Monday, 4 April 2022
It all began in Grade Six
Saturday, 2 April 2022
A little wandering
Today I wandered the streets of London. Yes I had a destination in mind, yes I had a detour along the way and yes I had a fabulous walk and wander.
On my own and without a map meant I had to really pay attention to my direction and turns. Many of you will know that I can be directionally challenged and easily lost. Well not lost really, just taking in different sights! There were no interesting markets to wander through which was disappointing but Kensington Gardens were lovely to wander. I found the round pond, sunken garden, memorial fountain of Diana and many more statues.
People meandered, ran and just enjoyed the opportunity to sit and watch the world go by. While the sun shone there was a definite nip of cold in the wind but it was a beauty of a day for walking.
Friday, 1 April 2022
Let's be Spontaneous - Bristol
Were the words my DH said yesterday as we sat having lunch at Paddington station. So we finished lunch and booked tickets for Bristol. Now my DH was booking for nine a.m. and I interrupted and suggested he might want a bit later so at ten thirty (which was off-peak and therefore cheaper) we were on the train to Bristol.
We have had quite a day. We arrived just in time for lunch. Having never heard of Cowbee we thought we would give it a try. The waffles are delicious. Then we were off for the day. We saw the Cathedral, murals, St. Nicholas Market and had a fun spontaneous day.
The Cathedral and the College Green
The Cathedral had its start in the 1100's when an Augustinian Abbey was founded on the site. Remains of it are still on the grounds but the burial area of the monks has been converted into a green park (College Green). It is leased by the city, and is a well cared for space where on a nice warm day you can sit and enjoy the space and a picnic.
The cathedral itself has stood in the centre if Bristol since the 1500's. It, like most Cathedrals, is quite majestic but less heavy on the stained glass. The commercialism is less in evidence, not because they do not welcome donations, but the emphasis is a place of prayer and there are a number of quiet places where one can just sit and pray or contemplate.
The Nave
We went back for the five fifteen choral evensong which was quite lovely. The Eastern Lady Chapel hosted us for the service. It was nearly full with more sitting in the nave as we departed the service.
The Eastern Lady Chapel
The gardens of the Cathedral were well used. One could find lunch at the cafe and sit in the garden or just wander through. It was well maintained chaos! Herbs had their own section, holly was beautifully pruned in different shapes and was full and thick.
Once we were outside again we noticed, closer to the Cathedral, a green space that looked more randomly planted. This space titled Flowers in their Footsteps has been in existence for eight hundred years. Wildflowers grow here on the sight where protesters have gathered. One of the biggest crowds was in 2020 when 15,000 gathered to march for the environment.
Daffodils are currently in bloom here. The intent is to draw wildlife closer to urban dwellers.