You look wonderful. I understand your frustration with chronic fatigue. I have no idea how it was caused. But it’s cruel. I adjusted my life around it . Until one day we had gone to the supermarket and at the end of a long aisle I couldn’t move. My darling husband used their wheel chair to get me back to the car. I’m in my 80s and sadly my husband died 4 years ago. I have been in bed for about 10 years now. Luckily with help I can stay at home. I adore my home in the country. Like you I love a acosy feeling home. My heart is now very week and I miss my old life. I hope to see my new roses in flower. They can come cut inside. I love your channel. Just found it today. Today so planning to binge on it. Thank you. ❤
This must be a sign! My partner and I have been casually discussing going to Italy for a month or so, but I've hesitated because my health hasn't been 100%. I reasoned that I would wait until I felt better before making the trip. It never occurred to me that going could actually recharge me and make me feel better. So thanks for the practical advise and inspiration. Northern Italy, here we come! Andiamo! Grazie!
Oh enjoy! I think that it is a very good country to take it easy in as there is so much to see and take in without rushing round all the tourist sites to tick them off. J x
Italy is waiting for you Susan! Hope you're coming soon, spring is better (a good portion of Italy can be very hot in summer). I wish you your best time here (sorry about my english) ❤
What a wonderful result. We rarely give sufficient time for recuperation these days. I always fancied going to one of those TB ‘hospitals ‘ in the Alps; clear air, time outside, walking and sleeping…sounds like bliss! As a young adult I’ sleep 10 hours, but somewhere along the line societal and family demands resulted in feeling that 6-7 hours was enough. Maybe it’s time to start listening to my poor old body…
Your personal story resonates with mine. Extreme need for self care including sleep. Mixed with blocked times of mental emotional and physical activity. Really hopeful indeed!!🎉
First time watching your channel. Thank you! I really enjoyed your insights, and Beautiful tour of the museum!! I agree, I am 63, and I allow myself an inordinate amount of sleep! I get exhausted mentally and physically, and the quiet Restorative slumber, or just quiet time, allows me to then function at my best when I rise and begin again, 😊 or, anew.
Wow just came across your post. I love the gentle light & colouurs in the living room you have chosen to film from & shelter from the weather. I also have a month's holiday planned and will add some of your key points to my journey & return to my "new" everyday routine. Stopping to rest & watch the scene around me, the autoimmune & fatigue comments, feel like they are a gentle reminder to take stock. They speak particularly to my own health issues. Thank you for taking the time
Your channel appeared in my top row on UA-cam along with my favorite channels. I chose your channel first and I'm glad I discovered you with the help of algorithms. I subscribed.
This is the first of your videos I have watched. The colors! Your filming in the museum, your clothing, the wall of paintings behind you, are so beautiful. 😊 I didn't know how pretty Naples is, but I have to visit that museum. Besides that, your message about gifting yourself time and care is so hopeful and soothing. It seems to be about being more humane to ourselves, and healing through beauty. Thank you.
Thank you so much. Naples is a really interesting city - if you like things with history and patina then there is beauty around every single corner. (If you like things pristine it would be more of a challenge! 😂)
Oh, I'm totally about the dilapidated beauty and patina one finds in Italian cities! It looks that way in Sophia Loren's movies and it's the same now. 😊
Adding in a daily walk and really listening to your busy and getting enough sleep is ESSENTIAL to good health. I am happy to hear you have implemented what you learned into your daily life. Its so easy to fall back into old habits once we are at home, keep going. What a joy to watch you.
Came across your video by accident. Your comments regarding rest immediately resonated with me as in the few days ai have taken off from work I have done a lot of sleeping and crafting and feeling well rested…..Just existing in this way has reminded me what ai need to do to feel uplifted again🙂Thanks for sharing and I shall go check out your blogs.
I just loved your video. What an inspiration you are this Easter morning. You were just what I needed to see and listen. I just happened to find you this morning and so happy to subscribe to your channel.
Inspirational, as always Jane. Thank you so much for showing us beautiful Naples & that fabulous museum. A feast for the eyes! You look so well - I do hope the benefits of your sojourn in Naples remain with you.
Was so happy to find your channel Jane. As a fellow autoimmune sufferer its wonderful to see you living a full life and figuring out what works - truly inspiring. Xoxo from Canada ❤️
Really enjoyed your video ❤ I'm moving to Tuscany from Norway in one month, to follow my dreams of living in a warm country and live a different lifestyle. One that is more nurturing & nourishing of my nature. 🦋
Looks like a lot of people are just discovering your channel this week! Please add my name to your list of new subscribers! I'm 70, and happily retired (though I'm about to go back to teaching part time) and I, too, love to sleep. For a while, I wondered if something was wrong, but apparently, it's just one of the tendencies common to most introverts. Love your art-covered wall, btw. It looks a lot like mine, which is what prompted me to click on this link. I'm so glad I did!
Thank you! And thank you for subscribing! I think that you are right, that introverts possibly do need more sleep, or at least that sleeping is a way to guarantee that peace and solitude! J x
Wonderful to see how much good your trip has done you Jane! I have loved following your days in Naples on UA-cam and Instagram. You have taken some amazing photos of the scenery and architecture but one of my favourite shots has to be the green boots with a broken heel! Down but not out… 😂
Aren’t the boots wonderful! I originally filmed it to send to my youngest daughter but felt I had to include it alongside the churches and vegetables! C
Thanks Anita. Dogs don’t seem to miss people, just to be very glad when they come home. But cats are a little different I think - there has been some heartfelt snuggling from the cats!
