Stepping up........or down

It's really funny how I seem to get really homesick..........just when I'm planning and preparing for a trip home!  It's the excitement of knowing I'll be there again, seeing family and friends, walking on familiar turf, looking out across the blue bay, and reliving all those childhood days and youthful dreams.

So what have I found myself doing?  Looking back through all the many photos I took on my last trip to England which was Spring of 2009.

Old cliffside steps....to nowhere.

I'm noticing how I like to take pics of steps.  There are so many in my home town as it's built on seven hills.  They climb up from the bay, some fairly steep, stacked with small hotels, guest houses, and B&B's, taking advantage of the sea views.  

I love this cover of a vintage brochure for my town.  I brought it with me in 1962 and was always proud to share pictures and stories of my lovely home.  Not much has changed, but now there is talk of building a third harbor to accommodate cruise ships.  This would bring a much needed boost to tourism, however, such huge changes take many years so I don't think it will happen soon.

I decided to edit these pics to give them a vintage look.  I know I've shared some of them before, so this is a second time around with a bit of a new take.

Yes, palm trees do grow in parts of the British Isles!  They thrive along the English Channel coast due to the warming waters of the Gulf Stream.

There are many steps such as these leading up the hillsides from town..........we had no problem getting exercise as children.  No gyms were required in those days!

These beautiful grassy 'steps' are part of the awesome gardens at Dartington estate................

........which is where I caught students at the college there practicing dance steps on steps in the Spring sunshine.

Cobbled steps in Clovelly - one of the steepest small towns on the North coast of Devon - a favorite place to visit.  The walk down is hard, donkeys were used for many years transporting supplies up and down to cottage homes and the hotels at the bottom.  Now sleds are utilized and there is a Land Rover service, for a fee, on the one road...........we walked down on this day but took the vehicle back to the top!

Viewed as one carefully comes down what seems like, and could be, thousands of steps, Clovelly's tiny harbor.................

..............complete with tourists soaking up some sunshine.  The large building is a hotel.

Beautiful old fishermens' cottages under the hill on the pebbly beach.

Meadfoot Beach - early morning, May 2009

I always notice how the iron railings appear to have never been replaced as I step gingerly down onto the beaches of my childhood.  Rusty and bent, they still feel the hands of excited children, as they have for so many years, off for an exciting day at the seaside.

Clovelly's historic stepped lanes.

I'll be sharing more images from my home soon - hope you'll come along with me.