Photo Travel Themes | The Travel Lady In Her Shoes

JNW’s Halloween Challenge: Spooky

Old Jail, Quebec City, Canada

The gaol can be be toured in the very lower chamber of the Morrin Centre in Quebec City. The walls are still covered in a thick black coating from the wood stoves and candles that were used for most lighting. It was a dirty, smelly place when inmates were held there, I’m sure. Tobacco pipes also made for a very smoky atmosphere. The prisoners, were separated by men and women, each group had their own holding area for sleeping. For the meal, men were brought out to eat first in another large area with one long wooden table, and the women followed when the men were finished.

The stay would not have been a pleasant one: there was no running water until the mid-1850’s and the hole in the ground was at the rear of the building. The walls were made of thick stone and the brick partitions inside made it damp in summer and chilly in winter. The only ventilation was one very small window! Sixteen men were hanged in front of the prison from an iron platform that jutted over the main door. Interesting graffiti is carved into the floorboards of the holding areas, each man making his own spooky mark!

Have a spooktacular time with JNW’s Halloween Challenge! Enjoy!

The Potting Shed, Benenden, Kent, UK, Post Two

One of the Gardens at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

As some of you know this is my second year for my England Garden Tour, where I pick out spots in the UK to spend a few weeks and then visit lovely gardens, including local gardens sponsored on the National Garden Theme and homes and gardens on the National Trust. I had a little rough start to my visit to St Ives, but as most things do in the end, it turned out even better than I expected. Now, we have made our way to The Potting Shed in Benenden, which I have been anxiously waiting for. This time we would also be staying/living in a garden too. What would it be like?

I booked The Potting Shed over a year ago to make sure I could get accommadations to stay there at the time I wanted. My better half always asks me, “where do you find these places?” Well, I do a lot of homework looking for unusual spots for lodging and I like things off the beaten track and things not typical of what everybody is doing.

The Potting Shed fit the bill. It truly is a Potting Shed in the yard of two very prolific gardeners! I would say Charlotte, one of the gardeners, is a cross between Beatrice Potter and Tasha Tudor! Don was originally a farmer and has spent a lifetime gardening ( more on that in another post) But, between the two, they truly live off the land, thrive in it and a motto for them might be “waste not, want not.” Invited into their cottage for wine one evening, we got a look at how one lived in the early 1900’s, the period their cottage was made, and I can’t say many updates have been made to ruin it! I couldn’t take my eyes off the magical wonder of their lifestyle and how it would truly be living like that. No modern Ikea stuff here! Charlotte is also an artist and painter, everything she touches is made beautiful, so they enjoy scouting the countryside for finds and then bring them home to enhance their gardens! While we were there they were looking for more old doors!

The Potting Shed, on the other hand, was meant to be quite modern in comfort and cozy. The appliances are up to date and there is Wi-fi and a TV. The furniture has been re-designed in fabrics and style with Charlotte’s eye for the bohemian flair, nothing fancy, but very stylish. So without further ado, let’s look at the inside of the Potting Shed!

The Potting Shed, Benenden, Kent, UK

The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

These stairs are called Paddle Steps. I had never heard of them, but they are great for saving space in small spaces!

The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

The bedroom was in the loft! Loved it!

The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

One of the Many Bouquets in the Potting Shed, UK

The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

The kitchen had everything you need, even a dishwasher!

The Gift Basket at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Charlotte and Don also left a very generous welcome basket of local wine, cheeses, chutney and crackers. There was also fresh picked salad greens from the garden and eggs from their chickens!

The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

More Flowers from the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Out into the Garden, The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Charlotte made all the topiaries and trims them herself on a very tall ladder! Oh MY! Well there are some that are quite near the ground too!

Out into the Garden, The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

She has left their footprints in the garden, so to speak!

