Another World
07/11/2007 09:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
izmeinaIzzie's just returned after a four day exile from Cyberia. Apart from the fact that the alternatives on offer were so wonderful, got to thinking that maybe there's an other explanation of serpent crankiness to add to the long long list. Like the last two days - would be in a perfectly good mood but it would evaporate into neverending frustration within two minutes of activating the Portkey - which in Izzie's case these days usually turns out to be a spinning multicoloured beachball
Yesss. It was the Festival of Country Gardens that kept this serpent out of online mischief over the last weekend. The Izzie's nose was in every rose and evenings were spent slinking and sniffing and staring at a sky full of twinkling lights.
The weather on Friday and all weekend was wonderful and it was a good trip going down. Not just the good fortune of having a window seat on both the bus and train and having to share the space with a human for only one hour of the whole four hour trip. On the way back was also just as quiet
There sure is something magical and hypnotic about trains - even modern ones. It's so easy to get into a relaxed trance state without too much effort at all
Arrived just after 1pm and pottered into the tourist bureau to get some pretty postcards. Then off to the pot and the post office. Around the corner from the post office is a row of ornamental cherry trees and this time of year they are all in blossom. Pink and fluffy never looked so pretty. So they were worth a sniff
Next stop was the 1898 cafe overlooking the river and with views up a little hill to a gorgeous old tin roof house - a most mysterious looking abode and one of many that would be a good setting for spookiness
Bridgetown is a strange sort of place. Not just beautiful, crazy and quirky and with soil so good that if you planted rocks in it they would grow. The main street has hills on both sides and the western side slopes down to the river which means that all the buildings are built on a steepish slope and lots are hidden down winding pathways off the main street And as most of the buildings are made of wood, there's something very cosy and comforting about them.
It's about a twenty minute walk from the north end to the south end of town where this serpent's Garden of Eden is located. But when you are dawdling, looking in shop windows to see what's new since last time and smelling the roses on the way, it can easily take an hour or so.
Eventually slinked into our destination just after 5pm. Everyone was busy with last minute touches to the barn and cafe for the grand opening of a new shop the next day.
But Jenny (the boss) was hobbling around as she had recently broken her ankle and hubbie Ken was pottering around in his wellington boots looking quite content (this is the fellow who was diagnosed with cancer and given 6-9 months to live back in September 2005)
But it turns out - was a bit of a hiccup. In spite of booking way back in April by email and Ken confirming it, he had forgotten to put it in the big black book and some one else had been given the Green Room for the Friday and Saturday nights. He felt a bit embarrassed since Izzie's probably one of their oldest regulars from way back in 2000. But then he came up with a suggestion at exactly the same time that Izzie thought of it. In the garden overlooking the river is a little wooden cubby house with stained glass windows which they call the "Wendy House" When Izzie last seen it, there was a big blue squishy sofa with lots of cushions and spider's webs in the corners. The perfect place to curl up with a book and a cuppa on a rainy day.
Since then, they'd painted the ceiling, cleared the cobwebs and polished up the nice old wooden floor.
So later they ran over an extension cord because there's no electricity in there and resurrected a spare bed from the broom cupboard.
So, for the first night Iz got to sleep in the Bookcase room - same one as we were back in 2001 and both Saturday and Sunday stayed in the cute little cubby. Liked it so much that we've already booked it again for next year. And next time will be there for Halloween.
Spent the rest of the weekend on coffee crawls, visiting gorgeous gardens and drooling over some amazing quilts. The shops had them on display in the windows but on Saturday various hotels and the church had a whole bunch of them hanging out for the world to see. But the gardens and the quilts are a story for another day as is the rather interesting book that Izzie brought down from Dursleyville
Our grand garden adventure could best be described as an "artist's date" on steroids. Still dizzy from such a feast for all the senses.
Yesss. It was the Festival of Country Gardens that kept this serpent out of online mischief over the last weekend. The Izzie's nose was in every rose and evenings were spent slinking and sniffing and staring at a sky full of twinkling lights.
The weather on Friday and all weekend was wonderful and it was a good trip going down. Not just the good fortune of having a window seat on both the bus and train and having to share the space with a human for only one hour of the whole four hour trip. On the way back was also just as quiet
There sure is something magical and hypnotic about trains - even modern ones. It's so easy to get into a relaxed trance state without too much effort at all
Arrived just after 1pm and pottered into the tourist bureau to get some pretty postcards. Then off to the pot and the post office. Around the corner from the post office is a row of ornamental cherry trees and this time of year they are all in blossom. Pink and fluffy never looked so pretty. So they were worth a sniff
Next stop was the 1898 cafe overlooking the river and with views up a little hill to a gorgeous old tin roof house - a most mysterious looking abode and one of many that would be a good setting for spookiness
Bridgetown is a strange sort of place. Not just beautiful, crazy and quirky and with soil so good that if you planted rocks in it they would grow. The main street has hills on both sides and the western side slopes down to the river which means that all the buildings are built on a steepish slope and lots are hidden down winding pathways off the main street And as most of the buildings are made of wood, there's something very cosy and comforting about them.
