There's nothing better than the beach to relieve tension and clear the mind—wind in your hair, the sound of the waves, golden sand between your wriggling toes–an icecream in hand to complete the picture.
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Tuesday 2 August 2016
Summer Breeze
Saturday 23 July 2016
Elderflower Magic
When I was a child, during often during the summer we would go to local farms and pick whatever fruits were in season. One for me, one for the basket, was the way my siblings and I passed the time. The visit would end with us, red-mouthed and feeling slightly sick. On other times we would forage in the hedgerows of the country lanes for: wild blackberries, sloes, elderflowers and their berries.
From all this produce, my mother would conjure up jams and jellies, pies, crumbles, puddings and elderflower champagne. Whilst in the basement, my father would wizard up bottles of elderflower wine and sloe gin.
Elderflower champagne was a family tradition and made by my mother. It was exciting to us kids, because it was fizzy, contained a small amount of alcohol and we were allowed to drink it! That coupled with the fact that once made, it had to be stored in sturdy, brown glass bottles with a screw top—because it might explode. Sometimes it did and the mess was extraordinary.
Within a couple of weeks, the elderflower champagne was ready to drink and often accompanied lunch in the garden. Served in dimpled half-pint beer tankards or long drink glasses.
This summer, from the elderflower tree in my garden, I have conjured up five bottles of the wonderful elixir and am sipping on a glassful as I write.
These and more foody illustrations can be found on my Instagram as part of the #100dayproject. Tag: #100daysfoodanddrink
Thursday 6 August 2015
Tuesday 21 July 2015
Monday 20 July 2015
Tourist Wall
Tourist Wall by Alison
Day
The tourist wall—a place to walk along, sit, or ponder the seascape, pose, photograph or be photographed.
© Alison Day
Thursday 16 July 2015
Monday 6 July 2015
Cool Coffee
Already twenty-four hours on the sunny island of Crete in Greece. After a good sleep, it's time to sip cool frappés whilst guarding our cookies from the relentless attack of pigeons.
Yesterday was a very long day, a 3am start in Amsterdam followed by a 6.20 am, three-and-a-half hour flight from Schipol to Heraklion. Arriving at our hotel, a refreshing swim in the mosaic hotel pool and friendly greetings from the hotel staff rejuvenated our spirits.
Dinner by the sea of: tzatziki, saganaki, calamari and a Greek Salad with a finale of the local firewater - raki, accompanied by luscious watermelon.
© Alison Day
Monday 4 August 2014
Scuba Chicken
Scuba Chicken by Alison Day 2014
Scuba Diving on
Crete was a hit with my son both last year and this. Each time he had a great
time and impressed his instructors with his natural ability for the sport. Now,
he wants to train for his Padi. If he does, there is the option to do the final
qualifying tests abroad—so Greece could be on the cards next summer too!
We were picked up in
the cool early morning air from our hotel and driven down to Plakias on the
south coast of Crete. We were with six others in the minivan and were driven by
Costos—aquiline nose, curly haired Adonis, from Thessaloniki and one of the diving instructors. Along the
journey, we skirted round and through Tuscan red and peach coloured, rugged
hills, dotted with dark green vegetation. Through small villages with
flourishing pink bougainvillea and past Kafeneons filled with old Greek men,
staring and drinking coffee.
Our destination, the
Calypso Diving Centre was based in a cove next to a resort called Kalypso
Cretan Village. The diving instructors came from all over the globe and were
led by a very fit lady—Bear. Classes were
in languages of what the majority understood— in this case English and German.
The enthusiasm at the diving centre was infectious and the 'how to' was clearly
explained. Photos were shown of the kind of marine life we could expect to see,
as well as those to keep away from. For a fee, photos could be taken during
your dive and copied onto a CD for posterity.
Last year I was one
of the first time scuba divers too, thinking because I loved snorkelling I
would like this too—I didn’t. This year, I was contented to watch my son's
enjoyment and go for a swim in the amusingly—impossible to sink in—salt water
pool of the resort.
I had to laugh at
the wetsuit fittings of that day's scuba pupils, remembering my own—where the
suits are tried on for size—dry. A nigh on impossible nail breaker, where
everyone dances the fandango, as they wrestle into the suits. Later, you are
introduced to the far easier option of a huge, wooden slatted tub, filled with
water. Then the wetsuit slides on— in dance moves more akin to an expressive tango.
I can honestly say I
only enjoyed the scuba process up until we had to get into the sea. Although
the gear is lighter in water, I hated being trussed up and carrying the
equivalent of concrete shoes around my middle. From my sealed in state, I felt
as though I was viewing the world from inside my own private goldfish bowl.
