Countryside perils
A late afternoon stroll in the Sussex countryside should be a calming, mindful experience.
That is until you come across a wall of Alpacas turning towards you in one synchronous movement. Slowly. Silently. Deliberately. 36 ice cold eyes staring you down, just daring you to open the gate and tread the public foot path across their field…
The sun may sink much more quickly than expected, but you are bound to find civilisation eventually… for example, a totally creepy 12th century church. If it’s nearly dark, definitely stop to sketch it. 
Whilst you are deeply engrossed in capturing the sinister trees, try not to wet yourself when one of your party sneaks up behind you and calls your name to break that awkward silence.
Excellent walk courtesy of Ben Perkins, Waterside walks in Sussex, Shermanbury and Wineham.
Is it Gateshead? No!
So hot, so full of Lego. It must be Legoland Windsor! #overstimulated
Early evening on Broadstairs Beach. Beautiful.
Today, although it was a grey day, the summit was surprisingly clear. So I had to find a new reason.
I abandoned the disastrous sketch and opted to do the 
The views of Clew Bay are excellent. Even the sheep agree. Here’s 
Down in the village I finally got to see the Fisherman’s Memorial. Those cyclists took off pretty quickly. Must have been the way I looked at them! 
My personal pilgrimage could only end at the 
The village itself is silent, save for the twitter of little brown bog birds and the odd ‘baa’ of the horny sheep.
Around the bend, a little way on, we are faced with bus-loads of tourists in the not-so-deserted part of of the village.
On the way down to Grace’s dungeon a young girl ran at me whispering in a loud hiss ‘this house is haunted!!’ I swear I saw the ghostly figure of the pirate queen in a swan pedalo.
That was not as spooky as the fantastic ‘party waxwork room’ full of Irish artistic talent. Their eyes follow you everywhere to the sound of the fiddle… I wasn’t sticking around to add colour!
I calmed down with coffee and cake in the tea room. Trying not to think about what those massive hooks on the ceiling were for. I’m sure that stag just winked at me!
The ferry to the Island has a super quick turn around – 30 seconds and the car has disembarked via crane!
Grace’s 16th Century castle looms over the harbour.
It’s a gorgeous walk to the lighthouse at the North of the Island.
Sadly, the lighthouse is gated off, so I have to peer over the wall. 
Grace is buried in the Abbey graveyard on the south of the Island. There is an eerie mist hanging on the hill behind. I can hear a crying child… but there is no one there. 
Exhausted, I manage one final quick sketch before the ferry arrives.
I’ll dream of plunder and sketching tonight!
cmoorelife 