In the Garden at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

There are over five acres of gardens and other delights at the Potting Shed! Both Charlotte and Don are very savvy gardeners and have a list and knowledge of other gardens in the area. So many in fact, that I was not aware of, that I added them to my “must see” list. So tomorrow we will be taking a stroll through other parts of their garden and I am sure you will not want to miss it! Let’s go through this gate and see what is in this garden!

The Next Gate, The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

We have stayed many places in the twenty years of our travels, but have never been received or taken care of so well as we were at our stay at the Potting Shed. If you love gardens and gardening and would like to experience a “once in a lifetime” find, this is the spot for you! Don and Charlotte at the Potting Shed can be reached Here. I am writing many posts on the Potting Shed so be sure to check them all out! Enjoy!

JNW’s Halloween Challenge: Ghost

Ghosts in Quebec City, Canada? Maybe!

This photo sure looked like ghosts were haunting here!

Have a spooktacular time with JNW’s Halloween Challenge! Enjoy!

The Garden That Fairy-Tales are Made Of; Post One

St George Church, Benenden, UK

This is the story about a beautiful garden, where the birds sang so sweetly, and a fairy cottage filled with vases of fresh picked bouquets from the garden. But, first we have to find this garden…….. take a narrow road to the Weald of Kent….. turn into the horseshoe lane around the cricket pitch set on the village green…..……

The Cricket Pitch, Benenden, UK

Turn right at St George Church with the lichen-covered wall, onto a much smaller lane……..

St George Church, Benenden, UK

The Lane, Benenden, UK

Go past the public walking path, down the graveled lane and turn into the gate.

Public Foot Path, Benenden, UK

The Smaller Lane. Benenden, UK

Follow that lane unto you come to the gardeners’ house and then follow the path into the garden of the Potting Shed. Then follow the path through the arbor……….. are you still following me?

The Path to the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Turn to the right and follow the path through another garden gate……….

The Path to the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

You have discovered paradise! The Potting Shed!

The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Outside the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

One of the Many Gardens at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

The Front Garden at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Step outside the cottage and follow the gravel paths. There were the vegetable gardens, and the flower gardens, intermingled with sculptures of all sizes and textures, and finely scissored topiary gardens. So much to see!

The Sculpture in the Garden, Everything Has a Use

The Sculpture in the Garden, the Potting Shed

Walking Through the Garden, The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Walking Through to Another Garden, The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

The First Vegetable Patch, The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

There was a private spot in the garden with a table and chairs where one could remanence about the day over a bottle of wine, and watch the sun sink below the clouds. Or you could follow path, after path, going deeper into the gardens.

The Outdoor Dining, The Garden Shed, Benenden, UK

One of the Topiary Gardens, Benenden, UK

I LOVED the little round balls cut into the hedge of massive boxwood! And what about these giant topiary birds!

The Topiary Garden, Benenden, UK

Turn the key! I can’t wait to go inside!

Turn the Key, The Potting Shed

The flowers picked from the garden are waiting to greet us! Tomorrow there will be posts from inside the Potting Shed and details on how to make reservations to stay there! See you in the garden! Just the first of many gardens on my Second English Garden Tour!

One Bunch of Welcome Flowers

Don and Charlotte at the Potting Shed in Benenden, Kent, can be reached Here. I am writing many posts on the Potting Shed so be sure to check them all out! Enjoy!

