Today Rob and I went for a walk to
Bessie's Hill Fort and surrounds in
Eskdalemuir, followed by lunch at
Samye Ling.
We saw lots of butterflies, moths, beetles and other insects. Rob made up this collage showing a small sample. Since the forestry commission cut down a lot of the pine trees in the area, lots of wild flowers have flourished in their place. (Click on the collage to see a larger version.)
Here are a few of the sights at
Samye Ling, a monastery and Tibetan centre. The site seems to be ever expanding, but in a way that allows nature to survive, with large areas of wild flowers, plants, ponds and trees.
The restaurant serves soup, pannini, pasties, cakes, tray bakes etc. Rob had two small pasties: one with cheese and onion, one with spinach and feta. I had a bowl of soup with toast. It was a large bowl of spicy, thick, lentil and vegetable soup with two slices of toast - very tasty! We both had cappuccinos, which came with a small biscuit each. Good value for money at £9.40.
It is nice to wander around the grounds afterwards to see the prayer wheels and memorials for people and animals; the vegetable gardens, ponds and monuments. There is a shop where you can buy Buddist texts and music, dvds, art and craft work, incense, toiletries etc.
