It is midsummer, and while I do love my semi-urban apartment, at times my daydreams take me to the countryside. In our area, many go to "the cabin" on weekends, but my idyllic getaway is a bit less rustic, and a tad more romantic. Where I come from, this little house in the country is called a "dacha". These weekend homes range from tiny to grandiose, but most will have a little cutting garden, a potager, and a cool lake or river nearby for a midday refreshment. Some families stay at the family dacha all summer long, but for most it is a quiet retreat for restoration of mind and body after a stressful week at work. As a child, I remember the beauty of these little homes when we visited friends and relatives. Alas, our family did not own a dacha, so I have decided to invite you on a lovely virtual visit to the dacha of my reveries......enjoy!
welcome to my little dream in the country....
it might look like this
or perhaps green....
maybe these little beauties in aqua...
a gentle breeze and fresh flowers greet you in your bedroom
now that you're settled in, let's have some tea
no Russian home is complete without a bit of Imperial porcelain
after tea, we stroll through my little garden
it's getting rather warm, so we make our way to the lovely lake nearby
we've worked up quite an appetite splashing in the lake...
let's go home to a scrumptious Russian lunch
we'll begin with some berries, salads and vegetables from the garden
for the next course, a bit of fresh borscht
it's so delicious and refreshing!
we then move on to the pelmeni, dumplings with all sorts of fillings
and how about blini with caviar?
what a feast, yet we must finish the meal with a spot of tea...
and now, for a quiet nook where you can read a little, then take a nap
now what's this? a gypsy wagon?
welcome, friends! we dance and sing until sundown!
what a glorious day this has been... the sun is now setting
before that sweet time of slumber, we sit around the tea table reminiscing...
and laughing...
and basking in the sweetness and joy of our friendship...
au revoir mes amies, until we meet again!
images: tumblr,pinterest, russiandogs.net, weheartit, ukranianfood
Well my dear, this is as close to paradise that we can get on this earth. Friendship, encased in the quaintest of cottages (I LOVE THE METAL ROOF!), the potager with the fruits of the season, TEA (my favorite), delicate family heirlooms, a good read and a delicious nap preceded by a FEAST and then dancing? YOU ARE SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE dear friend! We were made to celebrate and harvest all the goodness of the earth. THANK YOU FOR THIS VIRTUAL invitation to such beauty from your cultural roots and creative soul....let us dream on for such realities of great times are born from such dreams!
ReplyDeleteMONDAY, THEN?
BISES! Anita
Love this post! Written like a story, it is so engaging. The pictures are gorgeous, they make me want to slow down and savor every minute of summer (and fall and spring). Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteMapcu
Ohhhh....here I am. Here I am at a writer's refuge, an artist's retreat, a friend's world.
ReplyDeleteYour comments this morning touched me greatly for I long to stretch my words that they may indeed reach that horizon of artistic expression...thank YOU dear friend.
Anita
I am happy to have found your lovely blog via castles, crowns & cottages. I am your newest follower. Come by and visit me sometime!
ReplyDeleteDianne
YONKS
What a delightful post. One day we must all get together for a meal because I'm dying to try pelmeni.
ReplyDeleteI love the dacha, and you gave me a brilliant idea. Next summer I'd like to build a tiny tea house in the style of a dacha at the end of our back yard.
We can have a wonderful time talking about writing and sharing a meal of pelmeni, berries, tea and cakes.
All the best to you & your family.
Ruben
What a wonderful and refreshing essay. I felt as if I was right there with you, having tea, enjoying my walk to the lake, and indulging in the Napoleon and caviar. Thank you for taking me on such a lovely afternoon journey -- can't want for the next chapter!
ReplyDeletePuma
Thank you so much for stopping by for a chat with me. They are swans :-) They bring their babies to the boat for food, so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for your next post. How often do you blog?
With Love
Dianne