Around Asheville

A few pictures taken around Asheville, NC. The Grove Arcade, a beautiful historic building, contains some lovely, and of course expensive, shops - clothing, shoes, furniture, bath & body, home accessories, galleries full of North Carolina artisans' work, a lovely yarn shop (for Peg!), and cheese - an amazing selection supposedly from North Carolina to Tibet!! Personally I'm a "cheese-aholic" so found this one quite interesting.


A stunning work in wrought iron - would like this bench for my garden!

Gorgeous carved stone frieze on an old bank building - this mason also worked on the Biltmore House.

And then, in the search for cottagey bargains....................my best find, a huge and fabulous antiques, garden, vintage barn called "ScreenDoor". I spent so long browsing through here that DH read the entire daily paper and then fell asleep in the car. He's such a dear though, never complains, just wonders where the stuff will go in our small house!

Guess what I found besides some interesting odds and ends that would fit in the car................nine years of the October issue of VICTORIA magazine for just $10.00.......I was thrilled because, like many of you, I threw out my entire set from issue one through the last, and now want them back so badly!!!!

I really loved this place and will drive back to Asheville (5 hours) just to visit here again some day...............and I'll rent a truck so I can bring back the beautiful old doors, windows, cottage furniture, wire garden stuff etc. Anyone want to go along for the ride!!?

Scenes from the Blue Ridge Mountains

Back from the mountains - it was wonderful, weather perfect, nothing like cool, clear mountain air to make one happy to be alive. Asheville, North Carolina........................small city set like a jewel in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Sitting on the Sunset Terrace of the famed Grove Park Inn, we enjoyed lunch just as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda did in the 1930's. This was the view from our table across the town toward the mountains.

Driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway we made several stops to view beautiful waterfalls such as this.

On the drive from Waynesville to Chimney Rock we passed through Lake Lure. If you watched HGTV Dream Home 2006, you will remember the house was here above the lake enjoying the perfect view. The movie "Dirty Dancing" with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Gray was filmed here.
Went to the top of Chimney Rock, 2200 feet up - but luckily didn't have to scale the mountainside, there is an elevator which takes you through the mountain almost to the top! Just have to walk across a small bridge and up 44 steps to reach the top for the view of Lake Lure and the surrounding mountain vistas.
These mountain trails were the site used for filming "The Last of the Mohicans" starring Daniel Day-Lewis.

Rushing creeks, masses of native Rhodedendrons covering the banks, budding but not yet in bloom.


How cute is this? Made fast a U-Turn to take this picture. Such a dear horse, stood there for the longest time "advertising" the stables - hope he gets special treats for being so patient!

Thanks everyone who wished me a good trip - as always I had fun but am happy to be home again. The cottage needs Spring cleaning - carpet cleaning tomorrow - and planning to get back into the garden.

For those of you who shared your love of Celtic/World music with me, I must tell you that Loreena's concert in Asheville on Thursday night was just fantastic. This composer/singer/musician is an amazing performer - her accompanying musicians wonderful - and it really was a night I shall always remember.

Asheville/The Blue Ridge/Music

Tomorrow I'm headed to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains for a few days. Base will be Asheville, that lovely town full of artists, galleries, craft shops, great vegetarian restaurants, the amazing Grove Park Inn, and America's largest private home, the stupendous and elegant Biltmore House and Estate. Have toured the Biltmore House many times and in all seasons. Last time was Christmas of 2005 and it was, as always, an amazing feat of holiday decorating like no other one can view anywhere.

Now, in Springtime, the gardens are my favorite part of the estate - along with the winery (with free tasting rooms - and they make some great wines) which was constructed from the former original dairy buildings.
Thursday evening I will be attending a concert in Asheville to see and hear the wonderful Canadian Celtic/World music of singer and composer Loreena McKennitt . I'm smitten with her music and her band - fabulous musicians playing a myriad of ancient instruments from around the world, such as the hurdy gurdy. Loreena is not only a beautiful singer, but a world traveler, who brings a true sense of place to her compositions and the way they are performed.

