Border Traffic

I drove the 3 miles from Hungerford to Shalbourne today, from West Berkshire to Wiltshire. I always try to walk new circular routes and it was a bright and cold day, just perfect (apart from the seriously muddy footpaths). The light seems to be of a particular brittleness this time of year, the sky has a special transparency to it. On some of the photos I took today one can actually get a sense of it.

near Shalbourne, Wiltshire.

Cichorium intybus

There are still flowers to be found. I was amazed to find lots of chicory blossoms on my way from Shalbourne to Ham, a flower I normally associate with the height of summer. The German name for Cichorium intybus is "Wegwarte" ("guardian of the path") and it is my favourite wild flower. Now that the leaves are falling, my eyes are drawn even more to the trees. Large cedars of Lebanon fascinate me, the vivid colours of larches ...