved by Slav master-mason Radovan in 1240. The lions carved either side depict Venice and the carvings of Adam and Eve above them are the earliest example of the nude in Dalmation sculpture.

The main chandelier inside the church is lit by candles.

The Baptistry. Signs on every Croatian church at the entrance inform the visitor that there is no photography, no beach wear, no shorts, and a small list of other things. We can take photos in this church though.

The treasury contains countless silver items and several illuminated manuscripts.

The Venetian Gothic tower is worth the climb.

First up the winding stone staircase.

This brings you to the roof of the church where you can look down on the main square below.

From the other side you can see the Loggia and clock tower.

Then begins the dizzying climb up the narrow stone stairs, the barely-there metal stairs, and finally the metal ladder. This is when I start feeling a bit light headed and like I am actually in one of my many recurring dreams. I am always being dragged over a cliff by a gravity force too strong to resist or losing balance from a great height. In fact, I also remember (since being young) a recurring fear of driving over the edge of a cliff while on steep roads.

Once I am at the top, I hang on and readjust and am pretty fine within a few minutes.

The view of the town and harbour is amazing.

And finally a picture of the tower from the church roof.

Croatia: Trogir

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 10:30:56 PDT

We have decided to spend 2 and a bit weeks in Croatia travelling around. Nigel plans a great route through much of the south of the country. We can't do it all this time!

We fly into Split airport on a cheap Easyjet flight. It leaves in the wee hours of the morning. I think we left our house at 3:45am.

We arrive at our great accommodation in the small town of Trogir, Apartments Buble. "Like the musician Michael Buble" our Croatian host, Niksa Buble, tells us. He invites us into his house and serves us strong coffee, biscuits and Croatian chocolate. We sit and chat for at least an hour. Nigel is interested in his business acumen and all the little rooms and kitchenettes he has installed for the travellers. He said he aims to be "the best of the budget" and I really think he is. We have a great little room on the ground floor with both chairs and table inside and out.

Apartment Buble is about a 7 minute walk from the old town. It is a labyrinth of cobbled alleyways fanning out from a central square. Our host tells us you really only need one day to explore it. We have booked two days so that we can take it easy and relax.

Trogir is on the Dalmation coast of Croatia and due to its proximity to Italy there is a lot of Italian influence from food (gelato and pasta are everywhere) to its architecture. In fact, it reminds me of Italy in its buildings and culture and of Morocco in its slight arid dessertness.

Above is the Town Loggia where you can sit in the shade out of the harsh sun that beats down at about 30 degrees. It was originally used as a court of law.

Nigel takes a rest in the shade.

The ceiling is hand painted in beautiful designs and colours.

You can see the table straight ahead where the judges sat.

The clock tower to the left of the Town Loggia

We walk over the bridge from the old town into the new.

The harbour is on the Adriatic Sea.

It host everything from small boats to large luxury yachts of boaters stopping to eat something at one of the ritzy port restaurants.

The restaurants are used to all the European business and most menus come in at least 5 languages. Look for the British flag for English.

The walk back to our accomodation is over the canal...

and through the busy town market. Above is a stall of honey and olive oil.

We buy our fresh produce here each morning.

As night falls the small alleyways light up and people bustle up and down them. At about 8pm they look for a nice outside eatery to sit in and have dinner.

We discover if you go through this certain archway above...

You come to what we nicknamed "Gelato Square". Each corner of the square has a ravishing looking gelato stall.

One scoop of gelato will cost you 7 Croatian Kuna in Trogir (just less than £1).

We head back to Buble to explore the town more tomorrow.

Loft Bathroom Under Construction

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 04:00:03 PDT

Our loft bathroom is ready for fitting. Since our plumber's tiler has suddenly changed careers he has said he will lay our tiles. I think he also mentioned he wishes we chose much bigger ones! The shower tray is fitted and then the tiles around it.

We choose a light tavertine stone tile that needs sealing as they are very porous. This light tile will contrast with the darker blue walls.

Slowly the floor emerges.

Our plumber has an original towel rack radiator from an old church which I spray white.

The tiles are all on and need grouting.

The idea is that all the features in the room are pristine white against dark blue walls (including the off-white tiles).

I do love the period mixer taps.

Once the toilet is in I can prime the walls.

First white.

Then the nice antique blue. The skirting boards and sills need painting, the appliances fitting, and the tiles sealing. When it is done I will post the photos.

Restoring Victorian Fireplaces

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 04:00:02 PDT

Getting an original Victorian fireplace is easy in the UK. You can get them on EBay and Gumtree (Craig's List equivalent). There are also Heritage Reclaim shops and sites that restore original ones for a hefty price. Above is our large lounge fireplace from the back. We buy it on EBay for very cheap, but on the way home the mantle breaks.

