One of the reasons that I moved to England was for the seasons and the fact that when you look out of the window, things actually change! In Australia, especially where we lived right down the bottom of South Australia egverything stayed the same more or less and that just wasn't for me!
So bags packed and off to the northern hemisphere where the times of year could be relied upon to behave properly! Take a look at this....
Hard to beat! Husband Rob and I took a short walk the other evening and in the (still) cold clear air, a ballon drifted silently over us
I am a little envious actually, I have a slight fear of heights so ballooning is not really for me but I can imagine how tranquil it might be to drift silently - normally I prefer the reassuring sound of engines keeping me aloft.
Closer to the ground the daffodils bloom and look gorgeous
And primroses jostle for space
with a wonderful iris
To top it all off, pussy willow muscles in on the scene
Okay...almost too much! I think that I will go back to admiring the pink blossoms which are the only real wild signs in South Australia that spring is coming
The beautifully perfect spring time in europe; the sort that occurs mainly on Easter cards takes some getting used to!
Kenninghall in Norfolk is well worth a Sunday walk if you are feeling a bit cabin feverish. It is dog friendly and the beautiful heathland is restful and refreshing. I have played with these photos a bit as I am sure you will see!
I will let the photos speak for themselves from here on it and keep it on your to-do list for any time of the year.
Classic heathland...
I think that these trees are my favourite.
I could follow this forever.
The trees have a sculptural quality
And the light is an invitation to a magical land.
I am sure that you will agree that Kenninghall is worth a visit. It has great organised parking and is not over run so a peaceful walk is possible. Pack a picnic and enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by!
Debs
xxx
Hey friends!
I have just returned from a fantabulous day out with husband Rob biking around Lynford Hall in Norfolk. Definitely recommend it if you have a couple of hours to spare. We packed a picnic lunch and set off for the wilds of Norfolk.
Take a look for yourself....
First stop was St Mary's church in Cranwich. This is a very old building but, funnily enough, that is not what made it interesting first up. It has a warning to ghost hunters on the door. Apparently, the Bishop of Norwich bans this activity across the diocese as it upsets the parishioners! Should think so too.
I don't believe in ghosts at all, however, such is the power of suggestion that I felt a little eerie feeling inside the building. Stuff and nonsense naturally. The parishioners of St Mary's have a beautiful old church and can be justifiably proud to have it in such wonderful condition.
Through the door and back to the outside world.
The graveyard is old too and the church itself is in the middle of nowhere in particular. All in all, I thought that it was perfect and kudos to the Bishop for keeping silly people at bay. Rant over!
Next stop was Lynford Hall, the real star of the show today. Bikes out of the car and we set off. This was the view whilst we ate lunch on a beautifully placed bench.
The pond with an abundance of lily pads. Bit too much sun for me though.
Everything is so GREEN!
I wish that this was my backyard pond. Ours is just a titch smaller.
The house itself and some nosey Canada Geese coming over to ask what we are doing.
No scraps left from lunch unfortunately.
Very tame birds and well used to visitors I think.
Deeper into the woods now. The sun is coming out a bit and I rushed for cover. I love these tracks and I must follow them. This has been a habit since childhood.
Who could resist this.....
The only bad thing about this woodland is that it is not so big. Before we knew it, we were emerging once more into the sunlight and facing the lake.
This time, the watchdogs were a small family of swans. They came to us quite readily.
Three lovely babies. Teenagers actually.
And they all posed for the camera. Apparently studied books on swan poses and the practiced in front of the mirror.
We continued on around the lake and came to another copse. Then suddenly, this gave way to an open avenue of huge trees. Husband Rob lent a hand to give some idea of scale. Thanks HR!xx
The last glimpse of the lake.
Heather and (below) thistles and bees.
What a beautiful day and what a lovely place to spend some time. I can clearly see that the seasons are changing. The chestnuts and some of the poplars and beeches are turning golden and yellow. But when the Autumn comes, then we can do it all again and it will be totally different. Happy Days!
Thank you so much for stopping by!
Debs
xxx
I have Just spent three days in lovely Wales. My visit was for business this time and I was in Wrexham which was pretty and friendly. Naturally there was time for a little leisure so I went walkabout with my camera. Here is the result....
Welcome to Wales - certainly was!
We took a walk Tuesday evening through the woods near Erddig Hall. Pretty with wide green vistas and crystal water trickling along and refreshing the countryside.
View through the green valley.
Pretty Wrexham.
The view towards the church. Boy was it hot - and regular readers may know that I am no fan of sunlight!
Magnificent Chirk Castle. This is the edge of the estate.
A walk up through the woods very early in the morning led us to the castle itself. Thank you to John for allowing me to explore before the hordes arrived! This was the first day of the hols after all but at 8.30am, all was calm...
Love the Welsh flag. Not enough breeze to lift it though. I had this picture in my mind's eye.......
I finally had to admit that it was time to leave beautiful Wales for the time being. Just before we crossed the border we stopped to cycle down a tow path beside the Ellesmere Canal and watched the canal boats.
This beautiful canal has one foot in england and one in Wales so Husband Rob and I were pleased to childishly take photos of each other in different countries. Well maybe you had to be there but after living in Australia for so long, cycling to another country is a buzz! Just give me this one folks....
That is a definite earmark for a future vacation idea. Actually, rather stupidly, we had packed our folding bikes and then almost forgot about them as we set out on a 1.6km walk to the aqueduct! The car was pretty loaded with things. Remembered the bikes just in time, spent the requisite few minutes feeling silly and then cycled off on the nicest ride I have taken in a long time.
The aqueduct is a beautiful structure, opened in the nineteenth century it was built by Thomas Telford. It is 70ft high and has some of the best views around. The picture shows the railway viaduct is the one which can be seen in the photo and I am standing by the canal on the original Thomas Telford construction. That was quite a bike ride actually. There is a 70ft drop on one side and water on the other.. The path is around the width of a dining table. I am not great with heights so lots of concentration was required.
I miss you already, lovely Wales. I will be coming back soon too.
(C) Debbie von Grabler-Crozier 2014
