Swans Exeter Quay UK

Last month I spent a week with my parents in the UK. It was great seeing them again and explore new sights. They moved to south west England about 2 years ago giving me Somerset, Dorset and Devon explore from Suffolk where I grew up.

And for my Mum too. She likes it when I stay as she has an excuse to the go the ‘big’ shops. Aka big city shops. I get my love of window shopping from my Mum and my Grandma on my Dad’s side. My love of animals, I’m not sure where that comes from. I found out this year or realised that I get my love of the great outdoors from my Dad. Due to health he can’t go out exploring like he used to being limited in what he can do. He gets jealous if I show photos of where I’ve been. If anything I learnt which my Mum now drums into me, is do things now while you can. Her dad wanted to want until his retirement to do things. He died at 64 unable to do those things.

It’s as cold as it looks! Geese, pigeons and swans!

What has this to do with swans? Nothing, just a little story of my trip back ‘home’. Visiting the old loading docks by Exeter Quay I noticed the swans and said to Mum I’d like to see them, let’s go (please)! These swans weren’t shy. People were feeding them and they were getting close. They paid no mind that I didn’t have snacks for them. They were human close, human has snacks. They were so beautiful up close, elegant and like the ducks and geese as Parc de la Ciutadella don’t like seagulls. They cowered or made a lunge for them when the gulls got too close. Just like the ducks at the park, some get out the water for snacks. All I had as payment for photos was a cereal bar that the pigeons and seagulls got to first. Being gentle giants they take longer to pick snacks from the ground. Going through my mind was please be nice, don’t break my arm with your wing!