Last week we took a family stroll along the river on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I haven’t really seen this hidden part of Staines-Upon-Thames before, and it was only spoilt by the occasional dumped rubbish or poo tied up in a bag (why do dog walkers do that?). Plus I got a gnat bite which has been driving me crazy, but it was still a wonderful hour on an August afternoon.
Some interesting angles.
And my favourite, a couple of macro shots to finish off.
For a long time, I’ve been too scared to fly. But when my parents offered to take us on a family holiday I put aside my fear and went for it. I chose a destination that interests me, Malta.
The worse part for me was take off, but then I was surprisingly relaxed and even enjoyed the view.
Views from our hotel -DB Seabanks.
The hotel was clean and cool, and the all inclusive food was excellent with plenty of opportunities to be more adventurous with food choices. The staff were friendly, and it was a great location for the beach / sea just across the road.
Trip to the Blue Grotto
This cool looking rock shelter
A look at the Maltese wildlife and fauna
Bee in a cactus flower
Lovely lizard
Biggest cricket I’ve ever seen
I didn’t spot much in the way of wildlife or fauna. Malta is a very hot and dry country. We were told it hadn’t rain for a while and even some of the cacti looked in need of a drink. Along the roads there were lots of beautiful shrubs / trees with vivid pink flowers, but I didn’t get to find out what they were.
A day trip to Gozo
We enjoyed a boat trip around the Azure window (apparently it’s been made famous by the Game of Thrones series, which gives me the perfect excuse to re-watch it for a glimpse of the amazing natural phenomena.) I wish there had been more time to get some shots from land as well.
Gozo was gearing up for its Fiesta celebrations
The Cittadel and the view from the highest point in Gozo
A view of the island of Camino and the Blue Lagoon.
The main reason I chose Malta / Gozo was its history and the architecture.
From the small, every day buildings…
To the magnificent churches like Ta-Pinu.
I’ll finish with some shots of other buildings seen from afar.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my brief tour of Malta and Gozo. There is so much more to see, maybe I’ll be lucky enough to go back one day.
Note – Photos taken on my Sony Xperia camera phone and faithful old Lumix (some picture quality is poor due to being taken through coach windows).
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I’d like to dedicate this post to my parents and take the opportunity to thank them for taking us away with them. They’ve helped me get over my fear of flying, and now I know there is a whole world out there waiting to be explored.
I’m very excited to have discovered a new competition for Macro photography on MusinwithSusan. Please check out her blog for the rules, and links to others taking part.
I love macro photography, especially since I got my new phone a few weeks ago as a belated birthday present. This picture was taken in my garden on a Sony Xeperia Z5 Compact.
I have posted a few pictures of this lovely Rose Chafer on my blog, but this actual photo wasn’t used. I think it’s better than the previous ones (I hope that’s not classed as cheating in the rules).
I love the details my cameraphone has picked out. Don’t you just want to tickle that furry little belly!
I thought I’d take a break from the blog tour and instead have a wander around Bodiam Castle in Sussex. The ruins are well preserved and still a beautiful example of a moated castle.
It’s strange to be looking back at these photos of Bodiam Castle today, as its my wedding anniversary and this trip was during our honeymoon. We had a 4 month old baby and a toddler, so a holiday abroad wasn’t possible. It was a wonderful honeymoon all the same, perfect for a writer who loves everything medieval (and my husband liked the fish!).
I have so many photos, it’s hard to pick my favourites. This next one makes me smile, my curly haired little boy chilling with his dad.
Now lots of random shots.
A mystery we’ve yet to solve – what do these tiles symbolise? – found on the floor, on the wall and up in the tower.
The last visit a couple of years ago was during the summer holidays, when my son and daughter took part in a knight and princess workshop. They had great fun, and I got to soak up a bit of medieval magic as I watched the people in costumes and wandered around the camp they had set up around the castle.
This weekend wander was inspired by a question from Faith on day 4 of the blog tour. See her interviewing me here, along with her review of Visions of Zarua.
Now back to the blog tour. Click the image below if you want to find out more.
We spent a wonderful summer break last year at Whitecliff Bay. It was late August and the weather was lovely. The sea was even warm enough for the kids to swim in. As I’m preparing to send my son off to the Isle of Wight for his PGL school trip, I thought I’d go for a little weekend wander around the beautiful island.
White Cliff Bay
One of my favourite places on the Isle of Wight is Shanklin Chine. This gorgeous ravine has been open to the public since 1817. It has a drop to sea level of 105ft. It’s an inspiring place to visit and I plan to use the location in at least one of my future books.
The Chine leads you down to a beautiful beach.
I was able to capture a couple of good shots of a local buzzard.
Finally, some beach art and a gull.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this weekend wander.
A few weeks ago we stopped for a picnic on the way home from a weekend at the coast in Camber Sands, East Sussex. See the pictures of a cold day in camber here.
Bewl Water is a beautiful location for water sports, cycling, family picnics and adventure. It has walks around the very large lake, the website boasts the lake could supply 200 million people with water. We only stayed for a few hours, but you could make a day of it, especially if you’re into water sports. Plus, it only cost £2 to get in and park up. Bargain!
Plenty of play areas for the kids to explore.
And a few close ups because I can’t resist them.
And this one could be classed as a little x-rated…
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It’s a great spot for exploring, adventure or family picnics. There’s also a lovely looking restaurant, which I overheard was quite good value though didn’t sample for myself.
Check out the website to see the scale of the lake – Bewl Water.
Has anyone else been to Bewl Water, or somewhere similar?
Enjoy the rest of your long weekend.
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