A Walk in Wales

February is probably my least favourite month. I get restless. I want to start new projects and not finish them. My winter wardrobe is boring. This year, I'm tired of the incessant rain. Dreary. Grey. I want to go somewhere sunny. 

I'm going to take some virtual trips. Would you like to come along? Let's go to Wales. Wales, you say? Wales - where rain falls all the time? Yes, Wales. 

On a very sunny, hot morning in July we left our cozy room in Woodmancote, bravely setting our GPS (Sat Nav) for Lampeter, Wales. I wrote a little bit about the trip here. We arrived in the town of Brecon and thought to find a place to take a short walk before lunch. Our rental car trundled over the bridge (very narrow) and up through the winding streets out of town, looking for something that resembled the walking path we saw on our map. 

"Quick! Turn here!" And we veered sharply to the left, which isn't as dangerous as it sounds in Canada, because we were driving on the left hand side of the road already. Actually, we were in the middle of the road; there wasn't enough room for a left and a right lane. 

We parked in a little pullout off the main (narrow) road, and walked down the steep lane. To the right the bank rose sharply up to the road and Welsh sheep stood in clumps on the incline. 

At the bottom of the lane, a black and white Welsh cottage drowsed in the heat. Don't you just want to knock on the door and be asked in for tea? Instead, we followed the curving path to the left and crossed a small river - the Honddu. From the stone bridge, the path went left or right; which should we choose?

Left, we decided. We walked, slowly, because it was very hot. The trees provided shade and the trickle of water in the river gave an illusion of coolness. Mere illusion. The path led out of the woods and along a field with a farmhouse in the distance. 

After a short while, we arrived at this stile. The path continued through the field, but we chose to turn back for two reasons. One was the heat; we couldn't bear to be out of the shade. (I write this while sitting beside the fire, looking out at the rain falling down, and I can hardly imagine it now.)

Here's the second reason. That cow on the left didn't look too friendly. We thought that perhaps the heat was making her irritable. Choosing discretion over valor, we stayed on the woodsy side of the stile. 

Back we went, in the direction of Brecon. Did I mention the heat? So hot. 

The path led alongside the river, where sunlight filtered through the trees and made pretty shadows on the water.

We had no intention of walking all the way back to Brecon, so we returned to the car, trudging up the steep lane. A row of houses lined the right hand side of the lane. White cottages, lavender, and stylish doors caught my eye. Forge Cottage is the name, and if you "google" that name, Mr. Google will take you to the very lane. 

Lavender! Can you imagine it? I'm tempted to take the photo out to my shorn, flowerless plants and show them what's in store for them in a few months. 

Back to Brecon where the Welsh flag flies above the Brecon Castle Hotel, built snugly against the ruins of the 11th century Norman castle. 

I'm feeling brighter, are you? And outside, the rain has stopped and there are patches of blue. February isn't so bad, after all.

Two for One in Wales - Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Dinefwr Park, home to Newton House and Dinefwr Castle. We visited on a drizzly day in July, with my cousin and her daughter. Cows lounged in the field along the roadway, looking very much at home.

We learned that these are no ordinary cows; they are White Park Cattle, an ancient breed of horned cattle that have been around for a very long time - more than 1000 years!

Our guide told us that during World War II, the cattle's white colour stood out at night and helped the enemy bombers locate their targets. An attempt was made to first paint the cows green, then later to cover them with camouflage blankets, but these efforts failed as the cattle didn't recognize each other and began acting strangely. So the cattle were shipped to Canada, first residing at the Toronto Zoo, then later to the USA. A well-traveled breed!

Lord Rhys (Rice) built the original Newton House in 1660. Traces of it are still visible, but most of the current structure dates to 1850. Capability Brown was consulted about the landscaping, resulting in beautiful views from the house. Financial difficulties resulted in unfinished work. If you look carefully at the arches on either side of the doorway, you'll notice the right side is much more detailed than the left. 

From the formal drawing room and the dining room one's eyes are drawn to the medieval deer park, one of the most important features of this site.

A herd of fallow deer graze peacefully in the misty landscape. This scene has changed little for hundreds of years. 

This stack of old books appealed to me. 
Financial troubles forced the sale of the property in the 1970s, after which it fell into ruin. Some of the upper floor support beams were cut out and used for firewood. Today's reconstruction reveals what life was like in 1912. The basement reveals what life was like below stairs, with clothes to try on, a silver safe to peer into, and the butler's room to explore (I thought immediately of Mr. Carson).

I wish I could have tucked a few of these plant pots, available in the gift shop, into my luggage.
We took a tour of the house and saw some sections not open otherwise. Guided tours are a wonderful way to learn some of the stories about the houses we visited. 

