March faves

I think that nearly everybody loves March. For those of us that love winter, March is cold enough to pretend that it will continue for a while longer; for those that love summer, March is a promise that the crazy season will soon be on its way.

My favourite thing about March this year is that our bathroom renovation is finally over – except for a few odds and ends that we need to purchase to complete the look . It took longer than expected but I might write about it and share some photos some other time. I am not convinced that writing about a bathroom renovation fits in with the reawakening that I promised you in my last post but, if I decide to do it, I’ll try to make it as interesting as possible.

March is always about new beginnings and that is what our little garden needs. My flower beds and pots are crying for attention. They have been sorely neglected. There are forests of weeds (nothing seems to deter them from growing) and the leaves of some plants have been torn to shreds by some very spectacular storms we have had this year.  Time to prune and cut and sow. Nature amazes me with its largesse. With a little love and care our little garden patch will be brought back from the brink of disaster to give us joy until the cold season returns. It’s a struggle to keep everything alive in summer. The heat and drought test the strength of the hardiest plants but we will do our part to make sure that they will survive.

Now for this month’s faves:

1. Spring is in the air and these glass murals of flowers by artist Nancy Blum in New York City’s 28th Street Subway Station are absolutely life-like.
2. World of Wanderlust gives us a tour of ten of the prettiest castles in Europe. Have you been to any of them? I’ve only been to this one.
3. Wine and cheese are a perfect combination for entertaining on those warmer nights that will soon be with us. Cassandra LaValle provides a board pairing guide for the perfect tasting party.
4. I am not a minimalist and neither is this cute Minnesota couple. I really enjoyed touring their welcoming and quirky home that was  featured on Cup of Jo. I love people who surround themselves with mementos that  mean something.
5. Strawberry season is here and I can’t wait to make this Strawberry Shortcake Cake again. I had made it for Easter Sunday dessert a few years ago and it was an instant hit. I’d share the photos but they’re rather blurry.

A year ago exactly we were in Rome, which probably explains my choice for this month’s favourite Instagram photo. Because I’m feeling nostalgic. Because I long to be back. Because there’s no such thing as too many visits to Rome. But for now, Fabrizio Ricci’s photo of Piazza Navona at night will have to do.

Instead of Rome, this week I will be in Ulm (Germany) on a short business trip. The last time I was in Germany I was 14 years old. It seems like two lifetimes ago. At that time, the country was not yet united and the capital of West Germany was Bonn. Europe has changed so much (for the better) since the end of the Cold War. But one thing that I hope has not changed is my favourite German dessert: Black Forest Gateau. I can’t wait to eat a slice or two. You all know I’m a chocoholic but what is your favourite dessert?