Autor: Thomas

Afternoon on a Hill

by Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892–1950)

I will be the gladdest thing
Under the sun!
I will touch a hundred flowers
And not pick one.
I will look at cliffs and clouds
With quiet eyes,
Watch the wind bow down the grass,
And the grass rise.
And when lights begin to show
Up from the town,
I will mark which must be mine,
And then start down!

Ein Gedicht, welches die Stimmung unserer täglichen Wanderungen auf die Berge und durch die Natur hier in Wales sehr schön einfängt. Da hier derzeit nicht allzu sonniges Wetter herrscht, greife ich auf ein sonnigeres Bild der hiesigen Landschaft bei flickr zurück.

According to the US copyright term and the rule of shorter term in EU countries, the quoted poem is considered to be in public domain since 50 years after the author’s death.

Sources: wikisource | IMSLP

Evening_sun_on_the_hills
Photo: Evening sun on the hills · © jessie owen | Some rights reserved

At least 10 reasons to visit Great Britain (10)

#10 – If you have a passion for graphic design, illustration and typography like me and you’re visiting British pubs, you should watch out for some beautiful pub chalkboards (or »A-Boards«). Their skillful hand-drawn letterings and illustrations are true eye candy and a welcome change in our days of laser printer and cling film signage. There are even professional artists like Adrian Patrick, who have specialised in chalkboard design and are true masters of their art. As for my part, I really would appreciate this nice tradition to spread to pubs and bars in continental Europe. What do you think?

10_Pro_GB_Pub_Sign
Foto: © formschub

At least 10 reasons to visit Great Britain (9)

3 Kommentare

#09 – The subtlety and expressiveness of the (British) English language. Remarkably enough, it was a toilet (!) where I read my all-time favourite English sentence. The restrooms of that particular holiday home – located in a rural area – weren’t connected to the public sewage system, so that waste water went into a soakaway beside the premises. Regarding this, there was a sign above the lavatory saying «You are kindly requested not to put anything down the toilet that hasn’t been eaten first«.

Nevermore did I encounter a sign with a more perfect combination of unambiguity, politeness and humour. And I believe that English is the perfect language for this to achieve.

If you like the sign, you can order a slightly different version of it here (German Online Shop).

09_Pro_GB_Language
Photo: © Leo Reynolds | Some rights reserved

At least 10 reasons to visit Great Britain (8)

#08 – Wonderful walks through almost unspoilt nature. Explore the lush woodlands of North Yorkshire, climb the green hills in the Cotswolds area, take a tour across the craggy Scottish Highlands or the pristine Welsh mountainscape – just to mention some places I’ve already visited – and you’ll get beautiful impressions of the local flora (and fauna, maybe). And it’s always worth to take a closer look – ’cause some of nature’s wonders are rather small.

08_Pro_GB_Nature_01
Heart-shaped yellow lichen on a mountain rock (not photoshopped!)

08_Pro_GB_Nature_02
A tiny Sundew (carnivorous plant), hidden in the moss by the wayside

Fotos: © formschub

At least 10 reasons to visit Great Britain (5)

#05 – The view from the hills. Here: panoramic image from Sutton Bank on the Cleveland Way over Whitestone Cliff, capturing Roulston Scar (left), Hood Hill and the 20,000 year old Gormire Lake (right) that has neither a contributing stream nor an outlet and according to local folklore is bottomless.
www.northyorkmoors.org.uk · www.walkingenglishman.com

04_Pro_GB_Panorama_S
(Click on image to view a larger version)
Foto: © formschub