"Alpine Settler": September 2006

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Wise Words.......

A very good friend sent me this last night.... and I can really relate to every word written here!
I somehow think that you will too. This really is a crazy world we now live in isn't it?

Common Sense

Goodbye to an old friend!!!Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having
cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.

Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissinga classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch;and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened hiscondition.Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Panadol, sun lotion or a Band Aid to a student but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar inyour own home and the burglar can sue you for assault.Common Sense finally gave up the will to live after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; His wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.

He is survived by three stepbrothers;I Know My Rights, Someone Else Is to Blame, and I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.
If you still remember him, tell others about him!

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Sweet Chestnuts!

This is just one of the dozens of chetnut trees on the slope behind the house.....this part of the lower mountain is full of these, and this year it seems like a bumper crop! That in its self is good for winter food stores and for a bumper stock of ground chestnut meal.... But it is also nature's way of warning of a bad winter ahead! In fact all the berry and winter fruit producing plants are bending under the weight of their crops this autumn.....

It wont be long before we are inundated by the 'incomers' traipsing up and down the mountainside collecting these chestnuts....and why not - they are free and in abundance. Just so long as these visitors don't do any damage to the woods - they are more than welcome by the 'locals'!

On many of the smaller mountain roads here you can just pull up and fill bag upon bag with chestnuts literally from the roadside. I shall be collecting mine and boiling some and roasting others. I've found an old saucepan which I'll hammer a few nail-holes through to put on the gas to roast them.

Now I'm getting ready to harvest my 'quinces' (they're almost ready) and try for the first time to make some quince jelly and some quince jam. It seems quite easy to do either jam or jelly, and I can't wait to taste it (if it works). The crop is poor quality this year, so there's not a lot to lose. Next year, following pruning the quality should be very good - I hope. So it's 'trial and error' now - with what I've got and learn ready for next year.

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Friends, friends and now more friends!

This last week 'Terry, Northern Lake Como' (Expats), his wife Sharon and Holly their little girl were back over to their lovely little apartment near me. They had some British friends with them and were here for the week. We, the three of them and I went out for lunch yesterday as it was their last day 'til theChristmas season. We didn't know where to go, so decided to follow our noses and 'find somewhere'.....Suffice that it didn't involve a climb on narrow mountain roads with 'hair pin bends'! I had thought they may have enjoyed the Val Gerola which is near me and is one of the homes of the famous Valtellina cheese called Bitto. But the thought of a 'mountain' drive clearly put them off. So without more ado we crossed the River Adda which flows into Lake Como, and headed up the Costiera Dei Cech - a zone on the opposite side of the valley leading (eventually east towards Sondrio and Bormio). This side is far less industrialised and many villages are built quite high up the sides of the mountains..... This road runs above the road here between Colico and Sondrio.

Well after following our noses we finally found a newly rebuilt Agriturismo called "La Capretta" near to Talamona and the river.....

Despite the fact that it was Friday lunchtime, they were very busy but managed to 'fit us in'. We had the usual 'fayre' that one finds in such places - but did notice that other groups were being served with large 'skillets' which were put in the middle of the table and from which everyone ate. No individual plates at all. I asked what they were eating (didn't have my camera with me - damn!) and was told that one group had grilled goat with grilled vegetables and the other group had vitello alla griglia (grilled veal) with a smaller dish of potatoes cooked on the skillet and browned under the grill...I shall say no more! But I will be going back there - and soon!!!!

Now Terry and Sharon have gone home, I only have a week and 'friend' Pat and her husband Joe are back here. All arranged in the last week, though they have been thinking about it for some time. So they arrive on the 30th and are stayiing for a week. Oh I love having visitors.... It certainly spices what would otherwise be just ordinary days full of normal everyday things (even if I am doing them up here in such a beautiful place). 'Daily life' is just that - just full of 'daily tasks'. So any excuse to deviate from this and I'm there!

