Exotic Packaging: Jo Malone tissue paper

I got some Jo Malone bath oil for Christmas. Rose. Absolutely delicious. And it came wrapped in this fascinating tissue paper. And the design appears to be based on radicchio. Which is, of course, a kind of lettuce.

It's probably not meant to be a lettuce design but I couldn't help it. It looks just so like.

Exotic Packaging: Penhaligon's tissue paper

Isn't this pretty? If you buy anything from Penhaligons it comes wrapped in this lovely tissue paper. Which not only looks good but lasts a long time; as my collection of Christmas baubles can tell you. It's a slightly crisp tissue and wraps things much better than the softer stuff.

I get my perfume Cornubia from Penhaligons.

Paper Bags: Lord & Taylor Christmas 2

Another lovely Christmas bag from Lord & Taylor.

How clever to make the Christmas tree from folded ribbon. This is really beautiful with the Lord & Taylor logo in silver. Nice quality paper too. Altogether a great bag. I have one framed and hanging on my bathroom wall.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Switzerland: Some Local Views

 

This is where the Chef goes to ski; I go to sit in the sun with my glass of wine, or lie on the sofa in front of a log fire watching a DVD or sewing; and some evenings we go out and eat too much very good food.



This view was taken by the Chef while skiing.
But you can see this pretty ridge from the cable car up to the Pas de Maimbre.

Sunset from the bedroom window.



The new Fondation Pierre Arnaud at Lens (near Crans Montana).

It has the most amazing windows that are, I think, solar panels.

You can see Lens from the flat but not this building.

This amazing rock formation is at Euseigne in the Val d'Herens. We drove past there in the summer and spotted a great herd of goats pastured on this cliff. It was hot and the goats were very smelly.

When the light is right you can see these rocks from the flat.

This is the green roof of Anzere Spa & Wellness.

It's a fabulous way to cover the dull flat roof to the swimming pool.



My favourite sign post: going to Sion? Which way do you fancy today?

And this the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Valere on a hill above the centre of Sion.
Sion is the capital of the Valais.

One of the lovely old larches at Les Rousses. The sun always shines in the Valais.

Another view from the bedroom window and another feature you can see when the light is right. 

This is the Grande Dixence dam far away in the Val d'Herens on the other side of the valley.
This is the tallest gravity dam in the world (whatever that means!).



And another view from the bedroom window. This one is for Betsy.

I love this view of the moon with those strange clouds.

This is a January sunrise. The sky is always changing. It never seems to be the same for 10 minutes at a time. You can see why we love going there; we don't ever have to go far with so much to see right on our doorstep.

Exotic Packaging: Romanian Wine

The other week was a positive social whirl. On the Thursday we went to see the fabulous Stacey Kent and her band at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, and on Friday we were out for dinner with friends.

Not in bed before midnight two nights running. Pretty hard going for people who like to go to bed at about 9.

Anyway, it seems that our friends have a lovely Romanian cleaning lady who brought them a bottle of wine the last time she went home on holiday.

I've got to admit I'm not the sort of person to be attracted by crazy-shaped bottles of alcohol. I've never bought one of those Italy-shaped bottles of limoncello; every second shop in Venice (and no doubt many other places in Italy) sells these bottles but I don't think I know anyone who has bought one.

And when completely different friends bought a bottle of liqueur shaped like an Easter Island statue I was a bit gobsmacked. I can't remember now if they ever dared taste the contents. Which might be terribly good for all I know but I'm not sure I could fancy it.

Call me terribly dull, but basically I prefer my drink from a bottle-shaped bottle. I suspect that Friday evening friends feel pretty much the same way.

Call me extra dull but I don't want bottle of drink with worms or snakes in, or made from lizards or baby mice. Or seagulls. Really? Seagulls? Let's have alcohol made with fruit or grains and leave the protein out.

However, the Friday night friends asked if I would be interested to try this bottle of white wine masquerading as a lady wearing Moldovan national dress. And being, I hope, a polite guest I said yes of course. Why not?

And you know what? Properly chilled it wasn't half bad. Not as dry as I would usually drink; it is labelled demidulce after all, which I suppose must mean semi-sweet and I guess that's what it is.

The traminer grape is (I read online) grown extensively in Austria but also in Moldova, where this wine was made. And the Garling Collection seems to have a variety of interesting bottles for their products. I was very taken with the violin-shaped bottles. I gather that the violin is the national musical instrument of Moldova.

Do you suppose the UK has a national musical instrument? I have never heard of such a thing before.

Anyway, all the wine was drunk. Which has got be be a good thing as I don't think our friends would like to offend their cleaning lady.

Plus, we got home made soup for dinner. And you can't beat a good home made soup.

Tree Identification № 3: Tulip Tree

The Tulip Tree, Liriodendron tulipifera (what a great name: it means lily tree producing tulips) is a handsome tree native to the Eastern United States. Or maybe South Eastern Canada to mid-western USA. Books tell you different things. So you don't get that many in North London. We have a little group near where I live which have grown very tall and straight (Tulip Trees can grow up to 36m) and when I have been to look, the flowers seem to be mostly right at the top. Obscured by the plentiful glossy leaves.

The saddle-shaped leaves are pretty unusual so definitely worth a look, and the butter yellow autumn colour is lovely, but this tree is really notable for its beautiful green and orange flowers. If you need a pair of binoculars or a camera with a long lens to see the flowers properly it's a real shame because they are stunning.

So I was thrilled when by chance I found a Tulip Tree in the garden of a local pub. It looks as though it was planted underneath an existing tree so that it has grown rather low and sort of sideways in an attempt to reach the light. And because the tree grows so low you can get a really great look at the flowers. As luck would have it the tree was in full flower when we went for a drink.

Luckily I had a camera with me. Well, you never know when you are going to need one.

Of course, if you are a real expert (which I'm not) you can tell a tree from the bark and buds when there are no leaves at all. Although you can often cheat by looking under the tree. Fallen leaves frequently lie around for longer than you might think (especially if there is a shrub or hedge to protect them from the weather) so take a look around and impress your friends with your expertise.

However, if you want to know, the bark is dark grey and ridged, the shoots are alternate, and the fruits or seed heads are brown and papery; you're looking for the centre of the flower turned a papery brown. The fruits persist through the winter, but you can often spot fallen seeds or entire seed heads lying under the tree.

For me, though, with a Tulip Tree, it's all about the leaves and the sensational flowers. I read that in its native North America the flowers are a source of nectar for humming birds. That would be something to see. Obviously we have no humming birds in North London.

Exotic Packaging: Peruvian Connection Label

I bought a new skirt. It's the first printed garment I have bought for years and years. Almost all my clothes have no pattern at all, but I have a few with embroidery or interesting knitted/crocheted patterns. Then I saw this lovely skirt in the Peruvian Connection catalogue, very long with a nice yoke and pretty pleating at the front, and I thought why not?

And didn't it come with a beautiful label?