Patterns from Porto

It was the patterns of the tiles in Porto that I found myself fascinated by. Whether it was the 3D-type, like the ones below, or the intricate almost Moorish designs. I found myself seeking out the tiles as we walked around the city, and mostly my phone was out ready to snap their delights. 

Bright yellows and faded yellows, the tiles were inset into many of the buildings. Some bold, some delicate, but all very pretty.

And variations on a theme. These are different to the ones at the top - the flower is slightly different - it took me a while to confirm that, I couldn't decide if it was just the layers of paint that made them feel different.

Blues featured too, and often mixed with yellows. The ones below have a touch of kaleidascope to them don't they?

And it looks as if many of them have been patched up and that just adds to the charm.

The patterns are mixed, the tiles are chipped and faded. But they are full of character and just work.

The colours are vibrant as often as they are faded, and I think there's almost more filler than tiles in the set below.

But some are in much better condition and this blue and white bold design in good condition almost looked out of place!

And every single one of these sets are on the outside of buildings, just for the record I haven't gone on my biggest snoop ever! 

Aren't they great?

A new - and modern - coffee set

We're back from a weekend in Norfolk and I've a few Norfolk posts to share with you this week. I make no apology for that, as it's a beautiful place and one of those places that I find it easy to chill out and recharge in. As usual when leaving mum and dads, I left with more than I arrived with and full of cake, which of course is never a problem.  As well as our purchases - it's rare that I'll visit Norfolk and not buy some fish at the Fish Shed in Brancaster Staithe and so take up space in mum's fridge too - there were some aquilegias, lupins and foxgloves from dad's garden, a giant lettuce he'd grown and something more unusual, a coffee set.

But not just any coffee set.

This one, a Midwestern set called Plant Life, was a wedding present to my parents from my granddad, which they've hardly used (their words) since their wedding in 1958 and as I've recently developed a taste for coffee (thanks to Nespresso) when it was offered, I was thrilled to bring it home.

I have memories of the best dinner service coming out for special occasions as I grew up, and wanting  to be extra careful with it and not drop or damage it. I've a skill for being a tad clumsy you see, but I think I managed not to break any of this and I'm hoping that record continues. 

It's been a while though since I looked at the design more closely. I'm not sure back then that I ever really looked at it in the same way I do now. But now that I do, it makes me smile. Its images and drawings are still modern and contemporary, or at least not dated, if you prefer to think of it that way. 

And I've just the place for it too.  

It's now proudly sitting in my dresser, where I think it looks great. It goes nicely alongside my Le Creuset Classic orange casserole and the Norfolk-crafted earthenware noodle bowls and I love it against the duck egg blue and the wood. 

Bringing it home was the prompt I needed to spring clean the dresser's display cupboards and rejig what went where. Now it looks prettier but is still - probably more - functional, which is just as well as I've promised to put this to good use. 

Now, who's for coffee?

The Poppies at the Tower of London

Or as they're officially known the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red which mark the centenary of the First World War, an evolving art installation with each poppy representing a British military fatality during the war.  There's 888,246 ceramic poppies being planted by volunteers and they are a powerful visual commemoration.

The first poppies were planted in the moat at the Tower of London on 17 July and they'll continue to be planted up until Armistice Day - 11 November.  They're already covering the 16 acres of moat and each of the two volunteer sessions a day aims to plant between five and seven thousand poppies, which need to be assembled before planting.

I first popped up to the Tower of London to see the poppies in August, then spent a Sunday morning volunteering in the moat planting poppies at the end of September (there'll be more on that next week) and then made time for another visit in October.  Each time I took some pictures and today I'll share how the installation has grown over my three visits.

In August, looking towards the Thames

August: looking towards St Katharine's Dock and below towards Tower Bridge

Even back in August they looked impressive, but there was clearly more poppies to be planted. The difference a month makes is amazing, below is the same stretch of moat at the end of September.  With just a few more poppies!

A misty September Sunday morning

Similarly the section looking towards St Katharine's Dock was more densely planted

But not much seems to have changed in the section looking towards the Thames

Our September visit was on a misty Sunday morning and much earlier than we'd usually be in town on a Sunday!  We were there early for our 9am - 1pm volunteering slot - I'll some share photos from our time in the moat early next week - but it did mean I was able to get some shots I wouldn't have got later on, like this one:

By the time I visited with mum and dad in October the planting looked more dense throughout the moat, and yet there was still another three weeks or so of planting to take place. There were noticeably more people coming to see the poppies too and it seems this has increased still further during half-term and as Armistice Day approaches. 

Further planting underway in October

And this time, the section looking towards the Thames had also changed

Each time I've visited I've been amazed and impressed by the number of poppies. While there's plenty of people visiting, there's also a hushed, respectful and reverent feeling around.

There's one view that I've seen which shows the true scale of the installation and it's this one taken from The Shard. Sadly I didn't see this first-hand so I'm grateful to my friend Nicola for letting me share her photo here. Wow.  

Photo credit: Nicola Ward @NWard1111

All of the ceramic poppies have now been sold and dismantling starts immediately after Armistice Day with more volunteers undertaking this huge task. The monies raised from the sale of the poppies will help support six service charities in the UK, which is a great way to ensure that service people today get the support they need. And it's a fitting way for such a poignant memorial to make a difference as we remember those who lost their lives serving our country.