T is for Texture: the patina of age

 

We head for the hardware store with much haste as soon as there is any sign of ageing in our homes.

Yet here in France, it is this very purposeful 'neglected' state that creates a unique charm and beauty.

N is for Nice: swimming in the Mediterranean Sea

Nice putting on her best face.

A sweltering summer afternoon in Nice, a perfect excuse to head to the Med for a swim after our morning of wool shopping.

We booked ourselves into one of the private beaches, found a shady spot and settled in, swimming, people watching and following all the sporting activities out to sea.

Afternoon ' a la plage', Nice.
That's me, far right, wondering how I was going to navigate the pebbles!

Nice seems resilient post the terror attack of the 14th July. But the two faces that we saw today are not easy to reconcile, the lightness of tourists along the lovely pedestrianised streets or the swimming and sunbathing crowds along the beaches versus the mementoes reflecting the outpouring of grief along the Promenade des Anglais.

Fred feeling the impact of the horror of the attack in Nice.

Serene view of palms and the iconic Le Negresco along the Promenade des Anglais.

K is for Knitting: shopping at la Droguerie in Nice

La Droguerie, a quite magnificent shopping experience in Nice.

The pleasure of looking through the knitting catalogues, finding patterns that inspire me to knit, choosing the colour palette, finding the perfect little buttons, made for a shopping experience to treasure.

Knitters from all over the world descend on this famous French knitting store and potter for hours, I was so excited to venture in and even managed to get Fred involved in choosing colours from the skeins of glorious wool and he did the button selection.

We left with two knitting projects for Baby Hadfield, I could have kept going but the Med was calling.