Saying goodbye to Autumn

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My last post, about Lumiere 2015 at Durham, is a hard act to follow.  I was tempted to just let it ride until I come back to the blog in December, but the Christmas ‘rush’ will be well and truly here by then.  There’ll be no opportunity to bid farewell to Autumn.  It’s been kind to us this year and I’m quite reluctant to let it go.  Just a week or two ago I was wandering through Durham.

The cathedral gardens were looking pretty
And the cloisters empty of the activity soon to come
Artworks inhabited St. Cuthbert’s space
The weir was calm
And on the riverbank, benches for Jude
Such a cute otter!

On a bright Autumn day the shadows can be as beautiful as the blue sky.  I loved playing with them on my walk at Auckland Castle this week.  IMG_0777

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It must have been about the same time last year that I was here, because there’s a poster advertising the Christmas Food and Craft Market on 20th November.  I well remember my ginger wine and mince pie, whilst looking at the palatial dining room, shared with you on this walk.  This year they’re going a step further, with an outdoor skating rink until 3rd January.  I might just have to come back for that.

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This is the bench from the other side
And there go the walkers!

Of course, it’s no good having a great view without a bench to admire it from.  And one bench invariably leads to another.  Let’s leave the Deer House and go looking for some more shadows, shall we?  I’d better catch up to those walkers too.

Leaves against an old stone wall
Deep shadow!
Feathery pines
A wall and a stream
A last flourish of rust
A spider’s web of branches

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I think I’ve just about got Autumn out of my system.  And managed to share a few more benches for Jude.  It’s the last week of Festival of Leaves too and Verena has done a wonderful job.

If you do get the chance to visit Auckland Castle in the near future, don’t hesitate. It’s a beautiful setting and there are plans afoot to make it even more interesting.

That’s all from me for a week or two.  Take care of each other, please.

136 comments

  1. You bought your own domain, ah yes, I remember why – cause of the picture size. Here’s hoping for a kind Winter, kind Spring and even kinder Summer! Romantic walk, I will limp at slow pace behind you, but I am following 😀

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      3. I found some kind of treatment (physio that does spinal manipulation – he even did Van Damme) and he is a friend/extended family (but I am a paying customer) – just someone I trust a lot. It appears that the problem originated in the back and he is putting me together working on my nerves thrice a week and ending it with a vitamin shot in a tush. I now walk about 5000 steps a day, still can’t do stairs or rises especially descending slopes and stairs, but I have a lot of faith that I will recover fully even if it takes a year, I will never give up.

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      5. It’s not so much pain but discomfort and I am not taking pain killers, but if I were to take stairs like other people (not one stair at the time) it would hurt. Yes, I am improving definitely. Strange how long it took to find out what’s wrong and most people never come to the bottom of the problem. Around your birthday I did an MR (privately to avoid waiting for a year) and it showed that my knees are mostly ok, so I had to keep searching. Thank you for your curiosity Jo. 🙂

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  3. Your Durham walk was much sunnier than my Algarvian one yesterday! Where did the sun go yesterday? At least it returned today but what a cold morning it was, probably why I spent the today writing this http://wp.me/p4kEHo-Iq
    Lovely to meet you for coffee last week, do let us know when you are back in January.

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    1. Hi Becky! 🙂 I had to peak in my diary to remind myself of the cloudy day but we were out walking and I was too busy chatting to mind. My camera stayed in my pocket most of that one but it was gloriously sunny when we left for the airport 😦
      I enjoyed meeting you and Robert very much too. Hope to see you again. Thanks for the walk 🙂

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      1. Easy to forget the grey days as they are so rare! I always wish grey days were departure days but unfortunately as you found yesterday that rarely happens. Whilst you were at airport we were up in the hills enjoying the sun!
        Hope your Christmas preparations go well, and look forward to catching up when you are next out here 🙂

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  6. Pingback: Festival of Leaves 2015: The End. | Verena Cave
  7. Pingback: Festival of Leaves 2015: The End. | Festival of Leaves

  8. What beautiful autumn colours! The castle and its grounds look like a very tranquil place to escape the madness of all things that lead up to Christmas! I have written a post about my stroll down Portobello Road when I was in London a few months ago. I hope you will enjoy strolling with me http://wp.me/p62k0M-1al – Lee-Anne

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  10. What an amazing photo series to end the festival with… Jo, it is beautiful! I especially love the benches 😉 Can imagine perfectly to sit there and let the sun set, the leaves fly around…
    Thank you so so much for taking part, it was a wonderful time. Really hope to see you again next year in autumn!
    xxx verena

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  16. And a beautiful walk it was Jo! Just love the bright red leaves shot which makes me wish we had more of an Autumn here in the south. But then we’d probably have to put up with winter too, and that’s a deal-killer for me!!!

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  17. Pingback: Bench series #47 | TRAVEL WORDS

  18. Such an amazing Autumn walk Jo and it looks like you’re sorry that it’s gone. I also miss Autumn. It’s my most favourite season for sure.

    Stunning shots of all the beauty around you. Thanks so much for sharing. ♥

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  19. What a delightful autumn farewell! Castle walls and shadows, bare limbs and bright red leaves. That first photo of the red-black flowers is stunning.

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