Tuesday 14 August 2007

Summer snapshots


I have been tagged recently by Gill and Leanne and I've been very slow at responding - sorry, I don't like compiling lists (I always forget the most important things to include). Anyway, as it's been a grey, wet and cold day I thought I'd share some facts about me and my summer holidays.


One of my favourite smells and tastes of summer has to be vanilla. It reminds me of France and all those delicious puddings and pastries. I love cooking with sugar that has had vanilla pods stored with it - mmmm delicious! I recently bought a Vanilla Pudding candle from Victoria's Coasts of Cornwall Candle Company and it transports me immediately to France - wonderful!


I love the sun and feeling its warmth on my face but on days when it is just too hot, I love walking through the woods where it's cool and quiet. Walking in the countryside in the summer has to be one of my favourite thing to do.


I love the summer, adore it and love going away. However, I hate packing and must be the world's worst packer. I pack for every eventuality, rain, sun, snow and drought. We leave home laden down with luggage, a quarter of it gets worn and somehow all of it needs washing! It's the same with toiletries - I pack as if we're entering a war zone, the contents of half of a pharmacy in my case!!


One of the things I always have to take with me on holiday is a pile of books - new and waiting to be devoured. I'm a bookworm and one of my greatest pleasures is lying on a beach, on a hillside, in my garden, on a sofa or in bed with a good book to read.
One of the worst books I took on holiday was The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - it's a great book, but so harrowing, I read it in the evenings in a cottage we rented in a quiet French seaside village, the girls were sleeping on the floor above us and the floorboards creaked and the windows rattled, I don't think I slept at all for the first week.


I remember when I was still at school spending, what seemed like, the entire summer holidays lying in our garden on one of those swing chairs reading Agatha Christie books. Practically one a day, I was completely hooked, I tried rereading them recently but they don't have the same attraction anymore!


This has to be one of my favourite places to spend the holidays. A beach in Normandy where we have spent several holidays. It was the place where my youngest spent an entire fortnight walking in circles on the beach, for some reason as a toddler on the beach she could never walk in a straight line, so we'd be following her across this very big beach spiralling down to the sea. It's here where we've seen dolphins and my oldest's dream came true when she turned round in the sea to see that they were swimming right behind her. I think if we could ever have a dream holiday home it would be here on the cliffs overlooking this beautiful sandy beach where we've had so much fun together and with friends.


There I think I've bored you all enough with what I like getting up to in the summer, but it does feel good to have got that list out of the way!
I'm going to curl up on the sofa now and watch a video but before I do, thanks to Heidi, Meggie and Gill - who all have really lovely blogs - for nominating me again for the Nice Matters Award, I'm very touched. Let's all share this one together- I'm not really one for making lists. Hope you're enjoying your holidays.

17 comments:

Vintage to Victorian said...

Hi Kim
All fabulous, but beach huts are my 'thing'. Was oh so tempted to try and buy one in Lyme Regis a few years ago (before they got expensive) but didn't ... lost opportunity. But I'd have never had time to enjoy it so perhaps it's just as well!
Sue

Gill said...

Your summer holidays sound wondeful. I'd like to visit France again, we've had one holiday there and I really want to explore the country a bit more.
I love reading too, I don't do enough of it (too many other things taking up my time!). Lovely bones was a harrowing book, it certainly wasn't a favourite of mine. Like you I can remember spending all day long reading books as a child. Mallory Towers and St Clare's were favourites when I was younger, but I really couldn't tell you what I read as a teenager...I did get 6 books out from the library every week though!

meggie said...

Another lovely post Kim! Thanks for all the nice pics.

Vintage to Victorian said...

Hi Kim
Thanks for the server tip. Haven't tried doing anything complicated like that, but will try!
Sue x

Curlew Country said...

What a lovely list - I really enjoyed reading it. Love that Normandy beach. I'm having an Enid Blyton trip at the moment and trying to track down (cheaply) the original editions of the Cherry Tree and Willow Farm books. I loved The Naughtiest Girl and Five Find Outer books too but not sure if I'll atually re-read them but it'll be lovely to own them again.
Beautiful pic of the cow parsley btw, one of my favourite flowers.
Stephx

Mary said...

Love beach huts but only had use of one once, when it was lent to us by a friend.Also love Normandy some of the beaches there are almost deserted arent they.

Gill said...

Kim, you'd love Project Playlist, lose yourself in it for a couple of hours, searching for your own favourites and adding other poeple's favourites to your list. I look forward to seeing your list. Bet I like some of your music.

Leanne said...

what a lovely post- I was there with you!

Leanne X

Tina said...

Hi Kim,

What gorgeous beach pictures. I love Victoria's candles too. They smell so wonderfully.
x

Anonymous said...

WONDERFUL photos! Such fun to read your list. Happy Days! ((HUGS))

Anonymous said...

What a heavenly blog to discover. I love your post, and would love to know which/where in Normandy that delightful beach is. I'm struggling to find the perfect place to take my 13 month old daughter for her first beach holiday.
Kirstlah x

mollycupcakes said...

Hello Kim, That was so lovely reading all about your summer likes, they made me smile. Your a woman after my own heart.
I am always drawn to the seaside. One day I'll live there. I dream of it.

I'll have to find that scary book sounds good.

Take care honey.
Catherine x

Sophie Honeysuckle said...

It was lovely finding out more about you (I am incurably nosy!!)Love the photos, and the vintage Truman Capote!!

Betty said...

Boring!! No way@ I love to get glimpses of place I haven't been. Your beach could pass for my favorite beach. Its such a small world when we know that we all love the same things.

tea time and roses said...

Hi Kim...

A lovely post, and the pictures are just beautiful...

Smiles...

Beverly

Heidijayhawk said...

your holiday certainly looks fabulous. and the pics are amazing!!

Anonymous said...

Your summer holidays sound idyllic ~ I love going to the beach even if it's just vicariously through you! :) Thanks for sharing. ♥