Wow! You certainly have a Unique and exquisite artistic way of presenting life in Italy. I loved what you allowed your camera to focus on. Great little shots and vignettes. So unique. Thank you. I’ll be following your channel.
New subscriber here. Love your approach and message. Here in the U.S. we are 100 percent sleep deprived. Everything is go go go 24 hours a day. Many work 2 and even 3 jobs. Have loved needlework and crafting from childhood. Thank you for sharing. 👍🌿💐🌿
Thank you - I think that we all live in this ridiculously fast world and if we need more sleep than average it is difficult to say that in our society (but very easy to say “oh I’m so exhausted” and carry on!) x
Oh Jeeze this must be a sign that someone here has said.. I’ve been struggling with Long Covid.. and reading a lot about what you are saying. I need to listen to this ..
You look really well and rested Jane. I've found it so interesting to follow along in your Naples experience and it does seem to have been transformative. This video in particular has made me realise that I'm also someone that needs so much more sleep than most - and consequently feel so run down and exhausted much of the time because I never allow it/or it would impact on other people if i did. There is lots for me to consider after watching your videos. Btw I really adore that striped scarf. Gorgeous colours and suits you so well. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and beautiful Naples adventure.♡
Thanks Kate - yes I think that taking the sleep we need (when 8 hours is seen as a generous amount) is very difficult- it crosses over into odd behaviour in our minds somehow! The scarf was knitted from wool that I dyed with plants from the garden last year. It’s a really useful garment as it doesn’t fall off. J x
I came across your post. As a disabled person I find it frustrating tiredness. My life has been on hold for around 8 years. I use a power chair and I must admit I think I would benefit from a change of scene. Confidence gets lost and this in turn produces a negative attitude.
Hi Jane, wonderful video, I too loved the museum imagery and the green boots with the broken heel, wonderfully observed. I have sketch/notebook envy too....wondered what make it is, it looks like a lovely size....
The notebook is indeed the best general notebook I’ve owned. It is by Rettacy and they do lots of sizes and colours. I think they only sell via Amazon.
Very envious of your time in Naples and trips to the Museum of Archaeology. Several years ago I did a trip to Italy that included a week in Sorrento at which stage a trip to the museum was on the itinerary. Unfortunately my husband and I were the only ones interested so it did not go ahead. A big regret but loved the ‘down time’ in Sorrento.
How very nice to find your channel .......I enjoyed listening to you and it made me think = I had been planning to go to France for a break. But it would be my first visit since selling our home there (where we lived for 11very happy years) and I know that there would be tears a-plenty when I get there, so I wonder if rural Italy might be a better bet as it would all be new for me. I am a watercolour artist so I hope I would get inspiration as well as a rest, and some peace - which I need, as I have recently had heart trouble. I look forward to seeing more of your videos, thank you.
Lovely that you managed to get away for a month and it’s done you the world of good.Could you put up the link for the apartment that you staying in. I have just found your channel. Thank you 🌻🌸🌹
First of all: I love the mugs you have, especially that first one. I like the conclusions of your trip. I definitely think that doing as much as we do, often at the same time, is just increasing our stress load. Something I should ponder. As a fellow auto-immune person, I hear you on the sleep. I also need a lot more sleep than I often get. I like the idea of that weekly long sleep.
Thanks Melanie. The pull to multi task is certainly something that I have noticed since I got back and I have been trying to resist it as much as possible!
The trip to Naples obviously did you a lot of good as you look relaxed and sound very upbeat. I'll be interested to hear how you bring the Naples routine into your life back home as I find it difficult to focus on one thing as there are so many distractions which prevent me keeping to ny plan for the day.
I think this is exactly it Elizabeth- I am having to be very observant and aware to identify the things that pull me away from what I want to do! A work in progress!
Thank you so much for this vlog. It resonated with me in so many ways. Re the blocks of time, I have come to a similar conclusion. The advantage of “ working for yourself” is that you can construct your own schedule. You could do it as you were also by yourself. This is a very constructive way of working. I have found this to be the case all the time. The problem with multitasking which has become endemic, is that as you said, you don’t feel you are doing anything completely and successfully. The second part about giving yourself time and space- I don’t know why we don’t do that more - it’s all that we really have. If you approach many exploratory things in a more relaxed frame of mind, you get a lot more from it. The third thing is about exposing yourself to warmer and beautiful places. For me - being from a tropical climate initially, I find the warmth is truly restorative. The beauty whether it’s nature or man made is so astonishing in its effect. I hope others also take these lessons from you to heart. I first started following your blog with curiosity about your work with textiles and dyes and gardening, but I have found this month of your vlogs to be the most meaningful for me, By the way, you do look better. You have more color and animation on your face, just from one month. Thanks to your vlogs, even we who just see you in them can make that out!
