FOR THE LOVE OF VALENCIA

Can't believe so many months have passed since my last post. 

Sometimes keeping a blog feels just like another commitment, another social media platform I have to update, along with all the other admin type rolls that go with having an online business. 

But then I remind myself that this wasn't started just for my business, this is photo documentation of our family life. `When I've asked the girls if they think it's a good idea and something they will look back on they have always genuinely said yes.  

I remember spending many hours looking through family photo albums old and new. It doesn't happen anymore, and and boxes of photos (someones memories) turn up on a market stall or at a car boot. I'm not about to start printing photos and putting them into albums, so I will carry on (albeit with a six month gap) and I will continue to write this for my girls and hopefully they will enjoy sitting one day flicking through their pages of memories. 



We all made some great memories in the Summer, when we set off for our holiday to Valencia.  This year we were really please to invite my friend Becka and her boys, it was so lovely to share the Spanish experience of wonderful sunshine,beaches, food and drink.

Barely a month back. kids were back at school I have an impending Christmas Market to stock, but I was back in Valencia. This time we stayed in the city for 4 days and experienced all that it gave us. An amazing fiesta, wonderful food, a modern art gallery, warm climate and travelling through the city on an electric scooter for the first time. I can definitely say I'm in love with Valencia, and Harry and I would very much like to divide out time between the UK and Valencia in the future.

So it was back home and to work making stock, for a month at the Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market starting on 15th November until 16th December.

THE LAST OF THE HEAT

On the 18th September we headed off for a much deserved family holiday to Spain. We haven't been on a Summer holiday during  term time since the girls were tiny. It was such a treat, as the queues were non existent and the airport was virtually child free.

Blue skies, lovely temperature, fresh fruit, a swimming pool, a good book and a gin and tonic.  What more could you want?

While we were there, we celebrated Harry's birthday with a meal at Siete De Julio (The 7th July) (the day of the running of the bulls.) Not for the vegetarians, this restaurant speciality is beef, which arrives on the table ready for you to cook as you require on coals. Accompanied by some tasty tapas, including cod omelette, jamon and chorizo all washed down with as much free cider as you can manage from the barrels.

Temperatures were still in the 20's in Valencia in the evening. It was so lovely to enjoy wandering around the city watching the world go by, visiting some new bars, eating tapas and a night at the Hotel Reina Victoria

After our homemade Sunday paella we took the girls into Valencia. Unknown to us it was no vehicles weekend, which made wandering around the city so much more pleasant. We were lucky enough to come across the Valencian Orchestra, who were playing film score music in the square. (look at the colour of that sky at 9.30)

Back home and the start of a new season of dresses.

Sunshine & Showers fabric made up this range of skirts and sleeveless and long sleeve dresses 

Unique Spiderman fabric dress

Original 70's bright flower fabric sleeveless and pinafore dresses

Surf dress, Save Our Forest pinafores, dinosaur skirts and Rock Chick dresses

treatment update

I had another pump up before I left for holiday, I've just got another small one left which I'm having on Tuesday. I had my three month heart check, which confirmed everything is good with my heart so I can carry on with the herceptin injections, (I had my 5th one on Friday)   Although I seem to be a regular visitor to the hospital, the appointments don't fill me with fear like they used to, waiting for results was something I dreaded, and hope thats all behind me.

SUMMER HOLIDAYS 2016

As I write this post we have returned from our Summer holiday in Valencia. We had a wonderful three and a half weeks, which we shared with both family and friends. We've come back relaxed, and a little bit sad (not helped by the grey skies and rain) 

We've enjoyed the continual sunshine, being outside eating, swimming and relaxing. We'll miss going out as a family late in the evening, eating lovely food and taking in the atmosphere, but we also know how lucky we are to be returning to such a beautiful part of England. 

Truly blue blue sky

Fun on the beach 

Eating and drinking late into the evening 

Visiting the Ivam Modern Art Gallery 

Having fun with friends

The City Of Arts & Sciences 

Adios we're going home.

FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD

One of the only times we visit Valencia during the day and endure the pulsating heat is to visit the food market in Valencia which opens from 7am - 3pm. We start off with churro's and chocolate a big favourite of mine. Thin hot doughnuts dipped into warm thick chocolate, they also do a gorgeous freshly squeezed Valencian orange juice.

The building is a shrine to all things edible, and even the building is stunning.

Plenty of olives to choose from

Pimenton used in a lot of Spanish cooking 

Dried fruits and nuts

Varieties of snails

Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables 

Jamon 

Live eels

Even though we are an island with many fishing ports, you never see a selection of fish like this in the UK.

As the temperature reaches a staggering 36 degrees we head back to the house and a dip in the pool 

VALENCIA - WEEK 2

Slipping nicely into the Spanish way of life, we're getting accustomed to the heat, and arranging the day accordingly. This includes siestas after lunch at the hottest part of the day, which then means we can all go out and enjoy the lovely warm evenings with the Spanish and their families until late. 

 Bella soaking up the atmosphere at 11pm, and now going through her everything is "so embarrassing" stage when being asked to pose for photos.

This was also "so embarrassing"

This is another Valencian treat, Horchata De Chufa, a drink made with milk and tiger nuts (non alcoholic) this comes with Fartons, long sweet pastry sticks with icing that you dip into the Horchata, Delicious!!

It's also been great meeting up with Spanish friends 

 Rueben and baby Freddy

Mabel and Eliyah. I love it how kids who don't speak each others language are able to communicate and have a great time together.

No trip to Valencia would be complete without our visit to the Oceanografic the largest aquarium in Europe and part of the wonderful City Of Arts & Sciences

 We decided to get there later this time to try and avoid some of the heat, but at 7pm sitting on concrete platforms with the temperature still at 30 degrees we were melting.

One of the many aquariums.  My family can't understand it when I enter this room and announce "I think it would be a great place to get married." which is always met with the reply "Mum are you mad?"

Fantastic to be this close to so many amazing creatures

Chilling with the penguins

With the imminent arrival of our first guest Peter from Holland and the discovery of an old 80's cocktail book in the house, we set about stocking up on various spirits (which are considerably cheaper here) and mixers to practise a few cocktails 

We've  been enjoying one called Tom Collins. This is the recipe 

RECIPE
juice of half a lemon
1 and a half teaspoons of castor sugar
2 measures of gin
some soda water to top up

Shake the ingredients well with ice and strain into a tall tumbler. Add ice and a good dash of soda water. Decorate with lemon slices and cocktail cherry. (little too 80's we've left out the cocktail cherry)



Always great to have friends over and the first was Peter who came over from The Hague, an old friend of Harry's he joined us last year for a couple of days and he's back again so I guess he must have enjoyed it.

 Never have we actually asked a waiter to STOP!, when pouring out the gin for a gin and tonic, these were giant!

and I also enjoyed my bucket of sangria

Smoothie and ice cream for the girls 

 Yes, they were able to stand up afterwards, and off to find tapas. Love these little streets in Valencia.

 Found a great little tapas restaurant, and very delicious it was too.

And then one of those torrential down pours. Big drops of warm rain, left us stranded under a huge sun shade. "Oh go on we'll have another drink until passes"

Saturday night saw the arrival of another friend from London Graham. We all welcomed him with a big barbeque, more red wine and a few Tom Collins of course.