Last Day in York

 SONG - Time to Say Goodbye by Andrea Bocelli   

 https://youtu.be/4L_yCwFD6Jo?si=dNHDz5N8ZjiwwPwz

Day 29 - Tues. May 28

Late in the morning we went to our favorite little coffee shop over the bridge towards town. It’s raining but cozy inside of the shop. Mr. B had veggie quiche and I had a croissant sandwich with goat cheese, carmelized onions & fresh spinach-yummm- and we shared a lemon & blueberry muffin. Double yummmm!

I ordered us tickets to get into the cathedral at 1:45 and when we arrived we went straight in. A lot of beauty inside of the cathedral but at times it made me sad thinking about all of the money spent to glorify individuals who were buried there, when people were starving, homeless & sick all around.  

But the stained glass was incredible and the carvings impressive!  

I did love this one of the faithful dog at the foot of his human companion. 

The “Heart of York” was lovely too! 

Walking around the side of the cathedral there was a statue of Constantine who was proclaimed Roman Emperor in York in the year 306. 

Hard to believe this town was around in 306 AD

Since it wasn’t raining we walked around The Shambles again and found the Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate this time. The fire tosser was still there but this time he was tossing for from a very high unicycle!!!

Still very crowded so we had a cold drink in the market square and then went to the local grocery store to pick up a few things.  While I went back to our room, Mr. B headed to our car to try to consolidate things since we will be driving to London tomorrow and turning in the car. 

Tonight is Italian food at La Piazza Antica.  I think we had a few too many meat pies & pub food so we are in need of a break. 

And this was a good one - great food, the couple next to us were from St. Helena, beautiful timbered building and we had a singing Italian waiter! What more could one want?

Oh and wonderful wine too!  Mr. B was delighted……

Warm Heart & Tail Wags

 Song - Perfect Symphony by Ed Sheeran & Andrea Bocelli

 

 Maggie 2022 - 2023

Our hearts are broken....

we thought we would have a lifetime together...

Missing You

 Song - Time to Say Goodbye by Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman

 

I have been waiting for the day to share with you about what has been going on in my life lately.....beside Covid.....beside California wildfires.....and smoke.....beside 100+ degree weather.

 

My last post was July 1st. 

 

The very next day we got the unexpected news that my mom Betty was very ill and in just three short weeks she passed away. 

 

A few days ago her home and the house that my family have lived in since 1956 sold. For the last few weeks my brother and I have gone through our family belongings.  Nothing of real monetary value, mostly fond memories.......the best.  

 

It brought us closer working through the grief, remembering fun times, giving items to family members and getting rid of the rest, laughing and crying. Her faithful little dog Buddy was re-homed to a loving family in Sacramento and they are all so happy to be together.  

 

The birds that mom fed have missed her as well as they keep coming to the feeders and the windows wondering where she is.  

I struggled with posting about this as it felt to dear to me and I was still too tender.  

 

I trusted myself to wait until the right time came.  I even thought about just starting up again with a happy post about a flower and act like nothing had happened.  But in the last few days it came to me.....YOU know exactly how this place feels.  You have been here at some point in your life so you know. And that is why I needed to share with you so that you know you are not alone.

 

 

"The reality is that you will grieve forever.  

You will not 'get over' the loss of a loved one; 

you will learn to live with it. 

You will heal and you will rebuild yourself 

around the loss you have suffered.  

You will be whole again 

but you will never be the same.  

Nor should you be the same 

nor should you want to."

                                            --Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Grace

Song - Amazing Grace by Andrea Bocelli

 Founded in May 1131 Tintern Abbey sits on the Welsh bank of the River Wye. The abbey fell into ruin after the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century.

It is breathtaking.....

Fall Has Arrived

Song - Les Feuilles Mort (Autumn Leaves) by Andrea Bocelli

After several days of 100 degree weather last week,

it looks like Fall might just have arrived here in Northern California!

We have bushels of apples to pick next week.

I have a few flowers left but with the heat in September

there are only a few to enjoy.

