Score!

I usually leave the bin bags to my beau, they have to go to the basement into a big binstore and I don't particularly like being in the basement, plus he's a lot more vigilant about the recycling and sorting than I am. But one day recently I decided to join him, and boy was I glad that I did! This is what I found...

Day of Love

I don't know why, but yesterday for the first time on Valentine's Day I really took note of the hordes of men carrying bunches of flowers home to their significant others. It made me smile. I am a self-confessed sucker for romance.
When I arrived home after my Zumba class, red as a beetroot, my sweetheart was in the kitchen cooking up a storm. When I sat down to dinner, which included the exotic ingredient asparagus (yum), the candles were lighting and the music was low…perfect! I also got spoiled with a massive bunch of beautiful flowers and a cute card.

 
I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day, whether treating yourself or someone else…

Can we go back to writing letters?

I always loved writing letters when I was younger...well, maybe not so much writing as receiving letters...especially when the sender had embellished the envelope with stickers or drawings and written on fancy paper! Ah, fancy paper....the joy of collecting it and swapping with your friends and sista! I still have mine in a little box, along with notebooks, stickers and all sorts of goodies that could make correspondence even more fun! So, when I grow up I want to have a space in my home for a desk for letter writing and drawers for my fancy stationery...

Angl bar St Petersburg

I almost forgot to mention this bar we stumbled upon when leaving Zoom Cafe. It is on the opposite side of the road on the corner with some interesting street art on the outside of the bar and as far as I remember no sign for the bar. It was one of those nights where everyone is tired and you only mean to pop in for one drink but end up doing shots with the owners and singing with the band! SO much fun!

Happy New Year!!

I want to wish you all a really wonderful 2012 and I hope you are all as optimistic about this year as I am...this year I'm going blonde, doing as much dancing as my poor bandy knee will let me, learning more tunes on my tin whistle, and myself and the boy are learning more recipes...yum! and travelling as much as the budget will allow...and of course spending as much time as possible with the ones I love and the outdoors. Cannot wait!
Love to all xxx

Romanov Palaces

Russia has such an interesting and at times brutal history, which is one of the reasons I suppose I find it so fascinating. Before heading back to visit this time I read a lot about the last Tsar and his family. While reading I learnt about some of the palaces in which they lived...they seemed to be endless! There were a few in particular that I wanted to visit.

The Winter Palace in St Petersburg is so accessible and worth a half day or full days visit as it houses the Hermitage museum. It is enormous and my favourite parts were the rooms of the palaces which were as they were during the times of the Tsars.

We did a daytrip to Peterhof, which is very easy to get to from the city by hydrofoil. It is very formal and what I imagine Versailles to be like. It gives you an idea of the riches of the Royal family. The grounds are huge and you can get a little train around them if you are feeling a bit lazy like we were. Otherwise you could spend a whole day wandering around here and bring a nice picnic to eat on the river or in a pasture.

The palace I most wanted to visit was he Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selowhere the last Tsarina was captured and taken from. Unfortunately we didn't make it there because some of our travel party were sick of palaces ;p Hopefully I'll get the chance to go back and finish my tour of palaces...St. Petersburg is a wonderful European/Russian city and now it is possible to visit from Finland without a visa it will make it easier to get back there.

Lá breithe sona dom...

I have always loved birthdays...what's not to love...it's the one day in the year that is officially yours (and your parents), you generally get pressies and people are nice to you...and it gives you an excuse to gather your friends and party!
I got lots of lovely gifts and lots of cáca milis (cake) this year...lucky girl...