Rickmansworth Festival

Hello there! Hope you all had a lovely and relaxing weekend.

We went to the Rickmansworth Festival for the very first time last weekend. It normally takes place on the third weekend of May every year at the Aquadrome Local Nature Reserve, which is about 5 minutes walk from our house.  We made an extra effort to go this time since we missed it for the last couple of years we have been here. 

The usually tranquil Aquadrome was turned into a vibrant and buzzing funfair, filled with food and trade stalls, live music plus many more fun activities to keep visitors of all ages entertained.  The festival has been going for over 15 years to celebrate canals, the local community and the environment. 

I was most interested in the farm section where children were allowed to cuddle some of the cutest animals including the gorgeous piglet in the above picture! This piglet was only 3 weeks old and it was the sweetest thing ever. I know some of you might be tempted to get one but this lil piglet would not be suitable as a house pet since he can grow up to 130 kg!

an afternoon in Cookham

J + P patiently waited for me whilst I took picture of someone's lost shoe

I can't believe we are nearly half way through May already! James recently got this new app ~ The Most Amazing Places to Walk in Britain by Reader's Digest on his phone. We found this track not far from us in Cookham and we gave it a go last Sunday. There is a car park just past the Crown pub at the end of the village. We started off along the Thames, where there were many people taking advantage of the weather out on their sailing boats. It was so fascinating to watch and frightening at times when the sailors were caught off guard with the tremendous strong wind and their boats capsized. P kept herself busy and amused herself by getting tickles from every person she met along the way. Have I told you she is a sucker for attention?

Along the track, there are plenty of mega bucks houses on the other side of the river whilst some more humble and sweet cottages on the side we were walking along. There is a pub named the Bounty about 45 minutes from the car park. It was very busy and it looked like the only access was on foot or by boat.

After walking past a farm, we had to take a left turn towards a golf course up on the hill. There are 3 options when you get to the junction; to the right it would take you around the golf course or left towards the car park or up the hill where you have an amazing view of the Thames valley and its surroundings.

All in all, the walk took just under one and half hour at a leisurely pace with plenty of time for pictures of course! According to the app, the route around the golf course is about two and half hours. We rewarded ourselves with some delicious lunch at the Crown pub down the road. They pride themselves in using local produce and offer a great selection of food but no Sunday roast? I must admit the scampi and chips I had tasted very fresh and yummy! We were both impressed our pint of beer stayed chilled until the very last drop. One last note, do bring some cash with you on the walk as we were gutted to watch everyone else enjoying their ice cream on the benches.

Fingers crossed for some gorgeous weather again this weekend so you can maybe give this track a go. James, P and I definitely want to venture on another track around the area.

week 11

week 11 | The journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one's feet ~ Lao Zi
千里之行, 始于足下 ~ 老子

My day normally begins with a cup of goji berry tea, a fresh grapefruit then either some porridge or cereal with banana or strawberries. I struggle to function without a decent breakfast. This morning, I came across the above quote from the great ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Zi on the Times newspaper.

Lao Zi's philosophy was introduced to me at the Chinese history class at school. That was like nearly 2 decades ago! I believe the little things we do or the ways we treat each other on a daily basis will gradually lead up to something tremendous one day. 

I often bite off more than I can chew and putting myself in a great deal of pressure. I should really stop to think about it first before I get myself into a pickle again. Another note to myself is to accommodate daily life ups and downs with grace; don't sweat the small stuff!

Here is a little recipe that I want to share with you. Goji berries are believed to benefit the immune system function, protect the liver and improve circulation. 

GOJI TEA

• a handful of Goji berries (soaked, keep and use soak water)
• grated fresh Ginger
• honey

week 10

week 10 | simple things in life

As the weather warms up, the local parks are getting busier and our daily walk with P is also getting longer. We were all rather spoilt with the gorgeous weather in April and it seems May is off to a good start! I spotted this little beauty a few days ago at a common not far from where we live. How often do you slow down and take a notice what is around you? You will be surprised what you find sometimes. 

Happy hunting! xo