Silence in a Village

Last week Weekly Photo Challenge:  Silence

Turvey  is a small village located  on the River Great Ouse in Bedfordshire, England. We visited it because of  one friend’s recommendation, she learned iconography in Turvey Abbey.

We got there around 1 pm in a sunny  Saturday afternoon. Most of houses were  beautiful  stone cottages in the village. But surprisingly streets were quiet,  just a few  people were at outsides, occasionally some cars passed through a main road. When we walked around, felt like intruders,  I even felt that I had to hold my breathe, otherwise we would break the silence .

We found the Abbey and the Monastery, but  didn’t enter,   didn’t want to disturb them.

Took as many photos as I could, then left. When I looked at  them again, I can still feel the stillness.

cute bus stop

quiet

All Saints Church

church yard

pub- another visitor?

Who are you, strangers?

Peeking

the Monastery – a lady is on retreat – silence

Observing silently

Rose Puff Pastry Cake

Two big jars of rose jam made from rose petals in last June is brewed and ready to use now. This weekend  is wet and cold , it is good time to stay inside and learn to bake rose puff pastry cake.

As the roses are pink, the jam became  brown colour after six month in the fridge. Mixed the jam with roasted black sesame and glutinous flour to make fillings.

Four hours later, the cakes are ready. When I eat it and the sweet smell reminds me the warm , beautiful summer time.

 

 

Weathered

I would like to share two photos that went viral on Monday in Chinese social media.

The photo shows one eight years old boy’s  dirty and swollen hands on his school exam paper, he got 99/100. He lives in a poor, remote rural village in China with his sister and his grandma. His father is a migrant worker who works in  a big city.  The boy walks 4.5 km to get to school from his home. It takes him about more than one hour.

This week Weekly Photo  Challenge is  Weathered. I am thinking of this image.

His hair and eyebrows were covered with frost after the long walk to school in freezing temperature. The  day the photo was taken the temperature  was -9  degree Celsius.

That’s determination!

First Growth

The year 2018 is here, a new year, a new start!

Took down all  decorations at the weekend, the holiday season is finished,  then went to the allotment to see how the vegetables were growing  and then to a garden centre.

The theme of this Weekly Photo Challenge is Growth.

Growth in the allotment: broad bean, garlic and celery.

 

Growth in the Garden Centre:

Growth at home: