The first bluebells - 2026

The bluebells in our garden have been in full bloom for a few days now, and even though the garden variety seem to flower much earlier than the wild ones, we thought we would go and have a look at the wild ones. For our first trip (there will be quite a few, as we both love bluebells) we decided to go to the woods that start just outside Leamington and lead to Leek Wootton.

Almost immediately we saw some

Wanting to have them all around us,  we took this narrow path on our left

a large area full of them, all around us

I post about bluebells every year and every time I am disappointed by the quality of the photographs - the vivid blue, the vibrancy never comes out, it's such a disappointment

We got to the end of the path, fields in front of us

so we retraced our steps

as you can see, they are not fully out yet

We joined the main path again

Not many people about, we must have seen two people for the whole walk - it was just us and the birds

Another area with bluebells

more flowers amongst the bluebells

Again, another path leading to an area full of bluebells, so we took it

I love walking through woods, but in bluebell season I forget to look up

We did not walk all the way to Leek Wooton. I was recovering from a cold, and this was my first walk so wanted to take it easy so we retraced our steps

got to the end of the walk, which was also our beginning, through the gate

on the narrow path next to the field.

Walked on the road for less than two minutes

View from the bridge

and from the other side

zooming in - I wish I could see this house properly, it always intrigues me. As you can see in the photograph it's on two sets of stills. And those windows - I love them.

After the bridge, this wooded area, that has some very interesting buildings

Approaching the mill, the main building in the area

but before that, the entrance to the house I saw from the bridge - that's all one can see

plus, this. I wish I could see more

and now, the mill. 

I love this building - this was probably a loader

the balcony

the window. And what's the bit below, a small inner balcony?

the wheel

the steps going up

the side of the mill

A view of the mill from the other side - I love that chimney

The Mill House across the road. We'll have to come back when the wisteria is in full bloom

We then walked back to our car and headed for home. I love this little green oasis which is only a 10-minute drive from the centre of Leamington.

 

The Bank of Greece's Art Collection - 2

60 Years of the National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation, Some of the art in their collection 

at the Benaki Museum, Pireos, Athens.

The bank's collection comprises more than 7,000 works of painting, printmaking, sculpture, drawings, illustrated books, tapestries, mosaics and ceramics. A fraction of it is displayed at the Benaki Museum. It spans the whole of the 20th century, giving us an overview of how Greek art developed in that period. In this second post we will feature their prints, lithographs, etchings. If you want to look at the first post go here

Zizi Makri, Chimneys, 1959, (block print)

Zizi Makri, Foundry in Budapest, 1961, (block print)

Vasso Katraki, WAITING 2, 1968, (lithograph)

To see more of Katraki's work go here and here

Nikos Nikolaou, Hydra, 1933, (block print)

Yannis Moralis, Yannis Kefalinos, 1935, (block print)

Panayiotis Tetsis, View of a Seraside Village, 1961, (aquatint)

Zizi Makri, Landscape with Mountain Village, 1953

Nikos Kadjikyriakos-Ghika, Still Life, 1954, (lithograph)

Louisa Montesantu, Cage with Parrots, 1987, (block print)

Dimitris Tiniakos, Andros, 1952-54, (block print)

Lambros Orfanos, Birds, Paris, 1955, (etching)

Yannis Tsarouchis, Spring, 1978, (lithograph)

Yannis Moralis, Seated Girl, 1935, (block print)

Yannis Moralis, Workers, Moissis Raphael and Giorgis Dimou Behind Him, 1933, (block print)

To see more of Moralis' work you can go here

Yannis Moralis, Faces, 1934, (block print)

 

Tassos (Anastasios Alevizos), Slaves, 1967, (block print)