There are missing pieces like the grate to hold the wood or coal, the fire brick, and the flue.

Here you can see the missing pieces. The dated tiles (60's style) are cracked and since we plopped it in our yard the large cast iron fire has begun to rust. It needs professional help!

As for the small bedroom fireplaces. The one above has 5 layers of paint on it built up over the years. I begin the slow process of taking it off with Nitromors (a chemical acid that melts it off).

The detailed bits are the toughest and I use a wire brush to get all the paint out of the cracks.

Meanwhile we have an expert from Architectural Salvage (on Haydons Road in SW London) come and take away our big fireplace.

It is brought back in pristine condition. He has welded the mantle shelf, cast a new fire brick, found another fire grate and incorporated it in, made us a new flue, reblacked it with graphite paste...and...

...put in new tiles. The above tiles were in a beautiful (but too tall) fireplace in his shop window for months. I would admire the tiles every time I went past and decided to take a picture of them so that I could find similar ones. When I arrived it had been sold, but the buyer had another set of tiles so these 10 were left in a pile in the back. I prefer the fine Victorian detail tiles to the art nouveau or bolder styles. The blue/green will go well with the maroon walls.

Meanwhile the one bedroom fireplace has been completely stripped and I am reblacking both of them.

The detail is beautiful.

Once done with all the grates, mantles, and bits...

...they are brought into our lounge, the current storage room.

Renovations: Choosing Wall Colours

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:12:18 PDT

Choosing colours for your walls is crucial. I am used to mostly white or off white walls in homes in Canada and want to go for much more colour in our house. It is critical not to overwhelm a room with a colour, but let it help you give the feel you are after.

The loft is finished plastering and the radiators are on (which have to be taken off again to paint).

We quickly paint the ceiling white as the electrician is coming any day to put the pot lights (down lighters) in.

Our plan in each room is to keep the ceilings white and paint the walls a colour. The plaster needs at least two coats of white paint (the first coat must be half water and half paint) before the colour can go on.

At first we think we will keep the loft somewhat more modern and paint it an antiqued white. But when we paint it white it is so bright I have to wear sun glasses when the sun is out. I quite like the feel of the muted plaster before it went white so choose a colour called Sloe Berry (above). It has a period feel and despite purple being my least favourite colour, it is a dusted down and warmed up version. The feeling in the loft is emerging as relaxing, yet bright near the windows.

I find this line of paint above that has rejuvenated traditional colours from the Victorian era. The blue colour on the brochure above is our loft bathroom colour (and may end up being our back bedroom colour as well).

Here is another colour that we will do our lounge in, a maroon-red.

The Joinery is Done

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Tue, 24 May 2011 03:55:35 PDT

All the joinery is now done. Our little crawl space in the eaves has a door and is framed. The doors and door frames are on. The stair parts sit in the corner ready to be fitted. The skirting boards are done. And in fact, the wood floor has been laid. But it is covered up to protect it and I never did see it...hence, no picture of it! The banister, posts and spindles are now installed. Here is a shot half way through where the lower banister is still waiting to be attached properly. Oh, I love the look. The very lowest post has an acorn put on to keep the theme. There was a choice of ball or acorn. The post on the middle level is replaced as it had some heavy damage to it. The old banister is attached to the new on on the middle floor. The old door is hung and the door frame put back on. The radiators are beginning to be hung (this is the plumber not the joiner). The bathroom and plumbing to be posted next. The windowsills are very nice. I really appreciate the little details in the work. All the little pieces seem more pernickity than the main bits.

Riverford Field Kitchen: Devon

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Mon, 23 May 2011 04:18:50 PDT

While we were in Devon someone recommended the Riverford Field Kitchen and so 10 of us (8 of those anaesthetists) drove half an hour down country lanes to find it one evening. It is unlike any restaurant I have been to. It is situated on an organic farm which supplies local restaurants and veg boxes. Lunch and dinner are served at 12:30 and 7:30 in long tables where you are sat with other guests. If you arrive early you can go on a farm tour (rubber boots included). The meal is set and it comes family style on big platters to each table. So you are passing food around to the other guests at your table. There is plenty of food which consist of 5 courses, all vegetables from the farm and one meat (a vegetarian option is available). It is essential to book and it is essential to show up on time (as the rest of your table may have eaten all the food by the time you arrive). The food is actually quite fantastic. They do things with vegetable combinations and cooking that I would never think of. Here is a shot of the table when the meal was almost done. Then at the end you go up to the kitchen counter by table and are presented with at least 7 desserts of which you choose from. I couldn't decide between chocolate mousse and a towering meringue with caramel. It is free for under 3's and half price for children 3-12 years of age. It is also the 2010 Observer winner for the Food Monthly Awards.

