Toulouse, Sees and other gorgeous places, Long Lunches with friends

I love photography and find no better way of relaxing than going for a walk

 with my camera slung over my shoulder.

 I was just sifting through some of my favourite images.

Moments in time that I had captured over the past few years that put me in

mind of people and places that are special to me.

  

Some friends of ours have the most gorgeous house just outside Toulouse.

Nass and I were lucky enough to share a few days with them in the summer.

I was playing around with a new lens and just captured this

beautiful dragonfly on a wonderful rusty, antique garden bench in a Toulouse garden.

For some reason, I love this photograph of a little Italian street on the way to Sorrento.

Our dear friends Julie and Rudi were married in the town

 where he was brought up, just outside Sorrento.

Piano di Sorrento.

They are also antique dealers and buy many of their pieces in Italy.

Their  antique warehouse is just outside Chichester and

they also work the fairs such as Ardingly and Newark.

Many of their friends who poured into Sorrento for the

wedding were dealers from the  antique fair fraternity.

It was quite a do!

Here's a link to their website.

julie and rudi's website

Walking through Arundel park one cold frosty morning I was lucky enough to witness

John Dunlop's racehorses taking their morning exercise.
I've used these images on  the cards I have printed for the shop
 and they have proven to be one of the most popular by far

What a beautiful sight it was too...the horses breathe

showing up so well

 in the bitterly cold January, air.


Here's another lovely sight.....

I was thrilled to get this shot of our dear friend

Katie de Fuente when she was married in the summer.

The wedding was in the little village of Slindon just outside of Arundel.

This was probably one of the maddest hen do's I have ever been on!

One of the special, lovely girls I work with at the residential home for

"adolescents with challenging behaviour"

got married this summer.
When these gals, party they really party.

The hen do was mostly on Brighton Pier and along the front, on a scorchingly hot day. 

 I was enlisted as the photographer for the day... so I didn't have to wear the tutu.

Thank God...

I have to say they all looked brilliant and a few heads turned as they walked along the prom! 

A fabulous al fresco lunch is an annual event at our friend's
Julie and Rudi's.
Actually, we are 3 couples who take a turn to cook a Sunday lunch.
So.... we each cook one a year and end up spending most of the day together.
Its never traditional and Rudi being a chef as well
as an antique dealer, creates a feast beyond compare.

MOLLIE WAITS IN ANTICIPATION OF SOME SCRAPS

.....and then its over the road for  a stroll along the beach

before we head off to the nearest park to play on the grown up toys and work off the lunch......

Antique fairs are another great source of photographic material 

 Some of the dealers clearly have a great sense of humour...this is Ardingly earlier in the year.

I just adore France...and been visiting for many years, 

mostly to visit friends in

Annecy in the Haute Savoie.

Other dear friends have a house in Sees in France
 and we went for a few days...........

...bit of work and then someplay..

Its a lovely town in Northern France.

I came upon this ordination of a new priest quite by chance
as I was sitting in Sees Cathedral.
It was quite a spectacle.

Have a great day...

Oh! If you are at a loose end, do come into Arundel, its Arundel by candlelight and the town buzzes

We will be open down the warehouse with all sorts of items.

Antiqe and decorative pieces

 we have found some great gifts

 and also have our Arundel cards and diaries.

You walk down the alley, or twitten, as we say down south,

 next to William Hill,

turn left at the end,

sharp left again so you come in behind the Co-op and the chippie ( posh eh?)

The door in the far left corner...step through and if you've never visited us before,

I think you will be very surprised..........