The first half of our holiday was a wonderful experience, not unlike a classical concert. With the second half of that 'classical experience' still to come, a couple of interludes seem perfectly appropriate. Time in UK with Mark and Cal was delightful and full of enjoyment. Equally, time with my teacher from the mid 1950s who, along with his wife, are youthful retirees.
As mentioned in our last chapter, we were welcomed to England by a 2-gun, salute fired by yours truly. A fitting start to two weekends with Mark & Cal. How good it was to see them in Salisbury, the place of their residence while in UK for an 18 months work assignment. We only just made it as they were in the middle of packing their stuff to be shipped back to Oz in a couple of weeks time. We certainly made the best of the time available.
A welcome dinner at an English Pub.
Mark & Cal were interested in showing us Brownsea Island, located in Poole Harbour in the county of Dorset.
Brownsea Island from the air
In particular, they were hoping that we would see the rare red squirrel that made Brownsea their habitat. The island is just a delightful nature reserve with woodlands and a lagoon. A perfect place for wild life to enjoy peace and tranquility. Interestingly, it is also the place where Lord Baden-Powell organised scout camps as early as 1907.We understand it is still used for that purpose.
Recognising Lord Baden-Powell
A pleasant ferry ride to the island was the beginning of exploring this little jewel. The surroundings were indeed peaceful and we happily soaked up the beauty, as can be seen in the following photographs taken by Jan, Mark and myself:
Very relaxing walking through this forest.
Then we spotted the tree below with fungi on it:
Then we spotted the tree below with fungi on it:
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Plus other fungi varieties caught our attention:
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Looking up, we saw this magic flora!
We hardly saw anyone on this part of the island and were still hoping to spy the red squirell. In the meantime, there were delightful views such as:
Early autumn colours began to appear with Siebrand reflecting on the surroundings
Signs of love led the way and set the ongoing mood....
But where is the elusive red squirill?
Hello!! A shadow rustling in the tree above and, lo and behold........
Great photos Mark. Proof that these little blighters are really there.
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A most enjoyable visit!
Arundel was a must this visit. It is an amazing castle with a lot of history. The Arundel Website tells me that:
"There are nearly 1,000 years of history at this great castle, situated in magnificent grounds overlooking the River Arun in West Sussex and built at the end of the 11th century by Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Arundel. The oldest feature is the motte, an artificial mound, over 100 feet high from the dry moat, and constructed in 1068: followed by the gatehouse in 1070.
Apart from the occasional reversion to the Crown, Arundel Castle has descended directly from 1138 to the present day and has been the seat of the Dukes of Norfolk and their ancestors for over 850 years until now. Among his many titles and responsibilities the Duke of Norfolk is the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England, who has the duty of organizing state occasions such as the state opening of Parliament." http://www.arundelcastle.org/the-castle/history.htmlWith its enormous history, it was impossible to fully see it all in the limited time available. But, we certainly enjoyed and marveled at its place in the history of England.
Our first view of this impressive building.
Heading to the Keep.
Not to be outdone - a couple of peasants!
Views from the top.
In the Keep itself
This is a view with a difference. The cross brings a completely different dimension to all of this!
Time to descend. How many steps? I have no idea. Certainly, there are no elevators or escalators. Just as well my knees are standing up to the rigors of climbing, though I did 'feel' them when we finished. Sadly, Cal was not able to join us in going up (and down of course) because of her injured knees.But I was glad she could join us for all other activities.
Private gardens. Impressive!
Re-united!
Time for lunch. Oh Oh!
After lunch, we visited the family chapel where most of the family are buried. It has its own history and significance. We were fortunate to have an excellent guide who was happy to share his knowledge with us. Just a few pics before heading into the gardens:
The family Chapel
A special place to reflect
Like you, we have run out of time, but hope you are still reading this. There is still so much more to share and I will really have to somehow condense the remaining couple of thousand photographs to a suitable conclusion of our Arundel visit.
The City's Cathedral looks magic from Arundel!
Everything is so well maintained.
Our congratulations to those who are responsible.
This place is a credit to England!
And we thoroughly enjoyed it!
As can be seen from the look of Jeanette and Mark!
Just a brief look back at the castle before leaving to go back to Salisbury:
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Our time with Mark & Cal was very full and most enjoyable. Only two weekends in which we did heaps. The next blog will be our time with John & Sandra Ingram, who were also generous showing us the sights.
But before we leave Mark & Cal, we must conclude this blog chapter with a few snippets of Salisbury, which is one of England's magic cities!
Wherever you walk in Salisbury, the spire of the cathedral is ever prominent and one can never get lost! The city has that lovely balance of village life and modern living, yet maintaining its link to a long and colourful past. Jan and I enjoyed our walk to town through the water meadows to the cathedral and were reminded of the painter John Constable who obviously was inspired to paint his well known Salisbury Cathedral painting in this very same setting. Enjoy just a few pics with us:
Above and below: So peaceful and yet majestic!
A pub. Must be time for a drink!
"Cheers! And thanks for having us!"
When in England, I love going to a service of Even-song in one of the cathedrals. What better place than Salisbury Cathedral. This delightful church is a pleasure to visit and, yes, we very much enjoyed a time of worship in the choir stalls, underneath the organ:
A lovely sound in a great setting!
As we walked out of the cathedral our eyes were drawn to the baptismal font. A most unusual design that drew our attention.
"And through the rivers they shall not overwhelm you"
Wonderful!
Finally, a Salisbury Sunset with the cathedral gloriously dominant with sheep in the foreground. How good is that!
But, not to be outdone, Salisbury geese had their delightful way of saying goodbye to us:
These great photos are from Jan and Mark!
And a final post script:
Mark leads us in worship at his church. Very fitting!
Until next time!
1 comment:
great pictures, as usual!
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