About Me

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antrim, antrim, Ireland
Hello and welcome to my blog. If you like flowers and gardens, housey stuff, food and banter, then this is the place for you. I am a decorative artist, florist and maker of things. I sell painted furniture, plants and crafts, through a local retail shop, in my native Ireland, and wedding flowers from home. I am married to a lovely patient man and have a smashing little girl. I blog for the fun of it. Thank you for listening.

Sunday 31 July 2011

Travel...'broadens the mind'.

The Walled Garden at Powerscourt, Wicklow.

Even if you travel in your own country! I am so glad we stayed in Ireland this year, if the weather had been awful I may have thought differently! It was so good to see Ireland through the eyes of a tourist, to take in its wild, romantic beauty and really appreciate it. Sometimes I get quite down on my own country, because it's not very sophisticated, because we don't seem to appreciate our history and heritage, and seem to favour new fangled and modern instead of old and worn. ( I am speaking of Northern Ireland here.) With my line of work, painting furniture and interiors, it is frustrating because it is really hard to find vintage and antique items here, and when you do they are generally heavy victorian and dark wood, not the kind of look I  want!  General cost of living is quite expensive here, everything seems to be brought in and so is more expensive than England. We have very little in the way of Farmers Markets, even though we have plenty of farmers. So, you can imagine, when I see the lovely Antique Fairs, Vintage Markets, Farmers Markets, Brocantes etc. on your lovely blogs, I jump up and down and cry with frustration. However, when I travel to Southern Ireland and see places like Avoca, with their wonderful cafes and deli's thriving, Artisan Bakers, French Vans selling local fruit, it gives me hope and I think yes, we will have these things in Nortern Ireland! I need to remember too, that it wasn't that long ago, when we had bombs going off, shootings, we were a country at war, and it takes time to recover from these things. I have forgotten what Belfast city centre used to be like, when no-one went out at night. There were no 'Cocktail Bars' and fancy Hotels, coffee houses and designer shops. We were really starved of culture and beauty! Things really have changed for the better when I think of it. My mind has been broadened, I have come to appreciate my country more and I am glad of it. So here are a few of our holiday snaps, to let you see how beautiful it is!




A wonderful Georgian door in Bray.


A pretty row of houses, in the seaside town of Bray.


 
I would so love one of these Citroen vans.

Entrance to Avoca shop, restaurant, deli and garden centre at Kilmacanagoue.






The photos above where taken at Avoca.




Down at the farm at Kilcoole.

I don't want to bore you with too many photos, so I will keep the one's from Powerscourt and Eniskerry for another day. Have a wonderful week. Thankyou so much to my new followers, welcome aboard! Love Linda x



15 comments:

  1. Linda

    I had been thinking of you and so looking forward to this post.

    The Tourist Board(s) of Northern and Southern Ireland should hire you as their spokesperson and before long there would be brocantes, chippy furniture and chippy wagons driven by citreon drivers! Did Lois got to keep Miss Piggy? Your photos are absolutely fabulous. I love the Georgian door. The last picture is my favourite. It brings back memories of sheds we had at one farm.

    Wishing you a week full of joy and creativity

    Helen xx

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  2. Love the photos.

    Ireland is beautiful.

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  3. Hello Linda

    While reading this, I had to pinch myself: much of it could equally well have been said about Norway. For instance, there have been attempts to start Farmers Markets but, as far as I know, there are no Car Boot Sales here. So, I read about these things with a mixture of fascination and frustration.

    It is a real treat to read about Ireland and see your gorgeous pictures and I'm happy to see that you are enjoying such beautiful weather.

    Anna

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  4. Hello Linda:
    It is, we feel, really good to get to know one's own country or, in your case, countries as you have all the advantages of two different, but equally lovely, places right on the doorstep, so to speak. Yes, we can understand your yearning for more of what you are interested in, and excel at, but think of all that you already have which is of such value - your family and lovely home, your inspirational work, your interests and hobbies [sigh coffee cosy!], beautiful countryside to hand, the sea close by, and the new, emerging vibrant city of Belfast. Above all, as you say, the peace factor which we pray so much will continue unabated.

    A lifetime ago, in the mid 1960s, we were in Belfast which then, just before the Troubles, we thought to be a wonderful city.

    We are much looking forward to future 'holiday' posts. Happy Monday!!

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  5. HI sweetie, you can be fond of your stunning country! love it!

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  6. Hi Linda. Lovely to see your post this morning. I agree with you, it is good to look at our own country through the eyes of a tourist sometimes. As you say, Northern Ireland has come a long way to those terrible times of not so long ago. Lovely photos today. That Avoca looks a great place! I love retro looking vehicles!

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  7. Dear Linda,

    I didn't realise you lived in Northern Ireland! Somehow I thought you lived in the south. Your photo's look lovely. Your daughter looks very sweet with the rabbit in her hands....and that climbing rose....so pretty!

    Happy evening!

    Madelief x

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  8. Wonderful photos--really lovely.

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  9. Love your countryside! Great photos.

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  10. How lovely Linda, love the row of seaside houses :) x

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  11. Oh what a lovely place in which you live . Breathtaking greenery. A different kind of beauty to Australia ! Now following xx Ava

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  12. I love Avoca too..we went to the shop in Dublin and the scones are to die for in their cafe...huge!
    Julie x
    Great Citroen van x

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  13. I loved reading about your visit to Avoca.

    Fantastic isn't it?

    Glad you had a great trip.

    Fiona

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  14. So lovely...Ireland is a book of beautiful poetry and prose for the eyes!
    ~Lynne
    [w/l]

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  15. Love your photos of your Wicklow holiday and Avoca is just yummy. We especially like your photos of the flowers. And maybe the weather isnt everything (the local reservoir at Roundwood is only half full so there hasnt been much rain!!)
    Keep up the great work- your descriptive writing style is so readable.
    Kind Regards
    Dave & Valerie

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