Creating Memories together, Asridge Forest, Buckinghamshire

To me, travelling is like breathing in fresh air. My father often used to say, “look for stars in the darkness.” To me, travelling is just like looking for stars in every ordeal. Nature has the best power of healing you with its magical touch. And when travelling is done with like-minded and good people around, it does heal you and brighten up your day.

“TRAVELLING- IT LEAVES YOU SPEECHLESS, THEN TURNS YOU INTO A STORYTELLER.”-IBN BATTUTA

We listen to a music which we love over and over again . Similarly, we can visit the same place again and again. This was our fourth consecutive weekend visit to the same place. So, thought , it’s time now to write a story of our most recent favourite destination in Ivinghoe Beacon, Asridge, Buckinghamshire . 

The first time, we came here was a few weeks back from Pitstone Windmill, Asridge which is just a 10 mins drive from this magnificent hill top with lush green meadows and rolling downlands. This is an area of outstanding natural beauty and magical views with a bit of history .As John Muir rightly said,  “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” The Pitstone Windmill is a beautifully restored mill and a window into history with a stunning location . We had a perfect stroll towards the windmill with photograph sessions.

Ivinghoe Beacon is a hill that forms a part of the Chiltern Hills AONB. One of our visit was amidst torrential rain in the late afternoon. What a magical drive uphill followed by an awesome evening tea prepared by Rajarshi in his most treasured camping stove amidst outstanding beauty of nature. This stove has become a constant showstopper recently in all our trips with fascinating adda . Our travel companions just love this event of tea making amidst nature and has given a special name to this mind blowing tea time Adda as “Raju Da r cha yer thek.” A separate story is coming up on this by one of our good friend.😂😂

Last week, we had barbecue on top of the hill, then walked downslope to the bottom of the rolling meadows for some tea and adda and enjoyed the beauty of the region including the white lion of Whipsnade Downs.

As Pythagoras said ,”Leave the roads, take the trails”,  we took the beautiful trails to walk down the rolling grasslands. What can be more spectacular than these lush green meadows and the beautiful serene countryside. The calmness , the tranquility and the greenery , the blue sky , the puffy clouds , the hue all combined to present that magical view. Nature is so splendid and mesmerising and has so much to offer. Its truly said , “The earth has music for those who listen.”

Now, let’s concentrate on the barbecue. We found a lovely scenic spot at the end of the car park overlooking the spectacular downs. It was bit of a challenge in getting  the charcoal ready due to strong wind; however all these little things added up to the fun and the fabulous experience. Barbecue Menu: We had grilled Lamb chops, grilled Cajun Chicken, grilled chicken on the bone, grilled Paneer with smoky fajita seasoning and sweet corn. We made tacos with the grilled chicken.

This place has attracted us so much, so we decided to visit again this weekend with another couple friend. Another magnificent and bright day well spent amidst beautiful nature creating lasting memories together. My friend lost her Mum, a month back and the past few weeks had been such a distressing period for her. Yesterday, I was so happy that we could take her out and she felt so relaxed and enjoyed so much. As someone said, “Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm.”

As usual, we had a grand lunch. Now let me share the lunch menu. Menu: Suha cooked awesome Egg Korma, Doi Mach , Paneer,  Fried Rice and pineapple chatni.... what a fabulous cook she is😍😋 Rajarshi cooked his signature Mutton Kosha which was enjoyed by everyone as always. Salad and Juice Rajarshi’s Cha and  Suha’s Phuchka completed our grand feast for the day😋😋 We ate so much that we had to skip dinner at night.

On our way back from Ivinghoe Beacon on the first day, we spotted a lovely scenic spot in Nettleden. And then, on our every visit, we stop by this scenic spot on our way back home. Last weekend, we had a fabulous interaction with a few ponies and horses grazing in the fields and they came running towards us on being called. The sky was so beautiful with scattered, puffy clouds, the beautiful , colourful hues and the green fields all were so magical. The view was truly mesmerising.

“Paradise has never been about places. It exists in moments, in  connections, in flashes across time."- Victoria Erickson .We should enjoy every little moment in life creating some beautiful memories to look back and cherish always. Don’t save it as there is no system to get a refund on unused life.