Firstly, thank you to In primo piano for the great Thursday Door logo for this year (that I intend to use for the first time) and Dan for hosting this weekly challenge for another year!
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors. I have had a break from doors since Christmas, really to allow me some time to collect a few more doors and I was happy to see everyone was taking a break over the holiday period. Actually, I didn’t even manage to find many new doors, I guess I have been pretty busy with moving continents again.
However, I did manage to find five new doors in Randwick, the suburb I am currently staying at in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, not far from where I used to live. This is our last week here as we move into our new place next week. Hopefully I can find some interesting doors there. Please let me know if you have a favourite this week.
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My favourite has to be number 5 this week as I love the glass panels, the pillars on either side and the brick work of the house. What about you?
If you could un-invent something, what would it be?
PLASTIC! I know it has its many uses and has been a great commodity for humans but it is destroying the planet. When I see and hear of animals being trapped in plastic or eating it, it just breaks your heart. The amount of water and environmental pollution from plastics is horrendous. It doesn’t break down so it’s taking up space in landfill and now it’s causing microplastics that we can also be consuming from animals / water etc.
Let’s go back to simpler times. Anyone remember when milk would be delivered in glass bottles from the milkman? Does that still exist I wonder? I’m glad we are making some changes like reusing carrier bags and making use of reusable bottles / bags etc. I just hope it’s not too late.
Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?
Wow! I feel very fortunate that I could share SO many examples of feeling loved by my friends, family and even work colleagues.
However, I will share today that I feel loved every single day by my amazing husband. We just celebrated 17 years together a couple of days ago and we still tell each other everyday that we love each other.
A simple example could be this morning, when my husband cooked my dinner for me this morning so I would have a meal to eat later in work. I feel loved for that kind gesture, that he didn’t have to do but he wanted to, to make my day that little bit easier. I feel very fortunate indeed.
To be honest I don’t really have much clutter at the moment. As I’m still living out of a suitcase and I don’t own many things at the moment. That is one good thing about moving countries, you de-clutter a lot and it’s actually very refreshing to free yourself from all the material things you gather up. It feels good for the soul.
I don’t really like clutter and I find it makes me less productive and sluggish. If I clear away the clutter, I instantly feel better and more productive. It’s like that saying “clean home, clean mind” or something to that effect.
The one thing I could maybe de-clutter is my email inbox. I really hate when it becomes cluttered with unnecessary emails, for example, rental listings that I am still receiving. I like to turn off notifications, unsubscribe to emails and delete anything not needed. I will also move emails to the junk folder. I do this on a regular basis and could do another clear out today. It’s the same with unwanted texts from companies such as gyms trying to get you to sign up. They can be full on, not taking no for an answer. I like to delete these messages and block the sender so I can have some peace from these companies and have a nice, ‘clean’ inbox.
It has to be a dog! It’s probably the animal I know and trust the best. I can’t say I love every breed of dog out there but any dogs we have ever had as pets, have been truly amazing.
Why do I love dogs? (generally speaking)
– They are friendly and unassuming.
– They are non judgemental.
– They are kind hearted, warm and friendly.
– They are loyal and obedient.
– They are caring. We grew up with a Labrador at home and anytime you had been reprimanded by your parents or were sad for any reason, he would always know and try to console you with a nudge of his nose or a paw on your shoulder.
– They are cute!
– They are super intelligent. I love how they can detect if you are unwell, they can guide you if you cannot see, they can work, be it a police dog, therapy dog or simply chasing away pesky seagulls (as can be seen at the Opera Bar in Sydney).
– They love to walk (not the dog we are currently dog sitting, much to my dismay) which in turn is good for us.
– They release happy chemicals in our bodies just by being with us, such as endorphins, dopamine and serotonin, making us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
– They like to clean our dinner plates 😜 (pre dishwasher of course).
– They love receiving affection and also love to give affection, be it licking your ears or legs!
Ok so my list could actually go on and on but you get the idea. They provide a lot of good things for us humans. Whether I want one right now, is another matter but I do love dogs. There are of course exceptions to my list, just like humans, dogs are not all the same.
Communicate online? So that rules out talking on the telephone, in person, sending text messages etc.
I have just woken up and having my morning coffee, thinking about how I communicate online. Here are my thoughts:
– email
– social media apps such as Facebook & Instagram
– WhatsApp (I think that’s online). I use this for sending messages to friends and family over the internet as it is free. It’s very handy for living in a different country.
– Oh and I almost forgot about here on my blog! This is a very enjoyable method of communicating.
I think that’s my lot. I don’t play games with others online and I don’t participate in chat rooms any more, actually do they still exist?
What about you? How do you communicate online?
Have a great Sunday everyone. I’m looking forward to recharging today.
The first road trip that springs to mind was when we took a road trip to The Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. Our good friends took us there on an unforgettable day trip around Christmas time 2018z
For me, this was the trip I had always associated with Melbourne, Victoria and had always wanted to witness firsthand. I had seen many pictures over the years and to be honest, it didn’t disappoint in real life. The Great Ocean Road was formed to commemorate the sailors and soldiers of the 1st world war.
The drive along this road is spectacular with beautiful ocean views and many places where you can stop and take photos. We happened to drive on a cloudy day and the views were still spectacular. The main aim of the drive for us was to see the 12 apostles at the Port Campbell National Park.
