On Wednesday, we hiked from Tyler's Green through Penn and Winchmore Hill. It was a warm, sunny day—a good thing I'd rescheduled the hike from the week before, when it was pouring down rain. (Also a good thing I'd had a chance to go out on Saturday and do a pre-hike—we took several wrong turns, stretching a 5.8 mile hike into a 7 miler.) The bluebells are out in full force in Southern England, and nowhere are they prettier than the woods around Penn (yes, that Penn).
We also walked through fields of rape, which is a striking scene from the road, but up close is even more of a sensory assault. Vivid yellow and pungent perfume surrounds you...the scent of rapeseed oil (canola oil, in the U.S.) and biofuels.
I'll shut up now, and let you enjoy the view. Don't forget to peek below for more...
Stopping to smell the bluebells.
A river of bluebells flows between the beeches.
Yellowyellowyellowyellowyellow
My dog prefers sunscreen to rapeseed flowers.
Lime green leaves, newly emerged, contrast with the deep purpley bluebells.
I am happiest with a map in my hands, bluebells at my feet.
For you locals who want a map of the hike, we put it on MapMyHike. It includes a few zigzags where we took the wrong trail.
