I felt the earth move ...

…. And it wasn’t a good feeling. Yesterday evening I was lying in bed recovering from a painful and distressful stomach bug when I felt the bed shaking as if someone was pushing it sidewise. And a loud rumble as if a big jet had just flown over my house. I was sure it was a small earthquake. I run downstairs and told the rest of my family but nobody else had felt it. The TV was on loud, the kids were sitting on the carpet and they thought I was exaggerating, as usual.

But I was sure it was a quake. I felt them many times in the past when I used to live in Italy. Bad ones too, but fortunately not as bad as in certain parts of my country, where there was destruction and death. My broadband connection went as well. So I couldn't check the news, but this morning I've had my confirmation. The tremor, measuring 3.6 on the Richter scale, struck six miles from Ripon, North Yorkshire, not far from here. The strength it is not likely to have caused any damage, but it was quite unpleasant. It is said that you don't get earthquakes in Yorkshire, but there’s always a first time.

Slow Gin?

During my day trips around Yorkshire (unfortunately no sunny Italy for me this summer!) I’ve come across something totally new and unusual to me: SLOEgin. It is a liqueur distilled in a farm near York. I didn’t know that that a sloe is a wild plum, the fruit of the blackthorn (Prunus spinosa). Hedgerow sloes are ready to be harvested from late September onwards.

The SLOEgin is made in the traditional way steeping hand-picked hedgerow sloes in London gin and sugar, then leaving it to mature. The result is a delicious ruby liqueur with the unique aromatic cherry-like notes of the sloe, a hint of the dryness of the gin and a strong warming glow.

I was told that you can also try it as a cocktail mixer with orange juice or lime (or both), vermouth or ginger beer or even champagne or sparkling wine.

Useless to say that this drink will feature as my welcome drink to my visiting friends until the end of the summer! You learn something new (and delicious!) every day.

Lavender blue...Lavender green...

Yesterday we managed to dodge the rain for the first part of the afternoon to visit Yorkshire Lavender, a beautiful Lavender Farm and Gardens set in Terrington, a few miles from "my beloved" Castle Howard. The entrance is free but very few visitors will manage to leave the farm without acquiring a “memento” of the place, from the simple tasting of great snacks, lavender ice creams and cakes in their coffee shop to the fragrant lavender essential oils, conserves, soaps, candles, etc etc.

The farm consists of nearly 60 acres of land set in the Howardian Hills with spectacular panoramic views over the Vale of York and beyond and has been featured on UK national TVs and radios more than once. The owner bought the land and set up the lavender farm 15 years ago prompted by his wife’s premature death and soon became a family project for him and his children and it’s dedicated to her memory.

A walk in the fantastic lavender garden can restore body and spirit in just a few minutes. It’s a stunning array of different colours - white, pinks, blues, lilacs to magnificent deep purples with a range of distinct and heady scents. A truly wonderful experience.

It also features "The Spirit of Yorkshire", a cricket match played by blue metal sculptures on the top of a hill overlooking a beautiful panorama. In the photo above I am attempting a poor imitation of a cricket player…useless!

Of course I couldn't resist a delicious cream tea consisting of the famous lavender scones with blueberry and lavender conserve! Divine!!!

And last but not least, a simple but useful advice…