Thank you Sunita. And I think that you are right about the warmth, when my husband started working as a GP almost 30 years ago now, there was a Doctor in the west of Scotland who prescribed holidays for his patients. It was a time when GPs held funds and could make independent decisions about treatment - I gather that as well as patients becoming happier and healthier, it was also cost effective due to reduced medication and staff time. Sadly we are well away from this kind of empathetic holistic approach now. Thanks for watching. J x
Yes. Nowadays even the doctors are so stressed out. After all, why are we working, if not to enjoy better health? What is the point of earning a lot of money and being stressed? We should think about that more.@@snapdragonlife
Your trip to has done you a whole lot of good as you look so well, and I’ve really enjoyed your vlogs from Naples. I’m certainly going to take away some of your ideas about using blocks of time and getting more sleep. It is so easy to get distracted with household chores or social media and suddenly the day has almost gone and very little has been achieved. I’d love to see a follow up video in a few months time to see how you’ve incorporated some of the things you did in Naples into your daily routine. May I ask what journals you use as I noticed that you were using a fountain pen whilst sitting in the cafe? I find most notebooks I’ve tried are not good for writing in with a fountain/ink pen as the ink bleeds through the paper. I really hope that the improvement to your health continues for the rest of the year
Thanks Jane. I am using a Rettacy notebook which is the best I have found for the kind of day to day random things - it has good thick numbered pages, a space for an index, a pocket at the back, elastic closure and two ribbon markers. This is the one I have. amzn.to/3IZSj92
Great! I love that! I am the first time on your channel and you seem to be a very nice person. Thanks for your video. I had a long period of chronically fatique combined with a lot of pain. I work full time and have family. So I can relate to what to say about pushing through and resting time etc. I want to share what helped me to an far extend. As I began the ketogenic diet for a longer it help me so much that I overcome the chronic fatique and pain almost completly. Often we - the older and unhealthy ones of the community ;-)) - are nowadays insulin resistant and we gain easily weight with the intake of carbohydrates. I am honest and can say that I often switch to the normal diet again and again. BUT it will bring back many issues. So I want to let you know that starting eating more low carb and even ketogenic it is suspected that it will bring you a big step forward. maybe this input will help you as it helped me. Loevely reagrds from Vienna/Austria
Thanks Leonie - Naples certainly isn’t the place for a ketogenic diet - I was amazed that people ate so many fried carbs. One street stand sold pasta and potato balls, breadcrumbed and fried! My fatigue is caused by a couple of auto immune diseases which have caused physical damage - so not diet dependent- but the last month certainly showed me that listening to my body and giving myself the time and stillness to do that can make a big difference. J x
We just found your channel & enjoyed hearing about your time in Naples! So glad it was a healing time for you! Love your outlook & enjoyed your videography! PS: can I get a link for those AWESOME napkins on your table in this video? Thanks for the great content! New subscriber here!
Your dress is gorgeous…..I want to see your springer!! We lost our 13.5 year old springer on our Thanksgiving U.S. this past year. His name was Buddy Tupac. We used to say… “Buddy is so bad that he’s good” 😂. Springers are an amazing breed but too smart for their own good. 🐶Happy 🐣 Easter to you and your babies!!
I'm sorry to hear about Buddy - Dixie does appear in other videos, especially when out in the garden and by Loch Lomond which are her happy places. J x
I’m 67 and wanting to do something daring, like travel solo. May I ask , did you rent a place for a month or hotel for a month. I need to feel safe, but also budget conscious. Naples sounds amazing
We visited Naples for a couple of days in 2023 and I loved it and knew that I wanted to return. We had rented an apartment via Booking.com and I then contacted the owner to ask if I could rent for a month.
Thank you, and thank you for subscribing. The mug in the first part is a Francesca Kaye mug designed for Anthropologie and the one in the second (& thumbnail) is by a local potter Shirley Bracewell who used to run Drymen Pottery. I bought this a few years before we moved here from her ‘seconds shelf’ as the base is delightfully wonky.
The other benefit of visiting Europe is their unadulerated grains,. Many of my US friends with varying autoimmune conditions find their symptoms lesson after eating the bread and grain foods in Europe.
I’m in Scotland so I hadn’t realised that there was a problem with grains in the US. Here we have an amazing company called Hodemedods promoting small scale grains and legumes. X
Naples is so much fun, but "GRITTY". When I lived in Italy for 3 months, my eyelashes and eyebrows grew like crazy, I lost weight, but I was so stressed out from the tram below my apartment that I could barely walk. It went away over time when I returned to the States. Lesson: AVOID busy cities! Too much noise & stress.
I think you have a good point - I was staying in the bit of Naples that is down by the sea - and what was fascinating was that all the noise, and Italy is noisy, stopped dead at midnight and it was the birds that woke me in the morning. But before midnight it was all beeping and singing and shouting and fireworks ( no trams though !)
Thank you. The mug in the first bit is a Francesca Kaye mug which she designed for Anthropologie - in the second half (& thumbnail) it is a mug by Shirley Bracewell who used to run Drymen Pottery which is now closed. X
I have an autoimmune issue as well and struggle with the fatigue daily. I keep waiting until I feel better to get out and travel. Naples is on my list. Could you share where you stayed for an affordable month? Any tips about staying there for an extended period would be so appreciated.
We were there for three nights in 2023 and I then contacted the owners to see how much an off season month would be. I think different properties will have different rates but February/early March in Naples isn’t that busy and there is also the savings in not having to arrange cleaning etc. J x
We stayed in an apartment in the Chiaia district which we initially found on Booking.com. If you email me snapdragonjane@googlemail.com I can send you the link. Just x
If I am tired I try to go to bed early. My husband at times may not be pleased but why is he not pleased? Is there a law to say I am not allowed to go to bed early?! I personally do think we need to listen more to our bodies.
Hi Kathy - I contacted the owners direct to see how much a month’s let would cost. It is somewhere between a ‘holiday let’ rate and a ‘long let residential’ rate. X
I wonder if you might find you can make further progress by not just sleeping more, but examining why your energy is low. Diet is key as is exercise, your body was clearly under stress but just sleeping more isn’t the answer. Caffeine intake, sugar, processed foods, all of these things impact us in ways we might not appreciate. Sticking to eating/drinking only at mealtimes and having nothing in between means less energy diverted to digestion and fewer insulin spikes, again allowing us to have more energy. It also allows energy to be diverted to healing, fasting is an amazing mechanism for health and we should all be giving our bodies a good long rest from digestion to get the healing underway.