When you reach the apostles you will be mesmerised. However, I must say there were so so many tourists and even more flies!!!! You had to be super careful not to breathe them in.
There are a few different locations to view the apostles so make sure you check them all out. There is a map printed at the visitors centre to help you. Words can’t even describe how amazing this landscape was to see, so be sure to visit soon, as the apostles are subject to some severe weather erosion. There are actually only eight remaining but there are some other rock formations visible. As they are made of limestone, they will be subject to constant changes.
I think this trip stood out for me as it had been on my bucket list for some time and we were able to experience this with good friends during the Christmas season.
Have you ever been here? What was your most memorable road trip?
A banana! Which I will be eating in about 15 minutes. It’s 0540 here in Sydney and I’m on my way to work via the light rail (tram). I always have a banana before I start work, it really keeps me going for a couple of hours before I have breakfast. Without it, I’m a mess. I don’t think I could eat anything else right now. How about you?
What about this for a crazy idea. A store where you can buy furniture online, they deliver it to your house and assemble it for you. That would be absolutely amazing for me right now.
In good news, we have found a beautiful apartment to rent just out of the city. I have to call this morning to pay the deposit and secure the deal.
Next steps will be to buy the furniture and other bits and pieces. I really enjoy buying new furniture etc. but I really hate having to build them. The big items are the worst like a bed and sofa. If the retail store could have their staff assemble them for me, I would be absolutely delighted!
I wonder does this already exist somewhere? I am yet to hear about it.
Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?
I used to love playing with little cartoon figures / figurines and using my imagination to create a world for them. I played with and collected many of these over the years (mostly Disney characters) and it was a great way to play on your own and become lost in a fantasy world. I would make homes for them in my coat and pretend they were living in a den. It sounds funny now but I could have done this for hours. My sister would sometimes play too but her imagination just didn’t quite fit mine most of the time!
Recently my niece and nephew have really enjoyed playing with these type of figures also and so I gave my collection from my youth for them to enjoy over the next few years. My nephew was especially delighted and I hope it brings him the same joy they brought me.
Wow this topic is so HUGE! You could write for hours about ‘your mission’…but I won’t. I wouldn’t want to bore you all.
My mission for now is to find a house to call home for the next six months at least. Today my mission is simply to get through a 12 hour shift that I’m about to start here. I have already dropped my electric toothbrush on my uniform, toothpaste everywhere and stained my uniform for the day ahead, oh dear!
Long term, my mission is to be healthy and happy in life. My mission is to be a good friend / husband / son / brother / uncle / nurse and be a kind person to people I meet on a daily basis. Life is tough, we should be kind to each other. Also life is short so we need to make the most of our time on earth (cliché I know but so true).
That’s it, short, sweet and to the point.
Have a great day everyone. See you this evening, or morning, depending where you are in the world.
What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?
I think it’s only good to live a long life if you have a good quality of life. For example, I’m happy to live a long life if I have all my faculties. I would like to be “compos mentis” but also physically well enough to do things like going for a walk, doing the daily chores. I would hate to be a burden on someone or dependent on someone to help me.
I have met so many older people in my career as a nurse that have simply had enough and would prefer to pass away due to living a poor quality life, either physically, mentally, financially, being dependent or being in pain. It’s excruciatingly sad, especially when you see people praying to God to “take them home” as they are in so much pain and no longer wish to be on earth.
Therefore, I think a good quality life is important, not how long it is. What do you think?
Worry less! I have a tendency to over worry. I am currently doing this with regard to finding somewhere to live. However, I recently met a couple of friends for coffee and they advised about checking out airbnb. I had never thought of this. Upon having a look on the app, I found many places to stay that are the same price as paying rent. I couldn’t believe it. Absolutely amazing and it really takes the pressure of now with having to find somewhere soon. We can simply book a nice room / house for as long as we want and it will be fully furnished. Such a relief. All that worrying for nothing. I never learn 😅.
Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why?
Hmm this is a tricky question. I would say that I spend time thinking of both equally. I don’t like thinking too hard into the future and I don’t like to wish my life away. However, sometimes it’s good to look ahead and try to plan your future somewhat. I would say I probably worry more about the future than dwelling on the past.
I do like to think of the past, either to look back in fondness or as a way of reflection. The past isn’t always easy to look back on with certain things so I try not to dwell on it too much, instead I try to concern myself more about the present.
I want to be in the present, appreciate what’s around me, my family and friends etc. and try to enjoy myself. I need to learn not to stress so much about every day life as things normally will work out in the end ☺️.
I think in America, colleges mean universities. Back in Northern Ireland a college is an academic school that you can attend from 11 years old until you’re 18, or in my case, from 15 – 18 years. However, I will write about the university that I attended as I think that is what this prompt is referring to.
I attended Queen’s University Belfast, not once but twice. I feel extremely blessed to have studied here (especially on 2 occasions) as it is the most prestigious university in the country, has a great reputation in the UK and is ranked within the top 200 universities in the world.
It is a very historic building with fantastic architecture and you can’t help but feel like you’re studying at Hogwarts. It is situated in a beautiful part of Belfast with lots of bars, restaurants and a botanical garden nearby.
I lived in Belfast whilst studying, pretty close to the university (as many students do) and was fortunate enough to be able to work in the students’ union. You really have a sense of belonging to part of the university here and it provided me with the best opportunity for making the most amazing life long friends.
