Monday, August 19, 2013

CIAO ITALY, BIRMINGHAM QUILT FESTIVAL, AND LAST DAYS OF OUR GRAND TRIP!



 Pompeii with Mt.Vesuvius threateningly in the background.




Positano!








BIRMINGHAM QULT FESTIVAL!

When I was at the Ireland Quilt Festival last year, I met some ladies who said THE show was in Birmingham. They were RIGHT!
There were so many wonderfully creative and original quilts! Totally refreshing! Here's a few of my favorites, I have a link on the right to Flickr for all the photos I took.
Enjoy!!!











LOVE Bodil garner's work!


OH! There was a display of quilts from India.
I bought a fabulous book filled with images from India and their colorful quilts!






A princess and the pea bed!


A quilted boat!

After the wonderfully inspiring Birmingham Quilt Festival, 
we drove to Bath and Stonhenge.





The next morning 
we had a few hours in London 
before our flight home.
Enough time 
to squeeze in a little shopping 
in between a pub lunch (with mushy peas!)
and biking Kensington Gardens.








We had a one night lay over in Boston
and even though I thought for sure we would be too pooped...
we spent a lovely day at the aquarium, 
Faneuil Hall for lunch, 
and a bit of the Freedom Trail!







Well, that's it! 

I LOVE going on big trips! I love the idea, the intense planning and research, and especially the actual travel. 
All the newness forces me into the moment. 
My senses are awakened!
As the usual chatter in my head and daily self imposed distractions of "real" life dissipated (a great joy of travel for me), two ideas became clearer.

1. Time is always going. Good or bad, it's going quickly (turns out this too shall pass is true! and 
2. There really is no sense in worrying
It is a choice. 
When I choose to trust and live in the peace of each moment
life is sublime! (now to keep this thought going at home!)

Home...happily sewing....will share soon! :)


Saturday, August 17, 2013

ROMA!

Rome was wonderful in all it's hot gritty citiness!
We went into full sightseeing mode...
Colosseum, Forum, crypts, churches, the Pantheon,
fountains, statues, piazzas, the Vatican museum including Sistine Chapel and Raphael rooms, St. Peter's,
more scrumptious Italian food dining all fresco,
 and of course lots of gelato!

One of the things I love most about Europe is the attention to detail in the buildings. I love all the different door knockers!






Because of a fear of the plague, lots of buildings have a Mary outside up on a corner. One guide said it was a safe place to pause, reflect, and pray. Everyone is different and so lovely.
I wonder if all our buildings had signs that said relax and be kind?!






Fantastic quilty tile work on the floor!








Not only great tasting but so pretty too!








Enjoy!