July 2012 – The end of an era

At the beginning of July a major change happened in my life, when my relationship with Saboohi came to a sudden end. It was the start of a very difficult period for me, I wanted so much to try and make the relationship work and didn’t want to end it at that moment in our lives but I soon realised that it was the right decision for both of us. We have had a wonderful 5 years together and have some truly wonderful memories that will last for the rest of our lives but as a long term partnership we just had too little in common and were not compatible. My hope now is that in the future we will be able to salvage a good friendship from our time together - I guess time will tell. My fingers are crossed.

26 April 2011 to 29 April 2011 – Surprise 50th Birthday House Party in Devon

For my 50th birthday Saboohi told me that she was taking me away to a cottage in Devon, how lovely...just the 3 of us Saboohi, myself and the gorgeous Lilia. Perfect. When we arrived at the beautiful Beaconsfield House just outside Bideford Saboohi took me in to see our “cottage” and then insisted that we rush over to main house for a tour that started promptly at 4 pm. “Has someone famous lived here?” I enquired “No I don’t think so” Saboohi replied. I thought it a little odd at that point that there would be a formal tour of the house but I just went along with it....I’m on holiday! As we entered through the main door we walked into a huge hallway, it looked beautiful. “There is no-one here!” I observed. “Are you sure there is a tour?” At this point Saboohi was wandering in and out of the rooms as if it was her own home while I felt a little more inhibited about being there with no host around. “say hello” said Saboohi. “Who to? There’s no-one here??” I replied. Now I was starting to worry about Saboohi’s sanity and starting to feel uncomfortable about being in this grand house with Saboohi ferreting around as though she was going to run off with the silver at any moment. “Let’s go out into the Garden, perhaps the tour has started” she suggested. Phew, I was out of there like a shot. As we walked to the back of the house I saw a group of people loitering underneath some trees and thought, a long last we have found the group! It took me some moments to realise that I knew all of these people standing under the trees and that Saboohi had hired the whole house along with the 5 extra cottages and 25 acres of woodland so that she could give me a surprise 50th Birthday Weekend with my friends. The most wonderful surprise and gift anyone has ever given me, it was fabulous.
Everything was planned to perfection by Saboohi. Carly-Ann Wright a former colleague of ours from Carshalton College, came along to do all the cooking for us and boy she did a great job, home cooked lasagne, trifles, cakes etc etc. Cooking for 15 to 20 people would scare me to death but she did a fabulous job. On my Birthday we had a celebration dinner in the evening, 5 courses (poor Carly) and a live Jazz Band followed by a disco. All planned to perfection of course.
We spent 3 days relaxing, eating, drinking, chatting together and waling the dogs around the 25 aces of private land. Everyone who has a dog was invited to bring them along and all together there were about 8 dogs in residence. They all got on so well and of course Lilia was the boss! It was lovely to see her at home in the big house running up to the bedroom to rest when she wanted to and then out into the woods to explore a little. She had a ball.
On our second day at the house we had a team of masseurs arrive to give us all a treatment (massage, facial, reflexology etc), very indulgent and such a treat. The weather was wonderful for the whole 3 days (best of 2011) and so the hot tub and swimming pool in the garden became a gathering place during the day. How lucky were we.
This was a birthday that I will never forget .

20 April 2011 to 23 April 2011- Holiday in Todi, Italy

Tim and Annie Lyth have been inviting us to spend time with them in their house in Todi for some time now and this April we finally booked the flights to Rome and went over to spend a few days with them both. Whilst at Carshalton College together Saboohi and I heard all about the renovation work that Tim and Annie were carrying out on the house. It was fairly basic and tired when they purchased it but with the use of local architects and artisans they have taken the little house through a remarkable renaissance and now it is truly a beautiful home. The hill top village of Todi is stunning and architecturally very beautiful. Most homes benefit from breathtaking views due to their elevated positions and Tim and Annie’s house is no exception. see it at: http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/italy/it4573.htm

