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Friday, 26 August 2016

Duingt, a picturesque village

This beautiful “village fleuri” was a wonderful discovery for me. We came here one Sunday to visit and escape the crowds in Annecy (Haute-Savoie). We sat in the sun by the lake to relax and admire the view. Afterwards, we walked around the village to discover its true soul.

As you can see, it looks like it emerged from a fairy tale story... at least that's how I see it... I am completely in love with this place; each little nook and cranny, the church, the Chateauvieux castle, the panoramic view from the chapel next to the cemetery (it may sound macabre, but, believe me, it is a beautiful and peaceful place!!).

Everything in this village with the unpronounceable name is overwhelmingly charming.






Thursday, 25 August 2016

An excursion to Annecy

Last July we visited Annecy, one of the most beautiful small cities in France, situated in Haute-Savoie.

The town is famous for its very clean and large lake. In fact, it is one of the cleanest lakes in the world and its entire 40 kilometre circumference is accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.

I wanted to document our getaway with as many photos as possible. At every turn we were blown away by the picturesque beauty of the old town, the lake and the surrounding countryside.

The good news is that this little town is full of exquisite bistros, restaurants and gorgeous boutiques...colourful houses with flowers on their balconies. I guess it is just the way tourists imagine France to be!!





A fresh local produce market is held on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday mornings. We strolled around the market and we bought some homemade jams, a pretty fouta and a cute Provençal basket to carry all of our finds and our picnic!!


A cruise and a pedal boat (pedalos) ride on Lake Annecy are activities not to be missed. You can rent a boat by the half-hour from the park behind the Hotel de Ville.


Place Notre Dame....Here is the Eglise Notre-Dame de Liesse after Mass

The charming old town with flowers in bloom on the balconies

Many buildings have arcades that provide welcome shade on sunny days and shelter during rainy ones....Very narrow streets and alleys...

Palais de l'Isle



The River Thiou running through Annecy


Pont des Amours

Château d'Annecy




We were overwhelmed by the gorgeous Basilique de La Visitation. The interior, as you can see, is considerably more beautiful than the exterior.



I really hope that you enjoyed this tour and I wish you a lovely day!


Wednesday, 24 August 2016

Buttermilk Pancakes, a recipe from the 2001 Dairy Dairy

Sweetheart found this Dairy Diary from 2001 whilst cleaning his office at home. Before throwing it in the bin, I opened it and looked at what was inside... an amazing selection of delicious and easy recipes... Here is one of them.

This pancake recipe is not too sweet and is perfect for summer. Simple, quick and easy pancakes are a great addition to any of your tea time or brunch events.

I adapted the recipe to my taste: one topped with sultanas macerated in rum and maple syrup


…and the other with homemade blackcurrant jam


Buttermilk Pancakes (original recipe)

Ingredients (makes 12)
Plain flour - 110g
Sugar - pinch
Salt - pinch
Bicarbonate of soda - 1 tsp
Baking powder - ¾ tsp
Egg 1
Butter - 25g melted + extra for frying
Buttermilk - 275ml
Maple syrup - to serve

Preparation
1. Sift all dry ingredients into a bowl. Make a hollow in the centre and drop in the egg.Gradually pour in the butter and buttermilk and stir to a smooth batter. Leave the batter to stand for at least 30 minutes.

2. Melt a knob of butter in the frying pan and spoon in a little of the batter to give you 10cm rounds. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side. You may need to do this in batches.

3. Serve immediately with a generous pouring of maple syrup.


Monday, 22 August 2016

Darkness Visible - A Memoir of Madness by William Styron (1990)


“We do not believe in Hell, we cannot imagine it, yet it exists, one can suddenly find oneself there, in the depths of depression. This is the lesson of this small, beautiful and terrible book. It is the story of severe depression, with its procession of anxiety, insomnia, “devastating outbursts” and the temptation of suicide. William Styron shows us for the first time what this interior “storm of darkness” really is. It can strike anyone at any time, but perhaps more particularly certain writers or artists. Hemingway, Virginia Woolf, Romain Gary, Primo Levi, Van Gogh: the list of these designated prey of this shadow would be long. Hell, therefore, such as that of Dante, a pain with no other way out than self-destruction, an incommunicable state of trance, that others do not suspect, not even psychiatrists. But healing is possible; we can learn new knowledge, with precision and courage. The great novelist William Styron pleads here both for a better understanding of others lost in horror and against the taste for nothingness that hovers over all of us.” Philippe Sollers.

Author: William Styron was born on June 11, 1925 in Newport News, Virginia. He grew up in the southern United States and was steeped in its history.  Styron’s paternal grandparents were slave owners, but his mother, a Yankee from the north, and his father, a progressive, gave him very broad ideas on race relations in the United States. Styron’s childhood was difficult. His father suffered from depression and his mother died from breast cancer when William was 13 years old. William Styron spent time living in Rome and Paris; he was a connoisseur of European literature which influenced his style.
He died on November 2006 at the age of 81. He wrote great books such as The Confessions of Nat Turner (1967) and Sophie's Choice (1979).

My thoughts: I read this book in August 2009 and re-read it recently. It is an easy read and not at all scientific, with little in the way of medical vocabulary, except when William mentions the medicine he took and their effects on his mental and physical health.
In 127 pages, William Styron explains the depression he suffered in 1985, how he plunged into this state, how he was at that time and how he escaped. Personally, I found this to be a very interesting approach and a good way to explain depression in general. William also says that understanding this illness allowed him not to judge those who commit suicide to escape too much suffering due to their state of despair. This was the case for many of his friends, Romain Gary, Jean Seberg to name but a few…The question that William raises is: is life worth living? To my point of view, YES.
The part that interested me most was his description of the symptoms of depression.  He outlines what is going on in the head of a depressive person with this disease. Now I understand better the distress of these people. Fortunately, melancholy (the old name for depression) was recognised as a disease long ago and ever since there have been effective treatments for it.


Wednesday, 17 August 2016

A few things I have learnt over the years

Over the years I have learnt lessons and I wish to share them with you.

1. Be grateful for everything you have. That way, you remain focused on what you have, rather than on what you lack.

2. Do not compare yourself to others, but take inspiration from those who set an example.

3. Observe how someone treats others and you will see how he/she will treat you.

4. Give your time, energy and love to those who deserve it, not to those who take it for granted.

5. Be polite and considerate, not arrogant. Keep your sense of respect and compassion for others. Never underestimate the power of these qualities.

6. Never hate anybody because, if you knew your enemies’ life, you would love them.

7. You can never change people unless they truly want to change themselves.

8. Every great thing takes time, patience and persistence. So, take one step at time.

9. Trust that when the answer is no, there is a better yes coming.

10. Don’t let success make you proud and don’t let failure make you weak.

11. Love requires trust, commitment, altruism and true values.

12. You can count your closest friends on the fingers of one hand (or perhaps even less). So, value quality, not quantity.

Lots of Love