It was a great Saturday. Very relaxing. Soft light and the lullaby of rain. I love the rain.
I love the sound as the droplets of water dance on the ground and windows. I love the clean shining look of the world full of reflections and shimmering lights. At one point it rained very hard and the rain waster danced with fury on the ground. So I was sitting on the sofa reading my book while the rain fell. It was very relaxing.
I'm really enjoying the book "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell." It's a real pager turner! Here is the Synopsis:
I'm really enjoying the book "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell." It's a real pager turner! Here is the Synopsis:
"Two magicians shall appear in England. The first shall fear me; the second shall long to behold me…
Centuries ago, when magic still existed in England, the greatest magician of them all was the Raven King. A human child brought up by fairies, the Raven King blended fairy wisdom and human reason to create English magic. Now, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, he is barely more than a legend, and England, with its mad King and its dashing poets, no longer believes in practical magic.
Then the reclusive Mr Norrell of Hurtfew Abbey appears and causes the statues of York Cathedral to speak and move. News spreads of the return of magic to England and, persuaded that he must help the government in the war against Napoleon, Mr Norrell goes to London. There he meets a brilliant young magician and takes him as a pupil. Jonathan Strange is charming, rich and arrogant. Together, they dazzle the country with their feats.
But the partnership soon turns to rivalry. Mr Norrell has never conquered his lifelong habits of secrecy, while Strange will always be attracted to the wildest, most perilous magic. He becomes fascinated by the shadowy figure of the Raven King, and his heedless pursuit of long-forgotten magic threatens, not only his partnership with Norrell, but everything that he holds dear. "
It was such a calm day :-) It's so nice to have soft light and rain falling and to spend the day reading. It's great when you are really entranced by a novel. The sent of the rain was so good. The scent of the rain and the tempestuous grey skies reminded me of the ocean. I would have loved to have gone and sat on a cold wind swept beach and watched the waves crash into the shore!
I was too busy reading and enjoying the rain to cook today :-D So I went out into the soft rain and got some traditional English food... namely: Fish and chips :-D
It was a very good Saturday! Hopefully tomorrow is as good and as relaxing. I will be making some Spaghetti Bolognaise and drinking red wine... :-) I hope your Saturday was good!
- Martin 2005
PS: Heather... have some trouble finding that story! It might be on the other computer. I'll post it up as soon as I find it! Might not be Sunday... but it will be, hopefully, be soon! If I can't find it then I will let you know :-)
34 comments:
Agree with M - "It must have been raining pretty hard that you can actually see the drops falling."
It is quite tough to capture rain drops like that. Good job!
M: Your welcome for the photo, but thanks for the wonderful memory! I like that! Must have been great to stomp out in the rain and float those little boats down the street! I'm sure it's a treasured memory. Glad to have reminded you of it!
a: It was raining very hard :-) I also set the camera to F2.8 so to slow the shot down and capture the rain drops. I also zoomed in which I think helped too.
- Martin
I don't like rain but that pic is nice :) And at any rate I think even *I* would welcome a little rain in Spain - we're going through such a severe drought :(
It does sound like a nice Saturday!
CRISTINA: Hope it cools soon :-) I especially hope it cools before I get there :-D
As much as I love Spain and call it "La casa de mi corazon y alma" ( home of my heart and soul ) I'm not sure I could actually live there. I think I would miss the clouds we have here. I would miss the rain ( I know crazy to you haha ) and miss that soft light you get. I'm kind of odd. I like the sunlight, but I can't stand it to be all bright and sunny constantly! Give me long winter nights and soft autumn light :-)
- Martin
so impressed with your capture of the rain! i have had no success doing that yet, but i will try slowing the shutter speed down (but then i need to keep the camera very still...:-( )
my saturday was filled with lots of people, a free concert at a neighbouring cottage, great food and much red wine. (canadian baco noir was the choice of the day.)
this morning i sat on the deck and listened to the thunder rolling in off the lake & it has just now started to rain. i, too, love the rain. my company will leave around noon & i plan to stretch out on the sofa and read my book. a wonderful way to spend a day.
i am even more intrigued with your book: a definite must read.
don't worry about the story...if you find it, great and if not, well....you come up with great posts anyways.
hope your sunday is as pleasant at your saturday.