I studied a geography degree firstly as I had no idea what I wanted to study and this seemed like the perfect fit. Although enjoyable, it was extremely difficult to find a job relevant to my degree. After a few years of working in minimum wage jobs, I decided to return to university to study nursing. I was thrilled to return to Queens’s and thoroughly enjoyed my nursing degree. The teaching and clinical skills learned here were fantastic and I have nothing but good things to say. If you study nursing you do not have to pay any fees and they pay you a small subsidy to help with your everyday living costs (as you have 9 placements to carry out as well as studying). The course was full on with a lot of assignments, clinical hours, studying to do etc., however, when you enjoy the course, that is half the battle.
If you are ever in Belfast, this has to be on your list of places to visit!
Graduation 2006Graduation 2015Queen’s University Belfast
Have you attended any colleges / universities? I appreciate they aren’t for everyone and there are so many amazing careers that can be achieved without needing to attend university. The other thing is that they can be extremely pricey. I was looking at studying in Australia before and the fees were extortionate. Even in America, I don’t know how people can afford university. There are extremely expensive to attend. Maybe some of you can enlighten me, I would be intrigued to know your thoughts.
Do you play in your daily life? What says “playtime” to you?
I’m not sure what this means at my age, I guess it could be anything that provides enjoyment in your life. When I think of play, my immediate reaction would be to think of the games I play on my phone. I play these games not to pass the time but more to relax and take my mind of other things. I have been playing the same couple of games for years now (at least 10 years). They started off as a distraction from studying but now they are something I enjoy to do if I have some free time. I may only play these for 15 minutes a day or it could be more if I am procrastinating.
I’m not ashamed to say I play Pet Rescue (this started off as a game on Facebook many years ago) and Pokemon (which I know is often associated with younger people). I find them entertaining, somewhat stimulating and a good distraction from any responsibilities I have.
Am I the only one who plays these? Do you have a favourite game on your phone? Candy crush? Tetris perhaps? Or does anyone remember Snake on the old Nokia phones??
Happy New Year everyone. We have just woken up on the first day of 2024 whilst the rest of the world will be counting down now until midnight (it’s 2340 in Ireland). I hope you all enjoy the celebrations and if not, at least have a good nights sleep.
This will be my third year participating in Bloganuary, a writing challenge where you are prompted to blog every day of January. I usually look forward to these prompts, even just to write something simple, it gives me the encouragement and motivation to keep blogging. I could definitely use this of late as my mojo has been waning. Will anyone else be partaking in this daily writing challenge?
My biggest challenges at the moment are;
1 – to keep up with this blogging challenge. I hope the prompts will be interesting (there can be some dodgy ones).
2 – as most of you will know, we have just returned to Australia. Therefore my biggest challenge is to find a new home to rent. This is difficult due to housing shortages and high rental prices.
3 – to return to my jobs and make a positive impact.
4 – find a new gym that I will love and can afford.
That’s it for now. Not too bad really, as long as I find somewhere to live, everything else will fall into place. What are some of your current challenges?
I love showcasing just one photo per month to look back on the year we just had. It’s good to reflect, see how far we have come and look back with fondness on the memories we have made.
JANUARY – this was one of the many reasons I wanted to be home in Northern Ireland, to celebrate with my Dad on his 60th birthday ☺️ FEBRUARY – this was the first time I became covid positive. Not bad considering covid had been around for nearly 3 years by then. Luckily I only had a sniffle for a day. MARCH – we moved to our favourite little village, Hillsborough. An amazing place to live and we must have visited the forest park here at least once a day. Very therapeutic.APRIL – a beautiful wedding of my friend right in the centre of Ireland. We stayed in Athlone, a beautiful Irish town with lots of charm. MAY – we had a visit from our friend all the way from Texas. We were delighted to show him around Hillsborough and glad to say he really enjoyed seeing the sights (including the local pub). JUNE – we took a visit to Cambridgeshire to visit my sister and her kids. She booked an experience for us to try punting on the river which we absolutely loved. JULY – we tried to do lots of day trips while being home. Here we were at Mussenden Temple, one of our favourite spots to visit along the north coast of Ireland. AUGUST – we headed to Dijon, France to celebrate my 40th birthday and had a truly magical time. A beautiful place to visit with fantastic food and wines. SEPTEMBER – as always in this country, we received a couple of days of summer in September as the kids go back to school. We had to get out and about to make use of the limited sunshine, as it never lasts too long in Northern Ireland. OCTOBER – Another trip over to England to visit my sister. This was the best thing about being home, that you can spend a lot of time with your family and loved ones. This photo was from a stately home in Buckden that we visited. November – Our final visit to England to spend time with my niece and nephew. We took the kids to Wimpole Estate for the annual Christmas lights event. Lots of memories made ☺️DECEMBER – After a lot of thought, we made the hard decision to return to Australia. We had a bumpy ride at home so we thought we would return to Oz for a while and see where the wind takes us. I hope to share more from our lives here in Sydney and hopefully we will have the opportunity to travel more around the country.
I would just like to say thank you for all your encouragement throughout the year and I am very grateful for the connections we have all built in the blogging world. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas if you celebrate and a Happy New Year.
Hello everyone! I want to share with you a massive change in my life of late.
We have decided to return to Australia after having been home in Northern Ireland for the past 16 months. By no means was it an easy decision but our time at home just isn’t meant to be right now.
