W is for Wells #AtoZChallenge

WELCOME to Wells, Somerset.

It's the smallest city in England.

Wells Cathedral is the reason that this tiny medieval city is called a city.

Every inch and nook of the city is picture perfect.

So, it was hard for me to choose just a few pictures to post today. 
I tried. But, I didn't succeed. 

We stayed in Wells for a few days last August.

Let the tour begin.

Let the pictures do the talking (with a few words for company)

Wells High street: so quaint and small that by the time you've said high, it's over.

Wells Cathedral: Gothic and poetic

Ha! Do you see a W or two?

Spotted in August'17 in Wells. 

Who would've thought they'd appear in a W post in April 2018?

Such treasures come by when we keep our eyes open to see. Right?

We picked a couple to munch on. They were delicious: crisp, slightly tangy and very juicy.

The Vicars' Close

This extract has been taken from somerset-life.co.uk:

"Adjoining the Cathedral is Vicars’ Close, believed to be the only complete medieval street left in England. The houses were built in the 14th century to provide accommodation for the Vicars Choral, who sing the daily services, and this is still the case today."

The Bishop's Palace
somerset-life.co.uk tells us that its...
"Home to the Bishops of Bath and Wells for over 800 years, the palace is surrounded by a moat, complete with resident swans trained to ring a bell for food." 
We were exploring the caves in Cheddar gorge that morning, so by the time we got back to Wells, the palace was shut, but we managed to walk in its beautiful grounds.

We didn't see any swans. Perhaps they'd eaten and gone to bed by the time we arrived.

The Sew Vintage shot that featured in V Post was taken in Wells, Somerset.
*****
Well, that's it folks. 
Expecting to see you here tomorrow. 
Where are you planning to be this weekend? Any place special?

O is for Overheard at Old Harry Rocks #AtoZChallenge

O has brought us back to Dorset: to the most easterly point of the Jurassic Coast of England, a UNESCO world heritage site.

My A to Z journey this year started with a few photos of  Alum Chine on this coast and today, more than half way through this challenge, I'm back with a stack of photos of a stunning place called Old Harry Rocks.

Are you curious to check it out for yourself? What are you waiting for? Put some sun cream on and let's go. Don't be fooled by the clouds, the sun gets very bright very quickly here.

I was curious about the name: Old Harry Rocks.

To tell you the truth, I picture old Harry rocking and rolling somewhere in the vicinity. I prefer my version of an old man named Harry who truly rocked the area, but if you're pedantic about this sort of thing, then this is what I found out while digging on-line: Jade and Dan's website offers the best write-up on The Legend of Old Harry Here's an extract from their site:

"One legend claims that the stack of Old Harry is so named because the Devil, for whom Old Harry is an age-old nickname, had a sleep on the famed rocks. Echoing this devilish tone, there is an old saying that speaks of someone 'playing Old Harry,' which would rather brutally mean 'to ruin or destroy.' The rocks were supposedly named as they are to give warning to ships to keep their distance from the treacherous cliffs. 

The other of the two tales is centered around one infamous individual. Harry Paye was a pirate who called the Poole area his home, making it a place of terror and trouble as he spent his days attacking the merchant ships that sailed in and out of Poole Harbour. It is said that the iconic stack and arches that provide us with adventures a-plenty were named after this very Harry as the caves became a hiding place for his loot. "

I didn't know it then but the short video I took of this thistle, dancing on the coast. 
captured snippets of  a conversation.
But ever since I've heard it, I've been imagining who the voices belong to:
young? old? family? friends? 
Who were these people?
What was the day like for them?
My back was turned to them. They must've walked on while I was busy with our dancing thistle.

I wonder what all the flora and the fauna of such oft-trodden paths must witness and overhear almost everyday.

Have you ever heard a conversation by chance and wondered about it later?

Perfect locations such as these beckon you to sit and stare and stare a little more...

Enjoy a peace filled day. 

G is for Golden Cap: A coastal walk with stunning views #AtoZChallenge

Yesterday, I'd sneaked in (as Yamini pointed out) a sixth favourite thing of mine in my list of five. I didn't realise I'd done it but when I read her comment, I noticed how my first love had sneaked into the list (despite not starting with F)!