Then there was walking backwards into the sea because of the flippers— an
awkward experience and why—ducks don't?
As I swam part way
along the cove, with my instructor towards the open sea, I tried to distract
myself from the inevitable open water dive by admiring pretty fish and avoiding
the stinging tentacles of translucent, shocking pink jellyfish. It was then I
decided that this experience wasn't for me. Fear and claustrophobia took over
and I flatly refused to continue. My instructor sympathetically tried to
appease my fears, but once my mind is made up . . .
Not to waste the
diving experience completely, I floundered around the cove in a half
dive-snorkel mode and followed shoals of fish.
Next year—in my wetsuit—I will be snorkelling!
©AlisonDay Designs
Tuesday 22 July 2014
Berry Delight
Flashback to a cooling summer drink and my interpretation of a Strawberry Slush: Strawberries, pineapple juice, lemon juice, crushed ice.
Thursday 9 May 2013
Cool Parade
Following a crafty link from Facebook, I was led to a page on a website called Buzzfeed, praising old style crafts, things that Grandma would have made; techniques which are being carried on by today's creatives from the handmade revival: crochet quilts, bathmats and matching loo seat covers, doilies, and Barbiesque dolls wearing flouncing skirts
- concealing air freshening chemicals beneath
their crochet folds.
OK, ... so I strip back the link to its base, and come up with a cool parade of fun flavoured popsicles ... a myriad of flavours and colours - and - in the immortal words of Jose jalapeno, in a Jeff Dunham comedy sketch- 'On a stick!'
It's hard to make a choice from this royal
parade, but amongst them are vitamin filled and fruity, as well as what can only be described as 'cocktail on a stick,' due to their obvious alcoholic content.
Recipes are included - now the only question remains to be asked - will the sun
shine long enough for it to become Popsicle time, and if
so, where ever you are in the world - which would you choose?
For more flavours: here
Saturday 1 September 2012
Friday 6 July 2012
Connections Summer issue 2012
The Summer issue of the Connections magazine is out and coming to a place near you! Or... if not, why not become a member? ... Info: here
Editor & Design: Alison Day Designs
Saturday 3 December 2011
Own the Present
The Present from - m ss ng p eces more on @FastCodeDesign
Want to learn more about The Present? Join their mailing list: waitingforthepresent@mssngpeces.com.
Wednesday 14 July 2010
Connections Magazine - Summer #28, 2010
For the summer issue of Connections, we set a competition for children asking them to
'Design a Summer cover' for the magazine.
Here is the the winning entry created and sent in by Sam Kompier.
Read & download issue here
Monday 14 June 2010
Thursday 10 June 2010
The Noorderzon Festival
If you
haven’t been to the Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival yet you should do so.
Every year for ten days in August this festival takes over the Noorderplansoen
(park), is in various theatres and other venues in the inner city of Groningen
and provides a varied and entertaining crossover theatre festival.
This year the
festival celebrated its 18th year. Each year it grows in popularity and
with a diversity of things on offer to do or see, and appeals to a wide
audience.
Entrance to
the part is free. There is a mixture of free and ticketed things to see. It
seems that this year two thirds of the program comes from abroad, and dues to
limitations the inner city location have more on offer this year.
The
diversity of the program includes theatre, dance, multimedia, film, video and
circus to name but a few.
The Romeo
and Juliet tents house bigger acts such as circuses or thought-provoking
theatre. Then there are the metal containers that house anything from quirky
little acts, to artists and designers. This year’s theme seemed to be more than
ever before about re-cycling, with some amazing results. Old pliers and iron
welded together became an unusual lampshade, or a small dog sitting patiently
waiting for its owner. Elsewhere, you could bring any article of your clothing
to one stall to have it ‘pimped’ with an original silkscreen design.
One
attraction I particularly liked was the ‘Pocket Garden’. A caravan had been
turned into a small garden and filled with plants and flowers. The outside of
it was pretty funky too!
As always
there is world food and drink available in tents and terraces to suit every
palate. In the evening the whole place is lit up with bulbs and trees are
illuminated by green lamps, whilst videos are projected onto a three-screened
object, which floats on one of the areas of water in the park.
For children
there is always loads to do, painting activities are on offer and this year
large paintings with cut outs where the heads should be were great for photo
opportunities.
For more on the festival, visit their website – Noorderzon
Monday 22 March 2010
Cucumber Time!