Torquay: UK

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Sun, 22 May 2011 01:09:42 PDT

Nigel has a conference in Torquay, the third largest settlement in Devon, in the south of England. We pile into a car with a number of other anaesthetists and make the 4 hour journey down. While they are all at the conference I spent the day wandering the coastal town. Our B&B is a couple of blocks from the bay and I wander down to take a look. It isn't as warm as one would expect to go swimming, but I notice it is mostly children swimming. The beach steps have grown green with seaweed. I wander into the town centre. I discover Torquay, population 64,000, is mainly elderly people. The shops all cater to the aging population. Torquay was the home to author Agatha Christie who lived most of her life there. Historically it was initially a fishing and agriculture town. In the early 19th century the town began to change into a popular seaside resort. It was initially used by members of the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later by the cream of Victorian society as the town's fame spread. Renowned for its healthful climate, the town earned the nickname of the English Riviera. The next day Nigel skips out on the morning bit of the conference and we wander a coastal trail. Hey, wait for me, Nigel! It does have a Mediterranean feel to it. The water is BLUE! What you can't see is the international lasering competition. The lasers are too small in this shot. We reach the next beach but decide not to descend so I can catch my train back to London and Nigel can make the second half of that day's conference.

The Plastering is Done

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Sat, 21 May 2011 03:29:29 PDT

The plastering is done and is drying. It is been done over a short week and left to dry. Plaster is brought right up to the lip of the stairs where previously there was a gap in places between the stairs and wall. 105 year old Victorian/Edwardian walls are not usually straight. This looked like the hardest bit as it a window at roof level but drops down into the staircase a story below. How we are going to paint it, I have no idea! the first bit to be done is now completely dry. The top of the stairs. Under the stairs is screwed plaster board. Under the curve of the stairs is stapled a metal mesh. On this is smeared a heavy fixing plaster. And then it is plastered smooth. And finally on top, the plaster is applied so we have a nice curve. These bits take a bit longer to dry.

The Scaffolding has Come Down

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Thu, 19 May 2011 11:25:02 PDT

The scaffolding has come down! With the roof being finished and all the extra snags fixed the scaffolding comes down. What a difference it makes. The inside of our house is suddenly brighter. Here is our before picture when we first bought the house. The windows have all been restored to the original design, the white has been repainted, and the terracotta tiles replaced where needed and repainted. The only things left to restore is the door with stain glass and a different colour and the white painting on the ground level. The last day of the scaffolding I am up putting the finishing touches on the paint work. Little things about to drop off... ...we fix with long screws, scrape, fill and repaint. I try to reach the awkward bits that are a bit lower than the scaffolding. This is my last view of the street from this vantage point. The property line goes right through the centre and if you look closely you can see we paint only up to the halfway mark with the white. This is the back before our renovations started. It was the worst view of the house and our neighbours joked it was the worst back to any house on the block. And now the exterior back is DONE! Here is a clear picture of the difference in the two styles of loft: mansard (on the left) and dormer (on the right).

Wimbledon Studios £50 Fundraising Art

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Sun, 08 May 2011 09:53:41 PDT

My new studio requires that if you take part in the Open Studios that you must paint an image on a square foot board they provide for their fundraiser event outside the buildings. Mine is pictured above. They go for about £50 each, which I think is a real bargain. They must have had trouble in the past getting artists to do them as they now implement a £30 fine. So in money terms the best situation is if an artist does one and sells it, the second best thing is if the artist doesn't hand one in and gets fined. And if an artist does one and it doesn't sell, you have the added bonus of a load of work with no where to go.

Wimbledon Arts Open Studio: May 12-15 [Studio 217]

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Sat, 07 May 2011 04:14:43 PDT

