On The Level(s)

First of all, many thanks to Anonymous for his/her entertaining and informative comments.
Interesting your thoughts on Wiltshire being posh. Have you ever been to Swindon?

Good Friday was spent on the Somerset Levels around Langport/Muchelney, an area we've always wanted to explore. My image of the fenland prior to this visit was dominated by Don McCullin's photographs - monochrome, wintry, wet, bleak, big skies etc etc. On Friday, the fields were green, the skies big, yes, but blue and sunny, and (thanks to the recent lack of rain) the earth was dry and cracked - more Sahara than Somerset. It was still wonderful, the walking was easy, Muchelney and Langport were each fascinating in their own way (especially Mulcheney's infamous brazen angels), but it was all a bit more neat and tidy than I'd expected.

One of the "uninhibited" angels on the ceiling of Muchelney Church
 (not at all McCullinesque )

It's interesting how one's preconceptions of a place are either reinforced or undermined by the actual experience of being there. Is our response ever exactly what we expected? Are we always to some degree surprised - either in a positive or negative way? Do those preconceptions get in the way of a genuine reaction to somewhere? Research and learning are marvellous things, and technology has made them easier to acquire than ever. But sometimes I wonder if Ignorance really is Bliss.

http://www.aperture.org/exposures/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/008_mccullin.jpg/bmi_orig_img/008_mccullin.jpg