Happy Thursday! The sun is shining and it is absolutely b-e-a-utiful outside! Thank goodness June is finally here and the weather has decided to be lovely and warm. It's about time. I thought the rainy cold days would never go away!
One of my favorite parts of June is when all the lavender starts blooming! There are a few lavender plants around where we live, and I love walking the dog and stopping to smell it when it is in full flowering bloom.
Today's post is the first post in a new series I'm starting here on Everyday With Ali: English Day Out. I will be posting about the days trips we have been taking in and around England. Without further ado, lets get started on our day trip to Letchworth Garden City and Hitchin Lavender!
My husband and I drove to Letchworth to start off our day. We first stopped at a little café, the Cultivo Lounge. They have a nice patio out front, and in the back they have huge windows that are open and you can enjoy the view of a small community garden in the back where they grow herbs for the café. I highly recommend stopping here to eat. Try the eton mess for dessert- you won't regret it!
If you are traveling with your dog, this place is also great as they allow them inside with you as long as they are well behaved, and on a lead.
If you are traveling with your dog, this place is also great as they allow them inside with you as long as they are well behaved, and on a lead.
Photo credit: http://thelounges.co.uk/lounges/cultivo-lounge/
Next, we walked around the city. Some of the stopping points near the town center include Town Hall and the Broadway Gardens.
Walking away from the town center, you come across the UK's first round about built in 1909. Other stopping points in town include Howard Park and Gardens, and the town's woodland walks.
The next stop on our day out was Hitchin Lavender. My friend had told me about the lavender fields in our area, and I had been dying to go for a few weeks.
Let me just tell you- THE SMELL. It was incredible!! You can tell you are driving near the fields because you can roll down the windows and smell it for a few miles out. I was in complete heaven when we were walking up, and seeing the field of purple was so gorgeous. I still look back at these pictures and it is hard for me to describe just how beautiful, serene and relaxing it was.
For just a few pounds, you can cut as much lavender as you want to take home with you. I will say- a little goes a very, very long way. I still have enough petals from last year that I am still trying to find ways to use! Make sure to bring your own scissors as I don't believe they have many pairs at the shop.
Pro tip: If you want the fields to be almost completely empty- go when they are almost closing and you'll virtually have the whole field to yourselves!
There is a little shop on site that sells all kinds of wonderful lavender products. They also have different varieties of plants you can buy and take home with you as well. I plan to grab one next time we go!
One of my favorite ways to use the lavender petals is to make bath bombs. They make the water not only smell amazing, but it leaves you feeling super relaxed and ready to sleep. You can find the post HERE.
I hope you enjoyed this first installment of English Day Out! Stay tuned for more travel posts coming soon!
-A
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