Reason to Love St Ives #8: The People Are the Salt of the Earth

The GuildHall, St Ives, Cornwall

St Ives Thursday Market, St Ives, Cornwall

I can’t leave St Ives without telling you how I have enjoyed talking to all the people! I can’t remember a time when I had so many interesting conversations with others while on vacation. We talked in the restaurants, sometimes for hours, with people, who were strangers when we met, but I thought old friends by the time we left! And never the beady eye from the proprietor, many times they joined in on the conversation, while still serving away! We talked to the locals at the beach and to English tourists as we sat on the benches and watched the world go by. And we talked to lots of folks at the Thursday Farmers Market! Oh my, lots of booths set up in the guild hall and lots of food and drink to be had! It was just a soooooooo Agatha Raisin day! Exactly the kind of scene we watch on many British TV programs……… the towns folks, the fete, the gossip, the pride! What fun! And I must tell you about Graham. We met Graham at the Cornish Sea Salt Booth set up outside the market. I learned so much about Cornish Sea Salt and sampled many varieties. Graham was so nice and knowledgeable, we spent many, many minutes chatting and then came back to chat some more! I left with some of the finest products I have ever bought on a vacation! The salt and salt combinations are the BEST! I loved them, my friends loved them, and we will be buying more when we return to the UK in November! I can’t say enough about Cornish Salt! Read more about their wonderful products Here.

The Folks on Thursday Market Day, St Ives

Well it’s time to say goodbye to St Ives and Cornwall. What started as an uninspired week, with the knowledge that I wouldn’t go up and down that hill everyday to get my car and jaunt off to the places on my lists of “must sees,” turned out to be one of the best times we’ve had on a vacation! We loved our lodging, (except the parking arrangement and pirate noises, but hey it’s St Ives) the scenery, the history, the restaurants, the shopping, and the people! No wonder this is a favorite tourist spot!

My Cornish Sea Salt, Well Some of it Anyway, Bigger Tubs Are on the Other Side of the Counter!!!!

But, we must move on……. going on now to Kent…… Have you ever wanted to stay in a garden shed in a beautiful garden? Well I did and had to wait a year just to get the reservation. Other gardeners must have had the same thought in mind, but we’re off and I can’t wait to see what’s next on the horizon!

PS, the last day in St Ives we did the most responsible thing and called a taxi to take us, our luggage, and all the goodies we bought back up the hill, past the cemetery, past the BIG parking lot and to our own private parking spot in St Ives. Goodbye, but not forgotten! We loved St Ives!

Reason to Love St Ives # 7: Sculpture and Barbara Hepworth Garden

The Walkway Above the Gate at Trewyn House, St Ives

The Gate at Trewyn House, St Ives

The Entire Gate at Trewyn House, St Ives

Trewyn House, St Ives

During the Secret Garden Tour there was a lovely garden space that was the largest piece of turf that we saw in St Ives, that was devoted to a garden. The garden had a locked gate, and I got the feeling it was opened only on special occasions, hence for the Secret Garden Tour. Across from the garden a small lane divided the garden from one of the most unusual gates that I have ever seen. Behind that beautiful gate is the Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Garden or also known as Trewyn House.

Dame Jocelyn Barbara Hepworth DBE was an English artist and sculptor. Her work exemplifies Modernism and in particular modern sculpture. She was one of the few female artists to achieve international prominence. Hepworth was a leading figure in the colony of artists who resided in St Ives during the Second World War.

Barbara Hepworth first came to live in Cornwall with her husband Ben Nicholson and their young family at the outbreak of war in 1939. She lived and worked in Trewyn studios – now the Barbara Hepworth Museum – from 1949 until her death in 1975, from a fire in the studio. Following her wish to establish her home and studio as a museum of her work, Trewyn Studio and much of the artist’s work remaining there was given to the nation and placed in the care of the Tate Gallery in 1980.

‘Finding Trewyn Studio was a sort of magic’, wrote Barbara Hepworth. ‘Here was a studio, a yard and garden where I could work in open air and space.’ When she first arrived at Trewyn Studio, Hepworth was still largely preoccupied with stone and wood carving, but during the 1950s she increasingly made sculpture in bronze as well. This led her to create works on a more monumental scale, for which she used the garden as a viewing area.

The Garden of Trewyn House, St Ives

Most of the bronzes are in the positions in which the artist herself placed them. The garden itself was laid out by Barbara Hepworth with help from a friend, the composer, Priaulx Rainier.

