The Goblin wanted to go to the beach today so we ended up at Aldeburgh in Suffolk. I love Aldeburgh. It’s a pebble beach lined with cute old houses painted mainly in pastel colours. And then there’s the main street with lots of cute shops. I’d hoped to take the camera with me into town, but the Goblin was starving when we arrived so he rushed me away from the car with protests that we could come back for it later after he’d eaten (he knew I’d want to stop and take photos on the way), but of course by the time we ended up back at the car he’d had enough sun and wind and wanted to head home.
Weaving through the Suffolk countryside I stared out the window as we drove past endless possible pictures…the light was gorgeous and the colours like jewels. I asked him if he came across a good place to stop if he could pull over so I could take some photos. He said he’d try. He ended up driving into Otley and down a country lane where we found a field of rapeseed and a place to park. I got out of the car and was hit by this amazing smell and this sheet of bright yellow next to a bright blue sky. I’d never actually been near a field of rapeseed before, let alone stood in one. It was quite amazing. It’s not a native plant and you can tell from a distance because it looks like an evil giant has come along and painted weird shapes of acid-yellow over green fields, but with just the rapeseed and the blue sky it was lovely. I thought I’d just share a few favorite pictures from my stop.
Lovely pictures!! It makes me miss England so much! *sighs*
You’ll just have to come back for another visit. We shall laugh ourselves sick again…the other day I threw away those tangerine and white striped and flowered knee highs…the ones I wore to Yorkshire…I’ll have to find some other way to embarrass you (that’s what big sisters are for). I threw away all my old knee highs…well except for the Shrek-green ones, I couldn’t throw those away. There’s now all this room in my half of the sock drawer just waiting to be filled…
Hi Cari,
Having never travelled outside of Australia, I love to see pictures of places around the world. Thanks so much for putting them on your blog. I think the yellow rapeseed. Why is it called this? (I have never heard of this plant before) Looking forward to reading Dancing the Maypole
Sally
Hello Sally! I’m glad you enjoyed my photos…I have more coming…
Rapeseed definately seems to be one of the main crops about to be harvested in the East of England…the bright screaming yellow can be seen in patches all over. It does have a lovely smell though. As for the name…I got this from off Wikipedia…
“Rapeseed (Brassica napus), also known as rape, oilseed rape, rapa, rapaseed and (in the case of one particular group of cultivars) canola, is a bright yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae (mustard or cabbage family). The name derives from the Latin for turnip, rāpum or rāpa, and is first recorded in English at the end of the 14th century. Older writers usually distinguished the turnip and rape by the adjectives round and long(-rooted) respectively.” I didn’t know that…so I’ve learned something today!
Hopefully Dancing the Maypole will be done sooner than later…it’s coming. I’ve been blocked for the last month, but I think I worked out where I was going wrong and turned the story in the right direction! Hurrah! 🙂
Thanks for the information. We have Canola in Australia (and probably rapeseed called another name!?) so now I get an idea of what rapeseed is like. Thanks for your blogs, and photos as I enjoy finding out about what is in other countries, especially places like England…probably because I like reading regency works!
I’m glad that I came across your website and all the books you have written!
Hello Sally,
Yes I believe Canola is rapeseed oil by another name. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed my stories! Hopefully I shall have more for you soon! 🙂