Will be back soon and hopefully have some good pics from

the mountains to share with you all.

French Doors en France

I am excited by doors, especially really old doors. I love windows too - but more on them another time. In Southwest France and Provence there seem to be far more old doors than new. The wood is scarred and scraped, the colors may be faded from the hot Summer sun, the ironwork has tarnished and appears melded into the softer wood, but the doors hold so much promise.

• What is behind them? Ordinary families - sometimes aristocrats.


• Who lives or works there? Hard working people - artists, crafts people, farmers.


• Why are they rarely replaced, only repaired? Buildings are old, new doors would look odd.


• Why are they so tall when the French were of short stature? To move those huge armoires inside perhaps!

These are just my personal thoughts, right or wrong. I still stand looking longingly at the doors imagining the history they have closed on through the years.

This is the 200 year old door into my brother's house in the Minervois prior to repair. Part of the four year renovation has been waiting patiently on French artisans who will repair wood, stone and tile and bring these natural elements back to their original beauty.

While talking of the doors, how about the locks and keys. This is the original lockset and key on the above door. Imagine a modern day lock lasting two centuries, I think not. This huge key weighs several pounds! I used this photo I took as the basis of a Memory Book I made for the family as a house warming gift. This more modern door, though not elegant, is actually the doorway to view the upstairs bedroom of painter Vincent van Gogh in the house he lived in whilst in Arles. Granddaughter Jasmin was so excited to visit here as he is her favorite artist.Churches have really beautiful doors - these were in Arles - and the stone carving was amazing. Being so old, many thousands have passed through portals such as this for daily Mass, Sunday services, weddings and funerals, yet the doors still hold strong on their hand crafted iron hinges.

The village school in Peyriac, home to all the little ones fortunate enough to have been born and raised in this pretty place for many years. Heavy wood doors, now scuffed by small feet and hands, as they pushed them open to enter for another day of learning. The hydrangeas were the loveliest I've seen anywhere - wish they were in my garden!

Southern Blooms

Well, looks like Blogger is acting up again this evening - I'm unable to upload photos. I did save a draft of these recent photos of blooms from the garden so will post them and let them accompany my few words. This pale camellia is so beautiful and is actually just over the fence in my elderly neighbor's garden - I share it because I tend to it, watering it when I'm out dragging the hose around, and picking up dead blooms to prevent disease. Blue hyacinths are my favorite and the scent is intoxicating. When I smell the first one each Spring I know that Winter is almost over. It's not that I don't like Winter, I really do, in fact I guess I prefer it over Summer in this area. I will never be a hot weather person - how could I be after growing up in the cool, damp climate of coastal England! I think one's body knows where one is most comfortable. I truly believe one is never going to feel "at home" when made to inhabit a place that has a climate much different from where one was born and spent one's childhood.
This Japanese Magnolia tree is just gorgeous when in full bloom as it was just before Easter. It's one of the earliest blossom trees in this area and I just love it. The Southern Magnolia has huge white heavily perfumed flowers - they look like large handkerchiefs scattered among the dark shiny leaves - and those leaves make such a mess when they fall - don't want one in my garden!

I've spent most of this weekend playing in the dirt - there's just so much to do this time of year. Taking advantage of the lovely weather, no beastly mosquitoes yet, and DH's help, made it so pleasant. We prepared the two beds where we grow vegetables - dug over, added compost and redid the concrete edging blocks as they were tilting and annoying me. Will plant the first week of May. Mulched all the Azaleas, Rhodedendrons and large shrubs. Sprayed the Roses as I already see black fly and aphids - yuck! Mowed the lawns. Pulled out another million teeny oak trees, products of the gigantic acorn fall last Winter - oh my aching back! Filled the bird baths and bird feeders, then sat on the deck and had a nice chat with our young single guy neighbor who bought his house last Summer. Shared gardening tips as he's a novice, and DH introduced him to Trader Joe's Bohemian beer - which he really enjoyed. Later, after much needed showers, we opened a bottle of wine and sat in the gazebo watching the Chickadees bring supper to the five babies in the nest. The evening bird songs were melodious, the air was comfortable and still as the sun set, and it was just great to be alive.

