G & J away from home

Tuesday, 21 April

We've usually visited P&M in Laguna Niguel later in the year when its hot (great for Gary but not so great for me) but right now it's a very pleasant 18 degrees C and overcast.

I took a couple of photos of Marilynne's garden which is looking very cottage-y with snapdragons and alyssum pots out the back and foxgloves beside the path to the front door.

Snapdragons

Foxgloves

Foxglove - detail

For lunch we went out to Fashion Island, naturally visiting the iCatherdral for an update on the iWatch.  The whole place felt different without the bright sunshine and heat.

The iCathedral (a.k.a. the Apple Shop)

After Fashion Island (which isn't even an island) we went off to Balboa Island - a very cute (though no doubt hugely expensive) beach town.  While the others walked around the island and I went shopping.  The bookshop I always enjoy visiting had closed but been replaced by the children's bookshop which opened only three weeks ago. Disaster averted!


One of the owners, Donna, was on-hand to chat about books - and she wanted recommendations! The books stocked in the shop go up to that pre-teen (10-12) age group which is my favourite and indeed there were plenty of books on the shelves that I have already read or have at home.

Donna @ Island Tales

I told Donna about the book meeting we have each year where we introduce new authors and books to each other and she thought it would be great to hear from my book friends with their recommendations.  Away you go, book-friends, contact Donna through her website Island Tales Bookshop.  (My recommendations included Jeanne Birdsall's Penderwicks series, Elizabeth Enright's Melendy quartet and Gone Away Lake duo, Joshua Mowll's Guild of Specialists trilogy.)

After the bookshop I called into a couple of gift shops picking up greetings cards (a good item to collect while away as they pack easily and eventually they'll all get used ... and I like them ;o).  One of the shops was Heart of the Island which had lots of paintings of the island and beaches in the area.


And this is what the shop looked like:

Heart of the Island

There were lots of things I would have brought home if I'd had the space!

I took a photo of the street but it was hard to get the feel of the place because the road was quite busy and every car parking spot was taken even on a cool and cloudy Tuesday afternoon.

Balboa Island's main street

Currently reading: Angie Sage's Magyk (a re-read).

(There you go, Anne.)
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