So now it's just another seven days and I shall be as happy as the 'proverbial'.......

I'm sure you know what I mean!

Friday, September 22, 2006

Higher and Higher!

Well here they are beginning to build the walls for the 1st/ground floor living rooms.... There are still only two builders for the majority of the time, with a third arriving when all the wooden frames are built in readiness for the 'pouring' of the concrete.

The garden, as I understand it will be built up around the house on a 'slight slope' up to the level of what is, it seems, the 'walk round' path surrounding the house. With as you can see the much wider terrace one end looking east right up the Valtellina.

Here they have arrived at the point where the cieling needs to be laid above the main floor. This is also reinforced concrete as it will have to support the roof, which, if it follows the standard roof pattern here, will have an overhang of almost a meter.
I know they are hoping to have the roof in place and tiled by early to mid October, and it certainly looks as if they are 'on track' to meet that deadline.

I just hope that Eros and Paula (the new neighbours) don't have to wait too long to get the work completed. I'm not concerned so much about the interior/exterior of the house, but more selfishly I suppose about their entrance slope, which is on my land. There they have, for ease of entrance of the large lorries, had to take down part of my rainings and the rock foundation for their entrance has taken a good 6m width when they are only entitled to 4m in my deeds (sale document). I don't mind about this at the moment, as we have agreed how we will work this out, to the advantage of both of us. But I don't want the entrance from the road (which now impinges

on my entrance) to be left in the state it is in until their house is finally completed. Which could be, according to the local custom of 'doing a bit at a time', up to three years away!

It will certainly be a very nice house though - when it is finished!!!

But at least I can't see the offices and car park any more from my patio..... But can still se a bit from the terrace upstairs where these photo's were taken - but not for long.....HOORAY!

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Normal (?) Service Is Resumed!

No - don't even ask.......

I have NO idea where I've been - just that at least with the help of the Expats Administrator I'm back!

But I'm sure this 'thing' here is there inside my computer - hiding somewhere and jumping out to scare the living daylights out of me at any opportunity!

Well having managed to take me 'off line' - I think - for almost 24 hours I'm just about ready for membership of the local 'Funny Farm'....
(They're coming to take me away HA HA!)

Geez - I do not believe all the blo*dy gremlins that are getting inside this thing - which will, I assure you, become a heap of scrap like this if there are any more shenningans!

Sono STUFO! C'è qualche diavolo che mi vuol' male - io lo so! Aspetta finchè lo trovo - lo ammazzerò! Prometto!

Monday, September 18, 2006

Honest - I nearly died!!!!!

Had a bad night last night....I 'tossed and turned', was first really hot, then cold. I really feared that the intestinal virus that has been 'bugging me' (no - not funny - so stop laughing) had somehow or other returned. Twice this last week I'vehad the Doctor call and then just laid in bed, looked at the cieling and just wished 'he' would come and get me......

But, as luck would have it there was someone/thing calling me at 4am this morning! My blo*dy computer. Now why should I decide - even though I couldn't sleep anymore, that a quick shower and a coffee would allow me to try and (foolishly) put the final touches/adjustments to the Mozilla Firefox programme that Serge kindly (well I think he was being kind...) downloaded for me a couple of weeks ago. So fresh as a daisy and sustained by a 'caffe latte' I set-to to rearrange all the Internet Explorer stuff and then up pops this little Mozilla/MS message asking me if I'm ready to transfer Explorer to Firefox? Of course I'm not - how can I be? I haven't the least idea what I'm doing. Well the only answer to this 'civil, talking' PC (at 4.45am) is to decline (say NO). So what did I do? Yeah you've guessed, I clicked on YES - NOW!!!!!! Panic - what would happen? Would I now loose everything????? Under the desk quick. Hide!

