A trip to Mersea Island in Essex. Well worth it. It's a little island separated from the mainland with a causeway. It's worth clicking on the link for a map, ideas for walks and more pictures of this beautiful place.
We also took a trip to Carshalton Beeches. Not very far, I know, but I had the pleasure of being stung by a bee in a lavender field. This place is a surprise. It looks like surburbia, and it is, but up a little alley is a beautiful field of purple fragrance. It is a community project that is always looking for volunteers to harvest lavender. I have never seen so many bees in my life. It was very positive. They also have a distillery and sell Carshalton Lavender oil.
And next to the South West. I have many lovely old friends and relatives in Devon. I thought I would take them up on their kind offers of a bed for the night. As you can see the weather was impeccable. Just one cloud in sight. Well it was impeccable on the day I went sailing out from Dartmouth with my cousin. Very nice of him to take me out in his beautiful boat. Thank you Martin Gwynn! Thanks also to Kath and Beth, who put up with me in their beautiful surroundings.
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I finished off my road trip in North Yorkshire. The moors were beautiful this year. I managed to coincide my visit with the heather being in full bloom. So lovely. Poems and songs have been written.... The bees love it and make excellent honey. Apparently there are three kinds of heather on the moors but mostly it is Ling that flowers in mid to late August. The latin name is Calluna vulgaris. Calluna means "to sweep" and local people used to make a broom from the heather (a besum).
The Rosebay willowherb, that I have drawn many times, was out in full glory. I took this picture whilst walking down to Cloughton Wyke. The moss was on the North Yorkshire Moors and the mint flower from my friend's back garden.
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| Walking down to Cloughton Wyke. |
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| Almost a painting already. |
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