Category: Travel

The Broadchurch Beach

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Broadchurch is a British crime drama series filmed in various locations in the south west of England. It has won several BAFTA’s and there has been an American remake, under the name of Gracepoint and also starring David Tennant of Dr Who fame.

It was first shown in the UK three years ago, and I’ve yet to see an episode, but I have been to the beach, it’s just down the road from Bridport, at West Bay!

bc3-02Looking west at West Bay, uh, the Broadchurch bay

 

bc1-1-01On a rough February day.

bc2-02 [446523]Looking east.

bc10-02Blowing away the cobwebs and getting icy cold hands!

Have you seen Broadchurch, if so should I try to catch it even though I don’t watch crime drama?

It’s Daily Post Time

Posted on Posted in Photography, Travel, Weekly Photo ChallengeTagged , , , , 23 Comments

This week, think about time and portray it photographically.
Perhaps you have a fascination with clocks. Or maybe contemplating time takes you somewhere else completely. I hope you enjoy this week’s challenge.

Time is Lignum Draco’s photo challenge this week.
I’ve always been fascinated by time zones, daylight hours and changing our clocks forwards and backwards in spring and autumn. I can’t wait for clocks to spring forward on March 27th so that evenings are longer.
Last September I took a ferry trip, I got on this one, at 11.32

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here,
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enjoyed the river for ten minutes and then got off

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here! But it wasn’t 11.42, instead it was 12.42 because Spain is an hour ahead of Portugal.

Did I lose an hour? If so I found it again later in the afternoon,

somewhere on the return ferry.

Winter by the sea

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I had a half day on Friday and was keen to see the sea, so Sidmouth it was. My friend and I found a free parking spot right on the sea front, and crossed the road to check out the waves.

IMG_2399_edited-aLooking west they were roaring and churning.

IMG_2403_edited-band to the east, just as rough and the distant cliffs of Lyme Bay were hidden in the sea mist.

IMG_2404_edited-cWe wandered down the slipway by the breakwater. The only shelter from the wind was up close to the wall.

IMG_2406_edited-dBut there was more to see on the pebbles, I liked the black and white one and was tempted to take it home, but didn’t.

IMG_2407_edited-eThe lifeboat man 😉 stood guard opposite the RNLI station, he’s been waiting there for a very long time.

IMG_2411_edited-fWe’ll come back and check the cliffs a bit later. For now we’re having a little respite from the wind, and heading for town.

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This beautiful and traditional shop,  Mountstephen, has been trading since 1902, but way out of my price range.

Trumps, a grocers for two hundred years closed down in 2014. It’s very sad to see this once wonderful shop go the way of so many local food shops. They sold fabulous food, but couldn’t make it pay any longer. It’s a Grade 2 listed building, and it looks like the upstairs isn’t going to be converted into apartments.

IMG_2427_edited-lThe Square will be elbow to elbow with people in six months time, for the folk festival, but all is quiet on the last Friday in January.

IMG_2428_edited-mThe Anchor is a lovely pub, all year round and they host live music and even story telling during the festival.

IMG_2434_edited-nWe had hot chocolate and rich, buttery shortbread in a favourite seafront café, Mocha, and then tempted by a bit of blue sky, stepped across the esplanade.

I wonder if my eyes deceive me, surely no one would be kite surfing in that sea, but yes and he must be crazy!

IMG_2443_edited-pWe watched for a while and I must say I was glad to see him safely back on the beach (excuse the photo, my i phone can’t manage the distance).

IMG_2435_edited-oThe empty esplanade is waiting for summer, just as I am.

IMG_2446_edited-qFor now we’ll head into the sea mist, towards the cliffs.

IMG_2455_edited-sAt the end of the promenade the river Sid trickles into the sea, and it’s no longer safe to walk on that part of the beach, because of the frequent landslides that are eroding the sandstone.

IMG_2453_edited-rCan you see the pieces of wood dangling down from the clifftop? It’s the remains of a fence that was previously beside the south West Coast Path, at the bottom of someone’s garden. Lots of Britain’s coastline is being reclaimed by the sea, gradually washing away. Sidmouth could look very different in a few generations from now.

I hope you enjoyed Sidmouth even if it was grey and damp, I’ll take you again in summer.

