Borth Trekking

Sun shining, on holiday, let's go for a walk - how about a section of the Coastal Path?

So off we set . . .  had to get to the coast first, which involved a cross country pootle over to Clarach - then up the hill and down the hill to Wallog and Sarn Cynfelin.

Everything got a bit harder after that - a lot more uphill and loose dirt paths, which a certain person stormed up like a mountain goat . . .



. . . while a certain other person huffed and puffed like a steam engine while trying desperately not to lose her footing!

By the time we got to the cliff in Borth said person wasn't in a terribly good way - the legs had pretty much had it - never had a train station (down the hill and along Borth's unending street) and our ride home seemed so far away . . .


Made it though - 8 miles, 394 metres of elevation gained, 450 metres of elevation lost, 4 hours - and back to Aberystwyth for a much needed pint!

Northern highlights!

September holidays and off to pastures new for a few days - a bit of a 'northern' tour this time.

First stop, a couple of nights in Malham - walking round Malham Cove, up to the Tarn, and back round to Gordale Scar and Janet's Foss (all the 'sights' of the area, including the limestone pavement up above the Cove):














Great day - glad of a pint by the end of it though!

On to Durham, walks round the river path, visit to the Cathedral and a tour of the Castle (now part of the University) with the oldest still working kitchen in the UK, dating back to the C15th!

From Durham we were on our way up to Berwick-upon-Tweed, via Cragside (a Victorian property, and the first in the world to be lit with hydro-electricity).

Great gardens as well - and some very interesting sculpture out in the woods . . .




We weren't particularly taken with Berwick itself, but it was a reasonable base for travelling around.

The ramparts were pretty cool mind you, and there was some great wildlife out in the waters - including seals, and this heron stalking its next meal . . . .


From Berwick found our way to Bamburgh Castle - not the nicest of days to start with, but the weather eventually cleared up, and there were some great views out along the coast.


Special activities on offer included our new snail-stacking game out in the grounds, and watching a film crew making a new kids tv drama.

Our final 'day out' was a visit to Lindisfarne - the sun did (eventually) shine, we visited the Castle, listened to the seals on the sand banks out to sea, and sat with a pint watching a barn owl swooping around the field next door in broad daylight!

September Moon

Taken through the telescope in our back garden:

Not quite full mind you!

Pinning down the Greenhouse

After the high winds in February we had to replace a lot of the glass in one of our greenhouses - and we ordered some polycarbonate panels for this purpose.


Unfortunately windy weather in the last couple of days, had dislodged the polycarbonate (ended up chasing them round the garden and even into the field next door!).

Martin came up with a solution in the end - fixing some old metal bars over the panels to hold them in place - hopefully that's done the job!

Down Came The Rain!

Phenomenal rain storm today - less than half an hour in duration, but so much water . . .

Dramatic stuff!

Floored!

Waved goodbye to the builders today - floor done, lights up - and furniture finally back in its place.

Still a lot of tidying up to do, but we're getting there - of course we're also really pleased with the floor too!

Already thinking about the next job mind you . . .

Pile of Piglets

Off to Aberaeron / Llanerchaeron today to enjoy the summer sunshine. Some good wildlife:

Ducks in a row . . .

. . . Apoidea wars . . .

. . . and perhaps not strictly wildlife, but an adorable pile of piglets!