After spending the whole weekend either doing a test pack of my suitcase and camera backpack or assembling the final notes for the fast approaching trip, I had to get away from the computer and out of the house. So I found myself in Micheldever Woods, a mere twelve miles from my home.

I decided on the woods as it is regarded as one of the best bluebell woodlands in Europe and after missing the season completely last year I promised myself to come back this year. I still missed it by a couple of weeks – mainly due to work pressures – but it was still certainly impressive.

Deeper into the woods the bluebell carpet is still impressive…

I was also traveling light and was using my 100mm macro lens, mainly as I was still in the middle of test-packing my camera gear and the 100mm macro was one lens I was not taking to Iceland so conveniently to hand. I say ‘was not taking’ as it really is a fun lens and, in all my research on Iceland, I haven’t seen many macro shots.

The 100mm macro lens is always a fun lens to use…

One of the benefits of being there by myself – and at 6PM on a Sunday evening there really was virtually no-one else there – meant that, aside from being alone with my thoughts, I was making very little noise. As a result the local wildlife didn’t hear me until I much closer than I’d usually be able to get.

I may have missed the height of the bluebell season, but I did get to meet the locals…

I’m usually so focussed upon travelling abroad that I often don’t take time to enjoy the things on my doorstep. The hour and a half in Micheldever Woods has reminded me that I should pay a bit more attention to the wonderful surroundings much closer to home.