Posted by: Debra Kolkka | September 15, 2025

Our pile of rocks

Those of you who have followed my blog for a while might be wondering why I have not posted about Casa Debbio and our beautiful garden. That is because we have sold it. A delightful couple, who love the house as much as we did, have taken the reins and are making the garden their own.

This is what we started with. We originally called it “Our Pile of Rocks”. The only thing we could save was the volcanic rock arched doorway.


This is what it became. The house was finished in 2012 and for the next 12 years we built the garden. The whole property was covered in brambles and had a few old trees.

 

 





Apart from the magnificent views from the house, and Sisto’s music playing from below in the afternoon, what I will miss the most is the garden. It was a lot of work. We had help from lots of people.

Our lovely friend Agostino gave us lots of plants for our garden, Alfredo had the terrible job of clearing the brambles, Bardi started the first garden beside the house, Vittorio built the pergola, Rocco helped on several occasions with his digger, Filippo was with us in the garden from almost the beginning and did a great job with help from Ugo. They both built the dry stone walls in front of the house as well as the driveway and lots of other projects.



My favourite tree is this weeping cherry. There are 3, but this one is so beautiful in early spring.

 


It is also lovely when the leaves come.


I loved the wisteria.

I loved the aquilegias, artichokes, tomatoes, roses, fruit trees, lavender, rosemary, daffodils and all of the other fabulous things that grow so well at Casa Debbio.



I loved the experiment with the old bed on one of the terraces. Now it is growing a bedspread of vinca.



I loved it when we had snow occasionally.



I loved our family of bright green lizards.

But most of all I loved my peonies. I was delighted to find that they would grow well in the garden. This was my first one. After a few years it grew about 60 blooms every spring.

 

Many others followed. There were around 100 peony plants growing at last count.


My most popular photo from Casa Debbio was afternoon tea on the terrace in front of the house..


Farewell Casa Debbio. It was a lovely time in my life.

 

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | September 1, 2025

Skara Brae in Orkney

Skara Brae is a stone-built Neolithic settlement on the Bay of Skaill on the main island in the Orkney archipelago. The site was occupied from roughly 3180BC to around 2500BC. It is Europe’s most complete Neolithic village. Skara Brae gained UNESCO World Heritage Site status as one of the 4 sites making up “The heart of Neolithic Orkney”. It is older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids of Giza. It was uncovered in 1850.

We arrived at the site and decided to have breakfast at the excellent information centre at the entrance to the site. We were just in time for a burst of torrential rain. Luckily it finished just as we had finished breakfast.

Our visit began with the small museum at the centre. It was filled with artefacts gathered from the excavation. It also included a true to size replica of one of the stone houses uncovered.



The excavation site is a short walk from the entrance, towards the seashore. It consists of 10 clustered houses made of flagstones. The tiny village is made up of a group of one-roomed circular houses.



Earthen dams provided support for the walls. All houses  had built in stone furniture, beds, cupboards and shelves. There was a primitive sewer system, with a form of toilet and drains with water used to flush waste into a bigger drain and then out to sea.

 




On a warm sunny day the location of the houses must have been idyllic. There would have been plentiful food from the sea, fertile land for farming and the views are glorious. On a freezing, windy, wet winter day, maybe not so great.

It is not known why the site was abandoned. Around 2500BC the climate changed, becoming colder and wetter. One theory is that the people left after a major storm because the inhabitants seem to have left in haste, leaving valuables behind. An unknown number of dwellings would appear to have been lost to sea erosion.

 

The house near Skara Brae is Skaill House, a historic 17th century mansion. It was the home of William Watt, the man who discovered Skara Brae in 1850 when a storm uncovered the site on his doorstep. A visit to the house is included in the admission price for Skara Brae.



Skara Brae was our favourite spot on Orkney. It is easy to imagine people living in these houses, going about their daily lives. It is a pity the stone walls can’t tell us more about the people who built them.

Our little aircraft that took us to Aberdeen was very cute.

An even smaller one was waiting for passengers nearby. These planes skip from island to island.

