A picturesque place

While I'm talking about Turkey, I wanted to share with you these photos of a place called Alacati on the Cesme Peninsula near the city of Izmir on the Aegean Coast. From memory, Alacati is a bit of a drive from other places that would attract tourists, but for me it was worth a stop for its provincial looking stone houses, winding laneways, flower-filed windowsills and trendy cafes. The kind of place where you can just meander and unwind for a few days.

Turkish tiles

Blue and white ceramics, whether they be from China, England, Vietnam, Turkey, Morocco, or Thailand, always catch my eye and usually burn a hole in whatever currency I'm carrying! I have many treasured ceramics from my travels, all of which tell a story and enable me to gaze upon them! I've visited many a palace in various countries where wall tiles adorn and decorate. Bangkok's Grand Palace has some stunning tiles. These photos were taken at Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, namely in the legendary and fabled harem. So, without going into detail about design or history, here they are simply as objects of beauty for you to enjoy.

Spring has sprung

OK, so the weather here in Ballarat is still a bit gloomy. It's been raining non-stop for weeks and the sky has been mostly grey, although I have had two half-days weeding the garden in the sunshine. I have been busy reading about what to plant and am busily preparing my garden beds. I've set my budget and am going to visit the local farmer's markets and nurseries to buy up big. It's a whole new project and I'm sure I have a heap to learn. I suspect my garden will end up like an English wildflower one with no structure or neatness.

To welcome Spring, here's a photo of the beautiful camellias growing in my garden.