Is Spring starting to spring?

The south of UK was bathed in delightful sunshine with a slight breeze during Saturday.  You could not sit indoors for long after all the cold we have had recently.  It was gorgeous!

My husband and I decided to visit our favourite park to see if any real green shoots had emerged after the snow and ice we saw there on our last visit.  Sure enough!  The birds were singing, flitting here and there gathering food and just generally being full of the joys of a sunny day.  Whilst we took a rest on one of the many benches provided,  which can just be seen here, it was wonderful to be able to admire the view.  So peaceful with the afternoon sun casting its warm glow across the tops of the trees.

As I said the bird song was amazing and so cheerful!  Suddenly, I glanced down to my feet as I spotted some movement.  Looking down I found I had a new friend!  Mr Robin!!

I could not believe how tame he was.  He was actually picking up crumbs at my feet.  We  both sat very still and only just moved enough for me to take these pictures!

Here he looked up to see what I was up to with my camera upon which, once he was satisfied that I would not stop him foraging, he then turned his back to me!

I was so excited to be able to have this wild bird moving so freely and closely to me.  Obviously, the birds in this park are well used to people drifting in and out without minding too much.

Whilst we walked around we saw loads of clumps of snowdrops which is a sure sign that Spring is on its way!!!

Before we left we really wanted to stroll along the edges of some of the lakes which had been frozen over a few weeks ago.

What a difference a little sunshine makes!

Spring has sprung.

Another Ramble in Spain!

I shall be continuing for a while so do join me in my rambles about our Spanish holiday.  We spent 2 weeks in a place called Mijas in Andalucia, between the Costa bit and the Pueblo on the Costa del Sol.

Whilst up the mountain in the pretty Pueblo bit we encountered amazing views down the mountain to the coast. This view took in the town of Fuengirola which is about 25 kilometers from Malaga airport.  We were not overly impressed with that town.  Very commercialised for the English tourist, bless them!  There are times I cringe when I think of what our country neighbours must think of us.  Do we really need to stick to our English diet of English breakfasts (cholesterol on a plate), burgers, fish and chips, pies etc?  When I go abroad I want to sample some of the local fare.  Since we were near the coast we ate fish nearly every day.  It was wonderful and ranged from huge prawns cooked in garlic to hake/dover sole lightly fried/whitebait and whatever else was to hand.  The fish was landed every morning so you really were able to enjoy fresh fish wherever you went.

A typical set menu would be comprised of a choice of 3 starters (Gazpacho soup, which was served cold and made from tomatoes and red peppers, avocado served with prawns, pate) followed by a main course which again had a choice of 3 (fish of the day, pork chops or lamb) after which a dessert was offered and you could choose one of the three (creme caramel, ice cream, apple tart).  All that for 8.90 Euros or roughly $9.  Of course you had to have a drink with that!  I usually had a glass of a crisp, cool white wine and then wondered why I always wanted a siesta in the afternoon!!  Of course you could always eat a la carte but even then the dishes where not expensive.  One day, we had a mixed Paella which included rabbit, chicken, mussels, prawns, calamari along with various vegetables such as peas and carrots thrown in.  When ordering this dish it will invariably be for two people and is always cooked fresh so the waiters warn you there will be a wait of around 20 minutes or so.  It is well worth the wait!

Often on our visits to Mijas Pueblo we used to take a stroll in the beautifully kept public gardens which encompassed the remains of fortress walls and allowed the viewer to sample breathtaking views of the surrounding area.   Such a selection of pretty wild flowers were abundant wherever we walked.

In the picture to the right I have tried to show you an area that looked like a series of caves but more importantly, the pigeons that roosted there were amazing!

You could imagine during the very hot summers the birds would need to be able to shelter and stay cool.  After being used to seeing the birds on the ledges of high buildings it did seem strange to see them flying in and out of these caves.

In this picture you can see a couple on the right side nestling up to each other.

As we walked on we saw other sights but I will describe these in my next posts.

Meanwhile I leave you with a couple more views that we so enjoyed.

From these pictures you can see how this village is famous for its white washed houses.  In my next post I will show you some lovely houses in the older part of the village.

A stroll in the gardens of Sheffield Park

The weather is being so kind at the moment that it would have been a terrible shame not to have taken advantage yesterday afternoon. The decision was made to visit Sheffield Park, one of our favourite National Trust gardens. At this time of year it shows off all its splendorous glory!

The word Sheffield, in old English, means sheep clearing and is mentioned in the Doomsday Book. In 1538 Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, entertained Henry VIII here. By 1700 the Deer Park had been partially formalised by Lord De La Warr who planted avenues of trees radiating from the house and cleared areas to establish lawns. In 1796 it was sold to John Holroyd, created Baron Sheffield in 1781.

'Capability' Brown, a famous English landscape designer, was commissioned to landscape the garden. He created irregular belts and clumps of trees and cleared informal paths through the woods.

The third Earl, inherited the estate in 1876. One of his first tasks was to establish a cricket field. The Australian XI opened their tour at Sheffield Park between 1884 and 1896. Lord Sheffield's team included W.G. Grace, one of England's all time best cricketers!

During the Second World War the house and garden became the headquarters for a Canadian armoured division and Nissan huts were sited in the garden and woods. Can you imagine being posted to this part of the country! The estate was split up and sold in lots in 1953.

The National Trust purchased approximately 100 acres in 1954. Further acquisitions have increased this to 200 acres much of which are open as formal gardens and lakes for members to enjoy throughout the year.

You can walk all around this lake and bey0nd. At this time of year the gardens are very busy with visitors coming from near and far to enjoy the start of the annual Autumnal show of glorious colours! Many arrive with amazing camera equipment ready to capture some of the beautiful sites. Yesterday, we found some beautiful coloured foliage but need to return next week when the colours will be more developed.

Depending on where the sun is positioned photographs can be taken to reflect the different moods. Here the lake is shown to be framed by numerous trees which provide such a sheltered environment. Not a breath of air seemed to disturb the leaves.

I just couldn't resist taking this photo of a group of ducks taking it easy! Who said it was a 'duck's' life? Obviously used to many visitors, the ducks did not appear nervous at all.

And finally, this picture shows some of the beautiful colours that are bidding their farewell until next year. I love how the foliage leaves us with such a powerful reminder of nature in all its glory!