There was an art festival on in Todi during the few days we were there. Annie and I both found a painting each which we wanted to buy. My idea was to purchase the painting as a 50th Birthday present and to ask family and friends to donate money towards it instead of buying individual presents. I had seen a painting in Laigueglia that I had thought of buying (back in February) but it was priced at 2800 euros so it was too expensive. The painting in Todi was by an Italian Artist called Stefano Puleo. He has a Gaugin painting style, bold colours and cartoon style faces (see photo). This painting was of a group of women in a cafe. Quite alluring and sexy in dress but what attracted me was the bold colours. It is a screen print (limited to 99) which has then been hand finished by the artist. The price for my painting was 1000 euros and Annie’s was 2800 euros. Of course we sent in our secret weapon to negotiate on our behalf – Saboohi. Even working in a foreign language Saboohi is an accomplished negotiator and she finally secured the sale for us at 2800 euros for the 2 paintings! Well done Saboohi.

On the Friday (Good Friday) we went to Assisi for the day. I haven’t visited Assisi since I toured Italy with my friend Karen Grainger back in 1981 but there was little change. We visited the basilica (which has been restored since it was partly demolished by an earthquake in the 90s) and we also visited Santa Clara. When I visited Assisi last time her charred body was on display in the church with a nun sitting by the side of her, keeping constant vigil. Today however her remains have been moved and she is no longer on display.

Tim and Anni also took us to visit a remarkable village that is perched on top of a small peak that has a valley all around it, called Bagnoreggio. When you see it for the first time it takes your breath away it is so unusual. You have to cross a small suspension bridge to get into the village and the only vehicles that can cross the bridge are the little 3 wheeled vehicles, that you find over on the continent. It is a really magical place and yet many Italians have never heard of it it seems.
A gorgeous and memorable few days. Thanks Tim and Annie.

Sunday 20 February 2011: Laigueglia Revisited

A wet and grey day today but our spirits were not dampened. Paola had suggested that we drive down to Laigueglia to spend the day remembering the past, seeing our old haunts and enjoying the beauty and serenity of this truly magical and beautiful village by the sea. We have both spent many happy family holidays in this Ligurian seaside village and it holds very many joyful memories for us. We walked along the promenade, the pier and then down through the ancient cobbled pedestrian heart of the village, Via Dante. What I love about Laigueglia is that it has hardly changed at all and so the ghosts of our past are as vivid today as they have ever been. Unfortunately the Pensione Marialina where Paola and her family used to stay has now been converted into appartments so it was sad that she was no longer able to go in and see it how it used to be. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant called the Pinguin (means someone who is finicky apparently)and then called in to Tre Ciuffi Hotel (where I have always stayed when visiting Laigueglia)to see the Garassino family. What a treat it was to see them all and they were all here too. Antonietta, Danilo and Manuela were all down from Milan, Franco, Giovanna, Mario and Marilina were there and Massimo even came round to say "Hi". They are like my second family and so it was very special to see them and to introduce Paola and Paolo to them too at long last. A truly wonderful and memorable day! (photos show Paola and I on the pier and Antonietta, Manuela, Marilina and Giovanna at the door to Tre Ciuffi Hotel).

Saturday 19 February 2011: Turin, Italy

A couple of weeks ago I received a message via Facebook from a very dear friend of mine that I hadn't seen or heard from in over 25 years. Paola and I first met whilst on holiday in Laigueglia,Italy when she was just 14 years old and I was 16. I didn't speak any Italian at that time and Paola had only just started to learn English at School so we found a common language in French and started to get to know each other. Our friendship grew and we kept in regular contact with each other via letters and postcards and when we could we met up for our Summer Holidays in Laigueglia. For some reason at the end of the 1980's we lost touch with each other but thankfully modern technology has now brought us back together again. I was so thrilled to hear from Paola that I quickly arranged to come over to Turin so that we could catch up on our lost years. So yesterday I arrived in Turin and have the pleasure now of spending 3 whole days with Paola and her partner Paolo. It was beautiful sunshine when we awoke this morning, a perfect day for walking around Turin and doing a bit of sightseeing. We visited Turin's Egyptian Museum first. I didn't realise that Turin was home to the best Egyptian collection of artefacts outside of Cairo and I was really impressed both by the collection and the museum itself which has a long history of its own. Today we also visited Turin Cathedral San Giovanni Battista to see the Holy Shroud (the cloth that Christ's body was believed to have been wrapped in when it was brought down from the cross. I came to this Cathedral 33 years ago with my dad, when we were visiting Paola here in Turin, so it brought back some lovely memories. The Shroud has been moved now though to a more secure place in the Church to help to preserve and protect it. Whatever your faith or beliefs it is a fascinating artefact with a history that has intrigued and challenged mankind for many centuries now. The photo attached shows Paola and I enjoying a coffee in the Cafe Reale which sits beside the Cathedral - you can't beat Italian coffee. This was a great day, spent reminiscing, sightseeing and of course lots of eating and drinking.