I’m joining Jo for her Monday walk – if I’m in time, but if not this week maybe in a couple of weeks time!

Another Quay Perspective

Posted on Posted in Exeter, Photography, TravelTagged , , , , 14 Comments

I wasn’t intending to post for Jo’s Monday Walk this week, the skies have been so grey that my photos have been depressing! But then yesterday I grabbed a dry hour, took the dogs out, and the light turned out to be quite pretty. I had a lift to Colleton Crescent, from where I could drop down to the quayside, but first I went along to see the view.

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If you can see the crescent from the quay the reverse should be possible I thought.

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Here’s the crescent, Georgian and built in 1800, it stands on a sandstone bluff over the Exe and was even painted by Turner in 1827. In 2013 one of these houses sold for nearly 1.5 million, so this is a crescent of privilege.

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Time to head on downwards, I like the shapes in this photo, the right fork of water is the canal.

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I like these little houses but they must get a lot of passers by.

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I’d usually walk across the wooden bridge but there were lots of swans gathered on it, someone was feeding them and besides terriers and swans don’t get on!
But that’s okay, we walked along Commercial road. This area used to be clubland when I was in my teens, and I haven’t walked that way for years. I’m glad I did because of these two gates.
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Back along a footpath to the river and over the blue bridge.

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Where the footpath up river is flooded.

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The terrace is at the top of this photo and I was picked up again so my short walk is over.

The Otter in August

Posted on Posted in Devon, Photography, Travel, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , 15 Comments

A few miles east of my beloved Exe, lies the river Otter, in an area of outstanding natural beauty and an important resting place for migratory birds. The estuary is at Budleigh Salterton, another favourite place and the start of my stroll on the evening of August 3rd. Keeping the cricket field on your left, go through the kissing gate and the path is parallel to the river.

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The sea is behind to us on the right just out of this photo.

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You can just about make it out beside the red cliff.

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The tide is on its way in.

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Someone’s been busy!

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Wading bird heaven, it’s a pity I’m too hopeless to capture them!

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The path ahead.

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With plenty of sloes in the hedge.
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and a wonderful canopy of oak.
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On the left side of the path, a ditch full of life is the boundary between the path and the marshy field.

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I’ve always called this White Bridge, I’m not sure if that’s the actual name, but when my children were little it was the turning point of the walk for us. If you cross here, and turn right, back towards the sea, you will reach the south west coast path. I’ve walked a little bit of it there, but it’s a knee killer! Better to keep going, about two miles to the village of Otterton with it’s lovely mill and a nice pub. I remember starting at Budleigh one evening many years ago, walking the two and a half miles and having a nice pub meal. The problem was just because we set off on a sunny evening didn’t mean we’d return on one. We had to walk back in the dark. Beyond White Bridge the path is grass and uneven earth. There are no houses or lights to be seen and every so often a cow or three would loom out of the darkness over the fence. Our return walk was a lot faster than the pootle out!

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This time we turned back.

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Enjoyed the flora.

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Aha, gotcha.

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I knew there had to be birds somewhere. Otters have returned to the Otter, I think the dogs could smell them, they got excited a few times. Much as I’d like to see one I’d rather the dogs weren’t with me, if they chased after one they wouldn’t come off too well.

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The light was changing quite quickly.

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The estuary curves around the end of the pebble beach, beneath the red sandstone cliffs.

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It’s nice when walks are circular, but here I like having the outwards and inward views of beautiful Devon. This is a walk I never tire of. all year round.
I’m sharing this with Jo but I think I’ve probably missed the boat, heyho never mind, there’s always another Monday. Happy walking wherever you are.

On the Cob

Posted on Posted in England, Photography, TravelTagged , , , , , 22 Comments

A QUOTE FOR JACKIE

“It is only when our characters and events begin to disobey us that they begin to live.” John Fowles.

It was a cold, grey, October morning in Lyme Regis harbour,

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but the dogs and I strolled along anyway.

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They weren’t too sure about these wobbly steps

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but we enjoyed the hazy view from the top

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This is the famous Cob at Lyme Regis, as seen in the movie The French Lieutenant’s Woman,  from the book by John Fowles. I’ve been up there in much worse weather and it isn’t for the faint hearted, I definitely wouldn’t want a long heavy cloak swirling around my ankles in the wind as Meryl Streep did!

