I know its not much of a picture but it is the start of my road, (taken today) I would be lost without my tunnel of trees, especially in the autumn with their lovely colours and moors. Could never live in the depths of a city with barely a tree to be seen! :(
I know, trees breath life into a scene,I'd too hate to be surrounded by concrete, unfortunately all the leaves have gone round here, the gales have seen to that, my stags horn was glowing, and they all went overnight.
still plenty leaves here sueone if you want some :)
There is nothing like the beautiful colours of Autumn, I took a walk by the River here in Warkworth the River coquet and the trees by the river were quite breathtaking and in the lovely sunshine makes one feel 'happy with nature'
I remember those country lanes, narrow roads much travelled and I miss them. Better say no more, or I'll start getting weepy.
yes LOuisa I think the UK has some of the best narrow lanes with native hedgerows anywhere. I like the single track lanes that have grass growing down the middle. You know then you have found somewhere rarely travelled.Its brilliant.
I've been getting so homesick lately and especially today as I was doing some research about Bridlington - where my son was born. Country roads in England are like no other and you can stop anywhere. Hubbie and I would take a picnic lunch and just pull up on a grass verge and eat. You can't do that too much over here. Maybe it's just the onset of winter coming and Christmas. Another Christmas away from my family and especially my mum!! It used to be a magical time with laughter ringing through that old Victorian house and dad playing the piano and all of us getting tipsy on his home-made liquers.......here I go again....just ignore me - it will pass!! :-)
talking about pulling up anywhere, reminded me of a holiday me and DH took together without the children this year. We were in Kent and we pulled up in this track. Over a style there was a wildlife meadow owned by the woodland trust. It looked out over the whole of Kent below. It was a very hot day.We layed in the grass eating our picnic and watched the combines and tractors harvesting the wheat whilst butterflies of all kinds flew by and the grasshoppers chirruped. There was not a soul around and it was so beautiful. I will remember it forever.
I love Bridlington too. Fabulous place. Take th children to North landings every year. I am so sorry that you pine so much for England but if you ever want a taste just stick with this threads and we here in the UK will do our very best to bring a little slice to your pc:)
Louisa
You're not the only one homesick for the UK, especially round Christmas - it's so solemn and boring here. We used to have open house and so did all our friends so it was one long round of seeing people and being with friends and family. No carol singers - no carols and no Father Christmas here. He comes as St Nicholas on December 6 and brings oranges and sweets. Christmas is more religious and dead quiet.
However - in this flat in Dallenwil and in a flat up the road - there are mince pies, roast turkey, Christmas cake and people opening presents on the morning of the 25th. The two resident Brit families do their best to celebrate properly and usually get together as well.
The longer I'm away the more I want to go back. Last September we rented a cottage in Mid-Wales - so green, so peaceful, so beautiful. You're right Psilo - something to remember and a place you'd never find anywhere else apart from the British Isles.
Why are you in the US Louisa? Are you like us, there because that's where the job was? We thought we'd only be here a couple of years - it's nearly 17 years now and likely to be another 9.
Gerddi sorry it's taken me this long to get back to you. We lost our long time friend of 17 years, my cat Honey last Friday. Anyway, yes it was work that brought my husband to the States. He had retired from the Air Force and worked for the Dept. of Defence as a civilian. We spent seven years converting a brick barn and cultivating a lovely garden, which was our retirement home, and with only two year's to go, he was suddenly posted back to the States. I never in a million years thought this would happen. I stayed in England because we hoped he would be able to return to a job but it never happened and then dad died and mum came to live with me. So after two year's of separation we decided to sell up and I moved lock, stock and barrel and three cats to the US. It's been a wonderful experience and I wouldn't have missed it for the world but with a daughter in Germany with my grandson and a son in Chicago with three more grandkids, I'm torn in all directions. I only get to see the Chicago clan perhaps once a year, twice if we are lucky. In a perfect world we would all be living in the same country - my perfect world. So yes, I get homesick from time to time and I miss my mum who is 90 this Christmas and I worry about her so. I'm sorry you are so bored with your lot but can't say the same really. However, I think you have an age advantage over me, being younger I mean and so you have lots of time ahead of you to change things. Virginia reminds me of England in some ways, lots of green and it's beautiful. Who knows, maybe this is not my last port of call after all and I may return to good old England, or Ireland. I hope you manage to round up friends and have a great Christmas.
Louisa
So sorry to hear of Honey's death. It hurts when an old friend like that dies. I hope she had a nice burial in your garden and grows into a tree for the birds to sit in.
Don't get the wrong impression - I'm happy here; it's just, like you, with my Father dying last year (88)and my Mother now on her own, it's sometimes hard being so far away.
We have similar "distant" families. We have our son here, a daughter in Wales and our other daughter currently in Panama. When she's not in Panama she's in Cambridge and we don't know where she will end up when she's finished her research. Thank goodness for email and internet chats.
When we're here we get homesick for the UK but I know quite well that, if and when we go back, we'll be homesick for Switzerland. We'll have been here nearly 25 years when we retire and so much of everyday life is now Swiss, rather than English. Whatever we do will be "wrong" (but we'll enjoy it, nevertheless!). We have another 8 1/2 years to go to retirement and hope to go home for that but - you never can tell! Our current plans are a house in Mid-Wales but the way things are, we could end up somewhere completely different.
I get homesick every winter because there's no gardening at all here from now until March or April and I have to dig all my winter vegetables up and store them. Alpine winters are too long and cold for me! However, I can get down to doing some weaving - my winter hobby. I love it here in the summer and being able to grow outside what I would need a greenhouse for in the UK.
I reckon, we have to appreciate wherever we are at the moment. It's such an advantage, being able to live in another culture and for our children to be bilingual. It will seem strange returning and speaking only one language.
