I’ve recently returned from a holiday in Madeira. One of the most unexpected discoveries of the trip was the Laurisilva Forest, an ancient forest of laurel trees. I’d read about this area in the guidebook but the dry sentences about ‘primary forest’ and ‘ecological niches’ did little to prepare me for the reality. Laurisilva Forest … Continue reading Wisdom of Trees
Stromness – town of the sea (and home of a storm witch)
I fell in love with the tiny town of Stromness the first time I visited back in 2010. I’d read the books of Orcadian poet, George Mackay Brown (who lived all his life in Stromness) long before my first trip to the islands and I have this slightly whimsical idea that, through his words, the … Continue reading Stromness – town of the sea (and home of a storm witch)
Westray – White sands, a storm witch and a very small plane
With Storm Witch being published on Friday I thought I’d introduce you to some of the places and folklore which inspired the book. As you know, Storm Witch is set in Orkney which is one of my favourite places. I first visited in 2010 having become fascinated by the islands from the books of George … Continue reading Westray – White sands, a storm witch and a very small plane
Of Saints & Pilgrims: A Journey to St. David’s
Pope Calixtus II declared that two pilgrimages to St. David’s were equal to one to Rome. If he’d travelled, like I did, by the tiny stopping train that trundles through the Welsh marshes and then for hours along the South Wales Coast I think he might have revised that to a one:one ratio. St. David’s … Continue reading Of Saints & Pilgrims: A Journey to St. David’s
Alys West 