This photo I took of a cottage in Skipton, Yorkshire is posted on my Flickr and was spotted by Schmap travel guides in England. They sent me a Flickr mail about a month ago that it was shortlisted for inclusion in a travel guide. Well, this morning in my inbox...it was chosen!! You can view it on the Schmap brochure here:
This photo is up there as one of my personal favorites for several reasons. It's a cottage, I mean; a real, inhabited, rose-covered, fairy tale cottage so it has that intrinsic value. But as well it has personal meaning. It was the last official outing before we moved to the U.S. in Oct. 2006. Little one was safely and happily oblivious at nursery and hubby, my oldest, and I played hooky for the day and scuttled off to Skipton to tour the castle (which we had never done) and walk around the town (which we had). The whole town has cobbled streets and little shops (a Laura Ashley Home shop!). Behind the castle is a bubbling little river next to a winding path. Well, we took that winding path and ended up on a small lane with a house or two. I snapped pictures of wild strawberries and blackberries and the neatest tree with winding vines criss-crossing it's entire trunk. Then the next moment I spotted this cottage which captured my imagination. I literally just had time to take one photo because the day was getting late and we wanted to walk up Clitheroe Castle before school let out. As soon as this cottage was snapped, a little old lady moved back the lace curtain (the right one) and waved. We carried on the path and headed back home, but the perfect day still winks at me in my memory. ♥