Coquet nature lover's stress free zone
Northumberland, England's most northern county, is renowned for it natural beauty and geographical diversity. From the deep north with its wild moorland, rugged heather-clad hills and wooded valleys... to the beautiful coastline with its wide sand dune backed beaches and iconic castles... And of course, don't forget Holy Island which can be reached by a causeway. Then there's Coquet Island and the Farne Islands too, both of which have important seabird colonies. Now, that's just for starters!Vivaldi, the great Italian violinist and composer, may have represented the moods of the four seasons through his amazing concertos but for my final post of 2016, I have selected twenty-five photos which I hope will evoke seasonal memories of the natural beauty, especially those to be found in this beautiful county. For those of you who don't know the area, perhaps you will be inspired to pay a visit. The coastal footpath running from Cresswell in the south, to Berwick-upon-tweed in the north, is over sixty miles long and was made possible through funding from the EU. Yes, Northumberland is a great place for nature lovers with something to offer for everyone.
(with short extracts from Vivaldi's text of sonnets, translated from italian to english)
Spring – Concerto in E Major
Springtime is upon us.
The birds celebrate her return with festive song,
and murmuring streams are softly caressed by the breezes.
Thunderstorms, those heralds of Spring, roar, casting their dark mantle over heaven,
Then they die away to silence, and the birds take up their charming songs once more.
Song thrush (Fr-grive musicienne D-singdrossel) |
Wood pigeon (Fr-pigeon ramier D-ringeltaube) |
River Coquet bathed in sunlight |
Summer – Concerto in g-minor
Beneath the blazing sun's relentless heat
men and flocks are sweltering,
pines are scorched.
We hear the cuckoo's voice; then sweet songs of the turtle dove and finch are heard.
Soft breezes stir the air….
Foxglove |
Red admiral on echinacea |
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Purple hues of heather |
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Inquisitive grey seals off Coquet Island |
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Arctic Tern at Beadnell Bay (Fr-sterne arctique D-kustenseeschwalbe) |
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Puffins skimming over the North Sea (Fr-macareux moine D-papageitaucher) |
The peasant celebrates with song and dance the harvest safely gathered in.
The cup of Bacchus flows freely, and many find their relief in deep slumber.
The singing and the dancing die away
as cooling breezes fan the pleasant air,
inviting all to sleep
without a care.
Bacchus, the God of wine, has a white grape variety named after him. Supposedly, it is easily grown outdoors in the UK but here in the north, it would almost certainly need the protection of a greenhouse. If you have a vine, it needs cutting back well at the end of the year. Vines are prolific growers so if you want a healthy crop, make sure you continue to prune and train it throughout the growing season.
For my french readers, here is an entertaining song written in honour of Bacchus that you may be familiar with. A lyre was considered to be the most suitable instrument to entertain the audience.
C'est lui qui fait que les années
Nous durent moins que les journées ;
C'est lui qui nous fait rajeunir,
Et qui bannit de nos pensées
Les regrets des choses passées
Et la crainte de l'avenir.
'Bergeries' Recueil d'Idylles Nous durent moins que les journées ;
C'est lui qui nous fait rajeunir,
Et qui bannit de nos pensées
Les regrets des choses passées
Et la crainte de l'avenir.
Grapes ready to harvest in my greenhouse - variety unknown |
Sleepy wood pigeon |
Autumn reflections downstream on the River Coquet |
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Red-breasted flycatcher waiting for the mist to clear (Fr-gobemouche nain D-zwergschnäpper) |
Sunset over Dunstanburgh Castle |
Sunset over Simonside Hills |
Winter – Concerto in f-minor
Shivering, frozen mid the frosty snow in biting, stinging winds;
running to and fro to stamp one's icy feet, teeth chattering in the bitter chill.
To rest contentedly beside the hearth, while those outside are drenched by pouring rain.
We tread the icy path slowly and cautiously, for fear of tripping and falling.
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Two sanderling probe for food in the wet sand left by receding waves (Fr-bécasseau sanderling D-sanderling) |
Soft winter light at Boulmer beach |
Redshank feeding on low tide (Fr-chevalier gambette D-rotschenkel) |
Greylag geese coming home to roost (Fr-oie cendrée D-graugans) |
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Hen harrier hunting on the dunes (Fr-busard Saint-Martin D-kornweihe) |
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Goldfinch perched on teasel (Fr-chardonneret élégant D-stieglitz) |
Robin defending its territory from a prominent perch (Fr-rougegorge D-rotkehlchen) |
Click here for link to Christmas tree at Westminster
Thank you for reading and following my blog which I only started earlier this year! If you have any requests for future Northumbrian travel ramblings and photos, please let me know.
Wishing all my readers across the world a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Bonnes fêtes de fin d'année
Fröhliche Weihnachten und ein gutes neues Jahr
Click here to listen to the 4 Seasons by Vivaldi