Hi Helen. My energy is low because I have several auto immune diseases including Addison’s disease and Chronic Lymphatic Leukaemia. Sleeping is definitely one of the recommended ways of treating both of these. It is just difficult to fit enough sleep into normal life. Thank you for your concern.
It was an apartment that we had rented a couple of nights in 2023 and I then contacted the owner to see if I could rent for a month (it is out of season) x
I’ve been to the museum seven times since 1996…with my Latin students! Last March was the first time I felt the museum was being properly taken care of. Weird, eh? Also, do not buy the Lonely Planet guide book to southern Italy. It omits any mention of this fabulous museum. It’s a shocking omission of the absolute highlight of Naples. Naples itself? Meh! 🤣
It is such a stunning collection - and seems to go on forever, room after room with something amazing around every corner. I absolutely loved Naples - the energy and chaos against such a once opulent backdrop - but I very much appreciate that it’s a bit of a marmite city!
@@snapdragonlife well, I’m going back this June with my husband to show him the museum. But another reason is that Naples did feel different this time! The authorities seem to be making a real effort to clean this city up and let it shine. I think it’s been too long neglected and left to the Camorra. 😢😞. But the food is always to die for! In a good sense! 😻
We loved eating at Osteria da Carmela which was a recommendation from the cookery writer Diana Henry. It is 6 minutes walk from the archaeology museum and has 8 tables, great food and a lovely traditional feel. This is their instagram. instagram.com/osteriadacarmela?igsh=dmM4d2RjbXB6NnVq
I guarantee you have low VitD3 and are eating a low low animal protein and low animal fat diet. You need butter, Red Meat and vit D3 plus Vit K2. Perhaps eating fatty fish in Naples helped you. Move to Italy!! You can live in Abruzzo or Molise where it is extremely cheap without being so far south as to make it a bit difficult to travel around Europe.
Hi Dolly - I'm afraid that I'm already with you on the supplements and diet but they are not the answer for me in terms of recovery. I have Addisons Disease and Chronic Lymphatic Leukaemia, auto immune diseases which are responsible for the fatigue and difficulty in recovering from illness. Italy post March would be far too hot for me - I need to retreat to my cool Scottish climate for the summer!
You look wonderful. I understand your frustration with chronic fatigue. I have no idea how it was caused. But it’s cruel. I adjusted my life around it . Until one day we had gone to the supermarket and at the end of a long aisle I couldn’t move. My darling husband used their wheel chair to get me back to the car. I’m in my 80s and sadly my husband died 4 years ago. I have been in bed for about 10 years now. Luckily with help I can stay at home. I adore my home in the country. Like you I love a acosy feeling home. My heart is now very week and I miss my old life. I hope to see my new roses in flower. They can come cut inside. I love your channel. Just found it today. Today so planning to binge on it. Thank you. ❤
Thank you Carol. I hope that you see the roses too. J x
This must be a sign! My partner and I have been casually discussing going to Italy for a month or so, but I've hesitated because my health hasn't been 100%. I reasoned that I would wait until I felt better before making the trip. It never occurred to me that going could actually recharge me and make me feel better. So thanks for the practical advise and inspiration. Northern Italy, here we come! Andiamo! Grazie!
Oh enjoy! I think that it is a very good country to take it easy in as there is so much to see and take in without rushing round all the tourist sites to tick them off. J x
Good for you. Always follow your intuition and heart, especially if your mind says something else.
Italy is waiting for you Susan! Hope you're coming soon, spring is better (a good portion of Italy can be very hot in summer). I wish you your best time here (sorry about my english) ❤
What a wonderful result. We rarely give sufficient time for recuperation these days. I always fancied going to one of those TB ‘hospitals ‘ in the Alps; clear air, time outside, walking and sleeping…sounds like bliss! As a young adult I’ sleep 10 hours, but somewhere along the line societal and family demands resulted in feeling that 6-7 hours was enough. Maybe it’s time to start listening to my poor old body…
I also read of writers and artists in the late C19th/early C20th going for a ‘rest cure’ and think it sounds perfect!
Your personal story resonates with mine. Extreme need for self care including sleep. Mixed with blocked times of mental emotional and physical activity. Really hopeful indeed!!🎉
Thanks Donna. I’m so glad x
Back drop + the words 'a month in Naples' , lives in Scotland = instant subscriber....
Ah thank you!!!!
First time watching your channel. Thank you! I really enjoyed your insights, and Beautiful tour of the museum!! I agree, I am 63, and I allow myself an inordinate amount of sleep! I get exhausted mentally and physically, and the quiet Restorative slumber, or just quiet time, allows me to then function at my best when I rise and begin again, 😊 or, anew.
Thank you for watching Patricia and for leaving a comment. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. X
Wow just came across your post. I love the gentle light & colouurs in the living room you have chosen to film from & shelter from the weather. I also have a month's holiday planned and will add some of your key points to my journey & return to my "new" everyday routine. Stopping to rest & watch the scene around me, the autoimmune & fatigue comments, feel like they are a gentle reminder to take stock. They speak particularly to my own health issues. Thank you for taking the time
Your channel appeared in my top row on UA-cam along with my favorite channels. I chose your channel first and I'm glad I discovered you with the help of algorithms. I subscribed.
