Sunday 21 March 2010

Photo-Filled Weekend

The weekend is drawing to a close once again, and I can honestly say that it was a perfect one - a weekend as weekends should be. There is nothing better than a rest when it's well-earned, and by the end of Friday afternoon I felt so exhausted after the week lying behind me that I physically couldn't have done more studying, were it required of me.

I felt a real need to 'let go', something I haven't actually allowed myself to do in a while. Maybe spurred on by the start of the Easter break, maybe something to do with my knee allowing me to run again, or maybe just because I've been so disciplined for such a long time, who knows. Anyway, I wanted to mark the start of my weekend in some way on Friday evening, and I did, with Beethoven, my special veggie spag bol and a large glug of a favourite liquid combination - G and T!



We then headed out through the rain to a perfect rickety York pub, retreated to a crooked table in the corner by the fire, and merried our way through the evening, far away from the busy week and the rain outside with talk of up-coming weddings, holidays and surrounding life.

Saturday brought more rain, and with it an unusual urge to be out in town! Neither Daniel nor myself enjoy shopping, and rarely venture into the city centre on a Saturday, but for some reason we were both inclined to try it out, with some success!

We lunched on some hearty food in a chic venue, observing the crowds while ginger beer (my absolute favourite fizzy treat!) fizzed up our noses. The world felt so steady, I counted time as my own for the first time in a week of busy tasks and rushing.



In York there are so many tourists taking photos of buildings; buildings that I have grown so used to that I sometimes fail to notice them, fail to look where the cameras are pointing, directions in which my camera used to point when I first moved here and was inspired by the history and the beauty for the first time. I still appreciate the excitment of this place, but it has become much more holistic - I love the city and its architecture as a whole, and individual buildings are only contributing to something that moves me now on a much larger scale. However, every now and then there are little changes which open my eyes a little wider again and make me notice the beauty of a single monument in its own right. Clifford's Tower in spring is the perfect example, as I see the splashes of yellow slowly covering the motte, morseso each day, and even under the grey sky it is something to stop and admire.



That afternoon we baked! I am improving! I requested a vegan brownie recipe on Suburban Yogini's blog, and we had much chocolatey fun creating this wonderous treat!

Mashing the banana - so much tastier than egg!



Caught in the act!



Mixing the batter!



Me caught in the act this time...





And the results were even tastier than the batter mix - we were bloated chocolatey slugs in no time!



That evening I was treated to some of Daniel's cooking. While he was busying in the kitchen, I helped out with some DIY in my pyjamas (as you do), which he kindly photographed...goggles for optimum health and safety, of course!



This was followed by an evening curled up on the couch with cocoa and Black Books, and an indulgently early night. A simple weekend of the photographical kind - I couldn't have asked for more!

7 comments:

  1. vegan brownies! yum!!! and i love the "caught in the act" photos :)

    this past december my nieces were visiting from italy, and we three made brownies and marina said, "auntie we have to leave some in the bowl for us to eat-- that's what momma always does with us" :) and i thought, i'm going to be the same kind of momma too.

    because the pictures of chocolate on their noses and around their happy smiles? priceless.

    your weekend sounded just lovely! with the rain, people watching, and quality time together... isn't it funny to live in a place where others see it differently as a tourist? i can't imagine, having never lived in such a city-- but what a neat reflection to pause and remember what that was like.

    xoxo

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  2. Your weekend sounds wonderful!
    Chocolate brownies and Black Books, great combo.
    Don't you just LOVE Dylan Moran?!
    Lisa x

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  3. I can't wait to bake with my kids!! I just have to make sure I can actually produce something edible first, which means lots of practise! ;-) Sometimes slow weekends at home are better than exciting adventures!

    Lisa - Dylan Moran is just fab!! I saw him live last year and he was just as perfect as he is in Black Books! I watched the whole 3 seasons a while back, and actually I think they're even better second time around!

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  4. Your weekend sounds like bliss! As you said.. how weekends should be :)
    xxx

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  5. WOW what a WONDERFUL WEEKEND!!
    i love the caught in the act photo! haha too funny! and i definitely bake for the purpose of eating batter! haha.
    hope your week is just as lovely!

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  6. There is just something about Clifford's Tower isn't there!! if I fully believed in reincarnation then I would imagine I had something to do with it in my past!!

    One of my best friends was vegan - and when we shared a house at Uni he use to make the most wonderful vegan chocolate orange cake - I have honestly never ahd cake like it since. I was quite upset when he got a job in London and moved out! Teehee. Looks like you've had lots of fun together however making your own! I would bake more if I hadn't already put on tons of weight from the slim young man I used to be!!

    Do you like Booja-Booja chocolates? If not, they're vegan - and gorgeous - but the champagne truffles are particularly to DIE for!!

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  7. Al - Clifford's Tower is becoming more daffodil-covered by the minute! If it was your abode in a previous life then let's hope you were quite short; the rooms are pretty tiny!

    And Booja booja chocolates?! Never heard of them! Do you know where I might acquire some? ;-)

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