28th June 2011

What a Wonderful World

Life is being difficult this month, so I am trying to be positive and my dear husband is being fantastic and more supportive than I could have hoped. So after a nice evening I put "What a wonderful world" into google's search engine, and (after numerous references to Louis Armstrong) this picture was the first thing that caught my eye. It is, obviously, not a photo by me. But it looks like an impression of Spain, Greece or somewhere like that. I want to be there. And it is dedicated to Andrew with my love and thanks x

20th June 2011

This weekend my husband and I went back to Wales and stayed in the Castle Hotel, Merthyr Tydfil. The trip was an enjoyable and enlightening experience, made more memorable by the fact that on the Saturday morning a naked man tried to reverse out of the window opposite (on the second floor!) and appeared to be attempting suicide... Fortunately he wasn't, and the reasons for his strange behaviour are beyond my imagination and, fortunately, outside my comprehension.

The purpose of the trip was to go walking, which we did in some variable weather. However we had the clothes for the job so rain, wind and squelchy ground didn't matter. The only bit of kit that let me down was my Gri-Sport boots, which let in rather a lot of water. However this could be due to lack of maintenance on my part, and I still have to commend boots which have been properly used and abused and have never given me one blister!

We walked 11 miles on Saturday (altitude climbed was 2,400 ft) and climbed Fan Frynach via a Roman Road and some lovely valleys which we have eye-balled as future camping spots. On Sunday we went for an "easy" waterfall walk which was supposed to be less strenuous than Saturday's experience! It was slippery, great fun, 9.7 miles, and the altitude we finally climbed was a whopping 4,400 ft according to Andrew's GPS. We walked under a waterfall called Sgwd yr Elra and got pretty wet. It was rather good doing the waterfall walk after so much rain, as the sounds and sights of the water were impressive from start to finish.

Altogether Sunday was a rather long day, and by the time I had driven back to Wiltshire I was knackered. But a change is as good as a break, as someone said. We are going to return to south Wales for a weekend in July, and both agreed that Merthyr is very interesting but perhaps we will stay somewhere else next time. So Andrew is looking at bothies, bunkhouses etc for us in the Ystradfellte region.

This final picture shows the corn fields near home.

5th June 2011

The Puck goat guarding the entry to Killorglin

I am just back from county Kerry, SW Ireland, where I had a lovely few days in Kilorglin - host of the Puck Fair every August. It is all about a goat...

I stayed at the Grove Lodge Hotel and drank Bulmers in the newly painted Kingdom (of Kerry) Bar. I had Jumillla wine in the Tapas Bar (believe it or not) in Killorglin, which is a converted church with a very bright and Spanish atmosphere.

Loch Com Lothair

Then I tried to get up Carrauntouhil, which was the whole point of the trip really. The weather was perfect to start with - clear and sunny - and I had great hopes I would get to the top of Ireland's highest mountain. I set off wearing shorts and a T-shirt and it was 23 deg. C.

However, after I had achieved the climb to the summit of Ben Caragh (1010m), the weather deteriorated and there was cloud on the tops which completely obscured my view of the famous (and dangerous) Ben Caragh Ridge.

I had STUPIDLY left my compass at home, so was completely reliant on my vision and the rather inadequate map I paid 14 Euro for! Give me Admiralty charts and Ordnance Survey maps any day, please!

Under these circumstances, and since I was walking solo, discretion had to be the better part of valour; so I bravely 'bottled out' and descended very steeply to the lakes below. The weather immediately cleared up and I even contemplated going back up, but the thought of climbing 1000m TWICE in one day was too much for me.



The main streeet of Caherciveen

So I got back to my car and went for a drive to Ballinskellig and then back to Killorglin via Caherciveen. The clear weather mocked my attempt to climb Carrantouhil, and I heard on Radio Kerry that a party of school children had made it to the summit that day. Great! Still, it was my first attempt, I didn't know the way, and I was alone. I will have to come back I guess - no further excuse is needed!

Ireland's Highest mountains from Killorglin

Low cloud on Ben Caragh

1st May 2011

The path north from Downton

I went for a bike ride yesterday - about 22 miles on a glorious spring afternoon. It was sunny, dry and windy. I could have been in the Highlands for the number of people I saw (i.e. the usual zero)!



My route took me X-country from home to Downton, where I crossed the River Avon and climbed up to the Great Yews, an ancient plantation of (mainly) yew trees.





Looking towards Clearbury Hill through dog rose and Elderflowers

 From the Great Yews I descended to Coombe Bisset, and then climbed uphill to Salisbury hospital. Then home via Tesco's in Sailsbury. It was a fabuluous day.


Cygnets near Salisbury college on my way home




Andrew and I are off to County Kerry, Ireland tomorrow and plan on climbing
Carrauntoohill, Ireland's highest mountain. So I will certainly take some photos there!

Then I'm away to Wales (Pencelli) for a week on a school trip. So I will be getting my Celtic experience for the year!!
I'll have visited Scotland, Wales and Ireland in the space of about 6 weeks. Lucky me.