What does one do in the summer months often referred
to by the Dutch as ‘komkommer tijd’ (cucumber time)? Not much can be organized
or done during this period as everyone is planning his or her holidays. If you
have not already flown to foreign shores, or disappeared to the nearest lake
with a good book for the afternoon, you could always join the exodus to one of
the islands along the coast of the Netherlands for a week or two. There
are five in total: Schiermonnikoog, Terschelling, Ameland. Vlieland and Texel. Each
offer a diversity of nature, scenery and activities to appear to all.
Schiemonnikoog
This island can be reached from Lauwersoog in
twenty-five minutes, and its size makes it perfect for a day visit. Cars
of visitors are not allowed on the island, as it is a nature reserve so the
main means of transport is the bicycle. These come in all sorts of shapes and
sizes both for adults and children. The tandem is a regular sight and trailers
can be filled with your baggage or even small children for quick transport
around the island and down to the seashore.
Apart from the obvious attraction of the sea with
its dunes and grasses, the natural beauty of this national park includes salt
marshes as well as a variety of flora and fauna. There are numerous cafes,
restaurants and pavilions, a lighthouse, and a bunker from the Second World War
to be visited along the way.
Terschelling
Terschelling can be reached from Harlingen by boat
and takes an hour and a half. This is somewhat bigger than Schiermonnikoog
and is made up of a number of small villages all easily accessed via a
connecting road system. The best way to get a good impression of what
Terschelling has to offer is to walk from the Noordzee to the Waddenzee right
across the island. Along the way you will see the natural dune formations and
pass through the different ecosystems of the island (there are nine in total),
which are homes to a rich diversity of flora and fauna. The beach is the widest
of the Dutch coastline and in the whole of Western Europe.
Generally there are plenty of places to stay on the
island unless you choose to visit around the time of the annual ‘Oerol’
Festival. During this time because of the festivals enormous popularity, most
places are fully booked although some camping areas may have a few places
available.
Oerol this year is 10th – 19th June and
has a nautical theme entitled ‘Geen zee te hoog’ (‘No sea too high’) and has to
do with the bond between the islanders and navigation. During the festival the
whole island becomes a stage and the backdrop for (street) theatre, cabaret,
circuses, dance acts, and artistic creations. Tickets sales begin on the 8th and 9th of June
on the island with half being withheld for sale during the festival itself.
More information about Oerol can be found at: www.oerol.nl/index.html.
Ameland
To reach Ameland the boat goes from Holwerd and
takes forty-five minutes. Used to belong to the royal family around the
beginning of the 18-th century but since the early 19-th century has
become part of the property of Friesland.
The island has 4 villages, a population of 3,500 and
measures 25 kilometres in length and is 4 km at its widest point. Again
interesting to explore it is rich in flora and fauna. One such area, known as
the Nieuwlandsreid, is a marsh filled with unusual vegetation due to the fact
that it is regularly flooded with salt water.
The natural history museum offers activities and
information as well as an enormous aquarium filled with a diversity of fish and
shellfish whose natural habitat is the Noord- en Waddenzee.
Vlieland
This island can be reached by boat from Harlingen
and takes one and a half hours. This island also has a no car policy for
non-residents, the bicycle again being the main means of getting around the
island.
The tourist office has all the infomation about what
there is to see and do on Vlieland and offers a variety of different excursions
around the island. There is an aquarium which is filled with sea life native to
the area, but there is also a special aquarium filled with rays and dog sharks
that can be stroked if you dare!
Other attractions for all ages include the
‘Kabouterbos’ (‘Gnome wood’), ‘Jutterszolder’, (‘Beachcombers attic’) filled
with all kinds of objects that have washed up on the seashore, and a
‘Wrakvondstenzolder’, (‘Shipwreck attic’) exhibiting objects retrieved by
divers from Northsea shipwrecks.
Texel
Texel is the biggest and most diverse of the
‘waddeneilanden’ (‘wadden islands’) and can be reached by boat from Den Helder
in twenty minutes, and is home to large herds of sheep and birds
On Texel, EcoMare can be found in the center of the
National Park ‘Duinen van Texel’ (‘Dunes of Texel’). This comprises of a
visitor’s center, a center for education about nature and the environment, a
museum, a crèche for sea lions, and a bird sanctuary. There is also information
available about the North Sea, the Wadden area, nature on Texel and the
influence of man’s presence on all this. The dune park of 70-hectares has a
number of different walks marked out, which can also be done as part of a
guided tour, giving the visitor a good idea of the diversity of plant life on
the island.
More
information about the islands and Holland: HERE
©
Alison Day
First
published in the Connections magazine #8 July 2005
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