Monday 25 July 2016

Leaving Tomorrow

...for my annual Yorkshire Holiday, I did not want to go before showing off my newest two dresses (there has not been a "Fashion Post" from me in a while, has there!). I bought them in Ulm, the town that, apart from Ludwigsburg and Ripon, features regularly on my blog as a place where I go to brush up on the skills and knowledge needed for my work as a Privacy/Data Protection Officer.

The last time I was in Ulm, I had a bit of a gap in my schedule until my train was due. So I did what I do best - went sightseeing (back to the Minster, which is always worth a visit, no matter how often I've already been inside and have climbed the spire) and shopping :-)
I found these two dresses; they were on the "reduced" items rack because late summer/early autumn collections were already in the shops and these were still from the spring/summer collection.
The price I paid for both of them combined was less than what one of them would have originally been.
One is (obviously) meant for work, the other for going out.
 

For the second dress, I have found pictures on the shop's website. The detail picture shows the rather unusual material quite well:


My sister and I will have a long day of travelling tomorrow: First, two different local trains from Ludwigsburg to Stuttgart Airport. Then, you know what it's like - you hand over your luggage and do all the other stuff to check in and go through security, and then you wait... and wait... and wait. Hopefully not too long! 

The plane will take us to Manchester, and there we'll board the Transpennine Express to Leeds. From there, it's a local train to Harrogate, where we'll get a bus to Ripon. From the bus station behind the market square, it's another 10 minutes or so walking (with all our luggage, of course) to the wonderful Matchbox Cottage we have rented for the third time - this year for a full fortnight!

We are very much looking forward to our holiday, meeting the family and friends, going on walks and hikes, revisiting favourite places and finding new ones, cooking and eating nice meals together, sleeping as long as we want in the mornings (it is never very long, but it's nice knowing we don't have to be at a certain place at a certain time), and sometimes simply doing NOTHING.

O.K. spent the weekend here with me, and he very, very kindly and generously lent me his MacBook for the holiday. We have WiFi at the cottage, so I should be able to keep in touch with him easily by email, but of course it also means I'll be able to read your blogs and leave comments, although I probably won't be posting on my blog while I'm away.

30 comments:

  1. Have a wonderful, glorious holiday!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Have a really fabulous time! Hope the weather is kind to you - and that you go and see some castles.. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Mike - that is exactly what I intend to do :-)

      Delete
  3. Bon Voyage! I wish you a wonderful holiday and am wondering whether Brexit will change anything yet...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Kristi! Maybe some things will come a tad cheaper for us than in previous years, but we'll see...

      Delete
  4. Love your dresses - good choices for work and play!

    Have a fabulous holiday in the UK - the weather sounds quite hot there (although not as bad as here) so you will be able to enjoy days out with your sister. Two weeks will give you time to unwind and relax - would love to see photos of that area!

    Bon voyage - Mary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Mary!
      We're having nice summery weather here in south Germany, with temperatures staying just below 30 C. For Ripon, the forecast is at around 20 C most of the time - perfect for the hikes and walks we so enjoy.
      Careful what you wish for - there'll be plenty of photos when I come back :-)))
      (If you type "Yorkshire" or "Ripon" into the search box at the top left corner of my blog, you'll find many, many posts with pictures from the area from previous holidays.)

      Delete
  5. Hope you have a wonderful trip!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Have fun! The dresses are beautiful, and you wear them so well! You have such gorgeous long legs, I envy you! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Jennifer - you're making me blush :-D

      Delete
  7. Have another lovely Yorkshire holiday. Who wants Las Vegas, Sydney or Rio when you can have Yorkshire? Matchbox Cottage is a suitable place for you and your sister to stay as you are both* striking and no doubt light fires in the hearts of the Yorkshiremen you encounter.

    *guessing as I have never seen a picture of your sister.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Neil!
      Indeed, if I had the choice between spending a holiday in Yorkshire or in Las Vegas, Sydney or Rio, that would be a very easy decision for me.
      When you said Matchbox Cottage is a suitable place for us, I thought you meant because we're small - well, we're not, we are both relatively tall (I am 5'8" and my sister is even a tad taller).
      She wishes to remain unnamed and unpictured on my blog, and I respect that.

      Delete
    2. No I didn't mean you were small, I meant you were flammable - like matches... Sometimes my jokes fall flat. Have a wonderful time and plenty of well-deserved rest.

      Delete
    3. Your joke didn't fall flat - it was just my first thought before having completely read your sentence :-)

      Delete
  8. I would take a holiday in Yorkshire over one in many exotic spots! I wish you good weather and relaxation and all the other things you mentionned.
    The dresses are great buys - isn't it nice to find something you really like a good price? Have fun!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Me, too (would take a holiday in Yorkshire over exotic spots, I mean).
      My problem is that I find rather too many nice dresses I like and which are well within my budget...!

      Delete
  9. Those dresses look great on you, the one for going out is really cute! I can't believe the trip you are taking, I get tired just thinking about it. I am not much of a traveller, in fact I don't travel at all. Maybe it's because I travelled so much when I was a child. Times have changed now, it was much easier to travel in those days. When I see on TV the crowded airports, the cancelled flights, the 15-hour wait in Dover (it was on the news yesterday), I am glad I am not travelling. Anyway, just take it easy and enjoy your holiday. I am looking forward to your pictures when you get back. Have fun! Thank you so much for the birthday wishes. By the way, Chazz Palminteri is an Italian-American actor :) Buon viaggio!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Francesca!
      Well, I have been taking this trip nearly every year ever since I met Steve; I am used to it but I do admit it is a looooong day :-)
      At least we won't have a 15-hour-wait at Dover, and hopefully our flight won't be late! Trains these days are more reliable in England than they are in Germany... at least that is my personal experience.
      Thank you for explaining about Chazz Palminteri, I never heard the name before.

      Delete
  10. The dresses are great and I LOVE your hair!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Jill! I am glad it's so short now (my hair, not the dress).

      Delete
  11. Lovely dresses! And you will be on your way by now. I hope the trip goes well. At least you're not travelling via Dover where there are 15 hour queues! Lovely that you now have a fortnight in the cottage you liked.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank you, Jenny! Not on our way yet; we have an afternoon flight which is nice for a relaxed morning of last-minute ironing and cleaning, but will probably mean we won't arrive at the cottage much before 8:00 tonight. It is thanks to my sister's suggestion to book our summer holiday already in January (never done any booking so much in advance) that we were able to have "our" cottage for a full two weeks!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Love them! You look gorgeous. Wishing you a safe and enjoyable holiday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! It's been a good, if exhausting start - a long journey but everything went well, and returning to "our" cottage felt like coming home.

      Delete
  14. You should be ensconced in Matchbox Cottage by now. I wish for you and your sister a very enjoyable holiday. I, too, am on the move and at the moment I'm near Glasgow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Enjoy the trip, Graham! Yes, we've been at the cottage now since Tuesday evening. It really does feel like home!

      Delete
  15. Dresses are sbtle and gorgeous just love them,
    I enjoyed your whole post specially second last pare in which you described the beauty and freedom of holidays so nicely,
    Hope you long journey seem short due to have your sister with you as good company
    Really glad you got your fav cottage to stay ,right now i am being envious dear
    Have blessed each moment and have safe holiday

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Baili!
      The long journey was ok because it all went very smoothly, as I will explain in my next post. While I don't mind travelling on my own, it is much nicer with my sister, of course. We look out of the train window and point out "our" landmarks or a particularly nice view, for instance.
      I hope your youngest son is better every day and can soon return to school.

      Delete