Royal Botanic Garden

There are lots of beautiful places in Edinburgh but we never venture there. This afternoon however we had a meeting with some clients nearby and we decided to cut accross the Royal Botanic Garden. It was a balmy afternoon and the shortcut turned into a very pleasant walk. They have a 100 years old hedge there which in our oppinion must have been a very good inspiration for The You Know Who for her final scene of the Triwizard Tournament which is taking place in a giant maze of a hedge. The cherry on a cake was a spectacular view of the city skyline.

We decided to come back sometime in next couple of weeks to have a better look at the waterfall there which got turned off at 6 pm sharp, just as we were passing by, so we just had a very short glimpse at the rest of its flowing waters.

Rural weekend

My husband and I

People keep on asking me how is the married life as if something was supposed to change with a thunderstrike after 7 years of relationship when you finally put magic Arabella rings on your mutual fourth fingers during a church ceremony.

Well, not much changes apart form the fact that I have to finally stop calling him my boyfriend (ups, I did it again!) and finally realise that I am a grownup and I have some responsibilities too.

He is getting on my nerves sometimes but at the same time he is my best friend and a work partner. He is my favourite photographer with an upcoming massive publication in the September issue of The Intelligent Life (who needs Vogue calling you if you get 12 pages spread there?) and constant motivation to work on my projects too.

And in addition to all that, he has just brought me a bowl of a saya muesli!

So here you have - us, Les Crofts on the way to a meeting with a client at Winton House.

Instead of holidays

Since I am not able to go on holiday anyway due to too many wedding bookings at this time of the year I decided to find a suitable substitute. Shoes, of course. These shoes cost as much as a holiday for two in a warm, Meditearrenian place. Well, maybe one day we will be able to have time for/afford both but for this wet, rainy Scottish summer these handcrafted, old English gentleman's style shoes will have to do. And nobody will ever be able to tell me again that I wear cheap shoes.

No idea

I seem not to have any ideas in my head any more. I think it must be a lack of holidays or a growing pressure over approaching deadlines. I have been completing a major commission recently and to my surprise I noticed that my head was surprisingly emptied of any good ideas. Not even great ones - good ones. Just when I have managed to put my foot through the door and get a response to my portfolio! Maybe sometimes one just has to do just a good, not a brilliant job? I would love to do only brilliant ones all the times but frankly I do not give a damn anymore. Maybe I just need a holiday, some quiet time in a warm place, with a good book (I am currently at Gladwell's 'Outliers' recommended by Szymon on his visit in Edinburgh couple of months ago.)

Another image taken through an Oxford's shopping window illustrates today's uninspired post. Maria Callas relaxing in the company of Churchill - this must have been a holiday! He called her 'terribly irritating' though - maybe she did not have any ideas for subjects of a sparkling conversation with him? Happens to me all the time.

Sheep

A reproduction of a sheep in print that I photographed in one of the antique prints shop's window in Oxford (in High Street). Isn't she cute for a 200 years old seep?

Holiday was cancelled

Oxford

It was great to meet all our friends and family in such a pleasant occasion!

Although Simon's parents were not able to come because of the heat, thanks to Sarah's phonecalls they had an hour-to-hour coverage of the events and we were able to visit the Merton's college fellow's garden where no ordinary people can relax on their perfect 500 years old lawn ( both Sarah and her husband Michael are graduates of the college). Monica even had a short nap under a tree there althouh a Harry Potter's tree in the New College, won my Mum's heart (and I took a picture of her sitting underneath it).

We dined well in the Brown's and had some lager in the Bear (Lyovka and boys were chatting about phisics as you usually do in an Oxford pub).

We have also got the most beautiful guest room in the whole of the Magdalen college with the view to the cloister.

The W day

We were really rubbish with these all wedding preparations - we have left everything to the last possible moment to the extent that we worked on the order of service (choosing music and readings) until 5 am on Friday night. I cannot understand the brides who prepare everything a year in advance - do they have too much time on their hands? Having a rehearsal on the day before, although unusual in Polish tradition, was actually very helpful - we were able to get all the choreography right (who is grabbing whose hand and in which moment), to practise the readings and get used to the whole wedding experience.

