BLOG LIST

Today I have sat in front of my computer and visited so many new blogs. Some in English and other ones in Finnish. I added new blogs on my blog list and also separated the Finnish ones from the others but everybody can read them with the translator anyway, so go and enjoy some other viewing too. When I got more time I will list some Christmas blogs too, they start to be quite useful for the up coming Christmas season... Some people seem to have Christmas all year around... 
                                                                                                         

THE BED

And of course there is a bed, now it is more an extra bed for guest on when Oscar is back here it will become his room again. This room has a big sliding door opening to the terrace area and it is a nice working room for it's soft light. Now a days the bed is mostly covered with my magazine cuttings for my scrab books. This room actually has a bathroom on suite...

WORLD MAP WALLPAPER

I always wanted to have a world map on the wall. This map is a wallpaper that comes in four pieces and quite easy to put up. In front of that 2,80m wide map I have a work table which is over 3 meter long, so good working area for many things when space needed.

BOWLS

These two bowls were hand made by me in France.

MY CERAMIC

When I was living in South Africa and France I used to make ceramics and these are some of the vases that was made in Cape Town...

WALLPAPER

This room like all others in the house were painted in beige colour and so the room has now white sealing with light blue/grey wall, a left over paint from our bedroom. This wall in this picture has just one piece of wall paper with name of the towns which has a harbour. I have put two Ikea Lack shelves on the wall...

MY OTHER WORK ROOM

When we move in to this house in January this year this room became my son's Oscars room and we still called it like that even he has left us for his studies in Scotland. The three clocks and the wallpaper on the wall reminds about all the other places in the world...

RIOJA WINES

Since we are living in Andorra, we are drinking more Spanish wines. Here, in the shops we have much more choice of all kind of Spanish wines and we have a lovely neighbour that teachs us more about Spanish wines. This month while riding with our bicycles from Andorra to Santiago de Compostelle we rode through the Rioja. We even visited one of the vineries near Logrono, see previous postings.

Rioja wines are found in four different categories:

Young Wines:Wines in their first or second year, which maintain their initial freshness and fruitiness.

Crianza Wines: Wines which are at least in their third year, which have spent at least one year in barrel and few month in the bottle.

Reserva Wines: Select wines are from the best vintages which, given their excellent characteristics, have been aged for three years, with at least one year in barrels.

Gran Reserva Wines: Wines selected from exceptional vintages, which have spent at least two years in barrels followed by a further three years in the bottle.

ACCESSORIES

These three are my favorite items in this room, two old round tin boxes that ones were full of liquorice but even empty they still keep the smile, a pharmacy box made of tin by 100drine and our old alarm clock from when the kids were small. The alarm clock wakes you in Finnish in the morning singing" wake up, it will be a nice day today, it is time to wake up"...

CURTAIN

As I told earlier this room just have one window/door opening to the back of the house. I found this really bright thick cotton fabric in Ikea and made a simple panel curtain with lining that I can slide away on the side of the bed when I want some day light in to the room. I used the same fabric and a wooden frame that also comes from Ikea to make this note board hanging on the wall next to my work table. The hooks on the wall are funny looking dog tails and also from Ikea. So all the accessories are white or orange and a hint of red and pink... On the floor I have two round orange colour mats that follows the curtain pattern...

CRAFT ROOM

I found suitable furniture in IKEA for this room. The shelves are attached on 3 aluminium poles and what is good I could choose how many and what kind of shelving I needed. Most of the storage card board boxes are from Ikea as well. Opposite side of the shelving is the bed that can be open to a double bed when needed and it still has 3 large storage drawers in it as well. The duvet cover and pillow cases are from Finlayson's Moomin Collection. Finlayson is a Finnish company that has a nice collection of fabrics, duvet covers and table clothes and every season they will bring some new designs...

CRAFT ROOM

At home in Andorra we have 4 bedrooms, the main bedroom has it's own story but all the 3 other ones are not too big. The main bedroom and the guest room are upstairs. Downstairs we have most of our living area and the 2 other bed rooms. I have taken over those two rooms for my activities. The smallest room has one door window opening to the back yard and the room is quite dark even on a sunny day. When we bought this house a year ago, all the walls and sealings in the whole house were the same beige colour. I made this small room for me as a craft room, where I can do my sewing and have all my papers, fabrics, books, tools, magazines etc... So first thing I did, I painted the whole room white; walls and the sealing. Then I wanted all the furniture to be white. I needed lot of storage space and a bed would be nice for extra guest. I wanted a white but bright room...

