IN MY KITCHEN (and the garden, and the sky)

These dahlias graced my kitchen, and indeed other parts of the house, last week.  My son brought them in from a dahlia farm near where he had been working.  There was a whole bucket full of them and having vases scattered around the house was a delight.

Some of them were as big as dinner plates, the variety of colours amazing.  For me, having flowers in the house makes such a difference and I would love to have a garden that provided me with an abundance variety all year round.

As I don't have that luxury I enjoy what there is when it is blooming.

This fushcia bush is a new acqusition.  I have lost others before so have planted this in a pot in order to keep it in the dappled shade which it prefers.

 This was the first magnolia that unfolded after I came home from my holiday. 

Even the flowers on the pumpkin vine that seems  determined to take over the garden are lovely.  Hopefully they will translate into actual edible pumpkins in  a few months.

On one of my trips to the airport a vegetable stall had this rhubarb for only $1.99 a kg so I indulged in quite a bit, chopping some of it and freezing it all uncooked.  Rhubarb,  humble creature that is has always been, is one of those items that becomes horrendously overpriced at times.

Nearly always when you desperately require some for a dish so I couldn't resist stocking up.  Of course a few weeks later the plant in my garden was ready to harvest for the first time so I won[t be running out any time soon.

I love the delicate tinges of red on the base of the stalks

This little fellow, or perhaps a girl, was in the beams of the front verhanda one day.  It kept turning round on the spot, very awkwardly and looked quite young so I began to wonder if it stuck.  After keeping an eye on it for a few hours it finally disappeared so got down somehow.

Since I returned my kitchen has seen the makings of many, many muffins, carrot and sultana, banana, sour cream, potato and chives, triple choc, corn and cheese and a few other flavours of which I've lost track. 

There was a celebration birthday/welcome home dinner of roast lamb and chocolate souffle.

                            We've had fiery sunsets,


delicate sunsets,

Lots of storm clouds building,

Sometimes  accompanied by thunder, lightning and rain, sometimes they just all drift away.  Either way they are spectacular.

 

I ended summer on the high note of a new piece of equipment for my photography.  The Canon Eos 600. 

My first Digital SLR which is replacing the trusty little Canon I 've been using.

  Learning to use it is going to be an interesting and I hope, enjoyable challenge, leading to great photographs in and out of the kitchen.

Wish me luck and enjoy!

Jo

HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!

HI HONEY I'M HOME!!!

As I live alone the above feast was prepared by myself the morning after I arrived home from Paris.  There wasn't too much in the fridge, although my neighbour picked up some bits for me, so I used up the ingredients I DID have which resulted in this cholesterol laden plate, every single mouthful thoroughly enjoyed.  And the pot of tea.

 One friend left me this welcoming present,

Another friend left this one,

both of which were gladly received.

 the wistaria growth now covers up all the gaps that were there last summer,

this bush, hard to differentiate amongst all the green, was only small when I left,

this magnolia literally shot another three feet,

everything has just leapt ahead which is lovely to see

these are actually starting to look the way I envisioned when they were planted,




Of course it means lots of pruning and weeding, thankfully, not as much as it could have been,  due to the ministrations of friends who generously spent some time here the week before I came home. 

It was only a few days before the baking began again.  I started with coffee walnut creams,

And orange coconut biscotti dipped in chocolate,

All were enoyed as much as I enjoyed the baking of them.  Being in my kitchen again says I am really home

Enjoy

Jo

VERSAILLES

It's a bit hard to top this for a driveway.

These are the gates to Versaille, one of the most famous palaces in the world.  It's history of splendour, grandeur and excess are equalled by no other and ultimately contributed to the downfall of France's royal family.

streets of the town of Versaille

 this is the line to buy tickets, it is almost as long once you actually get inside the building,                                                                          lines of cold feet waiting,

this person waited so long he left part of his shoe,

the door is in sight!

feet finally on the bottom step

and after another 25 minutes we actually get to buy tickets

a short walk and the grandeur of the gardens begins to be revealed,

And the chateau itself,

with two Australian girls photographed in front of it,

the afternoon turned nasty quite quickly and I'm sure some of the wetness was sleet,

due to the distance of the Grand and Petit Trianon's from the main palace, we took the little train that runs regularly between the buildings,

the grounds are extensive and beautiful, unable to be appreciated in a short time and not on an icy day in December, 

The Petit Trianon, given to Marie-Antoinette by her husband Louis XV1

These cobblestones could tell some stories,

Gates to the Grand Trianon which Louis X1V built in 1687 on the site of a village called Trianon.  Most of the original building has been replaced by later work.

Golf carts with another use,

the temple of love was built in 1777

 This tree was planted in 1774,

how astonishing to see it still standing with some of it's gnarled roots spreading out above the ground.  Even though it must look lovely in full leaf, the tracery against the Petit Trianon had its own beauty.

There are 20 kms of roads and enclosing walls in the estate, subsequently many gates also, all with their own little gatekeepers cottages.

 The front of the Versaille Palace,

Amazing and steep spiral staircases,

                                                        A lovely padded seat in a window to gaze out upon the gardens below,

The great hall of mirrors is dazzling and it's difficult to do it justice  with my small camera.  In fact because of that I bought a book.

Back in the town of Versaille the Christmas decorations made a pretty display.

It would be good to come back another day to view the gardens.  I'll try and choose better weather.

Au revoir

Jo