German ways

Arrival at Farnkfurt

Our first week almost behind us it has brought family reunions, celebration of my parents 50th wedding anniversary and a landscape which is summer warm and absolutely wonderful.

Volkach on Main

It was wonderful to be reunited with my second oldest son, my parents, sisters and all their families! We talked and laughed together until the sun came up in the morning...



Hotel Four Seasons, Volkach

Brothers reunited...

Me and my sisters...


The region of Franconia in northern Bavaria filled with vineyards and soft rolling hills along the Main river! The food is excellent and the wine even better!




We visited Wuerzburg, the next big city and attractive university town with a most impressive former prince bishop residence.




Horsebackriding in the country side...



Today we left the area to drive towards Munich to visit old friends and here we are now, me just now squeezing a few minutes to tell a little about it!
Via a small thermal bath town south of Munich, where we spend one day, we will go on route to Italy!

So, dear readers, I will report back in a few days, when we reach Venice...


XX
Victoria




All pictures by V.Zlotkowski

Sansepolcro

Our foothold in Italy is a wonderful farmhouse in Sansepolcro, a little up in the mountains, overlooking the Tiber valley and only one hour by car east of Florence.






Internet search made it possible and we are so excited about the location. It's sumptuous wine country, hiking country and the cultural cradle of all things beautiful Italian.
We had entertained the idea of going to Italy for a couple of years now, but this time we feel our younger children will be able to truly absorb some new impressions and do not only rely on playgrounds and swimming pools! Touring will be possible and some memories will hopefully be brought back to last a lifetime.

We have a wonderful itinerary, my list to visit places is long, beginning with Florence, its museums and surroundings, Pisa, a visit to Rome and many local explorations. Sansepolcro is the birth place of Piero della Francesca, who's murals and painting are still to be seen in Sansepolcro. I am so inspired by the Italian renaissance and architectural greatness!

Italy has always in my mind been the place for La dolce Vita, a place to receive beauty and to find peace in wonderful landscapes. I will try to do this too, to leave the needs behind and just let the simple life be my guide. Local foods, walks in the mountains, cooking with my darling mother in law and just being with all my children will give me more then I could ask for!
Perhaps some painting will be done and sketches of the landscapes...Photography is my passion, so many pictures will come back with me.

Just let us all be safe, sound, healthy and return home full of energy for a new school and work year ahead!

Wishing you all the most delightful summer!


XX
Victoria


Pictures from the vacation website.

Summer freshness

Thinking of exotic locale always brings bedrooms filled with colors and textures to my mind. I found beautiful examples in the current Achitectural Digest and Canadian's House and Home magazines.








I do not remember, where I found the next two images, but I fell instantly in love with them!



And these two pretties are from Anthropologie....





I hope you find them as refreshing as I do!


XX
Victoria



Pictures via Architectural Digest, House and Home mag, Anthropologie and unknown sources.

Out of Africa

"In the daytime you felt that you had got high up,
near to the sun, but the early mornings and evenings
were limpid and restful, and the nights were cold."
Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen)

image


Her story is in my mind forever interwoven with the movie...


There are movies I watch every year, like visiting old friends... Out of Africa is such a movie. Karen Blixen wrote under the pen name Isak Dinesen and so essentially captured the spirit and times of colonial Africa wrapped in a timeless love story. Her story.

Blixen 1922 in Nairobi.

I’m sure I’m in good company when I say that I love that movie beyond reason. It’s three hours of yearning and passion and hardship and loss. My kind of film.
Meryl Streep and Robert Redford and are wonderful together...


The incredible designs - fashion and interiors have influenced me since I saw the movie the first time, many years ago. Since then I love the classic British colonial look. I really adore most of her dresses in this movie, especially the delicate dressing gowns and lace shawl things she wears while storytelling. The veils, gloves, khaki riding pants and dark leather boots.


And then there are of course the exteriors...and interiors! Not from the movie, but inspired by it and African colonial design. Images from here.

Seen at vignettedesign.blogspot.com

Seen at designspongeonline.com.
Around the world bed from here.

The following images are designs by the South African designer John Jacob. They are perfect modern interpretations of colonial design.





And while wandering through many sites probing Out of Africa interiors I stumbled upon this amazing place in ...Africa, the Royal Malewane & Africa House. A hotel which made my heart skip a beat...




Found here.

All interiors by Liz Biden.
image

It's hot and I dream of Africa!


XX
Victoria



All pictures as indicated.