The ceremony was quiet and intimate (no picture taking were allowed during the mass and the vows!) with beautiful readings by my German best friend Monica (who read evergreen First Koryntian's letter in English) and my dear Polish cousin Maciek (who read Shakespeare's sonnet in Stanislaw Baranczak's translation). Our chaplain, Michael Piret prepared the most moving speach ever and after 30 minutes of the concentration, we sailed smoothly onto the married waters.

With a great weather streaching ahead, we have enjoyed picnic after the ceremony as planned, in the Magdalen fellows' garden, with champagne, strawberries, sandwiches and cakes from Maison Blanc in precious company of our family and friends. It was a beautiful, relaxed day - just the way we have always wanted.























http://nfs.sparknotes.com/sonnets/sonnet_116.html

SONET 116

Nie ma miejsca we wspólnej dwojga serc przestrzeni
Dla barier, przeszkód. Miłość to nie miłość, jeśli,
Zmienny świat naśladując, sama się odmieni
Lub zgodzi się nie istnieć, gdy ktoś ją przekreśli.

O, nie: to znak, wzniesiony wiecznie nad bałwany,
Bez drżenia w twarz patrzący sztormom i cyklonom -
Gwiazda zbłąkanych łodzi, nieoszacowanej
Wartości, choćby pułap jej zmierzył astronom.

Miłość to nie igraszka Czasu: niech kwitnące
Róże wdzięków podcina sierpem zdrajca blady -
Miłości nie odmienią chwile, dni, miesiące:
Ona trwa - i trwać będzie po sam kraj zagłady.

Jeśli się mylę, wszystko inne też mnie łudzi:
Że piszę to; że kochał choć raz któryś z ludzi.

(przeł. Stanisław Barańczak)

P.S. The beautiful bridal bouquet courtesy of my dear aunt Grazyna. Dziekuje Ciociu! Picture taken by the lovely mother of the bride. Caluje Cie bardzo mocno, Mamo!
P.S.2 Now I just have to learn to address Simon as my husband not my boyfriend!

And some images of picnic:

Simon pouring some chamapgne for Roger (who very kindly filled in as our usher) and Damien in the backgroud.

In the English capital

Before we headed down to Oxford for a part two (rehearsal) and three (the main ceremony) of our wedding, we decided to spend couple of days in scorching hot London with Simon's sister's family and our two kids. It was not the best time for a visit - it was hot (+33 degrees!), sweaty, busy and tiring but I hope that my family who came from Warsaw, especially for the ocassion, enjoyed it a lot.

To save our swollen feet, we went on a typical tourist tour on the top of a red doubledecker hoping that the wind is going to cool us down but all we have got was a sunburn in the traffic standing still and a quick glimpse of a princesse Anne who whizzed past in a column of black cars on the Victoria embankment. It was a big relief to finally head to Oxford to cool off and prepare for the big day.

Mr & Mrs Crofts

So last Saturday we got married!

Well, it was the first part, a prelude - as the main celebrations are going to happen on this Saturday in Oxford - we were very cool and relaxed. One is waiting and preparing for all of this stress and all of a sudden after 25 minutes max it was over and we could go to the new Missoni hotel accross the street for some cold drinks as heat and humidity were unbearable. Nuala and Mark very kindly filled in as our witnesses, Sejin came as a close friend but also took some pictures (well, she is one of the top wedding photographers in Edinburgh so we were in safe hands and it was great to see her in action!) and Simon's family was so sweet and kind, that it was all very emotional for everybody.

I have to dash now and pack for London and I cannot wait to meet my mum tomorrow and chat with her how nice it is to be married!

All pictures courtesy of Liska Crofts (who on congratulating us said that now officially I will not be able to escape from the Crofts anymore. And I am jolly glad that I will not be able to!).