Mon Dieu! Mon Dieu! (Oh my Lord!)
I wish there were more hours to the day, and it is not as though I am wasting one single hour of it!
Due to the busy schedule of my new 'working' project and forever practising on improving my social skills, I sadly had to decline a couple of birthday venues of two dear friends on Saturday in London and gladly accept the offer of a visit for a night in the countryside by the English rose, Janet, whom I met over a year ago through a wonderful friend in Ibiza.
A relatively short drive out of the city and into the bliss and magic of autumnal fields. When Janet asked me to accompany her and the international group of her friends for a two-day break at their family country home, it was an offer that could not be refused. Especially after a working week!
Upon arrival at the designated small village in a convoy of cars, we headed straight to the nearest pub for lunch for the last orders. After the meal was another short ride to the comfortable yet beautifully decorated home. Alison's brother Lenny, our charming host, took out a map of the area, instructed us to wear our wellies (thank goodness I had remembered my ones from Glastonbury) and led us through fields into forests, hills and green trees. At the same time, the ground was covered in places with red/brown leaves. The air was fresh yet pleasant. The walk reminded me of my first years in boarding school and how much I dreaded walking in the cold air of the countryside. How we change! And now, there I was, loving every second of it. Mind you, the weather was fantastic for this time of year. It felt as though the insecurities and questioning of life as a teenager, those decades ago, had turned into strength and peace of mind, simply enjoying the beauty of nature mixed with gratitude, enchanted by the characters of new friends I was to make.
The charm and warmth of the lovely Donna, my chatting companion along the way, made the hour walk turn into minutes.
My adorable Nolita had prepared a delicious meal for me to bring over as a token of gratitude to our hostess, who was not quite feeling herself after the fish & chip lunch and had pardoned herself to retire in bed. All I had to do was plug the cooker in while Donna prepared a beautifully decorated salad. The ten of us sat at the dinner table while Lenny gracefully served the food. The homemade chocolate mousse by Sindra and Tommy's joint effort was to die for. The conversation between the colourful individuals around the table resembled a scene from a fun movie. Guess that's why I don't watch TV. Why waste my time in front of a screen when I can enjoy the great company of exceptional people?
While dinner was cleared, my smoking partner, the bubbly Gia, accompanied me in the garden to puff away under the stars. As we conversed and laughed, I noticed the circle of a dark rainbow surrounding the moon through the clouds, and as though that was not the most astonishing site I had ever seen, on the opposite side of the more transparent sky, Gia and I got a glimpse of a shooting star! We turned to each other in shock!
"Did you see that shooting star?!" Exclaimed my new buddy.
"Mon Dieu!" I almost shouted. "Yes. This was my third this summer! It reminds me of the first shooting star I saw back home during our summer visits to the Caspian Sea, where we had a villa. We always had guests of musicians and fabulous friends staying over and sleeping on rows of mattresses on two large balconies, one for the men and the other where the ladies lay asleep under the ebony sky filled with stars. Wow!"
We then joined the rest, gathered in the drawing room, to be entertained by the formidable voice of Gloria and the sing/dance act of the amusing Lucille, who was accompanied on the trip by her admiring hobby, Desi. Not only was she talented in acting the part of the lyrics she sang, but she flirtatiously threw her hair back with a touch and flickered her lashes to drive us all crazy. Such a vibrant character.
The demands of encores turned the clock past 3am, and we diverted into separate rooms to sleep in the quiet of the night.
Time was scarce, so the alarm in my head woke me sharp at 8.30am, yearning to get out again. I descended the stairs into the kitchen, admiring the lush views outside. One by one, everyone turned up, and we all headed for another tour around the green fields of the countryside by our host, Lenny. We got slightly lost, and the two-hour walk up and down the hilly side, through a herd of cows, a flock of sheep and the various trees in the forest under a cloudy sky, made me sweat buckets while I further bonded with Donna.
Once back at the house, Janet's school friend had arrived for lunch with her partner. I did not manage to get too familiarised with the new arrivals and left with the accompaniment of Gloria to miss the traffic and be back on time to meet my girl.
After our enlightening meeting, Aisha was back in town, and she texted me to meet them at a bar on Walton Street, followed by a gastro pub dinner. Such a pleasant weekend that was!
Tonight's dinner with Lola was also attended by Janet, Donna and more of her friends, whom I have encountered on many occasions. I had to decline an old lover's invitation to attend. Quite frankly, these days, I don't have time for sex! Haha ...