~heather~
HEATHER: Sounds like you are having a nice weekend too. :-)
I liked the picture of the rain too. It was great to catch it. Like the way everything is wet and glimmering. My camera has an image stabilisation system and I also leaned on the rail when taking the photo. I think both things helped. Also, I am quite sure that zooming in helped also. Well, lots of guess work and experimentation. Still so much to learn about photography!!!
I'm about to crack open a bottle of red wine myself! Better save some to put into my spaghetti bolognese :-D I took a wild chance ( as I sometimes like to do ) on a new and cheap bottle of wine. Friday I was a bit burned by that because it was nasty! But hopefully today it's much better.
Sitting on the deck listening to the rain and thunder sounds wonderful. Really my kind of thing! I'm about to stretch out on my sofa with my book and wine! Enjoy your book :-)
Oh and my book is very good! Will be interested to hear your views and opinions when you finally get your hands on it!
Should be able to find the story. Looked again today on my computer and it's not here. I think I will have to drag the old pc out of it's hiding place and upload it to an email account of mine. Will track it down :-D Just when I can be brave enough to get into all that junk :-D
Hope your Sunday is a wonderful one! :-)
- Martin
Oh, it's just the summer that's so sterrible. Our winter nights are long all right! :D
But I know what you mean. For me it's the opposite. As much as I love England - you have too much rain over there for my liking!
CRISTINA: This is what holidays are made for! :-D If you could give Spain our skies and climate I would love to move there :-D
Funny how the place you live shapes your perceptions of things.
One of my favourite memories is sitting in a cafe in Spain drinking my cafe con leche. This Spanish women came into the cafe saying to the barman "Oooooh tengo frio" ( I am cold ) and... it was 20.c !!!! That's summer here!!!! I wouldn't start wearing a coat till it's around maybe 10.c :-D
- Martin
- Martin
Martin, the rain in Spain falls mainly in...Galicia. There is a link on this at http://colindavies.net/ . I have heard that Galicia and the northern coast of Spain are good to visit in the summer because they're not crowded.
You are right about how where we live shapes our perceptions about things, especially weather. When my sister lived in San Diego, California, where it's nearly always sunny and pleasant, she told me that once she tried to get her colleagues out of the office for lunch, but they said they could not go out because it was raining!
The fish & chips look yummy. Reminds me of when I went to London and would save money to buy half-price theatre tickets by living on fish & chips and delicious Indian food.
You know the farthest north that I have been is Valencia! I would like to see the north. I have heard it called "green Spain" Maybe next time :-D
A diet of fish & chips and Indian? Mmmm yummy! That does not sound much of a sacrifice :-D
- Martin
That is not good at all, that fish and chips pic:) Ive had that so many times over the last few days and this pic isnt helping.should i go out ? order or eat the monitor aor wipe the drool of the keyboard.
And its raining
Ubermensch
Nice to see a photo of a cool summer rain. Even here, way up in the northern US, it seems those soothing rains have become rare. Now it's day after day of 90-95 F and when it rains it's as if the sky is falling. Your post at least allows me to recall cool breezes and a summer showers!
UBER: I wonder if you went out and got those chips? :-D
JMHOUSE: The rain here has been quite rare these days. Although not as hot as you have it there! I was so glad to see the rain. So refreshing and calming. Glad I could send a little your way :-)
- Martin
Beautiful - especially the one with the rain.
cafe con leche...my favourite! the only spanish i know: cafe con leche and cerveca por favor(sp)...i got along just fine in mexico!
BRIAN: Thanks a lot :-) Looking at your photographs that's really a big compliment!
JUST ME: Cafe con leche! Yeah great! Perfect drink to be sitting and people watching at some cafe :-)
Ah yeah and una cerveza por favor :-D
That's it! You are set! apart from a 2 others! after having a few cerveza you will need to ask donde esta los servicios! ( where are the toilets ) amd of course quiero chocolate ( I want chocolate )
That's ALL you need :-D
Hey, I guess we are both posting while at working! Blogs are a good work pass time ;-)
- Martin
nope, not at work: at the cottage. it is a holiday monday here. but i usually am posting while at work cause i sit at a computer all day long.
