We were in a heat wave which finally broke. This coming week will be ‘just’ warm as opposed to high temps (for here), very very high pollen count, and high humidity. Loads of weird white cottony stuff floating around.
Happy summer solstice. Marked it with sundaes.
I had been mostly wearing SIP Magazine Street in the heat. Rather perfect. But then shifted to Annick Goutal Ninfeo Meo with its weird mossiness.
My jasmine is starting to bloom and smells incredible, wafting through the kitchen window early morning and in the evening. Oddly, the neighbour’s orange blossom is mad blooming this year but I can’t smell it.
So, a bit more ‘culta’.
I recently finished The Salt Path which is now out as a film with several people I have no desire to watch for a couple of hours (ie, Gillian Anderson). Someone I know said she’d seen it and fulsomely recommended (though she did say, “it’s very British”), so I had a go.
The book is short and mostly well worth reading. Every once in a while she made me cringe, but that might just be me.
It follows a middle aged couple whose life fell apart. They ended up walking the South West Coast Path (I’ve done a bit of the path plus I live near where it passes in this area; https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/ if you’re curious) which is part of paths all around the coast of the UK. Meaning you can walk around the whole perimeter.
What’s great about the book is that mostly the author manages to give a unsentimental sense of how things went pear-shaped, how she made stupid big mistakes about things in the runup to the pear-shaped, and how things then unfolded till they started to come right again.
And, there’s a very interesting aspect regarding health and how orthodox medicine can sometimes be so very rigid and get things very wrong.
Anyway, IMHO, very worth a look – and as noted above it’s short. Under 200 pages.
The other thing that really got me was the Oscar winning animated film Flow.
Boy, is it incredible. Beautifully done, almost no speech (unless you include animal and nature noises), a relevant, interesting premise.
Seriously, if you haven’t seen it definitely worth your time.
Just an aside: it appears that fancy jelly sandals are all the rage this year, going for hundreds of dollars. I remember my pair from way back when bought for $5 which lasted a whole summer…
Pics: Pexels and Wiki
Hey Cinnamon,
Gillian Anderson used to irritate me but this century she has been so good in everything she’s in, spellbinding.
Flow sounds good too.
We have just had Winter Solstice. It’s very mild here. A couple of 2°C (35f) mornings but most days from 15-22°C (71f). Perfect for Shalimar vintage extrait.
Portia xx
I want to say all weather is perfect for Shalimar, but it’s simply not true. However, your current weather does sound perfect. Flow is well worth an evening. It’s beautiful and I’ll definitely be watching it again.
Loved ‘Flow’. Loved it. Watched it twice – second time with a friend who WOULD NOT STOP TALKING!!!
Luckily it was the 2nd time…
‘ The Salt Path’ sounds interesting – and about the right length for my ( currently) skittery mind!
I was surprised how much I adored Flow. The Salt Path is worth the time — and I ended up reading it around another book to stretch it out.
I’m in the 2/3 that is getting slammed – hot hot hot and humid! It’s awful. Dry heat really is bliss! And yet Hawaii is humid but the trade winds are almost always blowing so it feels fine. Never a good hair day though. lol.
I have heard only good things about Flow.
A few days ago, I tried TF Black Orchid in the heat. It worked well!
I hope your weather moderates a bit. It is never fun to be uncomfortable. I do truly recommend Flow. So so well done.
You know I read that as “fancy jelly sandwiches” which to me made far more sense at that price point than shoes. I remember those g-dawful ones from the 80’s
I need to go spelunking and find my bottle of Ninfeo Mio. It’s such a beauty. AG was just a perfect house for such a long time.
We have had a mini heat wave- a few days of temps flirting with the 90’s but right now the Eastern 2/3 of the country is getting slammed: well into the 90’s with 100% humidity. I remember that and it’s just brutal. “But it’s a dry heat” is a cliche, but it’s true. I’d rather have Palm Springs than Palm Beach anyday..
What would be on a fancy jelly sandwich, I wonder. I guess it would have to be jelly from Fortnum & Mason or Harrods … You’ve made me want an afternoon tea.
Each time I wear NM I am reminded of just how weird and perfect it is.
Dry heat. That’s an unknown here.
Probably some artisanal fruit hand mixed by nuns and sweetened with honey from bees fed on cage-free roses served with stone-ground cashew butter on sourdough who’s starter has a pedigree that would make the royal family look like “Duck Dynasty”?
How about the jam & sourdough I made late last week? 46 yo San Fran starter & blackcurrants from our overproductive organic bush. Sadly, I haven’t made any butter
I ADORED Flow — went with a friend to the actual big-screen theater to see it, a thing I don’t do much. I was captivated by the trailer, and that was that. It filled me with a sense of wonder. I’m putting The Salt Path on my list; you’re the second person to mention it and I thought the review sounded interesting.
‘Sense of wonder’. Absolutely.
Interesting on The Salt Path. Did the other person see the film rather than read the book?
I’ve been dying to see Flow for a while now. Thanks for reminding me to rent it. The book recommendation sounds good too. I really like Gillian Anderson. Huge X-files fan back in the day.
We’re having a heat wave now with temps up to 100, and heat index up to 110. I plan to putter around inside the house. Wearing Lubin Gin Fizz which is a great summer favorite.
Omgosh! I adore Gin Fizzz! I’m going to spritz it tonight! low 90s rn… maybe apres- bain , when the temps drop below 80 ( fingers crossed)
Do it! Or rent it off one of the platforms. It is so worth the time.
I still haven’t managed Gin Fizz. It does sound a perfect hot weather perfume.
I need to look at this years jelly sandals. I’ve had a few pairs in my time. Always the t-bar, molded criss cross over the toes. The ballet flats were never for me.
I’m currently reading various biographies & commentaries on the royals since Queen Victoria. I’m not a royalist but currently it compares well with the presidential system.
Flow sounds positively soporific! There again, I’ve slept through both Bond & Batman films
You would not sleep through Flow, I don’t think…
Not soporific — you get completely sucked in: what will happen next????
The prices on jellies are silly — except maybe some place like Primark.