Friday 20th September
This holiday has been defined by trees and forests and yesterday possibly topped it all. We went to a small wood that was completely enchanting and magical and we all feel in love with it. I want to do a piece dedicated to it with the photographs I have to share so I won't say too much at this stage. It was beyond question that iconic dramas like Merlin and King Arthur were filmed there and you can feel the magic round every corner and through every root. I have been in the tree tops this week but this visit was among the twisted roots that crept along the paths asking us to gently walk within them. The hour we spent in that wood was lost in time and place and the silence was, at times, quite deafening.
The rest of the day was spent in the very pretty town of Ledbury. This town has done an amazing job of holding onto is uniqueness and it should be congratulated. It has also resisted the march of the charity shops with just one or two taking their rightful place. Ledbury is a very old town and the Tudor buildings dominate as they assert themselves on the landscape. I am not a fan of Tudor buildings but Ledbury looks all the better for their place. Off the main street you discover the most exquisite cobbled paths leading to yet more Tudor courtyards and it is an absolute delight. The shops are often unique and the family spent a lovely hour investigating traditional sweet shops, cider shops and unusual gift shops. I found a good copy of the ladybird book about the Lord's Prayer that I will cherish for a while before passing on.
We managed to seek out a cafe with wifi and caught up with the world for an hour. In the market street cafe I tasted the best cup of coffee I have ever had. Well done them! We have all coped well without wifi and had the best of holidays. With our last day we are back to hereford for some last minute shopping before supper with our dear friends. We drop Molly at Ledbury station early Saturday before the joyous trip up the motorway and island bound. Of course we shall miss Molly, as always, but it is time she returned to university and all her friends. The boys have their studies to continue and I have a stack of writing waiting to be completed. I think this holiday has been about fresh air, walking and trees and lots of time together which is always so very precious.
I have managed to keep up with my rewilding challenge while on holiday so my growing commitment to becoming a bohemian wild chick remains in tact. I am in light discussion with Pete about a space in the trees and also an extension for my studio. And we have some more walking planned. It might not be in beautiful old English forests but we shall be swapping them for the drama of the coast and the lochs perched high on the island that is our home.
Until tomorrow. Xx
No comments:
Post a Comment