Holiday Reads......

We never seem to have time for books at home, there always seems to be more pressing matters which need attention. So holidays provide valuable uninterrupted time for reading - a  really enjoyable indulgence.

Here are my recent eclectic reads in the Med.......

The Girl in the Spider's Web 

David Lagercrantz, George Goulding

a really gripping read which is written in the style of the late author Stieg Larsson who wrote the fantastic Girl with Dragon Tattoo trilogy. Lisbeth Salander is again brought to life with sinister twists and turns.  I don't think this will be the last offering as the ending allows for much speculation.

The Shape of Water: The Inspector Montalbano Mysteries - Book 1

Andrea Camilleri

having watched and enjoyed the Montalbano series on TV I was encouraged to read the books to see how they compare.  I wasn't disappointed.  Clearly more detail is evident in the books and the mixture of fiction and farce is amusing and chaotic at times. I have downloaded the second of these and look forward to the next holiday......

Go Set a Watchman

Harper Lee

As a schoolgirl I read "To Kill a Mockingbird" and also saw the film starring Gregory Peck.  As with many other people you could not help but be moved by the story and take away a lasting impression of the injustices which exist and that there are people who are willing to stand up and be counted.

So when this sequel came out I was fascinated to see what happening next. I read many reviews including those on Amazon which on the whole were quite negative and so my expectations were not very high as a consequence. 
I was disappointed overall but it is still worth a read. I understand that Harper Lee wrote this before Mocking Bird which I find puzzling in terms of the character of Atticus and what he stands for......don't want to give the game away so read and judge for yourself....

The Fatherland

Richard Harris

I downloaded this quite a while ago and was looking forward to this book on holiday.  I have read many of Robert Harris's novels and find them quite compelling.  His research and thoroughness provides a sound foundation for the narrative. If the Germans had won the war is this how the future would be........? Fascinating, thought provoking and disturbing.  Excellent!

I am pleased I am a convert to "Kindle".  It took a little time to get used to using it and like many other people I used to say that you couldn't replace the enjoyment of holding a book.  Well I now wouldn't dream of buying a book unless it contained many photos, diagrams and illustrations.
It is like carrying around  your own personal library which is discrete and compact.  No longer have to worry about the weight allowance on the plane and another bonus is the low cost......no brainer!

Amazon Adventures!!

When deciding where to go on holiday we try to go to places we haven't been to before  and so that is why we went to the Amazon .....and the Caribbean (which we have visited previously but always worth going..)

It was with some trepidation that I agreed to this one as I was worried about mosquitos.  I am so allergic to bites and quite regularly end up in the medical bay.  However I didn't get one!!  This could be down to being lucky or because I used a spray recommended by a member of the family which she said really works and is used by the army (?).  Not sure how true this is but nevertheless gave it a try and I wasn't bitten!  The spray I obtained from ...wait for it...Amazon -  Avon Skin So Soft Original Dry Oil Body Spray with Jojoba and Citronellol.....comes in pack of two and cost £7.35.

Anyway back to the holiday..with flew to Barbados and joined our cruise ship.  The ship was a smaller one as was required to navigate its way down the river. 

First Unusual Bug!!

Lush rain forest

Amazing meeting of two rivers Amazon and Rio Tapajos
which remain separate and distinct

Santarem "city" on the right bank of Tapajos river
-really primitive as you would expect but signs of development

Close up of transport boats in previous photo - people bring their own hammocks

which they "enjoy" whilst travelling to their destination 

Temperatures rose to mid 30s and the frequent rain was a welcome relief - really worthwhile experience and so impressive!

Apparently trips down the Amazon are infrequent and certainly we had difficulty booking this holiday.  A similar one planned for next year is already fully booked.

We were also supposed to travel along the Orinoco but sadly because of several difficulties with Venezuela we were unable to do this .....sadly.....

More tomorrow..........................

Gardening help!

This time of year means sorting out jobs ready for the winter, If you have a garden no matter how big or small you know there are essential maintenance tasks to do. I know friends and relatives see this process as a mega imposition on their free time for me I just see it as preparation for the good things which come out of it! I also feel there us the added bonus of exercise and extra calories burned!

Some jobs in the garden can be onerous especially.......cutting hedges and foliage  - can be a challenge. In the past I have had hedge cutters which haven't been effective or efficient. They frequently jammed and the battery life on the cordless models was extremely limited. I wasted more time trying to solve problems leading to great frustration,

So with caution I ventured into research into latest hedge cutters and found several in Amazon which were well recommended in the feedback comments - I went for this Bosch which has proved to be absolutely superb - some challenging tasks take no time at all.  Mine is robust has a long battery life and is able to cope with just about everything I throw at it! Why did I wait so long to try again!!

The other gardening labour saving device is this flexible hose ,,,,,my friends laugh at my preoccupation with things they would regard me as viewing mundane ......little do they know! Ihave always been frustrated with our normal hose - watering takes far longer , the hose keeps "kinking" cutting off water supply and I find myself running backwards and forwards trying to remedy the problem. We saw an advert on TV about a flexible hose which resolved all the problems I have encountered - too good to be true - no! Does what us says on the box!!

We bought ours from Robert Dyas but am sure other outlets stock this. Why make life harder for yourself?

A New Set of Wheels!!

Well it must be 50 years since I have had a bike and this week I rectified this by buying a  Kingston Classic Hampton from Amazon.

