Black and white

 Back from another little breakaway, this time with dear friends in Herefordshire. Our friendship dates back many years from a time when they lived in Cornwall near to us, attended the same church, and enjoyed a Cornish country life. Now they have returned to their 'homeland' of Herefordshire, a very beautiful county.

During the week, they very kindly took me to so many lovely places, many of which were on the 'Black and White' route. These historic buildings are, as the name suggests, made of timber beams, often painted black, and infilled with plaster.

We walked down this little street in Eardisland, feeling almost as though we were in a Jane Austen novel. I even found a house that I would like to live in.

This is the village of Dilwyn, where we had a delightful pub lunch.

'Could you', we asked the very sweet waitress, 'Could you make us a sort of simple cheese platter? We aren't hungry enough for a full meal.'

This is what she brought!

We didn't need much for supper!

Isn't this charming? It's in the village of Pembridge.

Some of the buildings date back to the 14th Century.

Looking over the Malvern Hills. In some places you can see as far as Wales and the Cotswolds. Such beautiful Spring colours when all the trees are different greens.

It's always restorative when seeing other parts of the country, and I am back feeling renewed with energy to get on with my gardening. When the rain stops.

Spring things.

 Another year of sowing and raising Tomatoes! I'm always so thrilled when the tiny leaves appear and the distinctive scent of tomato leaves emanates from the little plants.

 I have them all in the greenhouse now, having raised them in a warm conservatory. Now they are grown up they can live in a cooler atmosphere. Soon they will be big enough to plant in the earth of the greenhouse.

I always grow the same variety, Marmande. It's a lovely big tomato and is ideal for making tomato sauce for freezing, or just to have with a slice of mozzarella and a whisk of Basil.

I will probably keep six or seven, give some to friends and the remainder will go to the village Garden Club plant sale. 

Although every year I have planted vegetables such as Broad beans, French beans etc, I won't be doing that now. I might just add a cucumber, or a courgette plant, but that's all.

My China Rose tulips are in flower, delighting me with their frilly petals and gentle colour.

Tulips are such a Spring flower.

Just a tiny corner of the pathway, where the primroses are spilling over the edge of the border. The Aubrietia and the Pulsatilla add a little extra colour.

It feels as though the garden can only get better now that Spring is here.

Dartmoor (overload of photos)

My Easter weekend was spent at a very lovely hotel in Dartmoor National Park, Devon. It is surrounded by acres of moorland and very few other houses. It's comfortable and informal, with blazing log fires in the main rooms, and delicious food available all day. Their specialty is the Cream Tea!

The river runs through the hotel gardens, where a flock of very fat geese seem to live. It was, as you can see, a very wet weekend.

Between the showers I managed to do some walking, one morning with a tour guide, who took me up to one of the Tors, which are Towers of granite, some bigger than others. It was a long wet walk and we never quite got to the top, but you can see the bleak and unforgiving scenery. It's not safe to go walking without a compass, first aid kit etc.

Opposite the hotel is a path leading to Wistmans Wood, a site of special scientific interest, and one of the highest oakwoods in Britain. The oak trees are stunted but covered with rare lichens, as are the boulders amongst the trees. I walked past this little farmhouse and wondered what it would be like to live there,

The woodland setting. The oaks are said to be up to 500 years old. It's quite an eerie place.

I sat on a boulder and listened to the river  Dart rushing by. It seemed to be in a hurry. Further up, some children were having a good time trying to leap from one stone to another. I think they got very wet,

The hotel has no transport and no buses come by, so if you have no car, a taxi is the only way to get anywhere. I booked one to take me to Tavistock, about 20 minutes away, for the lovely Easter Sunday Service in St Eustachius' church. On return there was a delicious Easter Sunday lunch.

I have definitely eaten too much, always easy when someone else is preparing meals!

It was a lovely, restorative and comfortable break.

And here's the Cream Tea!