Who knows what the future will bring but for now we are excited to be back in Australia and look forward to the next chapter in our lives.
Life is short and you have to live it to the fullest, no regrets. I look forward to sharing more of my life / travels in Australia with a few doors thrown in along the way.
We are dog sitting at present until we find our own property and will be spending Christmas low key with the dog and the sunshine. There will be no snow here for Christmas!!
Meet Milo, our little 4 legged friend who will be spending Christmas with us.
I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and I hope you enjoy spending time with loved ones and making beautiful memories.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to a festive week of seasonal doors. I’m glad this week Dan’s Thursday door club is suggesting we show our favourite and / or festive doors. I have a few doors that I have collected over the past couple of weeks that I think really show some festive spirit in the lead up to Christmas. As always, please let me know if you have a favourite and I look forward to seeing all your doors also.
1 – Hillsborough 2 – St Stephen’s Green3 – Dublin4 – Dublin5 – Dublin6 – Hillsborough7 – The Joxer, Hillsborough8 – Belfast City Centre9 – Twigs & Twine, Hillsborough
Personally, I have saved the best until last. This shop is the local florist in Hillsborough and has the most amazing creations made from twigs and twine (funnily enough). They also have some fantastic pieces of art on sale and manage to create spectacular window displays depending on the occasion. I think they have succeeded with their Christmas decorations and it looks even more stunning at night time.
I hope you are all keeping well and enjoying the lead up to the festive season.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors. This week I simply have one door to show you all but it’s a fantastic one so I’m happy for it to shine on its own.
Discovered in Ballynahinch, Northern Ireland when I was in the town last week for lunch.
I have been a little quieter on my blog of late for two reasons…1. Being extremely busy with life and 2. I am in the process of clearing my media library to free some space. I’m replacing my older photos on posts with smaller photos and it is working really well, however, is it quite time consuming (and can be frustrating too).
I look forward to seeing all your wonderful doors this week.
Happy Thursday everyone! This week I have only two doors to show you. Really, I chose the doors mainly for their wreaths, I’m not even sure I would have photographed them otherwise, who knows. They are beautiful autumnal wreaths and they are my only two doors left that resemble autumn. It’s quite fitting to show them now as we enter November and the lead up to Christmas.
Does it still feel like autumn for you or are you ready to embrace winter?
I actually really do love the black door with its lights on either side. Do you have a preference?
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to a spooky week of doors. Seeing as Halloween is just around the corner, I thought it appropriate to show case some spooky doors that I have encountered recently or those that received the Halloween memo. Feel free to let me know if you have a favourite this week or if you find any door particularly spoooooky.
Ok so number five may not be particularly scary unless of course there is someone hiding in that coffin! I found number two to be pretty spooky, especially with the faces above the door, not to mention the angels floating above (not sure why they scare me a little). What are your thoughts? Have a great Halloween for those that celebrate. I won’t be doing anything special, however, I may need to grab some supplies for the kids in case they come knocking on the door with their trick or treating!
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of wonderful doors. Here in Northern Ireland it is absolutely lashing with rain as we experience the wrath of storm Babet. It is dark, wet and gloomy here, therefore, I am showing you some of my remaining doors from Dijon, France so I can look back fondly to warmer times. As always, please do let me know if you have a favourite.
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Number five is my favourite this week due to its unique colour and I absolutely love the grills where the windows once were. I’m not sure why I even like them so much and I don’t know why they are there, I suppose maybe for security or ventilation. It also looks extremely rustic and quaint, my favourite qualities of a door!
This is very relevant to me now as we are currently waiting on new neighbours to move into the apartment below us. Having rented for most of my adult life and moving homes a lot, I have encountered great neighbours and maybe not so great. Luckily, I have never had a horrific neighbour…yet. A good neighbour for me doesn’t have to do much but there are two essential qualities that I would want.
1 – Respect those around you and be aware that your actions may affect others. This could relate to noise pollution, keeping the communal areas tidy etc. Noisy neighbours has been the worst thing for me, especially if people are partying late. We have experienced some crazy kids / parents in our time and even heard people’s sexual activities (not fun to listen to in the middle of the night!).
2 – Friendly but not overwhelming. I enjoy knowing our neighbours and making conversations but it’s great when neighbours have boundaries and don’t feel the need to pounce on you every time you open the front door. This could also be down to respecting each others boundaries.
Has anyone ever had a bad neighbour? What qualities would you like in a neighbour?
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors. This week I am showcasing only one door but it is from a building that I have wanted to share with you for a few years now.
The Nellie Vickery Chapel is the smallest church I have ever seen, located in Waverley, Sydney and just around the corner from where I used to live in Bondi Junction. It is situated on the grounds of the War Memorial Hospital, which was once a mansion built and owned by Ebenezer Vickery. His family donated the exquisite home to the church after the First World War and opened as a hospital in 1921.
Many nurses were trained here over the years and I had the privilege of working here for most of my time living in Sydney. Such a wonderful place to work, boasting a fantastic architectural structure with beautiful gardens surrounding it.
I just happened to stumble across this little church one day (as it is tucked away in the garden) and I was so amazed at its quaint and historic character. I also thought the door was pretty special and the stained glass window is really stunning. Sadly I cannot find much information on the church itself but I believe it was added to the site at a later stage. If anyone else can enlighten me, please feel free to do so 😊. If I return to this site, I will make it my mission to find out it’s history.
