IN AUTUMN
by Winifred C. Marshall (1761-1839)
They’re coming down in showers,
The leaves all gold and red;
They’re covering the little flowers,
And tucking them in bed
They’ve spread a fairy carpet
All up and down the street;
And when we skip along to school,
they rustle ‘neath our feet
Only a few miles from central London is this magical place called Hampstead Heath. It’s an ancient and historic London Park, covering almost 800 acres of woodland, meadows, grasslands and ponds. Hampstead Heath is an important refuge for wildlife and history nuggets are everywhere to be found. The captivating sights have been an inspiration for artists and several movies have been shot in the area. Even some of London’s most infamous crimes have been committed there. The Heath is also famous for being the perfect place for lovers. A stroll there is simply a delight and highly recommended for visitors and locals alike.
One of the best things about Iceland is to witness displays of colourful skies that last for hours during the summertime. The midnight sun is mesmerising and in June and July you can experience 24-hour daylight.
Here are a few photos and a video, but I recommend a visit to Iceland. It’s so much better to see it for real.
Enjoy!
Reykjavik is famous for its colourful roofs and somewhat chaotic architecture. I walked around downtown a couple of weeks ago and took some photos of the colourful streets and houses.
In the words of William Blake ‘I have conversed with the spiritual Sun. I saw him on Primrose Hill’. It’s my heaven as well. One of my favourite places in London. It’s such a privilege to be able to take a stroll up Primrose Hill most days. It has one of the best panoramas the capital has to offer, but also fields of green, beautiful trees, and yes… tourists. However, they usually just visit the same spot so it’s easy to walk a bit further and be alone with your thoughts. You can read more about Primrose Hill here.
WILLIAM BLAKE (1757 – 1827)
Poems and Prophecies. Everyman/Dent, 1950.
From Jerusalem, Chapter 2 (To the Jews) p.190
The fields from Islington to Marybone,
To Primrose Hill and Saint John’s Wood,
Were builded over with pillars of gold,
And there Jerusalem’s pillars stood.
Her Little-ones ran on the fields,
The Lamb of God among them seen…
The Jew’s-harp-house & the Green Man,
The Ponds where Boys to bathe delight,
The fields of Cows by Willan’s farm,
Shine in Jerusalem’s pleasant sight.
On the north coast of Iceland there is this little town called Húsavík with only around 2,200 inhabitants. This is the town where I grew up. The photos are by Bergljót Snorradóttir and Hörður Jónasson, both of whom come from Húsavík. Bergljót happens to be my oldest and dearest childhood friend.
