Cotswolds, England; May 2007
I grew up in Australia but had always had a sense of the English countryside from children’s books such as The Wind in the Willows. I was amazed when I went to the Cotswolds just how familiar everything was, from the quaint villages tucked amid gently rolling hills to the countryside with its black-faced sheep and bluebell woods. It really does look like you’ve always imagined it would.
But there were also a few unexpected pleasures… such as this cheeky gargoyle setting a bad example for children everywhere… and this Buddha in the Batsford Aboretum, the garden of a stately home connected with the infamous Mitford family. The statue was imported from Japan by Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford at the turn of the twentieth century.
This post is part of Photo Friday, hosted by Debbie at DeliciousBaby.
I LOVE the first picture. I laughed out loud when I saw it. Nice to know that nose-picking is of global interest.
Oh my, I can almost hear my kids telling me “see, Mom, it’s not rude” if I were to take them to see this!!
I love finding things that are seemingly out-of-place. Nice photos!
…and I can almost hear myself saying “see how rude that looks”
If I had any talent whatsoever at sculpting, I would so have made that first statue. Of course, only to teach my kids not to pick their noses…not for the sheer enjoyment.
Too funny!
The Buddha looks beautifully serene in that setting…as for the Mr. Nosy, probably best left unsaid