Thank you Barbara - UA-cam seems to have decided to share my video about today which I am very glad of! J xx
This is the first of your videos I have watched. The colors! Your filming in the museum, your clothing, the wall of paintings behind you, are so beautiful. 😊 I didn't know how pretty Naples is, but I have to visit that museum. Besides that, your message about gifting yourself time and care is so hopeful and soothing. It seems to be about being more humane to ourselves, and healing through beauty. Thank you.
Thank you so much. Naples is a really interesting city - if you like things with history and patina then there is beauty around every single corner. (If you like things pristine it would be more of a challenge! 😂)
Oh, I'm totally about the dilapidated beauty and patina one finds in Italian cities! It looks that way in Sophia Loren's movies and it's the same now. 😊
Adding in a daily walk and really listening to your busy and getting enough sleep is ESSENTIAL to good health. I am happy to hear you have implemented what you learned into your daily life. Its so easy to fall back into old habits once we are at home, keep going. What a joy to watch you.
Thank you x
Came across your video by accident. Your comments regarding rest immediately resonated with me as in the few days ai have taken off from work I have done a lot of sleeping and crafting and feeling well rested…..Just existing in this way has reminded me what ai need to do to feel uplifted again🙂Thanks for sharing and I shall go check out your blogs.
Thank you. Yes I’m not sure that our bodies are built to fit into a constant ‘go, go, go’ society. I hope that you are feeling better. X
I love your dogs! So sweet! This grabbed my attention first because I knew you were a kind person. Now, I'm drawn in and will watch the rest. ❤
Thank you. The dogs are drawn to the camera I think - but Dixie the spaniel is a little big to come up on my knee!
How lovely to hear your experience of taking a month out of your home life in Naples. It's inspiring - and thankyou for sharing. X
Thanks Elspeth. X
I just loved your video. What an inspiration you are this Easter morning. You were just what I needed to see and listen. I just happened to find you this morning and so happy to subscribe to your channel.
Thank you so much Laura. Happy Easter x
Inspirational, as always Jane. Thank you so much for showing us beautiful Naples & that fabulous museum. A feast for the eyes! You look so well - I do hope the benefits of your sojourn in Naples remain with you.
Ah thanks Susan. I’m hoping so too. X
Was so happy to find your channel Jane. As a fellow autoimmune sufferer its wonderful to see you living a full life and figuring out what works - truly inspiring. Xoxo from Canada ❤️
Thank you so much - J x
Goodness…. I just got your channel in my feed! I am 76 and love watercolor and needlework…. Just subscribed …. Meant to be ❤🎉
Thank you xx
You look positively radiant after your time in Naples!
I so enjoyed seeing your images and films of this beautiful city.
Thank you Grace. It is such a wonderful city. I am already booked to return next year. X
Really enjoyed your video ❤ I'm moving to Tuscany from Norway in one month, to follow my dreams of living in a warm country and live a different lifestyle. One that is more nurturing & nourishing of my nature. 🦋
What an adventure Celine x
How wonderful... so happy I discovered your channel. I love Italy and your video has inspired me to visit again soon. Thank you!
Thank you. It’s a beautiful country. X
I love the book 'Naples 1944' by Norman Lewis. Look forward to your own book! you are right, we are sleep deprived
I haven’t read that so thank you! Added to the list. J x
Looks like a lot of people are just discovering your channel this week! Please add my name to your list of new subscribers! I'm 70, and happily retired (though I'm about to go back to teaching part time) and I, too, love to sleep. For a while, I wondered if something was wrong, but apparently, it's just one of the tendencies common to most introverts. Love your art-covered wall, btw. It looks a lot like mine, which is what prompted me to click on this link. I'm so glad I did!
Thank you! And thank you for subscribing! I think that you are right, that introverts possibly do need more sleep, or at least that sleeping is a way to guarantee that peace and solitude! J x
Wonderful to see how much good your trip has done you Jane! I have loved following your days in Naples on UA-cam and Instagram. You have taken some amazing photos of the scenery and architecture but one of my favourite shots has to be the green boots with a broken heel! Down but not out… 😂
Aren’t the boots wonderful! I originally filmed it to send to my youngest daughter but felt I had to include it alongside the churches and vegetables! C
You're looking wonderful Jane! And your animal family so pleased to have you home. Thanks for these updates.
Thanks Anita. Dogs don’t seem to miss people, just to be very glad when they come home. But cats are a little different I think - there has been some heartfelt snuggling from the cats!
Thank you for sharing - so glad you had a respite and refresh. Fantastic images. Love the mugs.
Thank you Moreen. The mug in the first bit is a Francesca Kaye mug design produced by Anthropologie, the second from a local (now closed) pottery. X
Wow! You certainly have a Unique and exquisite artistic way of presenting life in Italy. I loved what you allowed your camera to focus on. Great little shots and vignettes. So unique. Thank you. I’ll be following your channel.
Thank you so much. And thank you for following. J x
A lovely video essay. ❤ Happy to have found this channel.
Thank you Pamela x
Lovely podcast! Thank you ❤
New subscriber here, enjoyed the content thankyou, as an autoimmune disease sufferer too I can fully understand about fatigue and rest!! 👌☺️
Thank you Janey - lovely to meet you. X
Just came across your channel and I will say it’s most inspirational-thank you.
Thank you so much Diane. X
Thanks Jane, first time meeting you and enjoyed the information. Look forward to your next video!
