Hold tight....it's Storytelling Sunday

It's Storytelling Sunday again over at High in the Sky and my contribution is a story from our holidays.

This year was our fourth visit to Kranjska Gora in Slovenia.  It's a ski resort in the winter and a great base for walking and cycling holidays in the summer.  For those of you not sure where it is, Kranjska Gora lies at the top left of Slovenia (previously part of Yugoslavia) very close to the Austrian and Italian borders.

So my story begins on our first visit when the teen wasn't yet a teen.  On the first day we decided to take a chairlift ride to the very top of a mountain, where at the top a reasonably long enough walk for our first day could be taken.  Rob wasn't too keen to be taking the chairlift but we persuaded him it would be OK and managed to get him on it.  Well the look on his face (sheer fear) told us that we were not going to get him onto the second part of the journey, another chairlift right to the top.

Fast forward four years, Rob is still a little nervous but again we persuade him to try again.  This time we are all smiles as we drift silently up the mountainside taking in the views from our four seater chair.  'I don't know what I was worried about' Rob laughs......then the next part of the journey involves a little walk before we get to the chairlift station.  As we turn the corner we are confronted by single seater lifts.  He is sure to bulk at this, but no Rob is the first on.  I am feeling a little nervous myself but I don't have time to think about it too much as we are ushered on and the flimsy bar is pulled down to keep you in.  The seat is so small I can't even fit my rucksack on my lap and desperately hang onto it with one hand while my other hand grimly clings onto the side of the chairlift.



A sedate start at the beginning using the lower chairlift.



Getting a little higher....



I decide that this part of the journey I really don't like, thoughts are running through my head that include what a long way to fall into the rocky ravine it is, if we stopped how would the emergency services rescue us (no really I'm not kidding, health and safety doesn't of seemed to of arrived in Slovenia yet and a helicopter would of swayed the chair around uncontrollably, ) and how cold it is up here and would I be brave enough to let go and put my jumper on......do you think my thoughts were running away with me?.



The higher chairlift.....call this substantial?



Eek.....stop, I want to get off!



I try to take my mind off disasters by trying to take out my camera and taking some photos (again this is difficult as it involves not holding on) but strangely, looking through a lens doesn't seem so scary....until thoughts of dropping it reminds me of how high up we are.



But the views were worth it.



Resting after my ordeal.

The chairlift station is in sight now and anyone that has been on a chairlift will know how they don't stop but you have to be dragged off by the chairlift operator and run out of the way of the next chair coming in.  I breathe a sigh of relief.  After checking with Rob and Nige I find I am the only one not enjoying the trip.  Luckily the walk afterwards boasts unbelievable views from it's summit of Slovenia and it's neighbouring countries of Italy and Austria and I feel glad that we made the journey.......until the return trip.

My week in pictures 29 Aug 2011

Hello there,

Well it's been a tense week here at The Little Blue Shed household. The teen had an interview for a college placement but not before having to retrieve his Graphics portfolio from his school that is still shut. The good news is that he is now officially a student and proudly has his student card ready for his first day of his Interactive Media class on Tuesday. Sometimes things happen in life that can send you in a totally different direction and sometimes it is for the better....well done Rob we are all proud of you.

So apart from visiting colleges and filling in forms I have found some time to get all crafty and I made a little cover for my itouch. As you know I am not great with the sewing machine but I took my time and although it is a tight fit I am pleased with it.

Thanks for your replies about the postage stamps, I have some ideas forming now...

As you can see I have a new app to show my week in photos that I will be sharing with you each week, hope you like it. Thanks for the heads up on that Sian.

Must go now....the stamps are calling me.

Forgotten treasures...

As it seemed from your comments many of you liked the idea of adding postage stamps to my scrap booking layout.  So I set about making another holiday page with postage stamps on but was lacking in 'nice stamps'.  I recently remembered adding an Italian stamp to our 'charity stamp collection' and so asked Nigel if he knew where the collection was.....and he produced this.....

His old stamp collection from when he was a child.......I gasped in excitement and then opened the box...

