Wales - "Make hay while the sun shines, or at least it isn't raining"

Monday morning we said goodby to the last of the family visiting for Easter and, as it wasn't raining, Christine and I set out on another walk.

Dragon, hanging plant holders

A combination of high tide and heavy rain the night before had flooded the footpath we had walked on.

As we walked along the country lanes Christine would point out houses that had been derelict and had now been fixed up, most of them.

Moss on a bridge; green and deep and spongy.

Chris' grandmother used to live here. It was stone and then "rendered" and it looks like some of the rendering has fallen off. Or maybe its been done deliberately, for effect.

As we reached the point furthest from the house, it started raining in earnest. These horses were quite concerned about Christine's umbrella.

As were this bunch. Wheeling and snorting in a very muddy field.

We came home, soaking wet, and spent the rest of the day hunkered down in the house, warming up, enjoying the peace and quiet.
Today the weather was again "variable" but we had made plans and decided to follow through. We drove up to the Neath Valley where we walked up to the Lady Falls.

We parked next to a field full of sheep and lambs. This one was drinking and its little tail wiggling like crazy.

This little gang were running and jumping and looking totally uncoordinated.

There are lots of waterfalls in the Neath Valley and walks to many of them.

The path starts out along side the river

On the other side of the path it was "Metamorphosed mud stone shale" according to Chris

Water was running down the valley sides in little waterfalls,

streams

and oozing and dripping down rock and through boggy bits.

This was beside a gate. I couldn't see how even sheep could get down the side of this gorge.

There were ruins of the buildings

associated with the mines (iron ore and coal) that were blocked off.

At this time of year the green is provided by ferns and moss

on roots, trunks

and limbs of the trees.

The falls were lovely and Chris and Christine were surprised at the depth of the pool and power of the water.

They have always come during the summer when you can swim in the pool and walk behind the falls.

Above the falls, Chris happy on a rock with a cigarette and a cup of coffee (we had bought a thermos with us)

The sun came out as we left the falls

making everything glisten

and it had started to rain just as we reached the pub.

Christine had cider, I had red wine and Chris had a Guinness.

The ceiling of the pub was hung with water jugs, beer mugs and tea pots.

Christine had cod and chips, Chris had scampi and chips and I had lamb liver and onions with a jacket potato. We were hard pressed to stay awake for the drive home.

Wales - Easter and Miller's Mill

I took advantage of another dry morning and took a walk "up the hill"

Welsh cat and Welsh slate.

This is not "tourist Wales" its plastic buckets and barbed wire,

muddy fields and messy renovations.

But it is also narrow winding roads with steep banks, hedgerows and rolling hills.

Looking down at the house from "up the hill".

Christine and Chris' family all arrived for Easter lunch (except Ben and Nel who are traveling). 13 plus a newborn were seated for lunch and then an Easter egg hunt in the garden. Just as it started to rain we piled into a couple of cars and went to see the mill that Chris and Christine have bought and is their next renovation project.

Its an imposing stone building

with rushing water on 3 sides.

The mill is a listed Grade 2 building which means that it has to be rebuilt with the materials on the site and keeping everything original. Chris seems to find this exciting but I would find it a nightmare. Christine vacillates between the two.

The walls are thick stone and cannot be covered up even on the inside. So no insulation or plaster or anything.

Inside it is very dark and they can't put in additional windows.

My flash wasn't working so it was hard to get a shot of the mill workings inside. It was a flour mill and all the cogs and rods  and mechanics have to be retained in place.

Christine is trying to figure out what to do with the old millstones. She thinks maybe polish them up and put cushions on them as they are located in what will be the sitting room.

The back side of it is in ruins but all the materials are there to rebuild.

It has a slate roof and some of it will need to be replaced.

The old mill house (done up and occupied)  is next door and this little stone shed across the road.

We walked behind into the two fields that are part of the property. In this picture you can see the remains of the mill wheel. Chris plans to reopen the mill race and convert the old wheel to create electricity.

Hopefully we will get a brighter day and I will take better pictures.

Wales - not as wet as predicted (crossed fingers)

After leaving the apartment in Mallorca at 5:30am it was Palma airport, Barcelona airport and then Cardiff airport, which was a lovely little place (only one luggage carousel). Christine and Chris were there to meet me and although the forecast is for 7 days of rain we actually saw some blue sky occasionally on the drive.

Chris and Chris were working on this house last time I was here, 3 years ago. It had been gutted and there were no windows in it. Now its lovely; a couple of walls removed to open up the downstairs, underfloor heating, new windows, kitchen, bathrooms and doors.

After a cup of coffee and a little unpacking, Christine and I went for a walk. Have to take advantage of any dry moment.

There's a stream going past the house that drains into this tidal river at the bottom of the valley.

We walked along a footpath that followed an old railway line. Leftovers from the valleys industrial period, moving resources down to the sea.

Primulae in the woods. A surprising variety of spring wildflowers in bloom. The snowdrops are over.

Wild strawberries flowering.

Cattails and holly

Wood anenomes.

Celandine

The village is really just a cluster of houses at the intersection of 2 roads, that are so narrow in places  that if a car is coming the other way, one has to back up until there's a wide bit. It translates to "New Bridge".

Fresh eggs in a little roadside shed.

I am more comfortable with the French or Spanish language than Welsh where I often don't even know how to pronounce the consonant variations.