Thank you x
New subscriber here. Love your approach and message. Here in the U.S. we are 100 percent sleep deprived. Everything is go go go 24 hours a day. Many work 2 and even 3 jobs. Have loved needlework and crafting from childhood. Thank you for sharing. 👍🌿💐🌿
Thank you - I think that we all live in this ridiculously fast world and if we need more sleep than average it is difficult to say that in our society (but very easy to say “oh I’m so exhausted” and carry on!) x
Thank you!
Wow! Amazing…. We have so much more control over our health than we know
Thank you. X
Oh Jeeze this must be a sign that someone here has said.. I’ve been struggling with Long Covid.. and reading a lot about what you are saying. I need to listen to this ..
Thank you Chris. Yes Long Covid seems to be a condition that needs a lot of rest and being kind to yourself - take it easy. J x
Lovely video. Inspiring to hear how change csn be so positive
Thank you Noleen x
You look really well and rested Jane. I've found it so interesting to follow along in your Naples experience and it does seem to have been transformative. This video in particular has made me realise that I'm also someone that needs so much more sleep than most - and consequently feel so run down and exhausted much of the time because I never allow it/or it would impact on other people if i did. There is lots for me to consider after watching your videos. Btw I really adore that striped scarf. Gorgeous colours and suits you so well. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and beautiful Naples adventure.♡
Thanks Kate - yes I think that taking the sleep we need (when 8 hours is seen as a generous amount) is very difficult- it crosses over into odd behaviour in our minds somehow!
The scarf was knitted from wool that I dyed with plants from the garden last year. It’s a really useful garment as it doesn’t fall off.
J x
I came across your post. As a disabled person I find it frustrating tiredness. My life has been on hold for around 8 years. I use a power chair and I must admit I think I would benefit from a change of scene. Confidence gets lost and this in turn produces a negative attitude.
Thank you Helen. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to feel that your life is on hold. I hope that you can organise that change of scene. X
Hi Jane, wonderful video, I too loved the museum imagery and the green boots with the broken heel, wonderfully observed. I have sketch/notebook envy too....wondered what make it is, it looks like a lovely size....
The notebook is indeed the best general notebook I’ve owned. It is by Rettacy and they do lots of sizes and colours. I think they only sell via Amazon.
@@snapdragonlife thanks Jane...perfect
Somehow this was served up to me and it’s exactly what I needed!
Thank you Mary. I’m so glad that you enjoyed it. X
Very envious of your time in Naples and trips to the Museum of Archaeology. Several years ago I did a trip to Italy that included a week in Sorrento at which stage a trip to the museum was on the itinerary. Unfortunately my husband and I were the only ones interested so it did not go ahead. A big regret but loved the ‘down time’ in Sorrento.
Sorrento is very beautiful though - all those lemon trees in courtyards. I watched workmen putting together the beach huts for the season - J x
How very nice to find your channel .......I enjoyed listening to you and it made me think = I had been planning to go to France for a break. But it would be my first visit since selling our home there (where we lived for 11very happy years) and I know that there would be tears a-plenty when I get there, so I wonder if rural Italy might be a better bet as it would all be new for me. I am a watercolour artist so I hope I would get inspiration as well as a rest, and some peace - which I need, as I have recently had heart trouble. I look forward to seeing more of your videos, thank you.
Thank you. I’m sure that you would find lots of inspiration for your paintings. X
Lovely that you managed to get away for a month and it’s done you the world of good.Could you put up the link for the apartment that you staying in.
I have just found your channel.
Thank you 🌻🌸🌹
If you email me - snapdragonjane@googlemail.com I can look it out for you. X
First of all: I love the mugs you have, especially that first one. I like the conclusions of your trip. I definitely think that doing as much as we do, often at the same time, is just increasing our stress load. Something I should ponder. As a fellow auto-immune person, I hear you on the sleep. I also need a lot more sleep than I often get. I like the idea of that weekly long sleep.
Thanks Melanie. The pull to multi task is certainly something that I have noticed since I got back and I have been trying to resist it as much as possible!
Gorgeous soft lighting in your video!
Thank you. It’s a lovely spot in the house with north light but lots of it! X
I’m so happy to have found your UA-cam channel! I’m looking forward to watching more of your videos.
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Thank you so much. X
The trip to Naples obviously did you a lot of good as you look relaxed and sound very upbeat. I'll be interested to hear how you bring the Naples routine into your life back home as I find it difficult to focus on one thing as there are so many distractions which prevent me keeping to ny plan for the day.
I think this is exactly it Elizabeth- I am having to be very observant and aware to identify the things that pull me away from what I want to do! A work in progress!
Thank you so much for this vlog. It resonated with me in so many ways. Re the blocks of time, I have come to a similar conclusion. The advantage of “ working for yourself” is that you can construct your own schedule. You could do it as you were also by yourself. This is a very constructive way of working. I have found this to be the case all the time. The problem with multitasking which has become endemic, is that as you said, you don’t feel you are doing anything completely and successfully. The second part about giving yourself time and space- I don’t know why we don’t do that more - it’s all that we really have. If you approach many exploratory things in a more relaxed frame of mind, you get a lot more from it. The third thing is about exposing yourself to warmer and beautiful places. For me - being from a tropical climate initially, I find the warmth is truly restorative. The beauty whether it’s nature or man made is so astonishing in its effect.
I hope others also take these lessons from you to heart. I first started following your blog with curiosity about your work with textiles and dyes and gardening, but I have found this month of your vlogs to be the most meaningful for me, By the way, you do look better. You have more color and animation on your face, just from one month. Thanks to your vlogs, even we who just see you in them can make that out!
