Imagine a place far out in the Swedish forest.  It’s half a mile to the nearest neighbour whilst other houses are scattered miles apart. The road is a dirt track with deep ditches on either side. Just there, to the right is the property, two houses set upon a land twice the size of a football pitch. This is my haven for the next two weeks over Easter.

Pure tranquility – as pure as the air from the hundred, nay, thousands of trees around.  Pure tranquility – as pure as the water which pumps from 80 m below the ground. No television, telephone or wifi. Peace and quiet. Don’t worry though, there is electricity and all the mod cons, so we’re living in warmth and comfort.

It takes a while to tune into the silence, to hear the individual birds, to become aware of the different tones of the breeze. The tempo of our days slow until time itself seems to slacken and the days stretch appealingly in front of us. No rushing. No staring at screens.

In lieu of television an afternoon is happily spent sitting inside with a cup of tea watching the thunderstorm wreak havoc upon the land as puddles are turned into mini-lakes and the fir trees enter into a ferocious frenzied dance. We take time to listen to the hail crashing outside. The force of nature overwhelming and once again I am reminded about my small place on this planet.

In the morning I wander the land, clutching my orange juice in frigid fingers, negotiating the uneven ground in my clumsy wellies, my dressing gown flapping round my legs. I stop and raise my face to the dappled morning sunlight falling through the birch trees, whilst in the distance I spy the mist hovering above a field, drifting, floating wistfully away as the sun’s rays strike them.

In the shade I study the intricate cobwebs which lay frozen stiff, their delicate threads an intriguing puzzle of designs. Glistening in the morning frost they are small sample last night’s wondrous creations. Nature’s own art gallery, free to browse. I just have to make sure I am up early enough!

Silence. Quiet. Did I mention that? No cars. No machinery. Just the peace.

This is where I will be this Easter, relaxing, being with my family and I look forward to coming home refreshed and with renewed energy.

Although I might not be able to post until my return I do have access to my neighbours’ iPad and hope to pop across now and then and see what you’ve all been up to.

I look forward to sharing more with you upon my return after the Easter holiday.

Have a very happy Easter break everyone.

 

“Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat.”

Laura Ingalls Wilder