War Memorial Hospital – the church is situated to the left, outside this frame and tucked away in the trees. What a fantastic building and is now listed. These statues were pretty scary when looking out at night!
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors. Sadly I missed last week but I am back today with a bang! I am currently in England in the county of Cambridgeshire and am trying to see as many little towns as I can. Today we travelled to Godmanchester, a quaint little town about an hours walk from where we are staying. I’m happy to report that the town has some really lovely doors, amongst others things, including a beautiful park to walk along the river.
Please let me know if you have a favourite door this week.
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I really like all of these doors (I suppose I wouldn’t photograph them otherwise) but strangely I am drawn to number four. It’s more of an outside gate and it’s very weather beaten but I find it pretty fascinating and would love to see behind it into the garden. I tend to like the doors that look a little run down. What do you think? I also love the number three house with the thatched roof. These houses are really common here but they just look so inviting and cosy and remind me of Ireland.
My number one priority tomorrow is to catch my flight to London tomorrow to visit my sister. I am really looking forward to head away for a few days and I see the weather is supposed to be good, so that’s always a bonus. Before I reach the airport, I have a few things to do :-
1 – wake up and have a coffee
2 – brush my teeth and pack away my toiletries
3 – wear something comfortable for travelling
4 – lock up the house and hop in my car.
All pretty straightforward as I have packed everything this evening because I hate to be disorganised and feel stressed. What’s your ritual before catching a flight? Do you have a number one priority?
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of wonderful doors. I have only three doors to show case today but I feel they are very much worth showing. These colourful doors were spotted in Glenarm, a little coastal village on the Causeway Coastal route that takes you from Belfast to the North of the country.
As always, please let me know if you have a favourite this week.
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My favourite this week is number 3 and that’s simply because I love the colour of the door against the grey backdrop. I can’t decide if the colour of the door reminds me of red wine or a beetroot! What do you think?
Every single day. I walk ALL the time and I love it. Walking is one of my favourite things to do, although it does depend on the weather and environment you’re walking in. After work, I will try and walk for at least 45 minutes and here is why I like to do that –
1 – I find it relaxing.
2 – Walking clears my mind, I can switch off and forget that I have been working all day.
3 – It’s a great form of exercise and I always feel better after exercise, both physically and mentally.
4 – It’s a great way to have personal time and space or if walking with someone, it’s the perfect way to catch up without any distractions.
5 – Fresh air (obviously this depends on the environment). I have a forest park that I walk around daily and I always feel so refreshed after. Apparently even seeing trees and / or water can make you feel really good and has many health benefits.
6 – Walking is good for your body and heart health.
7 – It’s free!!! I love if I can walk somewhere and not have to rely on public transport / driving.
Besides from walking after work, I will walk pretty much all the time. I walk from the car park to work and as a nurse, I am on my feet all the time. Even in the hospitals, I will take the stairs as often as I can and avoid taking lifts. Also on my days off, I love to find new places to walk and explore.
Ok I think it’s obvious to everyone now that I love walking! I’m just grateful that I have the ability to walk, not everyone has that luxury.
As for running, I’m not such a fan. Don’t get me wrong, I have run in the past and do occasionally run. I always enjoy it and feel really alive afterwards. The only thing for me is that I will lose too much weight if I run too much and that is not something I need to be doing!
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of fantastic doors. This week, as the rain returns to Northern Ireland and the summer draws to a close, I thought it would be appropriate to show case some of my most recent green coloured doors. As much as I dislike the rain, I do appreciate that it is a necessity and the reason why Ireland is so green. As always, please let me know if you have a favourite door this week.
I have to admit, I absolutely love number four from Dijon, however, talking about Ireland, I feel that I should pick an Irish door! Number three from Portrush is my choice this week. I love it’s rustic and rundown appearance, the stained glass transom, the arch around the door and even the fancy door hinge at the top of the door. The door has real Robin Hood vibes for me, something you would see in Sherwood Forest 😜. Can you see what I mean?
Thank you Tanja of The red phone box travels very much for featuring me as a guest writer on your blog! I am delighted to share this magical place with everyone.
Finn Lough spa Finn Lough – Elements Trail and Spa Set in Fermanagh, a county in the west of Northern Ireland, you will find a beautiful and tranquil…
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another wonderful week of doors. This week in Northern Ireland the sun is out in full force. We are having the long overdue heatwave, promised to us a couple of months ago. As usual, it has happened just as the kids have returned to school (sad for them). However, never fear, our heatwaves only last for a few days before the cold and wet weather makes a return. As the weather has been lifting everyone’s spirits here, I felt compelled to show some colourful doors this week to fit in with the Irish weather. As always, please let me know, if you have a favourite this week.
My absolute favourite has to be number 4. I really loved this door from Dijon and was probably my favourite door from my whole trip there. I don’t think I have ever seen a door this colour before and it looks very rustic and quaint to me. I also love the design of where the window used to be, very chic. What do you think?
What daily habit do you do that improves your quality of life?
For the past couple of years I have been eating oats for breakfast, normally up to five days per week. I love how they taste, they’re super healthy, easy to make and relatively cheap. I feel that they will improve my quality of life due to the many health benefits that they have been linked to, for example, lowering blood glucose levels, they’re rich in antioxidants and can lower cholesterol levels.