Well off went the programme with all sorts of things 'coming and going' then up pops my 'C-Clean' Anti-virus asking me to let it sort (meaning chuck) out all the useless cr*p I've accumulated in this (false) friend hidden in this little black box in front of me. So - being the 'intelligent' soul that I am - I said "Yes - Thank you" and off it went. Sometime later, when it 'seemed' to have finished , I found Mozilla Firefox there 'on screen' waiting for me. So I opened Expats in Italy, my 'fave forum' andas I was already logged in - I checked for posts since my last visit.....This is where it started going 'awry' . It said there were 1563!!!!!. So - 'Log out' I think..... No can't do that(log-out)! It tells me I have, but it's lying! The 1563 posts are still there..... Well as luck would have it Cristina (phew) - the saviour of many of my PC 'peccadillo's' is 'on line' already - and a quick post to her and she rapidly allayed my fears.

You think that was it????? Yeah - right, and 'Pigs could fly'. I went out to get some shopping (well if truth be known - to get a CD Writer, or,Masterizzatore as they call 'em here) so I could use cd's to save data. I had thought to get a small transportable memory 'thingy' that really did look good, but they didn't have one. But they did have a 'Phillips Internal DVD ReWriter 16xDVD+R/-R'.....now tell me that's not impressive (?)! It was on 'special offer' at €34.50 (£23/$43 US) and that seemed pretty good to me. At least It will be 'til some bright spark appears and tells me "Oh - they've got those on E-Bay for 'thruppence ha'penny"!.... Someone always does that to me! But I've got this one now - not another one later - and I've got a friend coming to fit it for me.

So back to this morning - Home with shopping and 'the item'. Upstairs - PC says 'All work complete' - "Please close down your computer and re-start it".
Yep - OK...enter 'password' - screen saver, icons all appear THEN THE CURSOR AND THAT LITTLE HOURGLASS JUST 'STOPPED DEAD' IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCREEN!!!
NOTHING WILL WORK - CAN'T SWITCH OFF - NOTHING!!!

Heart attack #2 for sure I reckon. What to do?
First I must stay calm. Don't be so blo*dy silly I tell myself. A good panic never did anyone any harm. Well there's always a first time I tell myself.

Stop - think!
I know....'phone SERGE'! He'll know what to do - and if he doesn't - I'll kill the bug*er!
OK - he's at his suppliers - obviously busy (loads of background noise) - Mother (moi) in high panic mode tries to explain the problem with a tiny trembling (but fake!) voice, adding that I'm:
1.On the verge of suicide.
2.Feeling decidedly sick.
3.In 'panic' mode.
4.Gonna 'kill him' for downloading the blo*dy thing onto my computer.

And what does he do? I'll tell you - He burst out laughing. Nearly choked and said "Don't worry Mum - you'll be OK within seconds - Just unplug the pc from the power point in the wall, wait a couple of minutes and plug it back in again".......He got an instant reprieve for that advice.

I did - the computer did and I'm back on the road again!!!!!

I hate bloody computers. I DO!

Saturday, September 16, 2006

"Rainbow Bridge"

I read this on the "Amici over the Ocean" forum. sent in by one of our members in Scotland.
I'm sure I don't need to explain 'why' it was posted do I? But I found it so moving and it bought back wonderful memeories of various pets and animals that I have 'loved and lost' over the years. It made me think about whether, as this piece says, I will ever be together with them again.

I've alway's sort of believed in the 'here-after', but confess that I'd never extended those thoughts to my pets. But why shouldn't I? I loved them too - and they always gave me almost unconditional love and loyalty in return - whatever I did to them. But hey - don't get me wrong, I was never cruel or unkind to them. I say gave me almost unconditional love ..... well it's a bit difficult when you're talking about the Shire-horse named 'Alice' who taught me to walk. Or a budgerigar called 'Blue' who came to me after someone had clipped his wings so he couldn't fly. Fell off the table everytime he tried - silly little bug*er - thought it was an airraft carrier. But he knew I was going to be there to catch him! Then of course a motley assortment of 'mutts' who I loved sooooo very much (every one of 'em), including the current edition of 'Italian "57" Varieties' pooch, and not to forget the one cat - Pineen. Oh and a bast*rd of a cockerel called Satan - not sure if I want to include him though - the hatred (?) between us was, without a doubt 100% mutual!