It's about a twenty minute walk from the north end to the south end of town where this serpent's Garden of Eden is located. But when you are dawdling, looking in shop windows to see what's new since last time and smelling the roses on the way, it can easily take an hour or so.
Eventually slinked into our destination just after 5pm. Everyone was busy with last minute touches to the barn and cafe for the grand opening of a new shop the next day.
But Jenny (the boss) was hobbling around as she had recently broken her ankle and hubbie Ken was pottering around in his wellington boots looking quite content (this is the fellow who was diagnosed with cancer and given 6-9 months to live back in September 2005)
But it turns out - was a bit of a hiccup. In spite of booking way back in April by email and Ken confirming it, he had forgotten to put it in the big black book and some one else had been given the Green Room for the Friday and Saturday nights. He felt a bit embarrassed since Izzie's probably one of their oldest regulars from way back in 2000. But then he came up with a suggestion at exactly the same time that Izzie thought of it. In the garden overlooking the river is a little wooden cubby house with stained glass windows which they call the "Wendy House" When Izzie last seen it, there was a big blue squishy sofa with lots of cushions and spider's webs in the corners. The perfect place to curl up with a book and a cuppa on a rainy day.
Since then, they'd painted the ceiling, cleared the cobwebs and polished up the nice old wooden floor.
So later they ran over an extension cord because there's no electricity in there and resurrected a spare bed from the broom cupboard.
So, for the first night Iz got to sleep in the Bookcase room - same one as we were back in 2001 and both Saturday and Sunday stayed in the cute little cubby. Liked it so much that we've already booked it again for next year. And next time will be there for Halloween.
Spent the rest of the weekend on coffee crawls, visiting gorgeous gardens and drooling over some amazing quilts. The shops had them on display in the windows but on Saturday various hotels and the church had a whole bunch of them hanging out for the world to see. But the gardens and the quilts are a story for another day as is the rather interesting book that Izzie brought down from Dursleyville
Our grand garden adventure could best be described as an "artist's date" on steroids. Still dizzy from such a feast for all the senses.
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no subject
Date: 2007-11-07 07:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-07 12:54 pm (UTC)It's colder than dreary old Dursleyville and full of quirky and crazy critters and a veritable army of 'Tree Changers' Not like nasty Manjimup down the road where the locals believe that the only good tree is a chopped tree
It's about four hours from here. Izzie always gets the train and coach. Albany and Denmark are also gorgeous places but when it takes a whole day to get there, why bother? There used to be a train the whole way down to Albany - all 8 hours away but the stupid govt closed it down years ago so now the train only goes as far as Bunbury and the coach goes the rest of the way.
Autumn and Spring are particularly pretty and there's garden festivals at both those times.
Izzie always stays at Ford House (http://fordhouse.com/AccomIndex.htm) usually the Green Room (of course) Also been in the Jarrah and Rose rooms and the very poky Bookcase.
Describing this place as a bed and breakfast is like saying that Monet is a painter! The rooms are full of the most amazing and beautiful art and crafts kinds of things as well as books and the gardens are spectacular. Izzie adores sitting out in the gardens late at night looking at the stars, smelling the orange and lemon blossoms and listening to the geese and the frog orchestra.
It's certainly worked wonders for Ken - one of the owners. He's still on a cocktail of drugs which somewhat fogs his brain but to keep running the business when the doctor had given him no more than 9 months back in late 2005 is pretty impressive. Izzie expects to see him when we return for Halloween in 2008.
There's something about the place that has a calming relaxing effect on people. It's certainly Izzie's Lotto Location
no subject
Date: 2007-11-08 02:29 pm (UTC)There's plenty of room in the Lair which is also easily accessible by bus or broomstick
Curious to know about driving. Is it because you can't or won't? The Izzie did not learn how to drive until coming back to Oz in 1993. It's a bit like Los Angeles here - quite tricksy to get around without wheels. Did learn how to drive and absolutely hated it. Waaaay too exhausting for such an introverted serpent - is like you got to have 20 pairs of eyes, mind reading abilities and the patience of a saint. So when the Iz acquired the Lair in 1998, did not take long to sell off the evil green 1957 Beetle and get a broomstick instead. One of the biggest attractions of this place is a good bus service and being walking distance to so many every day sorts of things like shops and a post office - even a university!
no subject
Date: 2007-11-07 08:57 am (UTC)*props gorgeous bat above fireplace*
PS - will see if I can upload the summary and exercises for Chapter Two. I´m very curious about what colour you might possibly be ;D and above all, WHY.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-07 12:57 pm (UTC)Nearly finished reading "40' Most intriguing indeed.