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Tuesday 29 April 2014

A Night and A Day in Conwy




 Over Easter we went away for a very brief break - just one night - to the North Wales coast near Conwy.


In the evening, we wandered round the town and found the illuminated castle rather ghostly looking.
















 By daylight, it's rather more solid - and perhaps even more impressive.












 

Approach from the right side and Conwy looks like it's still a fortified town - with a little imagination time feels like it's stood still.




You can even pretend to enter by the draw-bridge - although this one wasn't constructed till the early 19th century













You can walk all round town on the old walls

On one side they look out to Snowdonia's mountains













On the other, out to the river, quayside and a rather more modern harbour







or across the rooftops to the castle


Inside the walls,the streets still follow the Medieval pattern though full of tourists rather than invaders these days.






Thursday 24 April 2014

Easter Gardens



The sunny weather over Easter encouraged us out and about visiting gardens.
 First, just up the road to Chatsworth to find a bank of golden daffodils..


...try to get back out of the maze...




...and wonder about the giant who could use this ornamental garden fork!



Then over to Biddulph Grange Gardens in Staffordshire


To see the largest garden urn in the country!








 Run by the National Trust this garden has grottos and tunnels that lead to hidden temples mixed with formal gardens.










Then further west to Bodnant Gardens in North Wales where formal gardens look out to the mountains of Snowdonia





and paths lead to hillsides covered in rhododendrons and azaleas of almost every hue.


















Monday 14 April 2014

Flowers and blossom


 My morning walks are now filled with flowers - on the ground and up in the trees.
Cowslips,daisies, celandines and even dandelions brighten the fields













 In the wood itself, the bird cherries are now in flower



















 chestnuts in bud


















 more bluebells appearing with every day














 and the hawthorn blossom will soon mark the start of summer



even the fields are bright with flowers - even if it's only the rape crop.

Thursday 3 April 2014

In the Green(ish) Wood

A haze of green is spreading through the Wood this week....



....trees bursting into leaf...














































and under them a carpet of bright green grass shooting up




and bluebell leaves....









..even with one or two flowers already showing










The wild cherries are coming into flower











and bright, cheerful-looking celandines