The Distancing Diaries - 3rd & 4th November, 2020

Tuesday morning was atrocious, the rain was torrential and both cats refused to leave the house when I got up at just after 6.15am but by the time I'd done my Wii Fit workout and caught up with blog comments it had turned into what would be a lovely day.

After our fruit & yogurt breakfast Jon popped out for a pint of milk and some fuel whilst I made a start on the leaf sweeping. Three hours later and I'd filled the garden waste bin & four garden waste sacks and had the blisters to prove it. Meanwhile Jon gave the works van a going over as it was due in for an MOT in the morning. 

I found these patent leather Doc Martens in a charity shop, still in their box, back in 2018. It's taken me the best part of two years to break them in!

A lovely lady I know (hello, Jan!) stopped and took a photo, asking if she could share it on Facebook as she loved my gardening attire.

TUESDAY: Vintage 1960s Crimplene maxi dress, Firetrap cable knit hat, Doc Martens (all charity shopped)

The postman delivered a surprise parcel, a box crammed full of thread, bobbins, machine needles and a tiny lavender bag from Elaine. Aren't there some amazingly thoughtful people in the world? 

You'll probably know Elaine from the fantastic comments and excellent links she regularly leaves on my blog. She's also a gifted artist and earlier this year I was lucky enough to win one of her original pieces in a giveaway she'd run on Instagram. It now takes pride of place in the bathroom. Find her website HERE.

After a break for noodles I spent another hour in the garden, scrubbing the terracotta pots and sweeping the patio. Liz and Adrian popped round and we sat in the shelter drinking tea and catching up. As Liz was on her school half-term, she'd done an epic wardrobe blitz and brought round a sack of vintage for the Kinky rails. After they'd left we went for a walk around the block, a lockdown habit that had slid in recent weeks. Back at home I harvested the last of the dwarf French beans to go with our tea.

We had a surplus of potatoes so decided to make a veggie cottage pie for tea using Morrison's vegan mince, a dish we'd not made before. I made the cheesy mustard mash and Jon did the rest. Accompanied by a glass of wine it was rather tasty. We watched another couple of episodes of Spooks before I retired to bed early, knackered from all that leaf sweeping!

Wednesday saw the first frost of the season. Jon was up early as he'd got the van booked in for an MOT at 7.45am. He'd scared the cats half to death, they're not used to seeing him awake before 8am and, even more scary, he wasn't wearing shorts - I told you it was cold! I did my Wii Fit session, had breakfast alone and caught up with blogland, with BBC news on in the background, anxious on my American friends' behalf to know the outcome of the US election. I'm still none the wiser.

Jon came back at 9am, the van had passed! After a coffee Jon moved the winter lettuce from the greenhouse to the cloches, composted the French bean plants and dug the area over, also tackling the leaves at the top of the lawn, sweeping them into the borders.

WEARING: Indian cotton quilted jacket with applique elephants, an emergency purchase in Jaisalmer ready for our night in the Thar Desert, bobble hat (present from me) and jeans (bought from La Redoute in the '90s)

Meanwhile I ironed Liz's dresses and went outside to photograph them, then measured & wrote descriptions ready to upload to Ebay tomorrow. 

It was another bright but bitterly cold day and I'm delighted that I had the foresight to stock up on thermals.

WEDNESDAY: Vintage Anokhi skirt, Indian block printed waistcoat, ex-M&S Heatgen polo neck & thermal leggings (all eBay), 1970s turban hat (charity shop)

We were just finishing our noodles when Liz arrived bearing gifts, a pot of wallflowers from the garden centre where she'd taken her mum earlier, which I'll plant in the border tomorrow. We sat in the shelter drinking tea whilst she went through the scarf suitcase in the stockroom. Jon had finished A Man Called Ove last night and he passed it on as we knew both Liz and husband Al would love it as much as we did. 

After Liz left we went for another walk around the block. Back at home I topped up the fat blocks & the bird bath and left some mealworms out for the robins, who've been following us round the garden all day then sat in front of the BBC US election special and did some mending.

Where's my tea?

Stephen's got Felix, we've had roasted vegetables with chilli infused haloumi. Tonight we'll be watching Spooks on catch-up and Ambulance on the BBC at 9pm accompanied by a few rum and cokes. We've already had a glass of wine with our tea. Lockdown part 2, we're ready for you!

Stay safe and see you soon!

