We booked an early morning call to make sure we were awake in time for breakfast. The early morning call didn’t happen, but luckily we were awake anyway!
I started breakfast with mixed fresh fruit, during which time our breakfast order was taken. Shortly afterwards a complimentary glass of Prosecco arrived, followed almost immediately by the cooked breakfast order. If we had known we would have delayed ordering cooked breakfast until after the Prosecco…
After breakfast I took a few photos of the outside of the hotel before we set off on our way to Gloucester, taking in a slight detour to allow for mistletoe photography. We were visiting to Gloucester to see the Cathedral but when we arrived Mr C was on a mission to visit the docks first. I let him have his way 
When we arrived at the docks and stepped out of the car it was bitterly cold and one of my eyes started streaming. We made our way towards two tall ships that Mr C had seen on our arrival but as soon as he had seen the ships he started to rush off to visit a military museum that he had noticed whilst parking his car.
I had other ideas, now that I was at the docks, photos had to be taken. He had to persevere with the cold a bit longer whilst I explored the dock area. After my exploration we visited the military museum which ironically I enjoyed more than he did.
After the visit to the dock area we moved the car closer to the Cathedral, where we had lunch before visiting the Cathedral. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Cathedral, it was every bit as good as I remembered it from my previous visit many years ago. Only the portable labyrinth was missing. We were informed that it is likely that it will return for the summer holidays.
We then set off towards home, stopping off at Tewkesbury on the way. Being a Monday in rural Gloucestershire it was mostly closed, but eventually we found a nice tea shop where we enjoyed a cup of tea. After a refreshing cup of tea we spent some time in the Abbey before continuing on our journey home.
15th February 2016
Tags: Abbey, Cathedral, Gloucestershire, Mini Break, There's Always One
The weather was gloriously sunny as we drove through the Shropshire and Herefordshire countryside for our overnight stay at Colwall village. When we crossed over the border into Herfordshire I noticed an abundance of Mistletoe in the trees. I can’t remember the last time I saw mistletoe growing in the UK and I have never seen so much before.
We arrived at the Hotel, Colwall Park just after one o’clock which was perfect timing for our lunch time cream tea which was part of the Valentines package which we had booked. After lunch we checked into our room to unpack our bags. When we made the booking we were advised that only one room was left and that it was a suite. When we opened the door to the room we realised that it was the bridal suite, it was very nicely appointed and had his and hers wardrobes. Handmade chocolates had been placed on the bed and the table a bottle of Champagne was sitting in a bucket of ice, glinting in the sunshine. The latter had been ordered by Mr C. We moved to the Champagne to a cool corner of the room and set off for a nearby craft village where we spent a couple of pleasant hours.
By the time we had returned to the hotel the Champagne had chilled to the perfect temperature and we enjoyed sipping it whilst relaxing with a good book. I also enjoyed a soak in the bath before getting ready to go down to dinner. There was a nice atmosphere in the restaurant and we enjoyed the food off the special Valentine’s menu. There was a slight hiccup when it came to dessert, the waiter got confused and brought us the wrong menu not once but twice which made us smile. After we had finished our meal we sat in the hotel bar until it was time to retire for the evening.
14th February 2016
Tags: Champagne, Chocolates, Colwall, Colwall Park, Herefordshire, Mini Break
Throughout my whole life, during every minute of it, the world has been gradually lighting up and blazing before my eyes until it has come to surround me, entirely lit from within.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Tags: Bluebells, Cherie's Place Thought, Light, Trees
A bronze sculpture by Stojan Batič.
Batič was born in a working-class family in Trbovlje, a mining town in central Slovenia, then part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Already as a teenager, he worked in the local coal mine. At the age of 19, he joined the partisan resistance, which fought the Nazi German forces. After World War II, he was the first to enroll at the newly established Academy of Fine Arts at the University of Ljubljana, where he studied sculpture under Boris Kalin and Frančišek Smerdu.[1] In 1957, he received a scholarship, which enabled him to study in Paris with the sculptor Ossip Zadkine.
Batič lived and worked in Ljubljana. In 1995, he had a show at Ljubljana City Gallery.[2] In 2015, the Jakopič Gallery held a retrospective exhibition of his work under the title “The Man and The Myth” (Človek in mit).
Batič, predominantly a figurative sculptor, is known for about 40 public monuments depicting events from Slovene history, as well as European and Oriental myths and legends. His best-known works include the monument to the Slovene peasant revolts at Ljubljana Castle featuring a group of men holding war scythes, and the Itaka series of figurative sculptures. His 1957 bronze sculpture Balet (Ballet) stands in front of Tivoli Castle in Tivoli Park in Ljubljana. In the 1960s, he created a mining-related series in lignite, and in the 1970s a series of glass sculptures, the two representing his most significant approach to abstract art.
Tags: 1962, Ljubljana, Sculpture, Slovenia, Stojan Batič, Vacation
Filed under Art
For Christmas my mum asked for some adult colouring books which are currently popular in the UK. Whilst I was choosing which books to buy for her I was inspired to have a go at colouring too. I ordered a book and some felt pens. The pens arrived quickly but the book was not due to arrive for a few days. So when I was out at Attingham Park I picked up a different colouring book to try out whilst I waited for the one I had ordered to arrive. When I arrived home I was amused to find that my order that wasn’t due for several days had been delivered whilst I was out
Here is my first experiment at colouring for the first time for many years. I chose an image in the book that I bought at Attingham Park. For colouring I used Staedtler triplus fineliners and Staedtler triplus color. I was tempted to use coloured pencils to obtain a pastel contrast from the vibrant colours, but I resisted the urge and left some parts white instead.
My photograph has dulled the colours which are very bright (and beautiful) on paper.
Tags: Colouring, MillieMarotta, Staedtler, Triplus Color, Triplus Fineliners, TropicalWonderland
I have been away on a mini break to the land where mistletoe grows and am currently working through the photographs I took while I was away. Work is also rather manic at the moment so bear with me until normal service is resumed
Tags: Herefordshire, Mini Break, Mistletoe, Valentine's Break
Love is like a beautiful flower which I may not touch, but whose fragrance makes the garden a place of delight just the same.
Helen Keller
Tags: Cherie's Place Thought, Happy Valentine's Day, With Love