Tomorrow I'm out there again to start on my Summer pots, paint a table and a mirror frame, hang an old window above the potting table, and hopefully start sewing the cushion covers for the porch furniture. And..................... there are people who are bored with life, glad I'm not one of them!!

Inspiration Friday - Dining Delights

As a follow up to my last post which mentioned much about food and wine, I thought I'd share some lovely dining areas which should inspire you this Friday. I love dining areas that mix old pine farm tables with funky chairs. Perhaps the sideboards hide crisp linen tablecloths, napkins and placemats, old silver cutlery in velvet lined mahogany boxes, big white china platters for holidays, and Bougies de France - those marvelous dripless candles.

A fancy kitchen corner complete with a fireplace - now that would be a special place to curl up with tea or coffee and a good book while awaiting the oven timer to beep.
Wishing each of you a wonderful weekend sharing good food with family or friends at your special table.

Don't forget, a few fresh flowers for your centerpiece!

France - heading South

My brother moved to France permanently 4 years ago. He left the hectic, expensive life of London for a tiny village of 1100 inhabitants in Southwestern France......... and has never looked back.

For many years he, his wife and daughter had always taken their holidays in the countryside of France, loving the relaxed lifestyle, the fabulous food and the abundance of great wines at cheap prices. About 12 years ago they bought a holiday home in a village in the Minervois, just twenty minutes from the famed double walled city of Carcassonne and historic Cathare country, less than an hour from the beaches of the Mediterranean, and a two hour drive from Northern Spain.

Within a couple of years, and much traveling back and forth, they owned a wine importing business, my sister-in-law doing most of the work while my brother continued his stressful corporate job in the fashion business in the bustling center of London. Then Sara Lee Corp. bought his company, moved their American directors to London and subsequently, after many years of giving his all to his job, he was given the "golden handshake". It was for the best........................he now has a completely different life, happy and stress free, and has traded his Armani suits for shorts and flip flops!

Their London property sold and a second French house was purchased in a village just five minutes from where they were living. This area is famous not only for excellent wines, but also the red marble quarried to build the Palace of Versailles and many other famous French historic buildings. Their 200 year old rustic beauty with a huge two level garden, unusual in a village setting, needed a complete restoration. For almost four years they worked on this house and finally moved in just before Christmas last year. The first house sold and they are now "at home, at last" and loving their life.

If you've read my earlier posts you'll know that last Summer DH and I, together with our traveling granddaughter, Jasmin, flew to France. Following the few days in Paris we headed South - it was a fabulous time. Seeing family and sharing their new life was exciting. I have to admit I could easily be comfortable in that picturesque village, surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, with the mountains in the distance, and the colorful open air markets selling everything one needs for a simple, yet rich life. I've always said I can survive on bread, cheese and wine....and they have the best!

The 200 year old stone house - Jasmin at the upper window. I love shutters - and the European ones actually work - you open the windows inward and then throw open the shutters outward - I love doing that at the start of a fresh day!

My sister-in-law's potager (kitchen vegetable garden) on the lower level. There are three natural springs on the property - one here to water the garden, one on the upper level where the swimming pool was built which can be filled from the spring, a nice water saver. The third actually ran through the kitchen in a trough in the floor tiles - that one they've had diverted as they prefer modern faucets to fill the tea kettle! The local bakery - we'd walk through the village in the early morning to buy warm croissants just out the oven, and farm style bread to spread with butter and my sister-in-law's delicious homemade jams and marmalade. Late afternoon the bakery would reopen to sell fresh crunchy crusted baguettes for dinner. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I saw the fresh produce at the outdoor markets! Every shiny fruit and vegetable was so perfect. The farmers were obviously proud of what they had lovingly grown and now displayed on their stalls.

After wine production this area also grows olives and produces oil. The markets always had several stands like this with many different types of olives.

Later I'll show you more of the Minervois and also of our visit to Spain and Provence.