'If you have a dog, you will most likely outlive it; to get a dog is to open yourself to profound joy and, prospectively, to equally profound sadness.' Marjorie Garber

Saturday 5 May 2012

An April Postcard

April, what a washout! 
And I don't just mean the much mentioned fact that it was the wettest April since records began.

First of all, it started well. Hubby had a birthday. We went out for a lovely meal here, http://www.chinchinbarkitchen.com. A very laid back place where they do fab food and the staff are lovely - when or if you are in Bristol, I highly recommend a visit!

Then I caught a cold, a real stinker on Easter weekend! And all the plans I had for a very creative time almost evaporated, but luckily I got this bit of creativity in before the bug hit! Aided by my very artistic girls, I might add.







A few days were spent feeling sorry for myself and Youngest Darling Daughter, who also had the nasty virus, and thinking that as soon as the sun shines, we would feel much better. Did the sun shine? Somewhere, definitely, but not West of Centre.

'Oh well', I thought to myself, 'never mind we are off on holiday soon, at least I won't have a cold then.' We had booked a week in Sorrento and were very excited having never been to that area of Italy before. Sure enough by the time it came to leave for our holiday, I felt much better. 
Something inexplicable happened to Europe that week though. It rained everywhere. 


Sorrento was beautiful, even in the rain! But, oh how I wished we could see its beauty bathed in sunshine, instead of, well, just bathed!






We had rain everyday, most days it was heavy and torrential. We trudged round Pompeii in the cold and wet and it was flooded whilst we were there. It stopped raining long enough for the clouds to clear on top of Versuvius. The views from there were nothing short of breathtaking. And the sun did shine briefly at Herculaneum but on the way back to Sorrento, we spotted a twister in the bay - very impressive and very scary heading towards a cruise ship that had stopped there. Amazingly, we tried to get a photograph but it just vanished almost as quickly as it appeared, thankfully. I wouldn't have liked to be on that ship looking at a twisting tower coming towards me...

I thought of this poem as we faced the twister and floods:


 'O, To be in England
       Now that April's there...'

(Robert Browning. (1812–1889), Home-thoughts, from Abroad)





However, despite the damn awful weather, we had a wonderful time. Luckily, our Hotel was tip-top! Imagine how terrible it would have been if the Hotel was pants too! We ate far too much, drank far too much and generally took life at a slower pace. Beautiful, beautiful part of the world! Pompeii and Herculaneum are just fascinating. I hope to go back one day, maybe when Europe is in drought!





Then we had to come home. Darling Daughter First Born had exams to sit; Youngest Darling Daughter had to go back to school for her final term, gulp! And then Hubby got a cold. Poor thing, I sympathised having not long had one myself...


Then it struck again! Cold number two! How could this be, I usually only get one cold a year and here I was with two in a month. I was not happy! And it kept raining. I had all the holiday washing to do and it kept raining. Then Youngest Darling Daughter caught the cold too. We are obviously far too much alike and share far too much. I thought of this poem as I blew into a mansize tissue:


April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring 
Dull roots with spring rain.

(T S Eliot, (1888-1965), The Waste Land, 1922)





(Thank you to Darling Daughter First Born for the Easter Egg Photos)

12 comments:

  1. Sorry you had a miserable April. Health-wise. Italy would've been wonderful rain or not.
    (I can't believe the size of those lemons!)
    We have had our first real rain in probably six months and it's glorious. Feel like dancing in it actually!

    p.s. did you and your girls paint those eggs? They're awesome if you did.

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    1. Hello Kylie,
      I'm so slow replying to comments this time. I'm really sorry :)
      Yes indeed, we painted the eggs. So glad you like them.
      And those lemons, OMG, they were huge! I wanted to bring one home but we weren't sure if we were allowed to bring fresh produce through customs.
      Sorrento is a beautiful place, even in the rain and despite being on a well-trodden tourist route. It is full of character. Thanks for stopping by. Take care.
      S x

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  2. great pics! it all looks wonderful, I especially like the eggs.

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    1. Hi Kath,
      Thanks for your lovely comments.
      I'm thinking of taking commissions for eggs next year!!
      Take care,
      S x

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  3. oh no ! This was so bad I actually had to smile remembering a week in Cornwall when husband got appendicitis !
    You and your girls are three peas in a pod. Pretty eggs.

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    1. Thanks Penny,
      Your poor Hubby!
      At least it was only the weather that was poorly for us.
      Thanks for your lovely comments.
      Take care,
      S x

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  4. Ah, Sorrento ... it looks and sounds so beautiful, even in the rain! I've not visited that part of Italy YET ... But I will one day ;-)
    How are you getting on with building the Ark .... ??
    xxxx

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    1. Hello Josie,
      Sorrento is lovely and maybe we'll go back one day :)
      I have lots of wood ready for the ark, just collecting two of every species at the moment!!
      Take care,
      S x

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  5. looks a lot of fun... pass the eggs.. Love Helen, Darcy and Bingley xxx

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    1. Hello Helen and boys,
      Yes, it was lots of fun. I think it is a holiday we will remember always!
      Thanks for the lovely comments,
      Take care,
      S x

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  6. That's a great photo of the orange orchard. I remember a few years ago the cover of Cottage Living had a picture of a Pear Allee that just looked magical. I've always wanted to plant one!

    Sorry about the rainy weather in April. I don't know about Italy, but I was told March was the driest March on record, and April was the wettest April on record! It's been rather wet here in Dublin as well. :) C'est la Vie.

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    1. Hello Hitchhiker 42,
      So lovely to hear from someone new!
      Yes, I heard March was the driest and April the wettest. What is going on? Maybe it will all balance in the end :)
      The orange groves were lovely, there were lemon and olive groves too.
      Definitely, I would recommend a visit if you are near there one day.
      We have four apple trees and four pears in our garden but I didn't plant them, they were already here when we moved in. I fell in love with the garden because I grew up next to an orchard and this feels like my own little orchard.
      Thanks for your lovely comments,
      Take care and do drop by again,
      S x

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