253: Clematis

For my overseas readers, the white New Zealand clematis is a special jewel of springtime here. Typically, you might catch a glimpse of it high up in some trees when you are out somewhere in the bush. The past couple of weekends I have seen bits of it, mostly high up or fairly distant, as I have been walking along Kahuterawa Rd, 'training' for next year's long walks in France. But today I saw some close-up, spilling down a rocky roadside bank. The conditions appear to be rather harsh for anything to grow, but there it is, looking so beautiful.

It reminded me of a special sight in April 2008 when I was walking in France. I had taken a 'rest day' on Day 11 of my Chemin, as several days of walking with saturated feet had led to some Large Blisters. I felt like a bit of a 'failure' needing to do this, but the next day dawned fine and sunny, and the route for walking was beautiful. This blessed day, I saw some flowers that seemed to come forth out of rock. Today, I was reminded of that memory as I looked at the clematis...