The boys knelt down next to an old tree stump and bashed it with their sticks, shrieking with delight. Each stick made a different sound. The sand tickled their feet and the waves chased them. There might have been bears hiding amongst the trees, but we were too slow to see them as we tiptoed around bright pink crocuses and found a log to balance on. We looked down to collect shells and pine cones, to marvel at a Bee orchid and a carpet of daisies. We looked up at an intricate ceiling of pine trees, at fluffy white clouds and the vast Aurunci mountains, with a dusting of snow on top. At lunchtime we sat on the sand in a clearing and took off our jumpers to soak up the first hot sun of the year. Little faces popped out of the bushes, ‘BOO!’, and played chase the butterfly. Joy…

This was a Family Walk to Baia Domitia Pine Forest – check out my calendar here for more soon. Mid-March to mid-May is the best time to see wild flowers.