Along The Canal

Hello again! Last Saturday was beautiful down this way - it was bright and sunny with real warmth in the air. On a day like this we couldn't stay indoors, so we pulled on our walking boots, drove to Bath, parked on the outskirts in a place we know well, and headed down to meet the Kennet and Avon Canal as it snakes east out of the city. It truly was a gorgeous day with the bluest sky I've seen this year. 

The narrow boats were looking very jaunty and colourful indeed, some with little gardens on top, others with bikes parked nearby. 

There were dogs, and people sitting in chairs in the sun chatting, and a good many craft chugging up and down the canal. Every time we walk here on sunny weekends we seem to see a narrowboat which has been hired by a stag party - last summer there was a boat full of pirates, and this time men in fancy dress - hilarious!

Above our heads some white frothy blackthorn blossom was blooming. I can't get enough of blossom-against-blue-sky photos lately - I'm sure that it does me good just to look at them.

In the autumn there will be soft blue sloes on these branches, but at this time of year clouds of tiny white flowers with long spidery stamens decorate them.

The hawthorn leaves looked almost neon green in the light.

Looking strangely unseasonal, a very healthy mistletoe plant was growing quite low down in this tree. Funny how we all forget about its existence after Christmas.

As we walked along the towpath we passed lots of cyclists and walkers, and families enjoying the sunshine.

On the bank a group of celandines shone very brightly indeed. It felt as if the day had been filmed in 'glorious Technicolour'.

And over a very well-to-do garden wall a pink ornamental currant looked very pretty against that sky.

The Georgian terraces and crescents of the Bath skyline gleamed on the hills around the city as sheep and their lambs grazed quietly in the sunshine.

As we walked back to Bath we stopped for a cup of tea at the Holburne Museum, and I couldn't resist taking a photo of these tissue paper flowers, an Easter workshop creation. 

They really did make me happy, in such pretty colours that they reminded me of the tissue paper flowers I used to make at school for Easter bonnets and Mother's Day cards.

Refreshed by our tea, we walked on into the city to pick up D from work. The buildings looked beautiful in the sunshine, the pale stone reflecting the light. Jane Austen referred to it as 'the white glare of Bath', and I can see why. The houses were built on great wealth and were designed to impress.

The tall, elegant Georgian terraces are very pleasing to the eye. We come here regularly for shopping and entertainment, but I never fail to enjoy the beauty of the place.

When we were first married we lived in Bath for a few years, before moving to the town we live in now. We rented the top floor flat in a Georgian house similar to the ones above and had wonderful views across the city. The stairs were hard work, though!

After a bit of a stroll we finished up in the centre of Bath, collected D from work and headed home, tired and happy.

I hope you enjoyed our sunny April walk - you're very welcome to come along next time.

See you soon x