Travels in India, 2020 - Namaste, Rajasthan!

  

 We'd been told that a couple of days was more than enough time to spend in Jaisalmer as there wasn't anything to do. Aren't people weird? We ended up staying for five nights!

(Click the photo above to enlarge it - "boring" Jaisalmer in all her golden glory!)

Within the fort walls is a treasure trove of seven interconnecting Jain temples, carved from yellow sandstone and dating back to the fifteenth century.

A religion dating back over five thousand years, Jainism is based on non-violence. Jains lead a vegetarian lifestyle, renouncing the killing of all living beings no matter how small. Jains refrain from eating root vegetables as the plant is killed when the root is removed from the ground, some carry a broom to gently sweep away any tiny creature in their path and others wear face masks to avoid inadvertently breathing in insects.

The Jain temples are open from 8am to noon daily. Shoes and all leather items must be removed before entering. The entrance fee is 200 rupees/£2 for foreign tourists.

The Fort Palace, the former ruler's elegant seven-storey home, towers over Jaisalmer's town square.

 Much of the palace is open to the general public and the small rooms on each floor give a fascinating insight as to how the residents could spy on the outside world. The doorways connecting the rooms are rather low - not a reflection of the stature of the Rajput leaders but a means of forcing visitors to adopt a humble stooped posture in case the room they were entering contained the royal family.

The Victorian tiles in the collage above are Minton and originated a few miles away from Walsall in Stoke-on-Trent.

The bedroom windows of the Queen's palace (Rani-ka-Mahal) offered the royal women the perfect view of Jaisalmer's annual Gangaur processions in Spring.

Entry to the palace is 500 rupees (approx.£5) which includes a fascinating audio guide lasting 90 minutes. Open from 9am - 6pm daily.

 The 450-year-old Baa-ri-haveli once belonged to the Brahmin priests that advised the maharajah.

We stumbled upon the haveli and museum by accident when we took a wrong turning and at just £1 (including the services of an engaging young guide) it was brilliant value for money although, as you can see, we were persuaded to wear a turban for the duration of our visit (a small price to pay!)

As it only rains four times a year in Jaisalmer there's a profusion of pots enabling as much precious water as possible can be collected & stored.

 The family photos lining the walls gave a tantalising glimpse into the lives of the wealthy, ruling classes in 19th century Jaisalmer. (Click on the photo collages to enlarge them).

 The rooftop offered a great view of the Jain temples.

Jaisalmer fort is packed with cafes, coffee shops, and restaurants all touting for business. I'm sure they're very nice but we refuse to be shepherded into places, preferring to choose somewhere at leisure. Our favourite hangout was this funky little cafe a short walk away from the general hubbub of the fort. We loved how they'd repurposed old beer bottles (and were more than happy to contribute a few more!) 

 Jon's snapping some graffiti on the wall that says, The Plan is No Plan, which sums up our approach to travel!

 The cafe had just opened a shop downstairs, employing disadvantaged women to sew clothes made from recycled sari fabric. There was a tailor on-site offering alterations, bespoke clothing and also an option to dye fabric to customer specifications. 

 It's often remarked that I don't dress like a typical Western tourist eschewing the ubiquitous uniform of puffa jacket, cropped jeans and trainers for vintage dresses and tribal jewellery and many Indians ask if I'm a French or Italian fashion designer or an actress. When we first met, manager Ajay thought I was in the fashion business and asked for my help in writing some signs for his shop to explain what the business was all about. I was more than happy to help for free - although he insisted on giving me a wonderful antique printing block by way of a thank you.

The people of Rajasthan really are wonderful.

 For reasons far too mundane to explain, we missed the long-distance bus we'd booked from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur to catch our flight down to Goa. When Jon asked the manager of the Toyko Palace to arrange a driver to take us to Jodphur Airport at 4am the following morning, he insisted on driving us there himself (a nine-hour round trip!) The hotel manager was as bewitched as we were by the sunrise over the Thar Desert and the multiple peacocks by the side of the road, even stopping at a Hindu temple to give thanks for Rajasthan's beauty. When we reached Jodhpur he bought us roses as a reminder of our journey. 

Our ten days in Rajasthan were truly magical and, although Jodhpur stole our hearts, our time in Jaisalmer was pretty special, with grand Havelis and palaces, ancient forts and temples and, of course, a night in the desert, it certainly wasn't boring.

See you soon!

For more photos see HERE.