I have been thinking about this for quite a while.  We have a cycle track where we live so ideal as I can ride off rode as I don't think I have the confidence to try the roads and traffic yet.  I am sure my husband thought I was joking about getting a bike until it arrived! It came partly assembled and I am afraid the instructions left a lot to be desired.  My husband put it together but he was still concerned about the brakes ....so we took it to a local bike repairer.

The young man who looked at it was a little disapproving as it its a "sit up and beg" style not the one the serious cyclists want!  He also said it was a funny colour!  I told him that I liked it and that is all that matters! Grrr!

Anyway its fixed and I had my first ride yesterday.......I only fell off once!  I quickly got up and made sure no-one had seen me!!  I have been out on it again today and I am getting used to it.  The expression "its like riding a bike"  is not as true as I thought.  The inference is that you never forget and just pick up where you left off!  Not the case!  Maybe as I am much older balance is a challenge and I do feel that at times the bike is running away with me!  Anyway I have put up with the good natured teasing and mockery from family and friends and I will show them quite soon how competent I am.

So what was the thinking behind my purchase? Well over the past few weeks we have seen so much in the press about keeping active and how important this is.  Now I am very active already always busy, go to the gym and so on but I thought the bike would add another dimension.  It certainly has - it is hard work - maybe because I am inexperienced but my legs and core felt as if I had done a workout.

I am a firm believer in preventative medicine - use it or lose it! Certainly when I look at some of my contemporaries I can't believe that they are resigned to "old age".  Mobility for many has become a problem and has affected their quality of life.  If you follow a sedentary life style and are overweight then you are stacking up problems for yourself.

Sermon over :)  You know what I mean though don't you?  One day I may have no option but to be dependent on others.....but  I hope I am  putting off that day!

One simple word was used this week in the campaign for health and fitness............

MOVE!!!


(ps I do have a safety helmet satisfying H & S)

Body Monitoring.............

About 2 years ago I bought the Omron Body Composition Monitor. It measures your weight, body fat, visceral fat, BMI and skeletal muscle.

 It was quite a party piece - every visitor wanted to have a go.  Some were quite smug about the results others quite worried.  This may have prompted the latter to do something about their adverse results, hopefully visit their GP.   

I monitored myself for about 6 months and the readings were fine and so I  lost interest and the monitor ended  up in a cupboard.

Just recently there have been health programmes on TV and more emphasis on the benefits of exercise and the impact on the body.  I remember that one of the concerns was about the fat that you can be fine weight wise but you could be accumulating fat around your internal organs (visceral fat) and if this is significant you may wish to examine your lifestyle. 

So curious to see how I was faring  I resurrected the Omron and have started monitoring again. All my readings were fine apart from the body fat which was just a tad over the ideal scale even though I am a regular exerciser.  So maybe for my frame I need to lose a little weight..........

Amazon have a similar item on offer for £49.95 (RRP £119.95) - I know I paid much more than this.


It is a useful tool if you are concerned about health and fitness and your general health.  It is also useful as I have found to revisit  from time to time to make sure that there haven't been major changes.

Never say never!

A couple of years ago I won a spa day in a raffle.  Most people would be thrilled but I am afraid I was underwhelmed – I have never seen the point of having things done which you could easily have at home …. and for a fraction of the cost!  Anyway I had a mud wrap which was novel!  I am sure many of you reading this may have experienced this treatment - being covered in slime but it was new to me.  I was then wrapped in “bacofoil “.  The beauty therapist then told me to relax for 20 minutes and enjoy.  She lit soothing candles around me and departed.  As I lay there I wanted to laugh this seemed so absurd and …….relax?  I kept thinking about things I needed to do and how much more productive I could be doing something else.  Anyway after showering I must admit that my skin did feel smooth and silky. 

My husband collected me and said I looked as if I had flu!  I am afraid I have always been like this – even if we are on holiday on the beach I find it quite difficult to switch off.

However this is not to say that I don’t appreciate that some treatments are really beneficial.  Not long after the mud experience a friend recommended a  laser rejuvenating facial she had had which had certainly tightened up her face  and she did look younger. So I thought I would have a go.  Certainly not cheap but I found it did make a difference.  The face is thoroughly cleansed and then a lubricating lotion applied.  The laser wand is then gently moved over the face.  You feel a slight pinging sensation but certainly I didn’t find it uncomfortable. The session lasted an hour and cost £100.  It was recommended that you have several sessions with approx. 4 weeks interval in between.  I got the impression this is something that probably has to continue longer term and even though very happy with the results could not make such a financial commitment.

I subsequently found that there is a home laser device which you can use at home.  I am again quite skeptical about the claims made with any product and so did my own research.  The comments  and feedback I found were really favourable .  This laser rejuvenating laser claimed to help with firming up the face, helping to diminish fine lines and help with discoloration which sadly comes with age.   It is made by Tria and at £450 is not cheap but when you consider the cost of beauty treatments it makes it seem quite reasonable.

You can buy this direct from tria or from other outlets such as Amazon and can probably find an offer if you try.

 Here is the website:

http://www.triabeauty.co.uk/anti-ageing-laser

My husband also uses it and has found it has lightened  his age spots – so everyone happy J

This has worked for us but we all have different experiences and reactions so you have to explore what works for you.  By the way I also find I can use the laser while I am on the phone, reading a book, on my iPad  - you know women and multi tasking !!

Has anyone else tried this or something similar and would like to share what they have experienced?

www.tria.co.uk