A Morning in London

Sometimes,

breakfast at the hotel can be a  tad boring

but

let me take you to Le Pain Quotidien!

The name of this restaurant means "The Daily Bread".

It's set out informally and has gorgeous scrubbed pine tables.

My favourite table is the very long one in the middle

with plenty of room to stretch out and even chat with other people.

Also,

they have free wifi and I was able to write a few emails

and look up theatres and concerts to go to in the city.

I love the atmosphere

and it's a great meeting place.

This one is in High Holborn and near where I like to stay in London.

It was still empty at this early hour

and a few people were waiting for the door to open

to enjoy breakfast.

Here is a brief story of the bakery and restaurant

and its founder.

The next stop is Covent Garden

There's always something happening here

including free concerts.

Lots of lovely boutiques to browse too.

You can stand at the railings or go downstairs

and sit at a table with something to drink.

First there was an opera singer performing.

My favourite was a string quartet

playing classical music pieces.

Wonderful!

Don't you love the little boy?

He was playing his own violin made out of two small pieces of wood.

and he imitated every movement of the musicians.

A basket was passed round and we were able to show

our appreciation and even buy a CD.

It was time to visit a park.

Here is a fountain at Regent's Park

and some lovely pink blossom on a flowering chestnut tree.

Another lovely day in London.

There are so many things to do that I can never do them all

and

that's just the best excuse in the world to go back there again!

"You are more beautiful than you think": London

Busy streets

People everywhere

Hustling and bustling as they rush by.

Wait!

Let's slow down and look around

What can we see?

Aren't you glad you stopped?

Isn't this fun?

Where can it be?

Here's a clue in the name of a street,

but you'll need a mirror!

"You're beautiful from every angle"

Oops!

They didn't tell me it was a deforming mirror!

The caption is very misleading...

See, I did warn you, but you had to try it for yourself, didn't you?

and it's all in the smile!

That red double-decker certainly looks good

especially with a touch of overhanging green.

Here's the whole picture

Are you enjoying yourself?

I like the reflection of the girl on the left, you can tell she's 

feeling beautiful.

Did you know that smiling increases your beauty by 100%?

Here's the store with the window display

Here's another clue

with elegance from another era...

A must-stop on every visit to London!

"When was the last time you smiled back?"

Try it

and the world will smile back at you!

Going on a journey: England

Flying high in the sky

Once a year, I get this strong feeling inside of me that I need to change my horizons.

 Switzerland has been my adoptive country since my early twenties.

 This country, in the heart of Europe, shares borders with France, Italy, Austria and Germany.

It's very easy to travel to these neighbouring countries

 and it's even possible to do a day's outing to nearby France

or take the train to Milan in Italy.

But when the I choose to take a bigger break, I love going back to England

for that is where I grew up, where my roots are.

So I leave the land of lakes and beautiful mountains

and through the limited view from the hub

I can see the coastline and the sea!

I'm home!

An airport shuttle service from Heathrow airport to Paddington station

and the well-known warning on the platform as you get on and off the train.

Yes, there really is quite a big gap!

Even my suitcase looks full of anticipation !

It's when I see the sleek, black traditional taxi that I really feel as if I'm in my home country!

Now, will the taxi-driver get out to help with a heavy case?

It is rather rare in London!

Going through familiar streets

I can feel the excitement!

What about these trees planted along the top floor?

The taxi turns into a road alongside the British Museum.

I love the bikes for rent all lined up.

This is the Bloomsbury area which is rather peaceful and yet not far at all

from all the places I like to visit.

In ten to twenty minutes I can be almost anywhere I like to go.

The bus service is also excellent.

There are several small parks just minutes away on foot.

It was lilac time early this year and the perfume was wonderful.

Wouldn't you say that this bench is just waiting for me and my book?

Ah!

Just a little rumble from the traffic in the busier streets further away.

I love the wild and glorious abandon

 of the expanse of bluebells and cow parsley,

sometimes known as Queen Anne's lace.

The Londoners love their parks!

There is no better time to be in England than when the bluebells are blooming

and the lilac perfumes the air on every tiny breeze.

The birdsong is melodious and joyful

and so am I!

The Treasure-Keeper

Then a woman said, Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow.

And he answered:

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.

And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises

was often-times filled with your tears.

And how else can it be?

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being,

the more joy you can contain.

Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?

And is not the lute that soothes your spirit the very wood

that was hollowed with knives?

When you are joyous, look deep into your heart 

and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow

that is giving you your joy.

When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart,

and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that

which has been your delight.

Some of you say, "Joy is greater than sorrow",

and others say,

"Nay, sorrow is the greater."

But I say unto you, they are inseparable.

Together they come,

and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other

is asleep upon your bed.

Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.

Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.

When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and silver,

needs must your joy or your sorrow rise and fall.

Joy and Sorrow

from

THE PROPHET

by

Kahlil Gibran

I shall be taking a little pause 

until sometime in May.

Tread gently on Life's journey

and gentleness will accompany you.

Early Morning Light

The first rays of sun come over the hill behind some buildings

and I am held spellbound.

There's that special silence which is associated with this time of the day.

The blackbird has been singing on a nearby tree for some time now,

but just before the sun appears, he becomes silent

adding to the drama of  it all.

This little wooden chair was bought in Spain

 for my eldest son when he was just two.

It has been used by all of my children and then my grandson.

It holds many fond memories of many years ago,

and now, bathed in the ever-changing morning light, 

it brings me fully into the beauty of this moment

of sunlight and shadows.

The golden rays illuminate the tulips in a dark blue jug

next to the couch where I am sitting.

Everything is bathed in gold, including me.

It feels wonderful!

The star-like reflections in the base of the jug hold my gaze in this play of light.

Abstract patterns are created with the ebb and flow of the sheer curtains

where shadows become a tangible reality.

My early morning peppermint tea is blessed by the morning sun

and when I look up through my window, 

I can see the soft coloured shapes of the freshly planted Ranunculus flowers

in the window box through the bevelled edges of the glass window hanging.

Early mornings are my favourite time of the day

in every season of the year.

How could I possibly stay in bed with so much beauty coming into my little home?

The Colour in Our Lives: Yellow

Colour is a form of energy

and plays an important part in our lives.

The colours we surround ourselves with

 can effect our mood and the way we look at things.

How do you feel when you look at yellow?

Yellow is the most luminous of all colours. It fills us with optimism.

It helps us focus and see things in a different light.

It cries out for our attention!

It speaks to us of sunshine

and puts a spring in our step and brings out the cheerfulness in our disposition.

Just what we need after the neutral tones of winter.

When I add blue

it feels to me that the whole world is opening up to me

full of wonderful possibilities.

I feel joyful. 

Do you?

Colour is very powerful

 and it's good to remember this when we choose the colour schemes

in our homes and in the clothes we wear.

I know that when I crochet, I choose the colours that I need to see.

Today, I chose to make some flower coasters

 to bring some sunshine into my home.

Yellow and blue and white

which remind me of buttercups and blue skies and fluffy white clouds!

Or with fresh green like new spring leaves and a touch of orange

for a radiating energy.

So if we choose our colours carefully each morning when we get dressed,

we slip into a robe of happiness which gives us

the vibrational qualities we need for our day.

Surrounding ourselves with colours that make us feel good

can change our whole outlook.

Try it when you're feeling blue!

The lovely flower coaster pattern

is a design from Color 'n Cream

check out this link here