 

Our Orkney visit was excellent! The folk music festival was wonderful, I would happily go again. Thank you Anup and Poorna for organising the trip.

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | August 26, 2025

Ancient stones on Orkney

One of the ancients sites in Orkney we visited was the Ring of Brogdar. According to folklore, a band of fearsome giants gathered in a field between the lochs of Stenness and Harry one night and began to dance to the sound of a fiddle. They forgot to watch for the sun rising and as the first rays crept over the horizon they instantly turned to stone. Today they are frozen in place, as the stones of the Ring of Brodgar.







Only a small fraction of the site has been excavated. Maybe in the future more will be uncovered and further understanding of the stones will be revealed.

We didn’t dance all night, so we did not turn to stone. It was a short visit to see the mysterious stones. It is amazing place to be, trying to imagine why and how these stones came to be placed here all those centuries ago. It is wonderful that they still stand and allow themselves to be admired.

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | August 19, 2025

Cliffs, ruins and wildflowers on Orkney

The coastline of Orkney is stunning. Rocky cliffs and grassy fields make for interesting walks. Our first walk was at the Brough of Birsay. Birsay was a Viking stronghold in the 1000s, possibly home to the powerful Norse earl of Orkney, Thorfinn Sigurdsson. Before that, a different culture thrived here. Pictish people lived on the Brough from the 600s. Traces of their oval houses have been found beneath the later Norse buildings.

It is possible to walk to the Brough via a causeway at low tide.

 

The water is clear and sea life is easily visible from the path.


We walked among the ruins of the ancient houses.





Pretty wild flowers grow everywhere.



Further on are the rocky cliffs. We kept an eye out for puffins, which are known to nest here. We saw none. (I later bought a pair of socks featuring puffins)





Meet my lovely friends, Anup and Poorna, who organised this amazing trip.


On our way to find lunch we came upon more recent ruins, the Earl’s Palace Birsay. It was built for the notorious Robert Stewart, Earl of Orkney in the 1570 – 80s. The Renaissance palace is a bold statement of wealth and power. Robert was an illegitimate son of James V. He was made Earl of Orkney in 1581 by his nephew James VI. He considered himself as absolute ruler of Orkney and Shetland.

The castle was obviously once grand, now it is a pile of bricks and stones.

 

We had lunch nearby, a pork pie and ginger beer from Bundaberg in Queensland, what a treat.

If you go, don’t park near this, rabbits can be fierce.

It was beside a church.


On another day (actually 2 days) we went a little further along the road, over a stone bridge, past a pretty house.

At this cottage we had delicious salmon and crab sandwiches. I recommend a visit.

There were pretty views from the cafe, but also a fierce wind so we had a quick look and went inside.

Our next cliff experience was a walk up a long, gradual slope to see the monument to the Kitchener Memorial, a 48 foot high stone tower, unveiled in 1926. The plaque on the memorial reads…”This tower was raised by the people of Orkney in memory of Field Marshall Earl Kitchener of Khartoum on that corner of his country which he had served so faithfully nearest to the place where he died on duty. He and his staff perished along with the officers and nearly all of the men of HMS Hampshire on 5th June 1916.”

 

The spectacular cliffs nearby hold nests of sea birds. Once again no puffins were sighted, but one lonesome seagull popped its head up.

There are stunning views from the top of the cliffs.




Orkney is beautiful. We were mostly lucky with the weather, with blue sky and sunshine. There were short bouts of rain but we were not bothered much.

 

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | August 9, 2025

Italian Chapel Orkney

We discovered a tiny piece of Italy in Orkney. There is a delightful Italian Chapel with an interesting history.

In October 1939 a German submarine under the command of Gunther Prien entered Scapa Flow ( a body of water in the Orkney Islands) and sank the British battleship HMS Royal Oak with the loss of 834 lives. Winston Churchill visited Orkney and the decision was taken to construct barriers to close off four of the entrances to Scapa Flow to make the base for the home fleet more secure.

