Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire

Today we are treated to a delightful guest write-up by our dear friend Bal - with whom we had the pleasure of staying and spending time with on this fabulous Autumn weekend.

"The serene county of Gloucestershire is well known for the beauty it nurtures and what better way to appreciate this beauty than a walk in the Forest of Dean? Perfected by the most crisp and sunny autumn day this was indeed a day we will cherish for years.

Friends add humour, fascination and beauty to life. They keep us humble when we get too self-righteous and make us smile when we take ourselves too seriously. Good friends are there to help us when life throws one of its little curves at us and things look worse that they really are. What wise words... it had been many months since we had all spent some quality time together and so much had happened in this time... being able to enjoy a lovely autumn walk whilst catching up was truly one of life’s near perfect moments.

We had all good intentions to leave home at the crack of dawn this lovely Sunday however, sleep engulfed us and we left much later than we planned (the 2am sleeping on the night before is unlikely to have helped). Nevertheless, we were packed and ready in no time... and an hour later we were walking along the forest’s sculpture trail. The trail has along its path, various sculptures, as the name suggests, some more appealing than others. The giant chair is the most obvious and gives a spectacular view of the forest canopy. The autumn colours were breathtaking as the sun reflected the auburns, yellows and reds along the path. The most exciting part of the sculpture trail is that it keeps you searching for its well hidden little secrets – the giant chair, the deer, the rail track and the boats, just to mention a few.

Several hours later and with shoes covered in mud we hesitantly headed back, having explored only half the trail. This is one of life’s greatest realities – we are bound by time and all we can do is make the most of what we have. We left the other part of the trail with the promise to come back... a promise we shall endeavour to keep. "

Technical details: Olympus ZD 12-60mm lens; all unedited  and  straight  from the camera.