Spring moments in the UK

The evolution of spring during my 3 week stay in the UK provided a brief and welcome distraction from the news...

I arrived in the UK on the 18th of February. The day of the tempest. Blowing into Gatwick was 'an experience'. Arriving in Nutbourne, the tiny little village where my parents live in West Sussex, trees lay strewn everywhere and the wind howled. It rained for my first three days, but I was in self-isolation in a cute apartment with very poor internet. I was more than happy to sleep, read, watch Netflix and sleep some more.

Two days after the transition to my parents home, Russia invaded Ukraine. My parents, of an age to remember the second world war, were in shock and the news dominated our days. I took to walking the countryside every afternoon and as a way of distracting myself from my thoughts, made a collection of photographs.

Spring was just evolving as I arrived with daffodils, snowdrops, crocuses and primulas emerging in the hedgerows. Sheep, cows, horses and llamas were turned out in the fields (and the vineyards!), grazing on the fresh green shoots. Cortona's landscape is definitely more dramatic, but the English countryside has its charm, especially the quaint cottages, historic buildings and farmhouses.

A solar powered farm house

A quaint historic building

The old school house...one of my favourites

One of the local vineyards at sunset

This vineyard has four llamas grazing - they are the funniest looking animals

Primulas and crocuses

A ring of crocuses

Daffodils

A cute squirrel

A heron at the pond

A lone duck at the pond...

...who days later seemed to have found a mate

I am now back in Cortona where spring - up our mountain - has yet to appear. So this year I get a double dose for which I count myself very lucky; any distraction from the current news, however brief, is certainly welcome!

Alison Koetser, 12/03/2022 10:13:54

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