La Picquoterie

This is, quite simply, the most beautiful bedroom at Jean-Gabriel Laloy's house in Normandy, sadly no longer a chambre d'hote.
It is here as a reminder of a beautiful place, with delightful people in limpid, lovely weather. 

End of the summer pictures 2006

Mum before her fall and hospital visit, and at home. How things have changed, but she is happy and well in White Lodge, just round the corner from her flat and next door to Arden.

Splendid wall painting in Kirsty's room in Edinburgh at the new flat, with a view from there, a lovely photo of Jamie and finally one of Nick in our flat in Hove.












Here we have a selection, pretty obvious what or who! The views are from the flat window, the room is the nice bright sitting room.

I will put together more another time.

Art History in Oxford

At last I am studying what I've always wanted. This year it is Module 1 of a Diploma in Art History at the Continuing Education Department at Oxford, and it is exactly what I hoped for. Renaissance to Baroque...

What joy that was! Assignments gave the focus I needed to concentrate on topics in depth. My first was on Renaissance qualities in art, using Masaccio as an example; the second was on Humanism and giving Mantegna's work as example; the third was on the drawings of Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael and the fourth on Rembrandt. My long essay was on Palladio. All of this has been tremendously informative and stimulating. High spots were being able to examine drawings in the Print Room at the Ashmolean, as well as a bursary for a trip to Florence. The picture is the view from the terrace of the little flat we rented for a week, in the San Ambrogio district. The first and last nights in Pisa also gave great pleasure.

Good friends were made on this course, and a new way of looking at paintings which has changed my gallery visit experience for good.

Missing several weeks due to Mum's 'indisposition' was a blow, but thankfully I got back and managed the exam - badly, I fear, but at least a pass.

So, the next module will have to wait until another year, when the timetable is more appropriate. Fabulous year, and I will miss the study.

Saskia sleeping - Rembrandt

Galloway Tours to Andalusia

Picnic time, Ronda bridge and bullring, the Alhambra - just a few of many...

More from Oz, including Uli

Pictures from previous year - probably 2005, when Kirsty, Jamie and Susan went to stay in Lennox Head. Matt, Uli's father is here. That is Kirsty on the horse.

James, the girls and Hunter

Some from the old albums

Old piccies from the 70s

Ransacking

In September 2004 I went on a Ransacking course in Oxford. This was an opportunity to experience being a student, in residence in a college, and studying a project of my own choosing. I chose to research the use of horticulture as therapy for mental illnesses.

This proved to be an stimulating, challenging and thoroughly satisfying time. As one friend of mine has said, research is like a warm bath. I also enjoying the writing and intend to make more of my thesis. If anyone would like to see what I did, please let me know. My conclusion was that the aspects of gardening which are particularly therapeutic are the natural ones - the air, the seasons, the soil and natural processes.

If anyone would like to add a comment here, please do.

Holland pictures

These are pictures from Holland - the view from our apartment and also one at the Rusthof cemetery where my Dad is buried.