A Trip Downtown and Using Up Figs

 

Last Thursday evening we were talking with my parents about drivers' licences when I suddenly realized I had received a renewal notice in the mail, oh, about six weeks ago. It was still languishing on the shelf, and my licence was due to expire on Saturday. Oh dear. I quickly went on line and tried to book an appointment for Friday, to no avail. The earliest appointment I could get was for Monday, and it was at the downtown office, not the office within walking distance. 

So Monday morning, after seeing my parents drive off to the ferry, I walked to the bus stop and went downtown to renew my licence. I couldn't drive for it had expired. The renewal went off without a hitch, and I spent a little time wandering about the city streets. I know that ivy and Virginia Creeper are not good for buildings, but they certainly add beauty and character to them, especially with all the autumn colour. 

I spent some time in Munro's Books, an iconic Victoria bookshop. While there I struck up a conversation with another woman who said that she was from Ontario, was here on vacation, and had heard so much about the store that she just had to visit. 

It's beautifully organized, with so many lovely, lovely books that I wanted to gather up and bring home. I did purchase a couple for Christmas gifts.

I did not purchase this one, but the title struck me as very funny and reminded me of our experience arriving in London at a very late hour after a delayed flight from Paris. We took the train from Gatwick to Purley where our AirBnB was located 15 minutes from the station. We trundled our carryon luggage through the streets, well after midnight, and joked about being murdered in England, since we had watched so many British murder mysteries on television. Of course we arrived without incident, but this book tells me that others have the same thought!

Here is a little bit from the book. Very cheeky and fun.

"The Churchyard. Technically, you're supposed to be dead before you end up here, but villagers aren't strict about this."

My parents gave me a beautiful bouquet of roses and lilies for my birthday and the tight lily buds are open now. Mom said that there were lots of autumn coloured bouquets, but she knew I liked pink ones better, and she is so right. 

Our sunny weekend ended abruptly on Monday afternoon (AFTER my bus trip and walk home), with steady rain that is forecast to continue all week. Over the weekend I picked a few more ripe figs and this evening I made a Fig and Blue Cheese Flatbread to accompany our vegetable soup. The figs are not very sweet due to lack of heat and sun, and need a little added sweetness - this time from some Strawberry Thyme Preserves I had downstairs. It was all very delicious. 

An anonymous comment asked if I liked reading series. The answer is an emphatic yes. There's nothing I like better than finding a good author who has written a number of books featuring a likeable character. I'm hoping the Whitstable books will fit the bill. 

It's very cozy here this evening with the fire flickering, the pink roses on the coffee table, a cup of tea beside me, and wind gusting outside. 

Wishing you all November days of coziness.