HOME SWEET HOME

I am back home since last night. It was a pleasure to sleep in my own bed, it has been 3 weeks that I have changed hotel almost everyday. The 3 weeks on the road riding from Andorra to Santiago de Compostelle have been so full of happenings that I can't even remember all things we have done and seen anymore. Luckily I have all my photos. Thanks for all who has followed us on our trip by the other blog and by facebook.
Travelling in Spain by bicycle has been an experience, the seaneries has changed from mountains to semi-desert and to green forest before Santiago. We have eaten in so many tapas and pincho bars, tasted so many good Spanish wines, eaten so many local specialities and for our suprise it is fairly cheap to eat out in Spain, hotels have been very clean and most of them very modern too, even in the very small towns, good value for money.
I took me the whole day to get back on track... what next...
So I went to see my favorite blogs and what they have been up to while I was away...
I noticed that some had autumn blues, not really having much to tell, some had been really busy as always and on one there were people telling what keeps their marriage happy... cycling...charing special moments...
Now I need to get busy with something else... cycling has taken all my time for last 3 weeks... but my house in Andorra seems to need some care... So from tomorrow you can follow the photos of my home in Andorra and get some ideas for decoration too...

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELLE

In Santiago de Compostelle... After riding 1260 km's in 16th days and 2 days of rest we have finished our journey from Andorra to Santiago de Compostelle...

DARIEN BODEGAS

We went for wine tasting at Darien Bodegas an avant-garde vinery...

RIOJA

The Rioja and the 5 senses...

GHOST TOWN

In the old Part of Logrono city there are lot of empty buildings and some buildings has demolished, only phantoms remains...

FLAVOURS OF SPAIN

Red Peppers and garlic in Logrono market. Logrono is the capital of the Rioja region in Spain. We have been spending some time in Logrono city where the Cami Catalan part of Santiago de Compostelle meets the Cami Frances the Compostelle road coming over the Pyrenees from France. Here the town is full of pilgrims. Until now on the Cami Catalan we have only meet 3 guys on their bikes from Barcelona

Almond tree in the River Ebro Valley

During our riding in the valley we went through " a huge Spanish veggie garden" , tomatos, olive trees, red peppers, almonds and arriving in to Rioja area started the vine area...

Red Peppers drying outside in the sun...

BLUE

Today we passed many blue buildings...

ROAD BLOCK

Today while riding our bikes through small Spanish villages on the way to Santiago de Compostelle we were stop by this kind of road block...

HOT DOG IN ZARAGOZA

In Zaragoza was really a hot day and I found this "Hot Dog" having so much fun in the fountain...

WATERFALL

On the one end of the Basilica Plaza there is this huge fountain like a waterfall...

ZARAGOZA

Zaragoza is a nice city, vibrant and warm. The Basilica of Zaragoza is a outstanding landmark in the city. Lots of bar and restaurant can be find on the opposite site of the Plaza...

ZARAGOZA

On the 5he day of our trip we arrived in Zaragoza after 83km biking, tired but happy to spend two night in Zaragoza...

SUPRISING SPAIN

It could be in Namibia, but we are still in Spain travelling towards St Jacques de Compostelle, the 4 and 5 has been really desert areas that we have travel through, only few small villages to stop for water and food... if you want to follow more of our trip in Spain here is the link

SPANISH BREAKFAST

A typical Spanish breakfast is Cafe con leche, milk coffee with Churros...

HOTEL REAL

In Lerida we spent the night in Hotel Real and this photo is taken in the hotel bar, the whole decoration of the restaurant and bar were in black and red.

A BATH

In Lerida our second stop, we did some shopping for our bicycles and found this stunning bath made of plastic and with light which change colour while you bath. In Lerida or Lleida as they call the town in Catalan, there is a long shopping street close by the Segre river and the old city on the top of the hill.

A DOOR DETAIL

On our way from Andorra to St Jacques de Compostelle, first stop in Cervera. This is a detail of the huge door in the old part of Cervera.

Follow these shells

These are the two shells that we will attached to our backs. Gerald have to buy some fish from the local fish shop that she agreed to give these two shells. so tonight we eating Dorado...

The scallop shells are the emblem of the St.Jacques de Compostelle

WALL DECO

There is a reason why I show these two fabric frames today...
I found these fabrics in Finland and I made the frames (150x103) at home in Andorra. The grey one is in our bedroom and the bright pink/orange is in my craft room to give some colour to the white walls.

Tomorrow morning my husband and I will leave by bicycles (mountain bike) from our home in Andorra to travel about 1000km until St Jaques de Compostelle... We have one month ahead on bikes to discover the Spanish countryside...

I will try to post a photo everyday during the journey but it won't be just about the cycling for those ones who wants to follow our adventure there will be an other blog http://www.andorratocompostelle.blogspot.com/.