winter, finally!

The kitchen in progress is constantly on my mind: walls down- done, new window - done, walls - painted. The next step on the list is the wooden floor.
To balance out my excitement and stress of being the construction supervisor  I went on a stroll today capturing the wintery vibes.

Insider: Professor Remus Lupin's transformation....

lunch in the sun - cream of Jerusalem artichokes with red curry and coconut

My today's lunch has been inspired by a recipe from the French/Italian blog Un déjeuner de soleil. By chance I had all the required ingredients in my pantry so I could follow exactly Edda's indications. 

With a tiny personal modification: I added a teaspoon Sambal Oelek and a pinch of lemon myrtle.  A bit more spicy and very delicious!

 

Paradise of spice

Next to Lutherkirche in Dresden's Neustadt, very close to Bautzener Straße and Albertplatz, there is  ZAFFARAN, an amazing condiment shop and café. From squid's ink to tonga beans, from  Japanese yuzu to  Persian blue salt, there's no condimental wish to remain unfulfilled.

My friend Nancy treated me with  a heavenly smelling lemon verbena. Can't wait to use it!

 Don't miss to pass by, tea and cake have been divine, too!

only 3 weeks until back to normal life

For now I'm living in a continuous "this-very-important-decision-has-to-be-taken-now-or-never" mode, and believe me: it's sooo exhausting.
I really thought I was well prepared and I had planned thoroughly.  It's incredible how on the way things are developing and changing.

window number one

in the new kitchen and south oriented!

peace of mind

...is what I need right now, living in the middle of a building site. Week 1 is nearly over! My plan is to be finished with the renovation by the end of February.



The Great Bell Chant (The End of Suffering) from R Smittenaar on Vimeo.

the catch of a Sunday's walk: UVs for me and some snapshots for you

Yesterday my friend Micha urged me to spend more time outdoor to catch the necessary amount of wintery UV rays. No excuse!  Even on ugly days ( really every EVERY day, Micha??) when I'd prefer hiding inside with a good book and a cup of tea.
(By the way, the best book I've read in months has been The Vertigo Years, Europe 1900-1914 by Philipp Blom. It's been deeply disturbing for me to read about a period of time that in many ways is so similar to our today's world).