I often refer to Healthline to research anything to do with health. According to this website, oats have nine health benefits, feel free to check them out here. I always love to know the good things that food can do for our bodies
I have recently become obsessed with a brand called White’s and was delighted to discover that they are made in my hometown of Tandragee. I always knew we made oats where I am from but never thought I would end up eating them, never mind loving them!
Do you like oats? Do you prefer quick or overnight oats?
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of wonderful doors. Following on from my Beaune blog post, I thought it would be appropriate to show case my remaining doors from my trip to Beaune. As always, please let me know if you have a favourite this week.
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I really like doors 1 and 5, however, personally I saved the best to last. Number 6 has a real unique and quite a regal appearance. The deep wood of the door and it’s wonderful design. I love the transom window and also the arch that surrounds the door. I’m not sure if there is a name for that? Also the greenery surrounding the door really makes it stand out. What do you think?
When we travelled to Dijon for my birthday, we had it on our itinerary to check out the nearby town of Beaune, specifically for its vineyards and wine culture. We wanted to carry out a couple of wine tastings there so we took the train from Dijon that took about 1.5 hours and was pretty easy to navigate.
Although Dijon is the capital of Burgundy, Beaune is the wine capital. It’s famous for its chardonnay and pinot noir, both of which I really enjoy (depending on where they are grown). Beaune is also notorious for its architecture and art, whilst also being an historical town with its famous hospital, Hospices de Beaune founded in 1443.
I would like to show you the two wine tastings that we experienced and a little about the famous hospital. I also really loved the buildings and doors found in Beaune, the latter of which you can see in my Doors of WordPress posts.
The first wine tasting on our list took place at Joseph Drouhin and booked this directly with their office in Beaune. Luckily for me, my partner knows a lot about wines and picked this one for its central location in Beaune and the fact that it is one of the oldest and respected wine producers (not growers) in Burgundy. I loved how this company still belongs to the Drouhin family, with the great-grandchildren owning and operating the company today. It was fascinating to learn how the wines were made in the past and how these traditional methods are still used today, especially to mark special events or anniversaries. Seeing the cellars where the kegs and bottles are stored was fascinating, it felt like we were in an episode of Game of Thrones, meandering through the dark caves (oldest caves in Beaune) with bottles of wine literally found at every nook and cranny. I really enjoyed learning about cru (a term in France that distinguishes a high quality vineyard) and tasting the difference between the regional wines, village wines, premier cru and grand cru (the highest quality). It was only with the wine tastings that I could really learn and appreciate the differences between these wines. The regional wines were delicious but when you taste the premier and grand cru, my goodness, they are absolutely stunning! Nevertheless, they will be forever out of my price range. We thoroughly enjoyed our time here for our tasting and the staff were fantastic, very welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable, without making you feel silly if you don’t know much about the wines.
Our second wine tasting was with a smaller company, therefore offering a more intimate experience. This offered an experience to travel out and see the vineyards and villages of Burgundy, with a highlight being Meursault. The tour was called Cote de Beaune, lasted approximately two hours and offered one family-run winery with one wine tasting (around six wines). Our tour guide was fantastic, extremely passionate for the region, its culture and wine history. He provided information on the famous villages such as Pommard, Volnay, Puligny-Montrachet and provided the opportunity to stop at Mersault to take some photos of this historic town. Mersault is absolutely beautiful and you can tell it is extremely wealthy, however, I could not see myself living here as it is so quiet with not much to do. It’s waaaaay out of my price range so I need not worry!
Mersault
Our tour guide took us to the family run vineyard of Maison Charles Pere and Fille, Grands vins de Bourgogne in Nantoux, basically in the cellar of the family home. In the garden was a plum tree with plums all over the ground. Our guide recommended these to eat as they are delicious and you would pay big money for these in the supermarkets. He advised to wipe any debris off, break the plum into halves and check for any worms! Once clear you could go ahead and eat. Unreal. We must have had a good few…and for free.
Once in the home we were given an introduction to the family and the history of how the estate has been passed down to Francois’s son and granddaughter. There were only three of us on the tour so it was really lovely to ask questions and learn in a relaxed environment. Our guide provided us with some fine wines, both white and red from villages to premier cru and explained what we were looking for with regards to aromas. I liked how he said there is no wrong way to taste wines and that everyone’s pallet will be different. It can be a little overwhelming with all the wine lingo but he made us feel very at ease and I definitely walked away with a little more knowledge than when I had arrived. We booked this tour through Safari Tours and I would highly recommend, whether you are new to wines, middle of the road (like me!) or a connoisseur.
I wholeheartedly loved both of these tours and was very happy that I was able to try some of the famous Burgundy wines. I also love how you can meet new people and learn from their experiences too. We had a couple of Americans on the first tour and it was fascinating to hear how some Burgundy grapes are now being grown in Oregon, USA.
Hospices de Beaune
I wanted to check out this hospital as I had heard it is a ‘must see’ when in Beaune, plus being a nurse, I was intrigued to see how this operated as a hospital in the 15th century. The building was initially opened as a hospital for the poor by the chancellor of Burgundy, Nicolas Rolin. The architecture here is exquisite and inside the building is equally impressive as you can see where the patients were treated, how their beds appeared and the utensils that would have been used. You can’t help but be moved when thinking how people were cared for here or even passed away. This hospital was in use until the 1970s, when a more modern hospital was erected and this building was transformed into a museum. For twelve euros you can carry out your own self guided audio tour, perfect for seeing the museum at your own pace and you can choose to spend longer or less time at each point. This was very interesting and a great way to learn more about Beaune’s history.