Most are ready for the new season like this Hydrangea above changing her petals.

The Dogwood trees have their bright red berries ready.

And the Snowball Viburnum is always the first garden shrub to change color.

We have more Hawks.....

 

And Woodpeckers now.

 The Acorns are dropping all around me and crunching under the car tires.

But the best thing in our garden right now is.....

......little Henry who turned 6 months just two weeks ago and I got him this swing for the yard.

Andy hung it on a sturdy branch on a large Oak tree 

right where he and Ashley were married three years ago.

Funny how life happens.....

"Delicious autumn! 

My very soul is wedded to it, 

and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."

--George Eliot

Au Revoir - Day 24 & 25

Song - Time to Say Goodbye by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman

May 1, 2018

This post is taken from my French travel journal and my trip through Southern France in April 2018.  For some reason my iPad and Blog were not communicating at the time so I was unable to write any posts. At home I am able to blog "post" travel! Thanks for joining me on the journey!

 

Happy Labor Day - May Day

Le Fete de Muguet

The day to present a bouquet of Lily of the Valley to loved ones

Mr. B had never been to Parc de Bagatelle before so I thought today would be a good day to introduce them to each other!

 The peacocks were happy to greet us!

 But from 3 weeks ago when I last visited, a lot had changed.  The Yellow Lady Banks climber was in full bloom.

As were the white and lavender Wisteria!

Pink Peonies - hello darlin

 An arbor full of scented Clematis - breath deep

 We were still too early to see the rose garden in bloom but it was looking good.

 Fragrant Lilac's were everywhere....

 And upon returning to our hotel we were greeted with Muguets.......

After a quick rest we took a walk over to the Louvre and Tuileries. 

 Everyone was enjoying the rays of sun on this cloudy day.......

 The Roue de Paris is a giant Ferris Wheel at the Place de la Concorde.....

 Enjoying the gray sky and views from the Pont de la Concorde bridge over the Seine......

We didn't plan too well as it was a bank holiday and everywhere we wanted to dine on our last night was closed! Back to dinner at Cafe Louise as it was good and the waitress was so kind & fun. 




 May 2, 2018

Woke at 6 to finish packing, check out of the hotel and order an Uber to Charles de Gaulle Airport. We made it but without much time to spare as we forgot about the hour drive to the airport!  We were sitting near our gate at a small cafe when I spot two people we know from our home town. Our kids were on swim team together and it was so much fun getting caught up!
 

They were on our same Aer Lingus flight to Dublin then onto SFO.  We all just barely made the connecting flight!

Good to be home.  The garden is in full bloom and the roses are spectacular!

"One mustn't ask apple trees for oranges, 

France for sun, women for love, life for happiness." 

-- Gustave Flaubert

Impressions of the Day

Song - Con te Partiro by Andrea Bocelli

Last Sunday Mr. B and I went to the Legion of Honor in San Francisco to see the Intimate Impressionism show from the National Gallery, Washington DC which they are remodeling.

Not Washington....but the Gallery.

Just thought I might have confused you there......

It was lovely and there were many great pieces but I did have a few favorites.

There are several pieces that I wanted to share with you....

The Artist's Sister at a Window by Berthe Morisot

The Artists Paint Box and Moss Roses by Edouard Vuillard

Sweeet!

Argenteuil by Claude Monet

Detail of Argenteuil 

Just look at those yummmmy colors!

Table Set in a Garden by Pierre Bonnard

I can just see myself sitting in that garden having a cup of tea.

The last two are probably my favorites because they are just so painterly!

Then Mr. B took me for coffee and cheesecake at Caffe Trieste because I have been commissioned to do a painting of the little coffee house and I needed some reference material.

And then I took Mr. B across the street to......

Church !

This is actually the Nuova Porziuncola at the National Shrine of Saint Francis and is a scaled replica of St. Francis's Porziuncola in Assisi, Italy.

As we were driving home, we both felt like we had a mini European vacation!

Without Chevy Chase!!!

"For it is in giving that we receive." --St. Francis of Assisi