Magic, Mist and Limestone: the Rollright Stones.

As some of you already know, the novel I am currently writing is set in the Cotswolds, a gorgeous area in the Heart of England. The region is known for its undulating rural landscape, idyllic villages with limestone cottages in all shades of honey and, as if that weren't enough, for its award winning hotels, restaurants and breweries.

I'm very lucky to have a number great friends who live there, so I usually get to visit the Cotswolds several times a year. Over the years, a few places have become very precious to me, one of them being the Rollright Stones, and another one an absolutely wonderful restaurant.

The King's Men

The Rollright Stones consist of three smaller sites: the King Stone, the Whispering Knights, and the larger stone circle called the King's Men.
The Whispering Knights, a burial dolmen, is the oldest, believed to be 5000 years old. The 77 stones of the King's Men are slightly younger, but still 4500 to 4000 years old.

It's an amazing place. You cannot help but wonder who built these monuments and to what intent. When you walk around there, you inevitably connect with our distant past and with the countless people who have visited this place before us, asked the same questions and were equally awestruck by the magic that seems to ooze from the ground. Especially during twilight or on a misty day, it's so easy to imagine yourself in a place between the worlds.

Lichen on the King's Men

When you get the chance to visit the Rollright Stones, please do so with respect for the unique and ancient character of the place. All too often people sit or stand on the stones, or let their children play on them. The stones are not only ancient and therefore irreplaceable, they're also covered with over 50 types of lichen, many of them several hundreds of years old.

The site is managed by the Rollright Trust, a registered charity dedicated to the protection and conservation of the stones. They have a very comprehensive website with lots of information about the history and the mythology around the stones, and practical information on their location and even how you can book the site for private events.

You can help the Trust to take care of this truly wonderful place in several ways: by becoming a 'Friend of the Rollright Stones', by buying related books on Amazon via the Rollrights site, and they have just released a beautiful calendar for 2011, which you can get here (£6 + postage). I ordered mine 2 days ago, so they should be on their way!

If you've ever visited the Rollrights, I'd love to hear about your experiences!

Read more about the Cotswolds here.

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A Glimpse of Paradise: Zen in Zanzibar.

This must be one of the most beautiful places on earth: a gorgeous hotel in a breathtaking location: the five-star Kilindi resort in Zanzibar.

It's now a part of the Elewana Afrika group, which owns several more splendid hotels, but it's the elegant, luxurious simplicity of Kilindi and its stunning views of the Indian Ocean that appealed to me most.

The resort is located right on the beach and it consists of 15 pavilions, set in lush tropical gardens and with private plunge pools that are connected by water features.
As a bonus they grow their own (organic) vegetables and show their commitment to environmental sustainability a.o. by harvesting rainwater, recycling and using solar energy. Their spa offers authentic, traditional treatments with local herbs, oils and honey.

In all fairness, I haven't (yet) been able to verify this information in person, and I cannot estimate how well the resort is really embedded in local culture, projects and needs. For what it's worth, I think they are, and I'll let you know for sure when I've been there!
My main intent for writing this was to celebrate the beauty of the place, to share the gorgeous pictures and to inspire us to dream about the many scenic gems our gorgeous planet has to offer.

From here on, I'll let the pictures do the talking:

 

For more pictures, have a look at this gallery at PureZanzibar.com, and you can find more information about this and other Elewana hotels on their website.

All pictures on this site are and remain (c) Elewana Afrika.

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Beauty in our back garden.

Here's something I discovered earlier and I just had to share: a project called Wild Wonders of Europe.

You can tell that the people behind this project are passionate about nature. They want to remind us of the stunning biodiversity we still have, right on our doorstep. And they strongly believe that the emotional power of beautiful photographs is a great way to do that. I couldn't agree more.

What I also love is that, instead of telling the sad stories, they want to celebrate the successes and the wildlife-comebacks. Their motto: 'Conservation works! We just need more of it!'

You can also take part in a monthly photo competition with lots of great prizes. As a bonus, the two overall winners get to go on a photo mission to a wild destination in Europe, fully equipped with professional photo gear. Last year's winners Markus from Norway and Janne from Finland went on a trip to the Alladale Wilderness Reserve in the heart of the Scottish Highlands.

Check out beautiful pictures from your favourite countries in the Wild Wonders galleries, their beautiful videos of wildlife in action, or have a look at the book they released earlier this year. Enjoy!

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