Holiday...Thursday

Walking through town on the way to get tickets for the battle of flowers parade we stumbled across a tiny jeweller who had a window display full of half price amber jewellery. Now my mum and I are exactly the same in one respect, we cannot walk past a display of amber without stopping to have a look. Especially when there is a sign saying ‘every item half price’. We spent a lot of money in that shop that day. I bought two amber rings, one in what I call the traditional amber colour, and one in green amber, and some green amber earrings. Mum bought a large silver and amber pendant and a smaller pendant and some earrings too. I know what you’re thinking…Amber isn’t green. Well there are six different colours of amber. And the colour depends on where it has come from in the deposit, and whether it has been frozen or not before solidifying.
Amber that has come from lower in the deposit, by the bark of the tree tends to have more impurities in it, such as moss and dirt which makes it greeny, further up where it is still dense, it is the traditional golden amber, and right at the top of the deposit, furthest from the tree, it is pale and champagne coloured. Amber formed in cold, frozen conditions takes on a cloudy appearance, either in the green or golden shades. And apparently amber that has lain in rivers in a certain part of the world takes on a bluey tinge. The jeweller was something of an amber expert, and a very very nice man.
After spending lots of money we went and bought some tickets for the battle of flowers parade. I have to say that it was fantastic. It is amazing how beautiful and detailed the floats were, and a lot of hard work and time must have gone into making them…Words can’t do it justice so here are some pictures of some of the floats.






It was very very hot and sunny, and I got sunburned feet.



After the parade we ate at an Italian restaurant on the way back to the hotel.