Inside was this Ladybird book....good old ladybird...

Lots of little envelopes full of stamps, all sorted into categories....

He said I can use them however I want.  But what to do with them all?.....I couldn't bare to give them to charity....any thoughts?



Lost for words...

Well almost.  When I first stepped up to this small, rocky plateau, 'awesome' was the word I first thought.  Just because there wasn't a word to explain the sheer beauty of the view.  Awesome, is not a word I would normally use, it's a bit Americanised for my taste.  Wow, stunning....you decide.  But really you can't appreciate the beauty from the photo, you have to be there. 

It was the first walk of the holiday and included two chairlift rides and a very steep climb.  But more about those experiences another day.

The red and blue lined pattern on the card stock reminded me of air mail envelopes which gave me the idea of adding used postage stamps as embellishments.  Unfortunately I did not have any Slovenian stamps (the postcards home have only just arrived), the nearest was Austria but in the end chose the stamps that most matched the colours in the photo and paper.  The little card on the left is one of the chairlift/summer toboggan passes.  

It feels like the summer is well and truly over now doesn't it? I have already packed my summer clothes away and now the wardrobe is full of plumbs, browns, navy and greens.....hmmm, love the autumn colours.  I must be one of a few that actually look forward to wearing opaque tights and getting out the woolly knits.....but then I don't have a tan to cover, factor 50 put paid to that:) 

The change in weather reminds us that the new term is fast approaching and unfortunately I will be back at school soon.  Not sure what the teen will be doing yet, plan B is still being sorted but a plan C is available in case of emergency.....

All about the boy....

It's been all about the boy this week, yes GCSE results day descended on us and we have been trying to swim against the tide ever since.  Unfortunately the teen although did very well was pipped at the post and his plans have been changed.  Except he didn't really have a plan B until yesterday.  Hopefully things will be sorted out over the next week. 

With all the new arrangements being made I managed only a little scrapping.  Of course it has to be holiday photos and as we are talking about the teen, here he is....

Digging into the delicious Slovenian ice-cream (well it may be Italian because we are literally within walking distance of the border).  That boy has a good head of hair on him, takes after me in that respect.  But boy is it a mop at the moment, he definitely has a habit of hiding underneath it

I used a Shimelle sketch to kick start the mojo with mustard yellow and blue gesso splattered papers and a die-cut flower.



Hi Honey.....

........I'm home.

Well hello there, we are back in dear old blighty and the washing machine is spinning away.  We are still putting things away (I hate that part of the holiday) so I haven't had chance to scrap any holiday photos yet so I am going to bore you with a couple of photos's of our holiday instead.

Firstly, the awesomeness of this view from Slovenia across to Italy and Austria is definatly one of my favourites.  Please click onto it as it is so much better in a larger photo.

Pretty moth/butterfly with a rapidly flowing river behind.

Buckwheat pancakes with mixed berry sauce....these where simply delicious.

The only wet day, but the scenery is still pretty with the cloud decending over the mountains.

Pretty windows...



Well, that's all I am going to share for now.  The rest need to be scrapped and many a story told.....and the washing machine has stopped which only means one thing, another load to be put in....sigh!

Oh yes!!! I have seen that the video I posted is on here.  I didn't think it had been successfull.  maybe someone could tell me when it was available to see.  Sorry about the poor quality and any spelling mistakes I posted while I was away but the i-touch has very small keys.

I will be back soon to tell you more and maybe a layout ot two...ta ra for now.

A funny old day....

The marked footpaths around here are not quite like the public footpaths at home. For a start in the UK we have a tendency to signpost them. Also we don't have many landslides which means our paths are not littered with fallen trees, boulders and scree. You are never likely going to come across a missing path....that's been washed away by heavy rain (so heavy they slip into a ravine or river) . I have never been chased by a goat (with very large horns...is that a ram?) because he wanted my lunch and I never have to take off my boots and socks to wade across a river...so I can continue the route home. Yes, it's quite different walking in Slovenia....