Thursday 30 December 2010

festive seek and find

Our Christmas Day was truly lovely.
It was a family affair - blended with freedom, love, food, laughter..
All our most cherished people came to stay.
Bright parcels appeared. We (as chief feline hosts) checked them out....
Bingley ignoring the 'fragile' note..
(care not)


Bingley and Mrs Senior Haven 






...gotta BITE this one...

Darcy
... tissue paper, decorations... bring them on..

A hectic, exciting, joyous and ultimately peaceful day...

Friday 24 December 2010

Peace and Joy

The Haven household wish you all
a most happy, healthy Christmas ...

Tuesday 21 December 2010

tinsel town

We love it when we have a tree in the house which is covered in dangling things!

Miss Fairy - handed down and possibly 100 years old

Drummer - a gift from friends from Michigan State, USA


painted Sand Dollar




Bingley
... and now for MY personal favourite decoration, guess which one...




... what do you mean STOP pulling it off? I'm actually hanging it back on!

Sunday 19 December 2010

let it snow ...

"Announced by all the trumpets of the sky
arrives the snow"
 ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

... always wear white camouflage when out so the birdies won't know you are there..
Whatever it takes.. blend!
... look closely and see Bingley crouched on the wall....


... it is all a little bit thick and cold ...



 

 
... views from Haven terrace



"Beautiful feathery flakes of snow
Over the woodland and field they go
Making a blanket so warm and deep
Over the flowers that lie asleep"
~ Mary Louise Allen

Friday 10 December 2010

So 'Nice'

What with Britain turning into the Antarctic, we wondered if we would even get off the ground to fly to Nice. Heathrow car park was thick white and there were queues of people attempting re-book after their flights were cancelled.
But we did fly off and only 40 minutes delay.
Nice bay
... long fresh walks by the sea

Antique hunting (my suitcase just not big enough)

Christmas Fair - mulled wine, roast chestnuts...

...Sign of the times, Father Christmas in a hurry..
(so fast that how the little children are meant to catch him I just don't know.. AND where are all the gifts?! I think he had over-slept)

time out to stand sit and stare
... and a spot of romance (OK, so we ate it)

... perhaps we should have stayed in 'Hotel Darcy' 

... these were all the rage but I prefer the real thing...
 
And then there was Villa Ephrussi in Cap Ferrat.
Not to be missed with its 9 different gardens. A master piece.


... who needs supermarket orange juice here? 

... dinner for two in the restaurant... 
...actually no, we had chocolate cake there and then walked to Ville France for pizza.
And then on to Greek Villa Kerylos which was a marvel.

 
... delays homeward bound at Nice airport meant we watched the fish in the tank there a lot...
But once home we reminisced over a wonderful few days away.

The senior Havens organised a wonderful creche for the feline boys...
"...bovvered you went away...? do we look bovvered...!"