'But is it Green
Sallyann?' my mum said. 'Won't you miss the trees, the woods, the
English countryside in all it's glories and Seasons?' . So I told her
about the wild flower meadows as far as the eye can see, painted a
picture of wild herbs and heather tumbling across mountainsides with
butterflies and bees chasing the pollen. The neat grey green Olive
groves and the abundant fruit on the Citrus trees, orange, lemon,
mandarin. The mountain tops tipped like icing with pine forest. 'I'll
be fine Mum don't worry about me' I said.
But last night I woke
agitated and distressed crying for trees. She was right, she was
always right. I need woodland, forest and tranquilty, I need to
replenish my soul in the only way a walk in the woods can do. Silent
but for Birds twittering over head. And so 'we're going on a mission
Christine', I said we can have lunch after but we're not allowed to
talk. So off up into the Dikeos mountains we went to find peace,
tranquility and fresh. Clean air not tangy and salty like the beach.
It was perfect as
dappled light filtered through the trees and wild anemones turned
their heads to the sun , pink, blue and mauve it was beautiful. The
dry river-bed still clean from recent rains. The Pine Trees stood
tall against the mountainside and vistas of Sea, Other Islands and
mountain ridges peered between the gaps. Yellow and white daisies
competed with the tufted grasses and new shoots clung to craggy
rocks. The warmth of the sun filled the air and pine cones scattered
on the ground clustered in small groups as if arranged by an artist
on a nest of pine needles. Bees hummed and birds sang high up in the
trees and for a while only Christine, Missy and I shared the space.
Time to go, but not for
long we shall return, so many paths to follow, so much enrichment to
be had from silent, soul replenishing nature.
