Came across the idea of posting without words once a week, and thought it sounded like a nice thing to start doing.
England
An Englishman’s Italian-American Christmas
We all have our Christmas traditions and my family is no different. I count myself very lucky that I'm married to someone whose traditions are different from my own so over the years we've developed our own version of two ways of doing Christmas. As an American she has a heritage spanning Europe, the one … Continue reading An Englishman’s Italian-American Christmas
An Italian oddity in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Every town has its oddities and Cheltenham is no exception. Behind the Town Hall in Imperial Square, tucked away in a recess in one of the buildings is a fountain. It's not functioning, or even very clean, but there it sits behind a fence with a nice little ornate hedge in front of it. The … Continue reading An Italian oddity in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
People, pigs and picnics: Nympsfield Long Barrow, Gloucestershire
High above the Severn Valley at the top of Frocester Hill, where you can look west across to the Severn estuary and the hills of the Forest of Dean, is a small-ish structure made of stone, soil piled up around it. The stones form an entrance behind which are three chambers. This is Nympsfield long … Continue reading People, pigs and picnics: Nympsfield Long Barrow, Gloucestershire
In Photos: St Michael’s Mount and Mount’s Bay, Cornwall
Heading along the road towards Marazion, Cornwall, from the A30 affords the first view of St Michael's Mount. The huddle of buildings on the top of the island makes it look bigger than it perhaps is, but it's the obvious focal point of Mount's Bay. I visited a while ago with my family taking photos … Continue reading In Photos: St Michael’s Mount and Mount’s Bay, Cornwall
Hidden stories: the amazing life of a Budleigh Salterton pebble
Who doesn't love a pebble? Find one on a beach and it's hard to resist throwing it in the water, especially the flat, thin ones ideal for skimming. What I've rarely thought about, though, is how that piece of stone happened to end up there, nicely smoothed and rounded on the beach. So this post … Continue reading Hidden stories: the amazing life of a Budleigh Salterton pebble
A Grand Tour around Cheltenham, England
The sky was blue and the air warm, a treat in late October in England. I was in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire enjoying the sunshine and a wander. The town only really developed from the late 18th century when its spa waters, thought to cure all sorts of ailments, made it a fashionable place to visit. Its … Continue reading A Grand Tour around Cheltenham, England
A quick lunchtime ride
I've not cycled anywhere near as much as I intended to this year, an irony not lost on me having started a blog with 'cycling' in the title. But today was unseasonably warm, with bright sun and blue skies and it was an ideal moment to make amends. I was working from home, and as … Continue reading A quick lunchtime ride
Photo essay: Gloucester Docks, Gloucestershire, England
Last weekend was warm, sunny and bright, and I spent an hour or so walking around Gloucester's historic docks on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. It's changed a lot over the last 30 years, and regeneration projects are still ongoing. As I walked I photographed anything which interested me, and thought I'd share a selection. … Continue reading Photo essay: Gloucester Docks, Gloucestershire, England
Walking the Exe Estuary Trail, Devon
The Exe Estuary Trail in Devon follows the banks of the River Exe from the south of Exeter to the sea. I’ve looked out over the estuary from the train on several occasions, the line skirting along its banks, boats on the water, wading birds and fishermen hunting for shellfish, and discovering the trail along … Continue reading Walking the Exe Estuary Trail, Devon