Christmas Day 2010: Oxwich Bay

The weather has been so wintery leading up to Christmas that we were both worried that we wouldn't actually make it through to Wales for our 4 day stay at The Oxwich Bay Hotel. Our luck was in though and our drive from London to The Gower was smooth and uneventful. On Christmas Day we awoke to a brilliant blue sky, it was crisp and cold outside but absolutely beautiful. After a hearty Welsh breakfast sitting by the open fire in the hotel we set off for our walk along the beach and covered the full length of Oxwich Bay. This is the first white christmas that I can remember for many years and to celebrate I brought Saboohi a sledge which I thought would satisfy her insatiable thirst for thrills and fun activity. After a 2.5 hour walk we returned to the Hotel for a 7 course Christmas Day meal - with all the trimmings. This is the kind of Christmas I really love, enjoying beautiful new scenery, relaxing and letting someone else do the cooking. We should go away every year!

Saboohi's 40th Birthday

A full itinery was planned for this special day starting with a frantic drive down to the Devon coast. It was meant to be a leisurely drive but we were told by the Burgh Island Hotel that in order to ensure that the causeway would still be open for us to cross over to the island, we needed to be there by 13.40. Saboohi relished the opportunity to push my little Porsche to it's limit and she certainly did that with constant speeds over 100 mph. We arrived at Bigbury-on-Sea in brilliant sunshine and the island shone like a jewel in the sea as we drove down to the beach - absolutely beautiful. A landrover was sent to pick us up and take us across to the island as the sea was still out and the causeway was full of walkers, kite flyers and dogs. We had lunch in the ancient Pilchards Inn which is the only other building on the island other than the Hotel and Church and then booked into our room. We were staying in The Beach House, the best room in the Hotel that is set into the side of the cliff on the island and looks out across the sea to Bigbury. In the 1920's and 30's it was the favourite haunt of Agatha Christie (she wrote 2 books here)and Edward and Mrs Simpson. It is a proper house and has seperate bedroom, kitchen, living area and shower room and bathroom. A fantastic hideaway. We had a bottle of champagne awaiting our arrival and then I had a massage and manicure booked for Saboohi at 17.00 in the Hotel. Before the massage however Saboohi wanted to try out the Hotel's Mermaid Pool. It is a natural lagoon that forms part of the island and boy was it cold. Saboohi threw herself in but it was just too cold for me. At the Burgh Island Hotel everyone dresses up for Dinner, evening dresses for the ladies and bow ties and evening suits for the gentlemen. It is so rare to dress up these days that it was a real treat and Saboohi looked beautiful in a long dark blue evening dress and plenty of bling! We started with a VERY strong Singapore Sling in the bar which blended very nicely with the bottle of Bollinger! The dinner was, needless to say, delicious. I had ordered a Birthday Cake for Saboohi (see photo) which was brought in by the Chef with a firework on top and accompanied by a number of waiting staff singing Happy Birthday! To finish off this very special day we went out onto the hotel terrace to light 5 Chinese Lanterns, one for each of Saboohi's 10 years and a final lantern for Saboohi to make a wish. A magical end to a memorable day. Happy Birthday Saboohi! Here's to the next 40. xx