This time last week I left you with the promise of sharing my day off with you, including a picnic if the weather was kind. Well, let's start with the day off bit, shall we? I did indeed have the day off and went to St Mary's to have my hair cut. I kinda wish I'd left it now, as I've ended up with a much shorter cut than I planned. My fault entirely as I was a bit vague as to how much I wanted off and maybe ought to keep this in mind for next time.
The shape of the cut is fine, but oh goodness, what happened to the length? I love my hairdresser, don't get me wrong, I just wish I was able to be a bit more assertive when I plonk myself down in that chair. Is it just me? Anyway, the great thing about hair is of course that it grows! Four weeks down the line and it'll be great!
You'll not be surprised to learn that the rings are both preloved, and even more loved by me!
Today's backdrop is in the Abbey Drive where Sasha and I came across these hydrangeas in full bloom. We'd walked this way from the boat which dropped us at the south end of the island at Carn Near leading us past these gorgeous flowers growing along the roadside. I'm no gardener, but I do love the showiness of these big colourful flower heads.
So, me on a day off looks a bit like this. A much more casual affair than you'll be used to seeing when I dress for the day job, which is why I ought to feature it sometimes. Camo jeans are from Primark last winter but whether they're on trend or not is irrelevant to me. I like them cos they're not just plain ol' jeans and also cos they have a fair amount of stretch too.
The cardi is a couple of years old and is by Rocha from Debenhams. I like how the floral print ties in well with the camouflage of the jeans. Sometimes I impress myself with these little pairing ups that I do!
And here we have the piece de resistance, my new Nike trainers. The babies are so, so comfortable, it's just like being out in my slippers! The fit is stretchy, yet snug and the soles are indeed like walking on air. Oh, and guess what? Yes, they were brand new from a charity shop last month! I paid £17 for them and they're worth every blooming penny.
So the next part of my day off was meant to be all about the picnic, but the weather didn't oblige. However, Steve and I had recently visited Nornour, one of the Eastern Isles which I rave about from time to time. I've had these shots up my sleeve, as it were, for a time just like this ...
This little island on the left is Nornour. It was actually quite a breezy day which worked in our favour as this island is truly like a pardise island when the sun shines and there's not a breath of wind, but that also means it's quite popular with people like us who have a boat and want to get away from it all. The boat trip was quite choppy too, but worth it.
As we got closer we could see that the high tide had pretty much covered up most of the pretty white beach, leaving sun-bleached rocks and pebbles for us to land on. Steve assured me that there was still a slip of sand for us to sneak our way onto.
Tell me that this doesn't look like your idea of paradise.
As you can see, there was just enough sand for us to dip our sink our feet into. We had our picnic and watched all the sea life round about us.
The big passenger ship, the Scillonian, was returning to Penzance full of day trippers.
In the distance also leaving the islands was a cruise ship that had spent the day here allowing visitors to discover the joys of the Isles of Scilly. These visitors are vital to the economy of our islands as they are to many others of the British Isles.
These are our golden times, when it's just us and our thoughts. Time to share plans for the future and remember happy times too. The setting couldn't be more perfect for day dreaming.
There in the middle distance was the snout of a seal, hovering around, maybe watching us, maybe just resting, but a funny sight none the less.
And this is the large cruise ship we saw leaving the islands a little while ago. It had gone out around St Mary's into the deep water as it departed, heading off to mainland UK.
This turquoise water was warm in parts and chilly in others. Steve tells me there's a big current washes through between these Eastern Isles and it can be fast flowing too.
Just above the beach are some ruins of an early settlement. The remains of three buildings are still visible despite the years and years of storms that will have battered this tiny island.
We followed the grassy path up to the top of Nornour and looked across the rest of the Eastern Isles.
And in the other direction we could see St Martin's with the Damart in clear sight.
The tide was beginning to drop revealing more pristine white sand below.
As we stood on the top of the island we looked to the East and could just make out the hazy outline of the mainland. 28 miles away doesn't look too far away.
The main island of St Mary's lies in the distance with our boat below bobbing about as the tide drops. Time to go home as the sun is getting lower in the sky too.
A lovely swathe of sand has been revealed as we castaways drag our dingy across to the shore. We agree that we need to check our tide chart so that we can enjoy this beach in all its glory next time. Our first visit to Nornour certainly won't be our last!
Anna x