Thank you Sunita. And I think that you are right about the warmth, when my husband started working as a GP almost 30 years ago now, there was a Doctor in the west of Scotland who prescribed holidays for his patients. It was a time when GPs held funds and could make independent decisions about treatment - I gather that as well as patients becoming happier and healthier, it was also cost effective due to reduced medication and staff time. Sadly we are well away from this kind of empathetic holistic approach now. Thanks for watching. J x
Yes. Nowadays even the doctors are so stressed out. After all, why are we working, if not to enjoy better health? What is the point of earning a lot of money and being stressed? We should think about that more.@@snapdragonlife
I am sure you have probably read it but just in case you would get the book Slow Time by the late Waverly Fitzgerald. Good for you Jane. xx
Oh I haven’t. Thank you. I shall add it to my list x
What an amazing piece of medicine ☺️
A perfect case of switch it off, wait a bit and turn on again ….
What a beautiful museum to rest in too 🥰
What a great analogy Jen - yes that is exactly what I did! X
Your trip to has done you a whole lot of good as you look so well, and I’ve really enjoyed your vlogs from Naples. I’m certainly going to take away some of your ideas about using blocks of time and getting more sleep. It is so easy to get distracted with household chores or social media and suddenly the day has almost gone and very little has been achieved. I’d love to see a follow up video in a few months time to see how you’ve incorporated some of the things you did in Naples into your daily routine.
May I ask what journals you use as I noticed that you were using a fountain pen whilst sitting in the cafe? I find most notebooks I’ve tried are not good for writing in with a fountain/ink pen as the ink bleeds through the paper.
I really hope that the improvement to your health continues for the rest of the year
Thanks Jane. I am using a Rettacy notebook which is the best I have found for the kind of day to day random things - it has good thick numbered pages, a space for an index, a pocket at the back, elastic closure and two ribbon markers. This is the one I have. amzn.to/3IZSj92
Thank you Jane
'well hello!' instant thumbs up - such good vibes :)
Thank you 💙
Great! I love that! I am the first time on your channel and you seem to be a very nice person. Thanks for your video. I had a long period of chronically fatique combined with a lot of pain. I work full time and have family. So I can relate to what to say about pushing through and resting time etc. I want to share what helped me to an far extend. As I began the ketogenic diet for a longer it help me so much that I overcome the chronic fatique and pain almost completly. Often we - the older and unhealthy ones of the community ;-)) - are nowadays insulin resistant and we gain easily weight with the intake of carbohydrates. I am honest and can say that I often switch to the normal diet again and again. BUT it will bring back many issues. So I want to let you know that starting eating more low carb and even ketogenic it is suspected that it will bring you a big step forward. maybe this input will help you as it helped me. Loevely reagrds from Vienna/Austria
Thanks Leonie - Naples certainly isn’t the place for a ketogenic diet - I was amazed that people ate so many fried carbs. One street stand sold pasta and potato balls, breadcrumbed and fried!
My fatigue is caused by a couple of auto immune diseases which have caused physical damage - so not diet dependent- but the last month certainly showed me that listening to my body and giving myself the time and stillness to do that can make a big difference. J x
We just found your channel & enjoyed hearing about your time in Naples! So glad it was a healing time for you! Love your outlook & enjoyed your videography! PS: can I get a link for those AWESOME napkins on your table in this video? Thanks for the great content! New subscriber here!
Thanks Kimberly. Not sure which napkins - can you describe them? J x
Beautiful!!
Your dress is gorgeous…..I want to see your springer!! We lost our 13.5 year old springer on our Thanksgiving U.S. this past year. His name was Buddy Tupac. We used to say… “Buddy is so bad that he’s good” 😂. Springers are an amazing breed but too smart for their own good. 🐶Happy 🐣 Easter to you and your babies!!
I'm sorry to hear about Buddy - Dixie does appear in other videos, especially when out in the garden and by Loch Lomond which are her happy places. J x
I’m 67 and wanting to do something daring, like travel solo. May I ask , did you rent a place for a month or hotel for a month. I need to feel safe, but also budget conscious. Naples sounds amazing
We visited Naples for a couple of days in 2023 and I loved it and knew that I wanted to return. We had rented an apartment via Booking.com and I then contacted the owner to ask if I could rent for a month.
Looks lovely.... such a long way from Australia. I always like an animal in the video.
It is a long, long way! Thanks for watching. J x
First time viewer and new subscriber. Lovely video! I look forward to following. Love the beautiful mugs - did you make them?😍
Thank you, and thank you for subscribing. The mug in the first part is a Francesca Kaye mug designed for Anthropologie and the one in the second (& thumbnail) is by a local potter Shirley Bracewell who used to run Drymen Pottery. I bought this a few years before we moved here from her ‘seconds shelf’ as the base is delightfully wonky.
The other benefit of visiting Europe is their unadulerated grains,. Many of my US friends with varying autoimmune conditions find their symptoms lesson after eating the bread and grain foods in Europe.
I’m in Scotland so I hadn’t realised that there was a problem with grains in the US. Here we have an amazing company called Hodemedods promoting small scale grains and legumes. X
Naples is so much fun, but "GRITTY". When I lived in Italy for 3 months, my eyelashes and eyebrows grew like crazy, I lost weight, but I was so stressed out from the tram below my apartment that I could barely walk. It went away over time when I returned to the States. Lesson: AVOID busy cities! Too much noise & stress.