To conclude, Beaune is a fantastic town filled with history, culture and wine! We were only here for two days and mainly for the wine tasting but I would highly recommend checking this place out if and when in Burgundy.
I read here that someone had written about this prompt and stated that what we watched as a child could inform others of what era we were born in. This could not be further from the truth for me as the tv shows I watched as a kid were very much from the eighties, some of which have now been brought forward into the modern age by having been reintroduced.
The shows I loved were mainly cartoons. Some of them created by Disney and others more like live action, with the use of puppets. I will list a few that I can remember below and please let me know if you have seen or heard of any of these. Are there any people here from the eighties who can recall these shows?
The Gummi Bears
Rescue Rangers
Duck Tales
Thunder cats
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Super Ted
Banana Man
Mysterious Cities of Gold
The Racoons
Galaxy High
Jumbo and the Jet Set
Around the World in 80 days
The Muppets
Fraggle Rock
Dogtanian and the 3 Muskehounds
Inspector Gadget
Thomas the Tank Engine
Fireman Sam
The Dreamstone
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
Danger Mouse
Woof
Ok so there are quite a lot of shows here and these are only the ones I can remember off the top of my head. I watched a lot of tv as a child. I used to love waking up early and running to watch “the funnies” in the living room, especially at my Granddads house as he had sky tv in the late eighties. This was a game changer as there were so many new channels with all the cartoons on show.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to my 60th blog post of doors!!! This week I would like to show you some of my favourite doors from my trip to Beaune a couple of weeks ago. We visited here whilst on a trip to Dijon and I will compile a blog post for Beaune very soon but for now, let’s enjoy some of its amazing doors. Like always, please let me know if you have a favourite this week.
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This is a tough one for me as I really like all the doors featured. However, if I have to choose one, I will pick number 6. It has so much character and charm that it really stands out to me. I love the design and it has quite a Mexican feel for me, I’m not sure why, maybe the colour of the door as it reminds of the day of the dead celebrations when people dress in white paint 🤷🏼♂️. Can you see what I mean?!
Good morning everyone and happy Sunday. When I woke up and saw this morning’s daily prompt, I just had to answer as I love where I currently live. Most of you know I am living in Hillsborough, a small village in Northern Ireland, close to Belfast, the capital of the country. I have only been living here for about six months and although I had heard of this village and visited once or twice before, I have a whole new love and appreciation for this place now. I have ten bullet points below to show you all why I love where I live.
1 – Its location and proximity to Belfast / other towns of interest for shopping, travelling etc. Yet Hillsborough is a small village and pretty quiet, almost like its own bubble, it is located right beside the motorway, making it easily accessible to travel around Northern Ireland.
2 – The quaintness. This village has a real old school charm with some great stone architecture, lots of flowers, quirky shops and a homely feel.
3 – The doors. There are some really amazing and colourful doors here which is a great for me with my passion for doors.
4 – The bars and restaurants. Not only does Hillsborough have one fantastic bar but it has three! This is amazing for a village to have three excellent bars / restaurants, all within walking distance. A fourth one has also opened this month and we will be trying there today for lunch.
5 – Coffee shops. We have soooooo many coffee shops in this village and we have still to try some. If you love the coffee culture, then this village is the place to be. No Starbucks or chain coffee places but lots of local independent cafes with fantastic coffee.
6 – The forest park. We have our own forest park to walk around and get lost in nature. We walk this park pretty much every day and I feel super lucky to have this on our doorstep.
7 – Hillsborough Castle. This village has its own castle, steeped in history and used as the Royal residence for when when the royal family come to stay in Northern Ireland. You can have a tour or walk around its beautiful gardens.
8 – The cars. You will see some really fantastic old classic cars or some newer and expensive models driving through the village or parked on the streets. This may not impress many but I am always in awe when I see a cool car (I am not car savvy by any means).
9 – There is an abundance of wildlife with ducks, geese and swans. These can be seen in the forest park or the castle gardens. I am used to being wakened in the mornings by birds, especially when I lived in Sydney but it’s so refreshing to be wakened by the sound of ducks quacking in the morning.
10 – The people. They are extremely friendly here, much like most people in Northern Ireland to be honest.
Hillsborough
I may be biased but I love this place and am very happy and thankful to live here at present. It’s definitely a place you would want to visit.
Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of wonderful doors. This week I am delighted to share with you some doors from my trip to Dijon, France. For me, the doors appear very majestic with an old, rustic charm, blending in well with the architecture that has stood there for centuries. Please do let me know if you have a favourite this week.
123456
I think my favourite has to be number 2. It just has such an enigma about it, the colour and intrinsic detail on the door really make it stand out. My only qualm is the face above the door that looks absolutely terrifying!
Thanks for having a look at my doors this week, roll on the weekend.