“Figure for Landscape” 1959-60, Dame Barbara Hepworth 1903-1975

Garden Sculpture (Model for Meridian)1958, Dame Barbara Hepworth 1903-1975

“Conversation with Magic Stones” 1973, Dame Barbara Hepworth 1903-1975

Her eldest son, Paul, was killed on February 13, 1953 in a plane crash while serving with the Royal Air Force in Thailand. A memorial to him, Madonna and Child, is in the parish Church of St Ives.

Exhausted in part from her son’s death, Hepworth travelled to Greece with her good friend Margaret Gardiner in August 1954.

When Hepworth returned to St Ives from Greece, she found that Gardiner had sent her a large shipment of Nigerian guarea hardwood. Although she received only a single tree trunk, Hepworth noted that the shipment from Nigeria to the Tilbury docks came in at 17 tons. Between 1954-1956 Hepworth sculpted six pieces out of this guarea wood!

It was proposed at one time to take up the garden and use the land to build council housing! I for one am glad they didn’t, it is a calming oasis is a sea of tourists.

HEPWORTH Barbara, 1966, sculpteur (GB)
© ERLING MANDELMANN ©

Thursdays Doors: St Ives Again

George Hicks Court Archway, St Ives

I just love this photo: the archway, the cottage and the worn lane!

St Ives, Cornwall

This gate has a charming house design on it!

Rose Lane Church, Now a Memorial, St Ives

St Ives

Beautiful arches, gates and doors here!

St Ives

Popincourt, St Ives

The Door at the End of the Lane, St Ives

Old Overhead Door at Hain Steamship Co, St Ives

Doesn’t that logo on the Hain Door look like the Hanes Socks Logo? Hmmmmm……..

The Seagulls’ Door, St Ives

A Door to a Secret Garden, St Ives

Another Red Door with Gate in St Ives

One of My Favorite Lanes in St Ives (and Another Gate!)

St Ives

Doors in St Ives tended to be blue, followed by red, followed by black.

St Ives

Norway House, St Ives

The Norway Grocery, St Ives

And then every once in a while another color is thrown into the mix. Changes things up a bit!

Maize Colored Door, St Ives

The Corn Colored Door, St Ives

Now the Traditional Butchers Shop door is quite regular.

Traditional Butchers, St Ives

It was what was brought in every morning through the door that I watched for!

Meat! St Ives

There were just so many great doors, nooks and crannies in St Ives! I think I got the best! See you tomorrow in St Ives!

This is just one of many photos in the Thursday Door Collection featured by Norm2.0! Won’t you join in or take a peak at all the doors?

Reason to Love St Ives # 6: The Cottages

The Anchorage B&B, St Ives, Cornwall

I could spend hours walking the lanes and looking at the cottages! And I did! Enjoy St Ives!

The Oldest Cottage in St Ives

The Oldest House Plaque, St Ives

The Waters Edge Cottage

Downlong Cottage, St Ives

The Grey Mullet Guest House, St Ives

A View from the Hill, St Ives

The Victorian Cottages

Street an Garrow, St Ives

Norway House, St Ives

Itsy Bitsy Cottage, St Ives

The New Cottage on the Hill, St Ives

With Garden, St Ives

On the Beach, St Ives

The Cutest Cottage, St Ives

The Narrow Lanes in St Ives

Cottage Row, St Ives

Over the Water, St Ives

The Ivy on the Wall, St Ives

See you tomorrow in St Ives!

Reason to Love St Ives #5: The Cornish Pasty

Skys Diner, St Ives, Cornwall

A pasty is a baked pastry, a traditional variety of which is particularly associated with Cornwall and the men who worked in the tin mines. It is made by placing an uncooked filling, typically meat and vegetables, on one half of a flat shortcrust pastry circle, folding the pastry in half to wrap the filling in a semicircle and crimping the curved edge to form a seal before baking. In Cornwall the pasty must be formed in the shape of a “D” with the crimping to the side. The miners had a complete meal that could be easily carried and eaten without utensils and could stay warm for several hours, and if it did get cold, it could easily be warmed up on a shovel over a candle. The pasty was side crimped so the miner might hold the edge of the pastry so his dirty fingers (possibly including traces of arsenic) did not touch his food or his mouth. The edges of the pasty were thrown away. Often pasties were marked at one end with an initial, so the miner could recognize his pasty if it was not eaten all at once. There is a belief that the pastry on a good pasty should be strong enough to withstand a drop down a mine shaft, and the barley flour that was usually used did make hard dense pastry.

