New discoveries abound in your Heyday Friday newsletter
A fabulous holiday destination, a life-changing book, an absurdly simple desert recipe and an important reminder from a famous author in this week's newsletter
Hello again. I’m back.
And delighted, and not a little relieved, to report that my planning came good - we managed a week of driving through glorious Croatia without once getting lost, without any hotel choice being anything other than spot on, and without a single destination or restaurant booking turning out to be a disappointment.
Much as I’d love to take the credit for all of that (I mean, I’ll take a bow for a chunk of it), the main reason our week away was such a success was, more than anything, down to what a completely FABULOUS country it is, what absolutely delightful people the Croatians are, and what a well maintained and managed road system it has.
I’m sure you won’t be surprised to know that this week’s blog is a trip through the highlights of the trip. I hope you’ll find plenty in it to enjoy as much as we did experiencing it all.
And that once you have read it, which you can do by clicking HERE, you’ll feel compelled to make Croatia your next holiday destination. You won’t regret it if, no, when you do.
In case you need any more encouragement, here are a couple of highlight pics (I do love leaning on a good railing).
These have always been some of my favourite
WORDS OF WIDSOM
about travelling and exploring new places (I especially love deliberately getting a little lost when I’m somewhere new. You so often come across such interesting things, places and people when you do that, as I wrote about in THIS BLOG).
But I didn’t realise until today that they were said by none other than JRR Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (or that this is what he looked like).
This has become my go-to desert this summer (or what we’ve had of it here in the UK). It’s ridiculously simple and ridiculously moreish
STRAWBERRY MASCARPONE CREAM
This amount will serve about 6 people
Put 250g mascarpone cheese, 50g caster sugar, 100g hulled chopped strawberries, 1/2tsp vanilla extract and 1tsp lemon juice in a food processor.
Separate 2 medium eggs and add the yolks to the process and whiz all the ingredients until they’re smooth.
Whisk the egg whites into stiff peaks then fold half at a time into the mascarpone mix.
Chill for at least two hours before serving with fresh strawberries and, if you fancy it, a dusting of icing sugar.
See? I told you it was simple!
THIS WEEK I’VE BEEN……READING
This fast-paced, marvellously enjoyable romp of a book features three women finding their powers (quite literally) as they experience menopause and the changes and challenges of mid-life, and tells how they use those new-found capabilities to avenge, and solve the mystery of, the murders of a series of young girls in an exclusive Long Island oceanfront community.
Widowed former nurse Nessa has inherited her grandmother’s gift for seeing and hearing the voices of dead people. The life of high flying ad executive Harriet changes in dramatic ways when she loses her job and her husband and discovers a passionate affinity with plants and their powers. And feisty - and frequently furious - gym owner Jo, channels the ferocious battles she has always experienced with her body into overcoming the barriers the women face as they confront and challenge the dark misogyny and fiercely protected secrecy of a world of stupendous wealth where the rules don’t apply.
The Change tackles serious issues but doesn’t take itself too seriously. Part fantasy, part mystery, part social commentary but always fully enjoyable and entertaining. And with a thoroughly satisfying twist towards the end.
You can buy THE CHANGE from pretty much any book shop, real or online, including Waterstones
It was too tempting not to combine the feminist message of The Change, and the road trip theme of THIS WEEK’S BLOG in this
FRIDAY FUNNY
from that most feminist of all road trip movies, Thelma and Louise
That’s it, you’re done for this week.
I’m off to put away the last of my holiday clothes (how is it that the post-holiday washing is so endless?)
See you next time
Such a great energizing book ! And yes to all things Croatia