But back to this very touching piece, written I'm sure to help us all remember - with infinite love.....

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Friday, September 15, 2006

"La Diavolezza"

Forgot these two.... These were taken on my birthday too....This is the famous "Diavolezza" range at the top of the Bernina Pass just above San Moritz and on the road to Tirano. It seems incredible, but this snow remains

here nearly always.
On this particular afternoon the temperature where we took the photo from was about 24°C, but down at the lowest part of the valley near Tirano it was still 'belting out' a healthy (?) 29°C!!!!

I never cease to remain in awe of such beauty, and sites like the mountain pastures I showed before, and these majestic snow covered peaks all go to making me so very glad that I am living just a stones throw away!

A couple of 'One Offs'!

I took this photo on my birthday. It gave, I thought, a good idea of how beautiful and vast the 'Sound Of Music' type mountain pastures can be.... The farmers are getting close now to thier fourth and last 'summer cut' for their hay making. That is why the pastures like this always look so 'neat and tidy'. That grass, once cut and dried will be the salvation of thier livestock throughout the long winter ahead.

And the photo below

is - for any speedboat fans who are out there - this power boat belongs to the family who run the 'boat transportation' company at the bottom of the garden (so to speak).
They are connected (family wise) with the Granchi de luxe boat builders here in the village and every so often this orange beauty is parked here before being taken off for yet more races I would imagine.
Wouldn't mind one of those myself to play with.....but it wouldn't leave any room for me in the bath - would it?

Thursday, September 14, 2006

First Floor - Going Ahead Well!

Well the first floor of the neighbour's house is laid and here you see all the insulation they've laid between the underground floor and their 'living' floor!

As you can see they are now filling/covering all of this with what will be the 'actual' house floor. These white blocks you can see are, it seems, a bit like the 'oasis' plastic used by florists...it is quite hard and reinforced internally, but obviously will act - with the steel reinforcing bars you can see laid between the blocks - as some pretty good insulation.
Now here below you can see the floor and 'total walk round' (I think) balcony, with a terrace on the

r/h end. The centre reinforced pillars are all in place here and the stair well walls. Now it's on to the actual house walls, which I am sure will go up very quickly. These bricks are all 'air bricks and are very good for outer walls. Part of the back of my house had to be replaced with these and the rooms aren't damp or cold at all.
I cant wait for the roof to be on so I don't have to look onto the car park, offices and lorries any more. The actual 'roof line' as I understand it should run just accross the line of houses in front of me. So I'll see just the mountains and the 'Val Chiavenna' - marred by nothing!

HOORAY!

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Spoiled Rotten!

Today was (almost) sheer bliss.

I got up 'fairly' late (8am), and after the shower and a liquid breakfast - no NOT Johnny Walker....do you mind? I went and gathered some of the last few peaches that had fallen from the tree during the rain last night. I inadvertently missed Ciccio's collar with his garden lead and he departed out of the gate and down the road like blo*dy Michael Schumaker. Honest to god - I've never seen a little dog like him shift so fast - he could beat any 100m sprinter and come in under 9.5 seconds I swear!!!!! But the drama didn't last too long, and after 20 minutes there he was wagging his tail so hard (his bum was going too) and asking to be let in - little bug*er!

Well I made a lovely pepperonata with diced turkey breast and put that in the oven on a 'slow heat' and then checked out the e-mails, and then sat on the terrace til lunch was ready.