Due to the busy schedule of my new 'working' project and forever practising on improving my social skills, I sadly had to decline a couple of birthday venues of two dear friends on Saturday in London and gladly accept the offer of a visit for a night in the countryside by the English rose, Janet, whom I met over a year ago through a wonderful friend in Ibiza.
A relatively short drive out of the city and into the bliss and magic of autumnal fields. When Janet asked me to accompany her and the international group of her friends for a two-day break at their family country home, it was an offer that could not be refused. Especially after a working week!
Upon arrival at the designated small village in a convoy of cars, we headed straight to the nearest pub for lunch for the last orders. After the meal was another short ride to the comfortable yet beautifully decorated home. Alison's brother Lenny, our charming host, took out a map of the area, instructed us to wear our wellies (thank goodness I had remembered my ones from Glastonbury) and led us through fields into forests, hills and green trees. At the same time, the ground was covered in places with red/brown leaves. The air was fresh yet pleasant. The walk reminded me of my first years in boarding school and how much I dreaded walking in the cold air of the countryside. How we change! And now, there I was, loving every second of it. Mind you, the weather was fantastic for this time of year. It felt as though the insecurities and questioning of life as a teenager, those decades ago, had turned into strength and peace of mind, simply enjoying the beauty of nature mixed with gratitude, enchanted by the characters of new friends I was to make.
The charm and warmth of the lovely Donna, my chatting companion along the way, made the hour walk turn into minutes.
My adorable Nolita had prepared a delicious meal for me to bring over as a token of gratitude to our hostess, who was not quite feeling herself after the fish & chip lunch and had pardoned herself to retire in bed. All I had to do was plug the cooker in while Donna prepared a beautifully decorated salad. The ten of us sat at the dinner table while Lenny gracefully served the food. The homemade chocolate mousse by Sindra and Tommy's joint effort was to die for. The conversation between the colourful individuals around the table resembled a scene from a fun movie. Guess that's why I don't watch TV. Why waste my time in front of a screen when I can enjoy the great company of exceptional people?
While dinner was cleared, my smoking partner, the bubbly Gia, accompanied me in the garden to puff away under the stars. As we conversed and laughed, I noticed the circle of a dark rainbow surrounding the moon through the clouds, and as though that was not the most astonishing site I had ever seen, on the opposite side of the more transparent sky, Gia and I got a glimpse of a shooting star! We turned to each other in shock!
"Did you see that shooting star?!" Exclaimed my new buddy.
"Mon Dieu!" I almost shouted. "Yes. This was my third this summer! It reminds me of the first shooting star I saw back home during our summer visits to the Caspian Sea, where we had a villa. We always had guests of musicians and fabulous friends staying over and sleeping on rows of mattresses on two large balconies, one for the men and the other where the ladies lay asleep under the ebony sky filled with stars. Wow!"
We then joined the rest, gathered in the drawing room, to be entertained by the formidable voice of Gloria and the sing/dance act of the amusing Lucille, who was accompanied on the trip by her admiring hobby, Desi. Not only was she talented in acting the part of the lyrics she sang, but she flirtatiously threw her hair back with a touch and flickered her lashes to drive us all crazy. Such a vibrant character.
The demands of encores turned the clock past 3am, and we diverted into separate rooms to sleep in the quiet of the night.
Time was scarce, so the alarm in my head woke me sharp at 8.30am, yearning to get out again. I descended the stairs into the kitchen, admiring the lush views outside. One by one, everyone turned up, and we all headed for another tour around the green fields of the countryside by our host, Lenny. We got slightly lost, and the two-hour walk up and down the hilly side, through a herd of cows, a flock of sheep and the various trees in the forest under a cloudy sky, made me sweat buckets while I further bonded with Donna.
Once back at the house, Janet's school friend had arrived for lunch with her partner. I did not manage to get too familiarised with the new arrivals and left with the accompaniment of Gloria to miss the traffic and be back on time to meet my girl.
After our enlightening meeting, Aisha was back in town, and she texted me to meet them at a bar on Walton Street, followed by a gastro pub dinner. Such a pleasant weekend that was!
Tonight's dinner with Lola was also attended by Janet, Donna and more of her friends, whom I have encountered on many occasions. I had to decline an old lover's invitation to attend. Quite frankly, these days, I don't have time for sex! Haha ...
No comments:
Post a Comment