I think you have a good point - I was staying in the bit of Naples that is down by the sea - and what was fascinating was that all the noise, and Italy is noisy, stopped dead at midnight and it was the birds that woke me in the morning. But before midnight it was all beeping and singing and shouting and fireworks ( no trams though !)
Hi, just found you, so glad I hit play! Lovely to meet you, but…where oh where did you get your gorgeous mug? I want one!
Thank you. The mug in the first bit is a Francesca Kaye mug which she designed for Anthropologie - in the second half (& thumbnail) it is a mug by Shirley Bracewell who used to run Drymen Pottery which is now closed. X
I think my 'take away' from this episode is that I shouldn't wait for my health to improve before going away :o)
Hi, are those napkins sitting on the table in front of you with the women’s silhouette with flowers in front of her?
Ah no! They are very beautiful seeds that my friend Erin from Floret Flowers sent me - I was just off to sow them. X
I have an autoimmune issue as well and struggle with the fatigue daily. I keep waiting until I feel better to get out and travel. Naples is on my list. Could you share where you stayed for an affordable month? Any tips about staying there for an extended period would be so appreciated.
We were there for three nights in 2023 and I then contacted the owners to see how much an off season month would be. I think different properties will have different rates but February/early March in Naples isn’t that busy and there is also the savings in not having to arrange cleaning etc. J x
@@snapdragonlifeThank you. Could you share the name of the place?
@@metejt if you email me snapdragonjane@googlemail.com I can send you the link on air bnb.
May I ask where you stayed while in Naples and was it a good place? My husband and I are wanting to go to Italy and stay for a short time as well.
We stayed in an apartment in the Chiaia district which we initially found on Booking.com. If you email me snapdragonjane@googlemail.com I can send you the link. Just x
If I am tired I try to go to bed early. My husband at times may not be pleased but why is he not pleased? Is there a law to say I am not allowed to go to bed early?! I personally do think we need to listen more to our bodies.
You are so right Ruth. X
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How much did your flat cost? I would need this info for creating a budget for such a trip. 😊
Hi Kathy - I contacted the owners direct to see how much a month’s let would cost. It is somewhere between a ‘holiday let’ rate and a ‘long let residential’ rate. X
I wonder if you might find you can make further progress by not just sleeping more, but examining why your energy is low.
Diet is key as is exercise, your body was clearly under stress but just sleeping more isn’t the answer. Caffeine intake, sugar, processed foods, all of these things impact us in ways we might not appreciate. Sticking to eating/drinking only at mealtimes and having nothing in between means less energy diverted to digestion and fewer insulin spikes, again allowing us to have more energy.
It also allows energy to be diverted to healing, fasting is an amazing mechanism for health and we should all be giving our bodies a good long rest from digestion to get the healing underway.
Hi Helen. My energy is low because I have several auto immune diseases including Addison’s disease and Chronic Lymphatic Leukaemia. Sleeping is definitely one of the recommended ways of treating both of these. It is just difficult to fit enough sleep into normal life. Thank you for your concern.
Where did you stay for the month, was it an Airbnb or hotel?
It was an apartment that we had rented a couple of nights in 2023 and I then contacted the owner to see if I could rent for a month (it is out of season) x
I’ve been to the museum seven times since 1996…with my Latin students! Last March was the first time I felt the museum was being properly taken care of. Weird, eh? Also, do not buy the Lonely Planet guide book to southern Italy. It omits any mention of this fabulous museum. It’s a shocking omission of the absolute highlight of Naples. Naples itself? Meh! 🤣
It is such a stunning collection - and seems to go on forever, room after room with something amazing around every corner.
I absolutely loved Naples - the energy and chaos against such a once opulent backdrop - but I very much appreciate that it’s a bit of a marmite city!
@@snapdragonlife well, I’m going back this June with my husband to show him the museum. But another reason is that Naples did feel different this time! The authorities seem to be making a real effort to clean this city up and let it shine. I think it’s been too long neglected and left to the Camorra. 😢😞. But the food is always to die for! In a good sense! 😻
We loved eating at Osteria da Carmela which was a recommendation from the cookery writer Diana Henry. It is 6 minutes walk from the archaeology museum and has 8 tables, great food and a lovely traditional feel. This is their instagram. instagram.com/osteriadacarmela?igsh=dmM4d2RjbXB6NnVq
@@snapdragonlife GRAZIE!
And marmite city! That’s a pearl!
I guarantee you have low VitD3 and are eating a low low animal protein and low animal fat diet. You need butter, Red Meat and vit D3 plus Vit K2. Perhaps eating fatty fish in Naples helped you. Move to Italy!! You can live in Abruzzo or Molise where it is extremely cheap without being so far south as to make it a bit difficult to travel around Europe.
Hi Dolly - I'm afraid that I'm already with you on the supplements and diet but they are not the answer for me in terms of recovery. I have Addisons Disease and Chronic Lymphatic Leukaemia, auto immune diseases which are responsible for the fatigue and difficulty in recovering from illness. Italy post March would be far too hot for me - I need to retreat to my cool Scottish climate for the summer!
Your notion about sleep and one’s heart rate is interesting.
I think it was more a case of dealing with the sleep debt and then being more energetic! X
Love your way of blocking out your time. Multi-tasking is way overrated.
It is sneakily debilitating! A revelation. X
Where did you stay? At a hotel?
In an apartment - there is a tour in this playlist ua-cam.com/play/PLceikpkIzFq05Oe7uLU0QEiGvpOen6hIG.html&si=3zP8P8FznWafWLG5
@@snapdragonlife thank you 🥰