But the real part of being spoiled today came after lunch when I turned the tv on and watched
all of these programmes in one go....
Cash in the Attic
Diagnosis Murder
EastEnders Omnibus
As Time Goes By
Antiques Roadshow's Greatest Finds

Oh it was lovely..... Why didn't I do this before? And now I have to catch up somehow with all the videos of 'The Bill' that my friend Heather had taped for ne and sent over withher son. Of course now I can watch it live! And every week too.... I wonder if they still do programmes like London's Burning or Bad Girls? I always enjoyed those when I was back in England. . I saw 'my team' too on BBC South East News - Brighton and Hove Albion (The Seagulls) - I've been a (often distant) supporter of the Albion since I was 10!

So this new found BBC & ITV television programming certainly bodes well for the long winter ahead! It's got to be better than the same programmes six days out of seven every week as it is here.....

Enough - it's late and I'm off to 'slumberland. It's been a long day - the 'mutt' is snoring already and I won't be far behind him.....

All being well - tomorrow I'll post an update on the neighbour's house. They've got the floor down between the basement and the 1st/ground floor done now!

Saturday, September 09, 2006

A Bowl Of Cherries!!!

Whoever said “Life is not a bowl of cherries” was spot on – I know it's not! Don’t ask me how I know ‘cos I’m sure that at some time or another you’ve ALL been feeling like I’m feeling now!

While many things in life are super these days – and yesterday my new ‘Free to Air’ box arrived with my new TV (28” no less) and my DVD recorder! So I’m all set now to watch ALL the English programmes I want (except Channel 4). I still can’t believe it…last night I watched A Question of Sport (love it!) and then Coronation Street. Just think - I never watched that back in the UK. But at the moment I’d even watch a programme on paint drying if it was on BBC or ITV. Anything will do!

Don’t get me wrong though, this does NOT mean I’m unhappy living here in Italy. Nothing could be farther from the truth…. BUT for those of you who have suffered (like me) years of Italian TV that - with a few exceptions - is positively ‘dire’, the chance to watch some good dramas, documentaries, sports that don’t ‘cost an arm and a leg’ to watch (like tennis, cricket and athletics), this winter will now be a little less long and lonely.

Being lonely was something that had almost disappeared from my daily life as I have, for over a year now, been enjoying the ‘camaraderie’ on Expats in Italy, but recently it seems to have changed and become less ‘my cup of tea’. I’m sure some of the fault lies with what many say is my ‘feisty’ approach to some arguments. But I have always tried to promote a balanced view on matters that are pertinent to the forums. A persons ‘personal and intimate life’ should not – I think – impinge on how a site is run or how people are treated on that site. What I’m saying is that if I don’t agree (in private) with something that someone says or does in their private life ‘away from the board’, I find it very difficult and hurtful to accept that because I didn’t see the problem from the same point of view, I am sidelined, ignored and to all intents and purposes no longer made welcome by some. The increasing ‘coldness’ that I feel from those that were – or so I thought - my new friends is difficult to describe…..but I really don’t want to continue in this way – life is too short to be unhappy. So I’ll now have to learn to ‘bite my tongue’ and just be content with being a guest.

So from today I’ll just be a spectator ‘over there’ – I’ve got a quarter share as an owner on another board (“Amici over the Ocean”) which gives me considerable satisfaction and lots of laughs. I’ve now got British TV. I’ve got the ‘mutt’ to keep me company. Health wise things are good.

AND - I could (hahaha) still, with a bit of luck, win the lottery!!!!

So that ‘Bowl of Cherries’ isn’t ALL bad after all!!!

Monday, September 04, 2006

What's in store for the 65th?

Well that's the birthday 'done and dusted' for another year.... Serge' and Lyns' left for Bergamo Airport this morning at 3.45 am!!!!! Guess who they asked to give them a call? Everything was got ready for their departure last night, so it was just 'get dressed - hugs and goodbye' this morning. I even had to wake the 'mutt' up to see them off.
But I was very good really - I managed to hold back the tears until they had driven away, then I just cuddled Ciccio (who wasn't at all sure what it was all about) and had a good old cry. I still find it hard to see him 'go'.... BUT - if all goes well - they are going to spend Christmas over here with ME!!! Sergio is going to see if he can book us into a hotel for ChristmasEve and Christmas Day + another overnight - with the dog too. I know there are lots of hotels in Italy that DO accept dogs - so he is going to try. What a lovely treat that will be.....