The tea shop is located in the former billiard room, complete with fireplace. I enjoyed a delicious Courgette (Zucchini), Garlic and Stilton Soup and a Cheese Scone.

After lunch we walked up the hill to Dinefwr Castle, built in the 12th century by an earlier Lord Rhys. 

A view from the battlements shows the extent of the castle.

The views over the valley are extensive and would have been very useful to see if anyone were approaching the castle, be he friend or foe.

A view of Newton House from the castle. 

Tim, my cousin and her daughter.

While touring the ruins, I felt the similarities between this 12th century castle, and the one in Les Andelys - Chateau Gaillard, built by Richard the Lion-Heart, about which I wrote earlier. The designs were similar, but the building materials very different. Here is the dark stone of Wales, whereas Chateau Gaillard is constructed of golden limestone.

I hope you've enjoyed this brief tour of Dinefwr - both a castle and a house. It's been just two months since we visited which seems short, but much has happened since then. I like going back over the photos and my travel journal. Tim and I reminisce and it makes the pleasure of the journey linger. 

Linking to Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life.  

A Gentry Estate in Wales

It's really hard to grasp that one month ago we were in Wales. A lot has happened since then and our trip seems a little distant already. There are many sites I've not yet shared here, and it's a great memory-jogger when I do. 

So let's visit Llanerchaeron - my cousin told me that the pronunciation of the "Ll" is like saying an "L" with the tongue towards the front palate and letting air pass on both sides of the mouth. Try it - I think it's a little bit like a "CL" sound. Correct me if I'm wrong.

While going through my photos, I realized that I did not take a photo of the outside of this Georgian villa, designed by John Nash in 1795. Nash later went on to design Buckingham Palace, Regent Street, and Brighton Pavilion. So I took the above photo from the Llanerchaeron site.  

Nash was all about symmetry. The dining room is to the left of the front door in the top photo. The sideboard at the back of this photo is the front of the house. You'll notice there's no window on that wall in the dining room. But there is one outside. It's fake, just there for symmetry. 

Llanerchaeron is a small estate, as estates go. Ten generations of the Lewis/Lewes family. It's been well preserved and displays the self-sufficiency of an estate more than any other site we've seen. 

The wash-basin stand in the photo above looks as though it was created especially for the curve of the wall.

In the enormous kitchen, this dresser of china caught my eye with the blue and white. Teresa, my cousin, told me that this is Burleigh Ware, made in England from Devon and Cornwall clay. I went onto the Burleigh site after arriving home and am now thinking that Burleigh Ware may be in my future. 

There's a great article on the site that tells how to achieve the "Dresser Look". 

A focal point of any kitchen is the stove - this one is massive. I can't imagine the heat it would generate on a hot day like the one when we visited. 

The house where the family lived is not particularly large and the supports needed for such an estate are much more expansive. We saw the stables, the coach house, the cow barn and pig sties, complete with animals. 

After touring the living quarters and kitchen, we visited the cellar where beer was stored for the staff, and wine for the family. There were laundry rooms, servants sleeping quarters, a cheese room, salting room, scullery, baking kitchen and more. It really gave a picture into the "upstairs-downstairs" aspect of life for decades before the First World War. Such an estate provided work and sustenance for a large community of people.  

The walled garden was especially interesting. Within the micro-climate created by the high stone walls, food and flowers were grown to last the year. Several years ago we watched the BBC production The Victorian Garden that documented each month of the garden. It was so interesting to see such a garden, once neglected, now being brought back to life. 

Isn't the door pretty - all those coats of paint add so much character. 

Signs asked visitors to be careful about closing the doors to the garden as the farmyard animals were not welcome there.

The glass house held geraniums and other tender plants, including tomatoes. 

Roses adorn various outbuildings and small offices. 

Roses and brick or stone walls make a wonderful pair. 

Llanerchaeron gave such a complete picture of life on a small estate. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. 

Linking to Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life. 

From the Welsh Seaside and South London

Any possible view of the Irish coastline was obliterated by a thick bank of fog. Aberaeron is a seaside town with pastel-coloured houses and a harbour full of boats.

The fog tumbled quickly landward and we, along with the town, were enveloped in a chilly mist.

My cousin's husband showed us quickly around the town, and then we went off to visit a manor house that I'll tell you about later. 

We did return to town for lunch and the sun made another appearance. We ate at the restaurant in the bright red-orange building at the end of the street - The Hive. The Fish and Chips were crispy and filling.

For navigation on this trip we're relying on a GPS, known here as a SatNav. We downloaded the maps and routes onto my phone and it's served us well. Or so we thought. 