We have just returned from a fantastic trip away to Dijon, just an hour and a half from Paris. We headed here to celebrate my fortieth birthday (eek), to explore a new city and to sample some of the famous wines on offer here. Dijon, the capital of Burgundy is renowned for its superb wines that are celebrated and appreciated all over the globe. I couldn’t wait to try some of the wines from this region and experience some of the wine tastings on offer, however, I was completely blown away with how much Dijon has to offer, in addition to the wines. When I hear Burgundy, I always think of the famous wines and when I hear Dijon, I had always thought of Dijon mustard. I have never been a mustard fan so I didn’t come here for the mustards, nevertheless, I was interested to try the mustards and open my mind (and tastebuds) a little.
Below I have created a list of the main things that I loved about Dijon and / or what I wanted to experience within my few days there. I have narrowed the list to eleven in total but the list could go on and on. Please let me know if you have ever travelled to Dijon or the region of Burgundy. Have you ever tried any of their wines?
1. Eat a croissant & have café au lait – now this could be anywhere in France really but it was something I was really looking forward to. The coffee and croissants are unbelievably good in Dijon and I cannot even count how many we had over the few days, keep them coming!
2. Mustard tasting at Moutarde Maille – this amazing store, on the main shopping street, stocks all the Dijon mustard you could possibly imagine with different flavours and ingredients. They will offer you a mustard tasting right there and then for free with some information on their creations. I was pleasantly surprised how delicious they were and my love for mustard has been restored (I had only ever tried English mustard and it was too overpowering for me). I loved the Chardonnay mustard and the honey mustard, ils étaient délicieux!
3. Beef bourguignon – One of Burgundy’s most famous dishes. This was the first meal that we had been dying to try and it certainly lived up to our expectations. It was absolutely delicious. I have had this dish many times on my travels and even here in Ireland, however, none have tasted as good as this dish in its home town.
4. Les Halles Markets – these markets are one of the best in France apparently, open Tuesday, Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays. The best place to see and taste all the foods on offer in Dijon. We took a walk around and spottedmany people just relaxingand sampling the food and drink, which of course we had to partake in also. We decided on cheese, bread and bubbles (blanc de blanc). Sadly I couldn’t find any crackers (my number one choice) and the bread stalls had closed for the day so I had to nip out to the local boulangerie to purchase bread of some description. Funnily enough I had been watching others enjoy their oysters and meats when one woman came to me and asked where I had bought my bread as it looked so delicious.
5. Escargots – I really wanted to try these (when in Rome so to speak). I had tried frogs legs on my last trip to France so this was the time to taste some snails. I loved using the snail tong and fork to remove the snails, it’s quite the art. They tasted amazing, quite meaty and extremely garlicky (maybe to hide the taste). The main thing for me was trying not to scoot the snails off my plate!
6. Kir aperitif – This pre dinner drink is very popular in France and you will find it on most restaurant menus. Kir is simply a French cocktail made from white wine from Burgundy and crème de cassis. Most people will have it before dinner, hence being an aperitif. We have made these at home a few times but they have never tasted as good as here in Dijon. I couldn’t wait to try these and they certainly delivered, the perfect pre drink, very refreshing.
7. Owl Tour – If you want to see around Dijon by foot, then this is the absolute best way. It’s basically a free walking tour around the city that you can follow by keeping your eyes on the little owls dotted all over the city. You can pick up a map from the tourist office for about €4 and it will highlight the main attractions of Dijon and number them according to the various nearby owls. This was a very fun way to explore Dijon and it’s a great idea for showcasing the whole city, as it takes you around streets that you normally wouldn’t even have known about.
8. Architecture – the buildings here out of this world. Being Romanesque Burgundian, they take you back to medieval times and have been beautifully preserved. You really feel like you’re stepping back in time and walking through history. If you love stunning craftsmanship and architecture, then you will appreciate what Dijon has to offer here. I found many interesting doors here also, as you would expect and I CANNOT wait to share them with you all very soon.
9. Jardin de l’arquebuse – I was delighted to discover that Dijon has a botanical garden, with a variety of flowers, plants and even grapes. It’s a gorgeous setting that takes you out of city life and enables you to feel like you’re in the vineyards, way out in the countryside. The different grape varieties allows you to discover the diversity of wine growing all over the world.
10. Notre Dame – (Church of our lady) set in the old part of the city. This chapel was constructed in the 13th century and showcases the gothic style of those times. Even if you’re not religious, it’s wonderful to have a look inside and out and to really appreciate its design, history and magnificent stained glass windows.
11. Wine tasting in Beaune – wine capital of Burgundy – We headed to Beaune, about thirty minutes away by train from Dijon, to carry out a couple of special wine tastings. This area is famous for its superb wines, however, the small town is also a fantastic place to relish in it’s history and architecture also. I will create another blog post to showcase the amazing wine tastings and more about Beaune but believe me for now, they are most definitely worth a visit.
Thank you all very much for reading my favourite activities to do in Dijon. We were there for a long weekend but we could have easily stayed longer. An absolutely beautiful city with plenty of history, charm and culture. I cannot recommend this city enough. Exceptionnel!
Hi everyone. I have a quick question to ask and I know this is a good place to find the answer. My media storage of 6g has now reached full capacity. Do you know if we can purchase more storage rather than deleting from my media library? I don’t want to delete my images and affect my previous blog posts. I also don’t have the time or patience to change all my old images to a smaller size. I have been reducing the size of my images for the past few months and that has really helped but I know my old posts take up a lot of memory.
What do you think? If it was cheap to purchase more storage, then I think I would prefer to do that. Or do you think I should simply delete old posts?
WrookieSchU 