Jackie at A Cooking Pot and Twisted Tales invited me to join in a share of three favourite quotes. This is one of the ones I had over my desk, to inspire me, when I was studying creative writing.

I’m not going to ask anyone to take part, just anyone who wants to!

 

A Little more of Tavira

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The day after we arrived in Tavira, my friend and I went to the market, catching the local bus. We had learnt that both the Linha Azul and Linha Vermelha buses stopped close to our apartment, at the Estacao. For a couple of euros we bought a ticket that allowed us to get on and off all day.

The Municipal Market like any other, is best visited early in the morning, but I’d had my walk around town, so the bus dropped us nearby at around noon. I’d been careful to fix landmarks in my head from the bus, but we knew they were frequent and planned to jump on another in about an hour, and see where it led us.

Although it was winding down for the day, there was still lots to see there. The building itself was modern and very well designed.

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The array of fresh fruit and veggies was wonderful, but we were only having breakfast in our apartment so we didn’t buy.

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Of course the local honey was a necessity for breakfast!
The Algarve is renowned for its fishing, so there was an abundance of the freshest and choicest on sale.

squid or octopus?

There were fish I’ve never seen before, some of which I wouldn’t want to try, the shiny eel-like ones for instance!
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I like these though.
There were several stalls selling spices and herbs, some with leaflets explaining the medicinal properties, sadly no English versions.
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We left the market, hungry and walked back to where we got off the bus, to travel on round the circuit, hoping for fish for lunch. The sun was full on and we soaked it up, summer at home hadn’t been very hot. We waited, nothing happened. There was hardly a soul around and not much traffic. We checked the sign and our bus map, yes both red and blue routes stopped here, including on Saturdays. After perhaps half an hour we started walking, back towards the market and in the direction of the river, it runs through the town so we couldn’t go far wrong. Getting ever so slightly lost uh, misplaced is a great way of discovering a town so we weren’t concerned. Before long we found ourselves in a square, a bit sleepy but with an Italian restaurant – tut! that served our purpose very tastily.

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Then we were off exploring again, in and out of the narrow alleys until we reached the Praca.
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Tavira is a city of white towers and blue sky.
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A nice view across the river, to an Irish pub, Tavira is definitely cosmopolitan.
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This shiny Beetle was lurking in a back street, waiting for someone.

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Here she is! It makes me very happy if I see a bride when I’m in a different country, and just look at the pure joy on her face, I love her bouquet of sea shells too.
We couldn’t hang around any longer as we had to rush up the hill to the Egreja in time for the Fado performance, but the atmosphere in Tavira was great. I’ll be back with some more about the city soon.

A Gaudi Version of Ornate

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For Ben Huberman, in response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Ornate.” A photo of such a small part of the Sagrada Familia can only give you a little idea of how ornate it is. Or is it? It definitely isn’t gaudy, just sheer elegant beauty.

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This is my take on ornate, join in with your photos!

Fado com Historia

Posted on Posted in Photography, TravelTagged , , , , , 14 Comments

A few weeks ago I left you here, 

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and promised to return, this is why!
A few years ago I heard about Fado on a travel documentary programme and was intrigued. Travelling to Portugal, I hoped to hear some. In my previous post I’d been wandering around Tavira and found the Igreja da Misericordia by accident. The custodian at the Igreja told me there would be a performance that afternoon for a mere five euros.
We arrived in good time and the custodian gave us the best seats, she was expecting a German coach party, so before the onslaught there was time to take photos.
The audience assembled and waiting to be entertained.
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The Portuguese guitarist was superb,
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Then Sara Goncalves began singing, the moment the first note came from between her lips I was hooked. Her voice was so powerful and passionate I could only stare, amazed and totally entranced.

I have no idea how such music could come from such a young woman.
Apologies, I’m going to add my second youtube this week, only my third ever. Watch from around 14 minutes in, I think it has to be experienced live, but try to imagine Sara’s voice echoing around the Igreja. I learnt a bit later that Fado com Historia are based just around the corner, but I think the acoustics in the church were about as good as it gets.