Yes, yes, I confess. Going for long walks is the thing I love the most. I want to use the word mostest, just to emphasize how much I love walks. Ideally, I like to go alone. Sometimes, I let my camera or my phone give me company. The husband can join if he wishes to, but there's no expectation to keep pace or talk. We may share paths, but we walk in our universes, joined and individual, half of a whole, happy in our spaces and paces, gaits mis-matched but heading to the same home afterwards.

Children, in-laws, friends, strangers, sister, nieces and nephews have shared walks with talks which I cherish very much. And when I go back to those spots: parks, beaches, seasons, winds, blossoms, fragrances, snippets of those moments drift into my conscience like birdsong: always sweet and melodious, no matter how often one hears it.

So, brace yourself for a walk along the Jurassic Coast of Britain, today. We are going to climb Golden Cap, take a few photos, nibble on some sandwiches in the tall grass, drink bottled water and soak in the scenery. Hold on to your hats and scarves--it's a tad windy today.

Are you ready? 

But where is Golden Cap exactly? you ask.

"It's a hill and cliff situated on the English Channel coast between Bridport and Charmouth in Dorset, England. The cliffs are the highest point on the south coast of Great Britain. The name derives from distinctive outcropping of golden greensand rock present at the very top of the cliff."

says Wikipedia

 To kip in the sun after a long walk, with tummies full and no plans to go to after:

is this not heaven on Earth?

I clicked our friends, the Banerjees and AJ (whose better half I am) while they rested.

I tottered around solo for a bit before we had to head home.

Hope you find your heavens today and feel at home in whatever you do.

Hope to see you with H.

Have a wonderful weekend.

xx

C is for Cheddar Man and Cave Matured Cheddar Cheese #AtoZChallenge

Come, meet Britain's oldest complete human skeleton (estimated to be almost 9000 years old) on the day of C.

He was found in 1903 and you can see him in Gough's cave, near the village of Cheddar in Somerset.

Get your tickets and come on in. This cave has been lit, highlighted, and presented (with an entertaining audio recording) to take you back in time when it was first discovered by Richard Gough in 1898.

Yes, you got it--Cheddar Cheese was born here (sometime in the 12th century)
and it continues to mature in the caves even today.

What's more, you can buy cave matured cheddar cheese when you step outside.

We did and relished it tremendously.

Stalagmites and stalactites create stunning displays

All that time inside a cave can make one hungry:)

Cerulean skies, a good cup of tea, scones and jam--a perfect English summer's day.

August 2017
Please note: even if you don't think that the sky is cerulean in this picture, humour this blogger's attempt to use a word she loves which also begins with C. 
And why do I love this word?
Because in a movie or a TV show, I forget the name, I heard a character say this to an aspiring author who looked up to the sky and explained, "Cerulean!"
"You are an author...only authors call a blue sky cerulean."

Have you been inside a cave recently? Where? Did you like it?

*****

Delve into a different kind of looking tomorrow--D will be here, do drop by:)

A is for Alum Chine. #AtoZChallenge

One day in August 2017, my husband and I found ourselves in Alum Chine. It happened quite by chance. We were driving back to London from Dorset. We hadn't booked anywhere to stay yet as the idea was to choose somewhere different, an unusual place, a place we hadn't heard of, a place that would make us stop, a place we'd want to stop to spend the night. Otherwise, we'd carry on driving.

When we stopped at a petrol station en-route to get some coffee, we liked the tall trees lining up by the road like tall sentinels of planet earth. The scenery had changed from city to country in a matter of fifteen minutes and the air when we stepped out into the car park was relaxed and beach-like.

We googled the area and found out that we were near Alum Chine. A few searches later, we had a room booked and within an hour of that coffee, we were exploring this beautiful nook of the southern English coast.

Wild flowers carpeted the area around the car park. The flowers kept me busy for a long time: zooming in to capture their little details and zooming out to breathe in their spectacular show. 

If you find yourself in Bournemouth, do stop by at Alum Chine. You'll be glad you did. And if you're wondering what the name Alum Chine means, here's an explanation from the Bournemouth tourism website:

"Chine is a steep sided dry river valley, Alum Chine is the largest of Bournemouth’s four Chines and got its name from the local alum mining industry in the 16th century."

Travel Tip: The place we stayed at is called Tiien and they serve amazing Thai food. 
Their website is www.tiien.co.uk
and the address is:
55 West Cliff Road
Westbourne
Dorset BH4 8BA

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Have you ever come by a gem of a place by chance on your travels? 

And did you go back to visit it?

Be kind to yourself today:)

and

Be here tomorrow for B.