A shortage of manpower to construct the barriers coincided with the capture of thousands of Italian soldiers fighting in North Africa, so a decision was taken to transport 550 men to Camp 60 on Lamb Holm (the island where  the chapel is) and a similar number to Camp 34 in Burray.

Following a request from the camp priest, it was agreed that 2 Nissen huts would be joined together to provide a chapel. Among the Italians in Camp 60 was an artist, Domenico Chiocchetti, and he was given the task of transforming the huts into a chapel. He was assisted by other tradesmen, in particular Giuseppe Palumbi, a blacksmith and Domenico Buttapasta, a cement worker.

Domenico Chiocchetti carried in his pocket a small prayer card given to him by his mother before he left home. It was the image on that card of the Madonna and Child by Nicolo Barabino that Chiocchetti based his painting above the altar in the chapel. When the camp commander realised that the prisoner was a talented artist he was allowed to continue painting to make the building more attractive,

The chapel is one of Orkney’s most loved attractions.

We were there quite late in the afternoon and it was not open, but we enjoyed wandering around the lovely building and imagined the pleasure it must have given to the imprisoned men.



We had an audience of the ever present cows.


Thank you to Orkney.com and some signs near the chapel for the information. It is excellent that the chapel is kept in such good condition and welcomes visitors.

 

 

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | August 3, 2025

Orkney Islands, Scotland

When friends suggested accompanying them to the Orkney Folk Music Festival we jumped at the chance despite knowing nothing about the Orkney Islands or Folk Music Festivals. It sounded like an adventure not to be missed. I set about looking for information about the islands.

Orkney, also known as Orkney Islands, is an archipelago off the northeastern coast of Scotland. There are dramatic cliffs towering above the sea, beautiful beaches, seal colonies and puffins. The islands are the UK’s most popular cruise ship destination in the UK…who knew?

We flew from London to Aberdeen then on to Kirkwall, on the main island. It is a short, but expensive trip. Kirkwall is the largest town in Orkney. It was our base for the 5 days we spent there.

Flying in we could see green farmland, grazing sheep (more on that later) the town of Kirkwall and a cruise ship in the harbour.



Our first stop in Kirkwall was St Magnus Cathedral in the centre of town. The cathedral was founded in 1137 by Earl Rognvald , nephew of St Magnus. When first built, the cathedral was part of the Archdiocese of Nidaros (Trondheim) in Norway. Orkney became part of Scotland in 1468 and a few years later, the cathedral was given to the people of Kirkwall by the Scots king, James III.
Restoration works took place in the 1850s and again from 1913-1930 following a large bequest from Sheriff George Thoms, when the present floors, woodwork, stained glass windows and spire were installed.






Our first lunch was in an excellent shop called Judith Glue, across the road from the Cathedral The shop has a great selection of Orkney items as well as a cafe, Real Food Cafe, at the back of the shop. We returned a couple of times.


Kirkwall is a pretty town, with some lovely old buildings and a good range of shops, and cafes.






In the afternoon we hired a car and ventured out of town to see the country side. Much of the land is cultivated. The land is fertile and agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, providing employment for a quarter of the workforce. More than 90% of agricultural land is used for grazing sheep and cattle. 90% of the islands’ milk production goes towards the manufacture of Orkney Cheddar cheese. There are around 77,000 cattle and approximately 210,00 sheep on the islands. We saw a lot of them. They were all kept busy eating the green grass that grows everywhere.
















It is essential to have a car on Orkney. There is much to be seen and the public transport is minimal. There is more Orkney to come in following posts, including some amazing archeological sites.

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | July 21, 2025

Borough Market London

I loved my visit to Borough Market in London last year so I had to go back again this year. I went mid afternoon to find it extremely crowded. All of the amazing food was on display, it was just a bit difficult to get close to it…I tried.







There was a special queue for the Ginger Pig sausage rolls.

All of the stands selling prepared food had long queues so I went to Applebee’s for lunch and had the best seafood I have eaten. It is in Stoney St, on the edge of the market. If I could I would go every day.



