Shots around Town

Shrewsbury my home town - has a history dating back to medieval times with a colourful history - surrounded by a land of myth and legend - such is the county of Shropshire

Shrewsbury is a town of shuts and passages -

Bear Steps - above is a short shut - and was so they say named after a pub which no longer exists - The Bear Inn -

The Steps lead onto Fish Street

Fish Street as it implies was full of fish mongers and the smell of fish and at the end of the street you can catch sight of St Julians with a glimpse of St Alkmunds -

 the upper part of the Bearsteps house is a art gallery and a coffee shop - the best Cappuccino in Shrewsbury is served here well I think so !

More about St Alkmunds

This is the spire of St Alkmunds - haunted by a steeplejack - who helped to construct the church spire back in the 15c - so it is said the man accepted a bet to climb the tower and fell to his death - numerouis witnesses claim to have seen his form climbing the spire at night - whether this was before or after drinking a pint or two of ale!! it is not known .

Adjoining Fish Street - just below the Bear Steps is another passage called Grope Lane the scene of many a dubious tale - very atmospheric to say the least

 Linking to Our World Tuesday - best wishes for a lovely week - Jane

Looking back - February pictures and memories

Hello just a few pics for the record - memories of days out and times shared - precious times - time to reflect on life and how short it is - every moment to be treasured.

We spent a few days in a village called Mydroilyn near Newquay  Wales  in a cottage on a farm it was quite isolated but great for walking and bird watching - the birds were amazing and quite obliging for the camera - fabulous

A great spotted woodpecker just outside the lounge window - and below a nuthatch

 there were lots of other birds - blue tits  - this one was trying Blueys breakfast cereal !!

  great tits and a coal tit and two jays - pictured below

A favourite of mine the jackdaw - full of character and fearless with bright blue eyes

A 4 mile walk on the second day proved to be a success - the scenery was stunning even though the paths were wet and very muddy - we did a circular  from Aberaeron  to  Aberarth - walking alongside the River Aeron and up through Panteg Woods - I took my header shot of the Mandarin duck as we walked upstream and the pic below is looking back down onto Aberaeron

and the next shot is looking down from the top of the hill down to Aberarth - shame about the solar panels !!

The skies were hazy - with a light breeze and there were a great many red kites wheeling around but I didn't get a good shot - but they were fantastic to see - 

The next day we went to Llanerchaeron  a National Trust property approximately 4 miles inland from Aberaeron we walked in the woods and here are the captures of the spring flowers 

we took the river walk

Nature at its best

Bluey came too !

The Llanerchaeron cat - sitting in the walled garden looking very contented

 I have ended with a few pics of places visited - firstly Cwmtudu beach 

and a shot taken in Aberaeron

Posting also this week to Our World Tuesday 

Creta

Hello  - I have not posted for a while - but I wanted to share a few moments with you if you have time - Autumn in Crete - we have not visited Crete for a few years now - time to rekindle that love story we thought - we stayed approximately 18 km from Chania

- not far from Kolymbari and the Rodopos  peninsula - if you close your eyes to the new roads and building work the old Crete is still there - hidden away in the ancient olive groves

and small tavernas in the hillside villages -

raki is still the favoured tipple!!

- but the tractor is the new donkey.

The autumn bulbs were beautiful-

fragile and resilient in their struggle against progress

and also the native goats

everyday we walked using the local bus now and again but mainly walking - I had downloaded some walks of the internet to take with us and they proved to be really good - in fact we must have been quite conspicuous because towards the end of the week - locals were tooting the horns on their trucks and giving us a wave  as they sped by -  we only went on one organised trip which took us up to Imbros village - for a breakfast of cheese pancakes and honey and then a 11 km walk down the  -Imbros Gorge -

fantastic - a bit tricky at times but definitely not to be missed -  lunch at the bottom of the Gorge in Komitades and then a coach trip back.

We spent quite a bit of time in Kolymbari -

from there we walked to Afrata on the R Peninsula -we passed the monastery

 a fair climb - and it was hot - what is that saying 'only mad dogs and english men (and in this case an english woman go out in the midday sun ' - but it was well worth it - watching the goats showing off jumping to and fro on the rocky ground and the goats watching us
.
The  real stars to me were the Swallow Tail butterfly -

they were every where in the olive groves - on the bougainville and up on the mountain roads  -

stunning

Thankyou for calling by and God bless Paris - Jane

My World in a Few Pictures

I haven't visited the world of bloggers  for a while - but today I felt that sudden compulsion to post a few pics - my life has been busy with much of the usual excepting I have added a new interest - painting and decorating and restoring garden furniture to its former glory - I have even been allocated a drawer to keep my paintbrushes -paint etc by OH in his garage !! I must post some pics for the record - meanwhile here are a few of my shots taken on walks over the past weekend

The pics are taken along the footpath next to a working stone quarry - this land has been reclaimed and reseeded with wildflowers by the stone quarry and nature has gradually come back to this area - as you can see

I  love bees but I am not really clued up on the different species - I mean I know a bumblebee from a honey bee and that is about it 

I love the word bumble and I think it suits the bee very well - you know they bumble about from flower to flower

I am not sure whether this is a bee - but it was very beautiful 

Wild scabious and wild parsley below 

I am linking to Our World Tuesday today - have a good week - Jane

Hartland

Hartland in Devon - a breath of fresh air - amidst a flurry of flowers

Snowdrops  have naturalised in the woods over the years -

spreading down through the woods to the torrents of water below

So many walks - my favourite was the walk from Stoke - with its its high church tower - used it is said by mariners passing through on the turbulent seas -  as a marker -we certainly used it when we took a wrong turn - because our garden looked out towards the church

-Yes we started in Stoke  onto Hartland Quay - followed the coastline from Hartland Quay to Hartland Point 

Interesting walking countryside and a snapshot from every which way - and I took a few!!

Favourite walk for me was through the woods towards Blackpool and the Mill Cottage

- it was muddy along the pathways

but well worth it -

and to catch a glimpse through the trees of 'Barton Cottage' as it was called in 2008 - the cottage was used in scenes in the BBC adaptation of Sense and Sensibilty

The video  below - gives a quick glimpse of Blackpool Mill and the woods beyond

Blackpool Mill Cottage  belongs to the National Trust and can be hired out for weekly lets or short breaks - it is a blast from the past with no TV etc - but an idyllic spot

 Linking to Our World Tuesday - enjoy your week - Jane

Weekend Walkabouts

Clunton , Clungunford  and Clun

the quietest places under the sun

A E Housman

 Clun - last weekend was a sleepy village - cold winda at bay - mists and fog left in the valleys behind us - only crisp sunshine and blue skies .

The intention of the day was to visit the castle which is an English Heritage site - protected now - but showing the ravages of time The castle ruins stand proudly on a mound

and the walkways take a circular route - offering fantastic views

The river Clun  runs through the small town and on towards Clungunford where it toins the River Teme

And this weekend it was a drive out to Dudmaston Hall - a National Trust property - and a Snowdrop walk - well worth a visit -  a 17th century country house set in impressive grounds and nestling in the Severn Valley 

A paradise for walkers young and old - walks planned out accordingly - we chose the snowdrop walk and we were not disappointed

We dodged the showers and wandered round the woods

more snowdrops 

We walked through the trees around the lake see header pic called at the coffee shop - - and then made our way home - enjoy your week - linking to Our World Tuesday today  - Jane