~h~
Ah yeah, forgot! Well hope you are having a really nice one!
- Martin
Best of the north of Spain are the anchovies.
And I can realte to the story of the woman on the cafe. Being in La Mancha in January and February was like heaven to me what the weather is concerned. No coat needed ever. And all the others said ... you may have guessed it: tengo frio. :)
funny but spain has never been on my wish list. i don't know why: not many people from here seem to go there. people are more likely to go to portugal for a holiday. neighbours went to portugal a few years ago and brought me back the best spanish olive oil! (you had to know it would have a food theme!)
BORYA: I guess too you are used to the cold. I'm guessing that Bavaria is really cold place in the winter time?
JUST ME: Spain is great! I love Spanish food the best. The food is amazing. You would like it :-)
I plan to stock up on load of foodie stuff while I am there. Spanish hot chocolate has to be tasted to be believed! It's so thick and rich. Nothing like American or UK hot chocolate. So much better! I also will get lots of nice Extra virgin olive oil, chorizos, jamon, and some good cheap red wines. Rioja :-)
Oh and I found that story! Will post soon as I edit it. Wrote that a looong time ago and it needs editing before I post it up.
- Martin
- Martin
Martin, LOL my mother would love to have you over to her house! She is *always* cooking or planning the next big meal. My sister and I are amazed that we are not obese and/or diabetic having grown up with so much food around.
Can you drink wine from a bota? I haven't done that in so long. Fun!
I found something close to Spanish hot chocolate at Starbucks, of all places. It's called Chantico. Pricey but worth it.
Wonderful to have time to look out on the rain and celebrate it, to read a book and celebrate it, to really see and taste your food...and celebrate it. Nice post.
I like the sea photo, it looks so calm and soothing! Sigh, din get to look at the sea for few months d :P I miss the smell of the sea so badly :P ANyway, the fish and chip that u got looks bit different from the fish and chip here~
FINNEGAN: I love the surreal way your mind works! Strange associations are always my business! :-D
ACRIX: I can imagine it's very different. You see it's much larger portion than the ones that you are used to?
- Martin
Oye Martin, cuando seras en Andalucia? Yo sera en Albacete aproximatamente por el fin de semana del dia 15 al dia 17. Pero creo que no hay una posibilidad para encontrarnos, verdad? Quizá debemos cambiar correos en eso respecto. Y no habla sobre eso en mi blog, por favor. ;)
so subtle, boris....
Rain is awesome...as long as I'm sitting inside. When I'm hiking, it's a bad, bad time!
BORYA! I will email you! And btw, my Spanish isn't that good! I had to run it through the translator ;-)
JUST ME: :-D
JUST WANDERING: Well, I like to be out in the rain and feel it on my skin too :-)
- Martin
Heather, no need to be subtle here. This is a safe room. :) I just felt for typing in Spanish. And since my Spanish is not good, don't run it through a translator, Martin. I'll e-mail you about it.
BORYA: Thank you :-)
- Martin
i am finally home so now i can actually see the pictures! i just want to jump into that rain picture and let the rain wash over me. on the weekend i had some chores to do outside & it started raining so i put my bathing suit on...and worked in the rain (it wasn't raining that hard).
the fish and chips look yummy...comfort food of sorts.
Question Martin - Not ever having seen real English fish and chips, why are the chips so small (short)? Are the done that way on purpose?
Inquiring minds want to know.
JUST ME: Hey, that's great you went out into the rain with your bathing suit. I love the feel of the rain on my skin. I bet it felt wonderful.
Yes, fish and chips is comfort food. I often feel like having some when it's cold and wet. Seems to be just write to be eating it!
BILL: The chips are not really that short. I suppose compared to french fries they are! And yeah the are suppose to be that way. They are thick cut. Very nice. An American friend said they are like steak fries but I don't agree. Been to the U.S and they aren't like steak fries. They have a certain taste and style all of their own. Frying them at home never gets the same result. Traditional to cover them in salt and vinegar :-D
Hard to explain without tasting them! I hope that helps a bit though :-)
- Martin
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