The Vintage Bazaar at Hartley Wintney ....

I have had a very frustrating week with no internet and no 'phone but we are, once again, in the land of the telephonically connected and I can update this blog.  I wanted to put on photos of the things I'm taking to the Vintage Bazaar at Hartley Wintney tomorrow - better late than never ....

... pretties on a pink theme ....

I just love this chocolate box:  a crinoline lady done in ruched ribbon with embroidered flowers!

And things on a theme of green ...

Wooden dogs ...

Wooden people ...

... and carved lumps of wood.  Now I just have to get it all in the Yeti.

During the summer holidays my mind was doing its usual flightly flitting from project to project, unable to settle, like an unshriven soul.  The result is the next clutch of knitted birds which hatched over the summer holidays. We are lucky enough to live within a flea hop of the Thames and often spend a weekend afternoon strolling along the tow path so the inspiration here is water fowl ...

The knitted swan now has a signet.

A knitted sitting duck.

And a knitted flying duck.  Be careful how you say that.

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan, A stately pleasure-dome decree ...

We revisited Sintra this summer, Northern Man, Big Girl, Youngest Child and myself.  Only Son stayed at home to cat-sit and plant-water.  Sintra is a left over from the days when Portugal had royalty who didn't like to get too hot in summer and headed for the nearest hills to cool off followed, only naturally, by anyone else with money or a title.  The result is a town filled with castles, palaces and villas some of which are open to gawpers and many of which are now very nice hotels or private homes.

My favourite is Qunita da Regaleira located just up the hill from the town centre where there are an abundance of follies and fantasy buildings set on a wooded hillside.  Trying to describe it would be impossible so here are the photos ......

Then there's the house itself ....

And inside ....

There is also a Moorish castle perched high on a hill above the town.  It is built around the huge boulders that litter the site ....

That's the royal palace seen from the castle.  The things that look like oast houses sticking out from the top are actually chimneys.
On the neighbouring hilltop is the Pena Palace. Again, words fail me ...

I wasn't allowed to take any photos inside Pena but it is beautifully furnished.

A short way away from Sintra is Monserrate where parts of the gardens have been maturing for several hundred years.  When we last visited the house was not open but it is now being restored and is a joy.  I cannot show you photos as I stupidly forgot the camera.

I hope your summer holidays were as filled with lovely memories as mine.