Tranquillity

 

I spent a couple of days away, and the picture above is taken about twenty yards away from my tent. The mill race soothed me to sleep, once I got used to the idea that it was a real sound and not a CD which would turn itself off.

As evening fell, the bats came out to hunt, swooping and squeaking after insects, taking over where the martins left off for the day. As night deepened, the sounds of hunting owls filled the air: tawny, barn and little owls all called over our sleepy heads as we lay in our tent.

It’s a shame you can’t take your own bed camping as I woke with an aching back most mornings; I’m getting too old for a kip mat.

Below is Avebury, the greatest stone circle in Britain. It’s so large it holds a whole village: you can’t see the whole circle from any one spot as it covers an enormous distance.

The whole place has a sense of peace about it and the early summer sun made us feel relaxed and happy.

A word to the wise: never go to visit Avebury at the Solstice. If you find parking, you’ll get blocked in and the whole place is ludicrously busy. But if you want a colourful experience people watching, get there early and prepare to stay overnight.