Christmas and Twixmas

So here we are, the other side of Christmas - Twixmas!

Christmas Day morning was spent having a walk on St Catherines Downs, which leads to the Pepperpot and Hoy monuments. That in itself, was the most perfect Christmas present. It was a really frosty morning, which is very rare here. The walk from the carpark, up and over the hill is approximately 8000 footsteps and it was definitely worth persevering with the weather, because by the time we walked back the sun started to shine, a lovely blue sky appeared and it was brunch-time for the local cattle. It also meant that our hands could come out of gloves to retrieve the chocolate that was stashed in our pockets. Happiness is standing on a hill.

Boxing Day it rained and we moved into tier 3, this was also the day that Storm Bella arrived, bringing winds of uptown 106 mph with her.

Sandown Bay provided another lovely stroll and it is the perfect patch for a little beachcombing for sea glass, it’s always lovely to go home with a pocket full of beach gems. It always makes me smile when I randomly find them in my pockets days later. What a difference a day makes. So my next Gratitude/Mindful walk was in Ventnor.

VBG, Ventnor Botanical Gardens. I love these gardens, they always provide some inner calm and I love the palm trees, it is a constant reminder that we live in a microclimate and that they are able to survive all year round. It also reminds me of my first time abroad and the excitement of seeing a palm tree (said my inner child). The garden is looking, very understandably wet at the moment, but still beautiful. It is very rejuvenating just walking through these gardens and Mother Nature, like 2020 teaches us a lot about resilience, regrowth and renewal.

Those were three of my gratitudes, until next time. Stay safe.

Jules x