Flying by

October is simply flying by.  I have tons of photos sitting on my camera and never enough time.  My WIPs are late and now my TUSAL is late too.

Last week-end our ANG chapter had a wonderful workshop with Lois Kershner.   Great week-end!  I have photos from that too.

Maybe in the next few days before I leave for EGA seminar.   So much to get ready and to pack!
  

 

New Month

Welcome to October.

Good news is that I am done with the vacation photos.  6 straight sea days does not offer many opportunities for photos.  We skipped our last port due to a couple of hurricanes - Lesie and Michael - who decided to combine and gain strength up in Canada.  es, they hit Newfoundland when we were supposed to be there.  We were actually on the far side of them and heading south.

Hubby's surgery went well this morning.  He's doing so much better!

It's been a nice fall day, more falling leaves and a slight nip in the air.

Iceland

The stop after the Faroe Islands was Iceland.  We went to the Blue Lagoon and "swam" them for an afternoon.   The lagoon is a "dent" created by an old volcano and warmed by geothermal waters.  It also seemed to be heavily salty.  Anyone could float.  You just lift you feet up and float away.  There were stations with natural silica that you could put on your face or body (mostly the face) and was supposed to be a natural defoliant.  Anyhow it was like being in a huge hot tub with a thousand of your friends, well maybe hundreds.

We didn't do any walking around in town due to my husbands knee.  But I did take s few photos as we went thru town on our way to the lagoon.  Our tour guide was not kindly disposed towards Americans.  He kept mentioning that we never seem to leave.  I'm sorry that us spending our money there upset him so much.  Oh well.  Can't please everyone.

Here are the few photos I have.

Thru the bus window

 

The lava fields on both sides of the road going out to the lagoon.

Back to London.  I nearly forgot one of the stops in London.

Many of you know that I am an avid tea drinker and I am particular in my tastes.  My favorite two teas are Twinings and Lipton.

It turns out that Twinings has 3 shops in London and one of them was a tube stop on the way back to the hotel.   The directions were awful!  I went three different directions and a couple of miles out of my way to finally arrive.  It turned out to be about two blocks away.

Anyhow heres are some of the photos and across the street is the Royal Courts of Justice.  Gorgeous building!

Weymouth

One of the stops on the crusie was a place called Weymouth, England.   I took the shuttle into town and had a delightful afternoon shopping and walking.  The shuttle dropped us off at a park near the canal.

Lots of shops and cafes in this area, then you walk over the canal to get into the real downtown.

Much to my amazement, I found the 99 pence store.  Just like the dollar stores here at home.  I foun a fabric store which had some cross stitch in the wondow but it was closed (it was on a Sunday). So no stitching in these photos.

Weymouth is a seaside town.  One of the main streets had the beach on one side and B&Bs , one after another - basically town home/row home style.

Where it looks like the building changes, it is another B&B but the buildings are all attached to each other.  Lots of building styles.

At the end of this long, long row and the end of the beach before it turns, was this lovely church.

On the way back to the shuttle, I just had to get this photo.  I loved the name !

Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands were one of the different stops on the cruise.  It wasn't just the incident of the mast hitting the power line, it was just the wholeplace.   We stopped at the main port (but not the main town).  We took the shuttle bus into town.  From there we walked around a bit and took in  local craft show.  VERY tiny compared to what we have here in Indiana.  If there were 15 tables, I would be surprised.  Not much interesting except one table where the lady did absolutely beautiful lace work.  And she knew it and her prices reflected it.  It was gorgeous!

In the middle of  the main traffic circle was this tiny park/garden.  There was this interesting piece of "art".

 

What can I say??

 

The trip out of the port was gorgeous.  The islands are basically mountains formed by volcanoes.  Not much grows on them.  Great for raising sheep (which they do).

More Needlework in London and elsewhere (photo heavy)

I'll start with the elsewhere.  While I was watching a past episode of Project Runway. the designers were in Mood (fabric store) and two of them walked past this familiar carousel.  I promptly hit the rewind button and after a few attempts to stop in the right place - there it was again - a carousel of DMC floss!  What a pleasant surprise.

Day 2 of London found us at the National Potrait Gallery and St. Martin's-in-the-fields - basically across the street.  Both were fabulous places to visit.  The "crypt" of the church has been turned into a lunch place, shop and rooms for changing displays.  One of the display area was honoring the para-olymics which was happening while we were there.  Much to my delighted surprise, it was put on by the Emrodier's Guild.  All the stitched pieces were potcard size.  Each country particiapting in the games were represented.  There were several "postcards" for each country.  Each row, going down represents the country.  Here are a few.

 

I was dispappointed in Minnie Mouse representing the USA.  Not exactly how I would want my country to be thought of.  Nor do I think that Hoolywood truely represents us either. 

On board the ship, I did meet a very nice English lady who admitted that all she knew of America was what she read in mystery/crime novels. 

You never know where someone gets their viewpoint from.

 

The gift shop did sell brass rubbings already complete.  Here's the one I wanted which they were out of, as well as all my alternate choices as well.

 

And finally, here is the church itself.

(no idea who the guy is - he just had bad timing for me)