Scilly Isles, and such like...
Well, the trip to the Scillies was fun - we DID end up flying, which must've cost my stepdad an absolute fortune, but I'm not going to worry about those things...
It was generally great - though the weather was a bit windy in the morning when we got to Tresco (the 2nd largest island, where the gardens we were going to visit are located) - especially since I was only wearing a denim jacket - it warmed up and turned out to be a pretty beautiful day. Had a bit of a nap in the garden in the sunshine after lunch - I must be getting on a bit! Of course, it's all easily explicable by my lack of sleep in the few days around the moot etc. Besides, since this is the only holiday I'm getting this Easter by the looks of things (the Brussels etc trip being AFTER Easter and therefore disqualified...), I may as well make the most of it.
The gardens themselves were great - Tresco is blessed to have a nearly-subtropical climate, which has been enhanced by work of 5 generations of one family who've owned the gardens since about 1872 and have expanded them ever since, from the ruins of an old abbey into a flourishing estate. It actually reminded me a lot of the subtropical biome at Eden - the one with all the Mediterranean and SA/Calif/etc. plants. Which is not surprising, since that's where most of the plants were from!
Also present, however, was a pretty good variety of birds - from golden pheasants to small blue-chested birds [for which I know of no name in English!]; apparently, Tresco - or perhaps the Scillies - have the most varied bird population in the entire British Isles. According to my stepdad, anyway.
What made it not QUITE so great was that on the flight back, we flew over the extreme West Cornwall - Land's End, Minack, and so on. Places I've not been to since the end of August... This placed me in a generally contemplative mood, and I realised [or perhaps it came earlier in the day, I'm not sure - after all, we'd passed St Michael's Mount and flew over Land's End on the way there] that I would've much rather been there with 'someone special', and not [just] my family. You can figure the rest out, I'm sure.
This contemplative mood was further exacerbated by my deciding to listen to a string of Delta songs from the first album - which I've had for over a year. Not the best decision, as it turns out. But what can you do...
"My head's full of thoughts, thoughts of you,
And I'm distracted so easily, thinking what to do..."
Anyhow, travelling tomorrow. Joys. Quite what I'm going to do in London for over 3 hours, I'm not entirely sure...
N x
It was generally great - though the weather was a bit windy in the morning when we got to Tresco (the 2nd largest island, where the gardens we were going to visit are located) - especially since I was only wearing a denim jacket - it warmed up and turned out to be a pretty beautiful day. Had a bit of a nap in the garden in the sunshine after lunch - I must be getting on a bit! Of course, it's all easily explicable by my lack of sleep in the few days around the moot etc. Besides, since this is the only holiday I'm getting this Easter by the looks of things (the Brussels etc trip being AFTER Easter and therefore disqualified...), I may as well make the most of it.
The gardens themselves were great - Tresco is blessed to have a nearly-subtropical climate, which has been enhanced by work of 5 generations of one family who've owned the gardens since about 1872 and have expanded them ever since, from the ruins of an old abbey into a flourishing estate. It actually reminded me a lot of the subtropical biome at Eden - the one with all the Mediterranean and SA/Calif/etc. plants. Which is not surprising, since that's where most of the plants were from!
Also present, however, was a pretty good variety of birds - from golden pheasants to small blue-chested birds [for which I know of no name in English!]; apparently, Tresco - or perhaps the Scillies - have the most varied bird population in the entire British Isles. According to my stepdad, anyway.
What made it not QUITE so great was that on the flight back, we flew over the extreme West Cornwall - Land's End, Minack, and so on. Places I've not been to since the end of August... This placed me in a generally contemplative mood, and I realised [or perhaps it came earlier in the day, I'm not sure - after all, we'd passed St Michael's Mount and flew over Land's End on the way there] that I would've much rather been there with 'someone special', and not [just] my family. You can figure the rest out, I'm sure.
This contemplative mood was further exacerbated by my deciding to listen to a string of Delta songs from the first album - which I've had for over a year. Not the best decision, as it turns out. But what can you do...
"My head's full of thoughts, thoughts of you,
And I'm distracted so easily, thinking what to do..."
Anyhow, travelling tomorrow. Joys. Quite what I'm going to do in London for over 3 hours, I'm not entirely sure...
N x