This last year overall has been a mixture of joy and sadness. I have, it seems, lost what had promised to be a good future friendship. One that has soured beyond belief in a matter of less than three months and has arrived now at the point where I feel thatI am little more than a person who is of no practical use anymore...... I've become I guess a 'persona non grata' and for a while that did hurt, but now I've got over that feeling and I see that 'alliance' for just what it was - useful..... So now one of my Birthday Resolutions is to ALWAYS wait - not two days before writing my thoughts down, but to wait at least a week and then think twice before I even bother to open my mouth. I must also learn to take 'instant replies' as nothing more than a writer who does not - or is unable to - reflect on what was actually said but just 'sees red' and reacts. I do so believe that you 'React in haste and repent at leisure'.......

So now it's 'forward once more into the unknown'. I face this new year with some trepidation but also with much excitement.... I wonder what it will hold for me? For sure a visit to the UK to see and stay with many old friends, and going away for Christmas. Lot's of new places to find and explore here in 'my neck of the woods' and maybe just a little further afield. And who knows... as I've managed to finally get the traffic mirror for exiting my drive in safety... maybe Sig. Natale will manage to convince the village maintenance people to finally put the bits of rubber under the manhole cover in the road behind my bedroom wall! (afer all I've only been waiting eleven months!!!!) hahahaha............

All good stuff and all awaited with almost baited breath!

Saturday, September 02, 2006

A 'Red Letter Day'!!!

Today was my birthday - not just 'any birthday' but the day I hit the big 65! Now to many that may mean very little - but to me it was wonderful... I was alive - and still here....what more could I wish for? Well what I did wish for was to have my family and friends nearby - and in fact #1 Son and his girl flew in yesterday (Friday) afternoon - only 'til tomorrow night though. But I'm not complaining one little bit. Just to be able to give Sergio a big hug after 8 long months was well worth the wait - Lynsey too! I had e-mails sent over night and a lovely e-mail card form great friend 'Deb' in the USA - plus cards by post yesterday from the UK. My 'bestest' friend Heather phoned at 8am to sing 'Happy Birthday' as she does every year. So the day started with a real 'bang'. Over on "Amici Over The Ocean" there were a lot of birthday wishes too - but I didn't find those 'til this eveneng. What a lovely warm feeling when people remember such things. I can remember that period in MY life that I think we all go through in 'mid life' when you only want to forget such things...but then you become a pensioner and suddenly the pride comes not in subtracing your 'total years' but in adding them!!!

So now I'll get reduced fares on all the lake boats, many (so I understand) reduced charges for medical things and there are probably other things that I'll discover as I go along, so that in itself will be exciting.

Today has been great - we got up and had a leisurely breakfast and then left for Livigno - Sergio did the driving (a nice change for me - so I could sight see....). I broke all my dietary rules and had Swiss rosti (fried grated potato) with egg for my lunch and then this evening I was taken out for dinner. Nothing pretentious - I didn't want that - just a nice soup, followed by a bistecca ai ferri (grilled steak) and a mixed salad. The 'kids' (ssssh) had penne al arrabiata followed by the same 'second' course as me. They then tried the home made tiramisu and crostata al albicocca (Apricot shortcrust flan).
Oh and when we got back from Livigno, we had just pulled in with the car when another car arrived - to deliver a wonderful bouquet of flowers from my niece Daniela and her family. Sergio and Lynsey gave me a beatiful matching trinket box, magnifying glass (LOL?) and a small photo frame that are in the art nouveau style of Rene Makintosh, with the most delightful enamels in really delicate colours.

So all in all it's been an almost perfect day....what more could one ask? Nothing I suspect!