I am very excited about my newest studio. It is the largest artist studio in the UK. Please join me in an Open Studio at Wimbledon Arts Studios along with 130 other artists. You will find me in STUDIO 217 in the RED BUILDING. The event is this coming week from Thursday May 12 to Sunday May 15th. Thursday & Friday 2pm – 10pm Saturday & Sunday 11am – 6pm Our Preview Evening will be on the Thursday 12th May from 6 – 10pm. A late view will be on the Friday 13th May. All are welcome and tickets are not necessary. We will have both the Red Studios and the Blue Studios open with the marquee joining both together at ground level. We have full disabled access and free parking. Sunday will be our 'Family Day' with storytelling and quizzes for the kids (and adults). The show attracts over 10,000 visitors annually. Wimbledon Art Studios Riverside Yard Riverside Road London SW17 0BB United Kingdom We are based on Garratt Business Park Industrial Estate, Garratt Lane. We are half way between Earlsfield overground railway station and Tooting Broadway underground station. By Foot: We are approximately 15 minutes walk from Earlsfield overground railway station or Tooting Broadway underground station via Garratt Lane. By Bus: The 493 can be taken from Wimbledon railway/underground along Plough Lane. Alight at the Wimbledon Stadium stop. The 44, 77 & 270 run along Garratt Lane between Earlsfield railway station and Tooting Broadway underground station. You need to get off at the Texaco Garage and cross the road to St. Martins Way or Riverside Road. By Car: There is free parking at Wimbledon Art Studios in Riverside Yard. Our postcode is SW17 0BB for satnav. By Train and bus or foot: Earlsfield train station is 3 station stops from London Waterloo train station or one stop from Clapham Junction and Wimbledon train stations. Wimbledon overground or underground stations are NOT our nearest stations. More information: http://www.michal.ca http://www.wimbledonartstudios.co.uk/

Magical Korean Curing Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Thu, 05 May 2011 23:54:27 PDT

I lived in Florence, Italy, for a year in a flat in the heart of the old city with 6 other artist. It was not your average set up. We were all in Overseas arts programs (6 in a Canadian program and one in an American program). I had one Korean roommate, 4 English-Canadians, one American, and one Italian-Canadian roommate (who spoke some Italian which came in handy with our Italian speaking landlord who was always worried we had made the living room into a 7th bedroom to reduce the rent. Of course not, we told him. Of course we did! They would always have me, blond and innocent looking (!?) cooking in the kitchen when he would come to collect the rent. He seemed to think that all was under control if someone like me was making homemade
food.)

Anyway...this is a blog about a recipe, not my Italian landlord. My roommates liked to drink, smoke and listen to music late into the night. I loved them all, but lived a very different lifestyle. I was up early, cooked all my own healthy vegetarian food and didn't drink or smoke. So you would think that they would be the ones with the severe hangovers, wouldn't you?

One morning after my roommates had had a particularly rowdy night. I woke early in the morning and upon opening my eyes found the room spinning. I shut them quickly. I tried to get up and make my way to the bathroom. My balance was completely off and I crashed back and forth down the hall way, falling along the way and just barely reached the bathroom. I threw myself at the toilet bowl and vomited. I closed my eyes and the room stopped swimming. I opened them and couldn't make out up from down and threw up again. I continued this until I was dry heaving hoping each time my eyes opened I would be okay. I kept my eyes shut and felt so weak that I groped for a toilet roll put it under my head and just lay there not moving on the bathroom floor with my eyes shut.

Not knowing how much time had passed as I tried to sleep, I heard my Korean roommate, Mija getting up. I could hear her footsteps coming down the hall and into the bathroom where she found me half conscious on the floor.

"Michal, are you okay?" she asked.

"Mija, I am so sick." I opened my eyes to peer at her and instantly the room started spinning out of control again and I quickly sat up and hugged the toilet again to begin dry heaving all over again.

Mija was not put off in the least. She was a roommate I was in awe of. She could chop food faster and more professionally than anyone I had ever met. AND she could split an apple in two with her bare hands. She would wedge her thumbs on either side of the stem and in one swift movement snap the thing in half. I have tried it so many times and have never been able to copy her.

She leaned in very close to where my face was practically in the toilet and examined me as if I were a scientific specimen.

"There is nothing coming out" she announced at my dry heaving. "That is not good. Come with me." She helped me up and half supported me into the kitchen.

"Sit down" she said as she got busy with a pot of water, ginger and an unknown citrus quantity in a jar sitting on the counter that she told me her mother had brought her from Korea.

Once it had boiled she poured me a cup of it, made me drink it, and then led me back to bed and told me to sleep. I slept 4 hours until the afternoon. When I awoke I felt perfectly fine. Years later I deduced I must have had vertigo that morning. I don't know what was in that concoction Mija made me, but whenever I am ill I try to mimic that drink and I always feel much better.

RECIPE:
1 pot of water
ginger - peeled and sliced (amount depends on how spicy you like it)
marmalade - several big scoops (amount depends on how sweet you like it)
Boil it all up and drink!

Enjoying Our Wood Burning Stove

noreply@blogger.com (Michal) — Tue, 03 May 2011 01:07:04 PDT