For breakfast on another morning we went to Monmouth Coffee Company, also on the edge of the market. The trick is to position yourself in the corner seat. We missed out and had to make do with standing at a bench. I discovered the canelle, the small, truly delicious French pastry. I will now seek these out in other locations. (I found them at Banette in West End…I am now a regular there)



I wish I lived close to this market, but I could live without the crowds. If you go, go early, as soon as the market opens.

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | July 17, 2025

Stow on the Wold and England’s oldest inn

Stow on the Wold sits on top of a hill in Gloucestershire, England. It is yet another charming Cotswolds town. It was founded by Norman lords to absorb trade from the roads converging there. Fairs have been held by Royal charter since 1330. It was originally called Stow St Edward after the town’s patron Saint Edward.

I have had 2 short visits to Stow on the Wold. Both visits were far too short. It is a beautiful town with much to see. There are some excellent shops, including an enormous kitchen shop that needs further exploration.

Come for a walk around Stow on the Wold.




 

 

The Porch House Inn is thought to be the oldest inn in England. It was originally built in 975 AD. Many original features remain inside the Porch House. It was refurbished in 2013 and it is possible to stay in one of the 13 rooms. It has a cosy bar and a lovely restaurant. We were too late for lunch and too early for dinner, but had an excellent cup of tea and cake.

This looks like a great place to stay on a future visit.

The town has a poem.

Stow-on-the-Wold, Where the wind blows cold.

Where horses young and old are sold,

Where farmers come to spend their gold,

Where men are fools and women are bold,

And mang a wicked tale is told.

High on the freezing Cotswold.

Stowon the Wold needs much more explanation. I was disappointed that we were there too late in the day to visit many of the shops. There is also an excellent bakery that is calling me back.

 

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | July 7, 2025

Tewkesbury, lunch and an Abbey

Tewkesbury, in the north of Gloucestershire in England, grew following the construction of Tewkesbury Abbey in the 12th century. It became an important trading point due to its position at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon. This continued as the railways,  and later the M5 and M50 motorway connections were established.

We arrived in the town around lunch time and set off to find a suitable place. We were delighted with our pub lunch, fish and chips and sausages.

There are some very pretty and interesting houses and shops in Tewkesbury.





Tewksbury Abbey is 900 years old. Work was begun in 1087 and the building was consecrated by the Bishop of Worcester in 1121. It was remodelled in the 1400s. At the Dissolution of the Monasteries the Abbey was dissolved and all its valuables seized and placed in HenryVIII’s coffers. The Abbey was purchased by the townspeople for £483 to become their Parish church.




The interior is magnificent. The 14 gigantic columns are Norman and the vaulting is 14th century.


I find it astounding that these buildings  were constructed without power tools and mechanical equipment, and that they still stand today.

I spotted this cat on a wall beside the river on the way back to the car.


Special mention to this exotic electrical arrangement.


And this sign.


Thank you Tewkesbury for a fun and educational visit.

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | June 28, 2025

Cirencester, Capital of the Cotswolds

Cirencester, known as Corinium when founded by the Romans, was a prosperous Roman town for several centuries. It was the second largest Roman town after London. Now is it is a pretty market town known as the Capital of the Cotswolds, one of the most picturesque areas in the UK. The area is famous for honey coloured stone houses and gorgeous landscapes.

Come for a walk in Cirencester.


 

 



St John Baptist Church is famous for its stunning Gothic porch. It is quite unlike any church I have seen. Construction of the current church started in the 12th century on the site of an earlier Saxon one. The chancel and attached chapel are the oldest parts. The tower was added in the 15th century. The south porch was built around 1480 and connected to the church in the 18th century. It is built of Cotswold stone an is one of the largest parish churches in England.




 




We had an excellent pub lunch!


It was next door to this butcher, which could explain the delicious sausages and hamburger.

Cirencester is  not as cute as some of the smaller Cotswold towns, but it has a couple of good shopping streets and lots of interesting places to eat. There was a huge park which we would like to explore on another visit.

 

 

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