When we left the Cotswolds on Tuesday, we soon turned onto a small road and came upon a large fire truck blocking it entirely. Hmmm. What could be happening? I volunteered to check it out. 

Walking around the fire truck, I came upon a group of firemen and a few farmers looking at something in the ditch. Nothing seemed too urgent. A little closer look revealed a large, dead cow that they were trying to hoist out of the ditch. Poor cow.

me: How long do you expect the road to be closed?

fireman: Do you live around here, love?

me: No, we're just following our GPS.

fireman: Where're you going? 

me: Wales.

fireman: Wales? (blank look) (then, to his mates) She's going to Wales.

(heads all swivel my way) (laughter)

second fireman: Wales? You need to get to the A.... (whatever it was)

Lots of directions ensued, to which I nodded and went back to the car, where Tim had already figured out that, although our sweet-voiced GPS lady was taking us to Wales, she appeared to favour the scenic route. We laughed all the way to the main road. I'm sure the men went home and told their wives about this lady with the strange accent who thought she was going to Wales on their country road.

The scenic route to Wales got us there just fine, although we wished Mrs. GPS would have taken the direct, main road route. Paper maps are not a bad thing. We couldn't figure out a way to make her choose a different route. 

A classic Morris Minor car parked in Aberaeron. It coordinates well with the house in the background, doesn't it?

I'm writing this post from a hotel near Gatwick Airport. We fly out tomorrow at noon. Our lovely vacation is at its end. There are more photos and more stories to tell, but for now, our hearts are beginning to yearn homeward. I'm thinking of what's blooming in my garden, and how much weeding there will be. I'm longing to hug my children and grandchildren, and sleep in my own bed. 

Thank you for your warm comments on my travel posts. I've enjoyed composing them, thinking of how much I enjoy others' such posts, and wanting to bring a little bit of France, England and Wales into your lives as well. 

On Planning a Vacation and Flowers in the Rain

Raindrops on peonies, and roses, and clematis. Fat round droplets that chill the air and moisture the landscape. Much needed as we face another warm summer.

(As a note to my previous post, Vee's husband passed away on Saturday morning. Please continue to pray for Vee as she faces this huge loss.) 

Layers of ruffles tightly folded. Waiting to emerge. I do love peonies.

But this post was supposed to be about vacation planning. I'm wondering how you do it. 

Deciding where to go is the first step. Last summer we chose Europe. It's been 9 years since we were there together, and 7 since I went with my mom and sister. The UK, specifically England, has been on the list for awhile, so that was easy. But where else? 

Spain was in the works for a long time. However, once friends suggested a river cruise (Paris to Honfleur), and the dates worked with our already purchased airline tickets, we scrapped Spain for France. Next time, Spain.

Going on a cruise or tour simplifies planning. We've chosen our excursions and have more or less decided what to do with our day and a half in Paris. La Sainte Chapelle is top on my list, and we're planning to attend a concert of classical music there.

The cruise is taking a big chunk out of the UK portion of our trip. We've scrunched London down to two days (not nearly enough) and will be driving to the Cotswolds and then Wales to visit a cousin. 

Am I nervous about driving on the "wrong" side of the road? You bet! 

History fascinates me, and Tim is always interested in the way things work and how they are built. I like filling in blanks, chronologically speaking, so these things are on the list:

- an Iron/Bronze/Stone Age hill fort
- pre-Norman architecture 
- a motte and bailey fortification (or the remnants of such)
- a medieval castle or two
- a great estate house (think Highclere of Downton Abbey fame, although we're not going to be in that area)

We're also interested in doing lots of walking, so I've downloaded a walking tour along a canal in the Cotswolds beginning in Stroud, that takes us by old woollen mills and mining sites.

It's fun to find unexpected things along the way - wandering in Paris on our last time there, we found the location of Heloise and Abelard's dwelling and thought of their sad love story. Getting lost in the Egyptian antiquities in the Louvre was memorable, and a day at Versailles full of the echoes of history in spite of the crowds. We found a completely deserted garden there and sat for a long while, absorbing, thinking, and munching apples.

In Avignon we rented a motor scooter and drove out to the Pont du Gard. It was a hot day and we'd tucked our swimming suits into the day back, just in case. After seeing others swimming in the river, we changed behind some bushes and waded in. Refreshing and cool - and don't you think the slaves/soldiers who built that bridge likely cooled off the same way 2000 years ago?

So we've found that allowing for spontaneity as well as some planning makes for a good vacation. 

How about you? Do you plan to the hour or half day or do you have a rough plan or do things spontaneously? Inquiring minds would love to know.