Andelli Art

We were in Crete and missed Stewart Geddes' private view so we went this week to catch his exhibition before it closed. Stewart is the current president of the Royal West of England Academy and earlier this year he curated an exhibition of Albert Irvin and abstract expressionism which has obviously greatly influenced his own most recent paintings, here on display at the Andelli.

Interesting that the paintings that I most liked had all been sold.

What a delightful gallery the Andelli is, set in the Somerset hills above the small city of Wells. It's run by Ellie Jones within her own home. I love to see artwork and collectables within a domestic setting and the space created by Ellie and her family really is a joy.

I had a very happy mooch around, oohing and aahing at such a wide variety of objects; rows of jaw bones with teeth, toy hospital sets, African masks, suitcases, artists' palettes - you name it!

 

Lovely things to see in every room.

Thank you, Ellie for being so hospitable.

Ah, I'm glad its not just my family who relish the pleasure of STUFF!

Crete

Some real warmth to our bones, just what the doctor ordered! An offer that we couldn't refuse had come up on the computer, a week of all-inclusive in Crete for a very low price. (The doctor would not approve of the mounds of food we ate!) The weather can be chancy so early in the year.

But we were lucky, even on cloudy days the temperature was delightful and it was comfortable to be just lounging about

or exercising on the grass. (Me, not him!)

A huge advantage in being on holiday so early in the season is that it is quiet. It doesn't trouble us that  many shops and bars have yet to open. It is a pleasure to be able to explore the local streets at a leisurely pace without any hustle and bustle.

The old boys of the village were already settled into their positions in the café reviewing the day.

Himself took a look and wondered if he should join them. (He's eligible by age, only his lack of Greek stopped him.)

There is quite a bit of picturesque crumbling.

and a cement mixer as a decorative addition to an arrangement of plants!

I liked the formal structure of this garden

with its controlled decorative features.

I would have loved to see what the house was like inside. 

We took the path up beyond the village to look at the cemetery.

A carpet of wild flowers.

The snow-capped tops of the hills could hardly be seen against the pale sky.

I like the way that photos and objects are used on the graves, something that isn't seen in British culture.

Then we wandered back down the hill, having almost worked up an appetite/excuse for a hearty lunch!

Six go sightseeing in Crete.

Forget Enid Blyton's Famous Five, on last weeks holiday in Crete it was a case of the not-at-all famous Six going sightseeing around Crete in our hire cars. No, not down there,  Shep, its a goat track!

We went up into the hills

where there was snow on the tops.

What a pleasure to wander about in the warmth under a blue sky. This is just what we were all in need of after a dark, dank winter.

 

The café overlooking the harbour looked good.

Time to stop for drinks.

Then on to discover somewhere else.

Lunch break. Note our neat little insulated bags supplied by the hotel. We were given them at breakfast with drinks supplied and told to fill with whatever food we wanted. A nice change from the inevitable boiled egg and a bread roll in a cardboard box.  (Although I did put a boiled egg into mine for old times sake.) Julie commandeered the tables at this empty café, not yet opened for the season. Oh, the cheek of it!

This sightseeing lark is very tiring!

We never made it up into the burial grounds

but went back over the hills

stopping now and then to take in the views.

Thank you, folks, for your good company.