The Skys Diner was packed everyday and was also busy with tourists taking out shopping bags full of pasties!

The Pasties

Warrens Bakery, St Ives, Cornwall

The traditional Cornish pasty, is filled with beef, sliced or diced potato, swede (also known as yellow turnip or rutabaga ) and onion, seasoned with salt and pepper, and is baked. Today, the pasty is the food most associated with Cornwall. It is regarded as the National Dish and accounts for 6% of the Cornish food economy. And Warrens is the Oldest Cornish Pasty Maker in the World!

Philps Pasties, St Ives

At Philps Pasty you can eat in, take out, or you can get your pasties by Post! Everyone’s needs met! See you again tomorrow in St Ives!

Reason to Love St Ives #4: The Food

The Rum and Crab

How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways! St Ives, the rustic, charming, seaside town has so many restaurants tucked in here and there! And to our great surprise the food is very good quality and Very, Very, Did I say Very ? Reasonably Priced! No wonder from sunup to sundown the masses are flocking to St Ives! There are large groups of families here to sun and spend a day at the beach………and then Eat. There are retired folks coming from their camper vans to spend their day…… and then Eat! There are folks staying at the large spa on the hill and coming into St Ives for the day……. to Eat. And then once the sun goes down it is quiet and…… we Eat! I never saw any foolishness in the streets (AKA drunks) and I never saw a policeman either. This is the Family Town! No doubt about it. It is made to enjoy! Now let’s look at some more Eateries!

S H Ferrell & Son Bakery, St Ives

There are over 20 bakeries in St Ives! Just try to pick your favorite! I bet you will have a hard time!

The Tea Room, St Ives

The Tea Room, St Ives

I couldn’t get a picture of The Tea Room outside because it would only show a line of people waiting to get in! Get there early and it is worth the wait for an outside table with a view of the beach! As you can see from the pictures they serve more than tea! We ate there more than once too!

St Ives Harbour View Restaurant, St Ives

That’s an Understatement!!!

Look up and down every small lane! You will find the most interesting places tucked away!

The Lifeboat Inn, St Ives

The Mex, St Ives

The Mex meets your burrito, fajitas, BBQ ribs, chili fix!

Bumbles Tea Room, St Ives

Love the Map on Bumbles Windows!

Olives Cafe, St Ives

I love the fish railing at Olives!

Peppers Pizza, St Ives

Did I say YUMMY or what?

The Cornish Deli, St Ives

We LOVED the Cornish Deli and ate there more than once. I was so busy talking to the folks in there I never got a picture of the food! However, my favorite was their homemade crab sandwich!

The Golden Lion Restaurant and Beer Garden, St Ives

And you must not miss the beer garden! As you can see there are oodles of choices to eat at in St Ives! But we MUST have the famous Cornish Pasty! More on that tomorrow!

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Travel, Gardens, Food, Photography, Books, Shoes

Posts tagged ‘Photo Travel Themes’

JNW’s Halloween Challenge: Spooky

The Potting Shed, Benenden, Kent, UK, Post Two

JNW’s Halloween Challenge: Ghost

The Garden That Fairy-Tales are Made Of; Post One

Reason to Love St Ives #8: The People Are the Salt of the Earth

Reason to Love St Ives # 7: Sculpture and Barbara Hepworth Garden

Thursdays Doors: St Ives Again

Reason to Love St Ives # 6: The Cottages

Reason to Love St Ives #5: The Cornish Pasty

Reason to Love St Ives #4: The Food

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