Croeso i Cymru part 2

At last we managed to pay homage to our old haunt, the place Babe and I met and the rest is history… It was nearly 2 years ago when we came home for a visit. I called CEK and asked whether we could bunked in her new haus. Then the weatherman predicted that it was going to be a fine weekend. Yess…

I took Friday off and spent the morning doing the laundry, watering the plants and making sandwiches. It was nearly 12pm when we left Coventry. The traffic was running fine except for the usual crawl at Wednesbury. There was always something to dig on this stretch.

We stopped at the Telford services to stretch our legs, watered and fed. A pity this place was used as an open loo for dogs. Droppings everywhere. It was quite sad to see a busload of kids having their lunch on the grass and later playing alongside the c—p.

The traffic began to build up after Welshpool.  But it was ok cos the weather was utterly gorgeous and the surroundings simply stunning. We arrived in Aberystwyth at 3.30pm and drove straight to Nant yr Arian. We missed the kite’s feeding time but a few were still circling overhead. It was just amazing to see these beautiful majestic birds.

I could hear lots of twittering from a distance. We walked towards the sound and there were loads of Greenfinches, Siskins, Chaffinches and Sparrows taking their turns feeding from this feeder. It was hanging just outside the cafe. All you could hear were our cameras busy clicking away.

Then it was time to meet CEK. She was busy working on a Friday evening!!! Isn’t that dedication or what…We chatted for a while and we met outside to follow her home. Outside the library building, I was attracted to this pair of seagulls making out on the roof. They were making a lot of noise…

We followed CEK to her new haus at Cwmerfyn about 7 miles from Aberystwyth. We drove through winding narrow, roads past tiny hamlets with quaint stone cottages, up a hill and down the valley. Finally we reached the lovely yellow miners stone cottage, perched on top of a hill  with great views overlooking the valley. It was isolated but totally out of this world.

We quickly unpacked and had coffee outside while absorbing the natural beauty surrounding us and catching up.  2 feline companions, Weasel and Chipmunk, came out to say hello. Then we drove back into town to stock up on fluids and a trip to the beach. The sea…I missed the smell and the sound. I need my sea fix ASAP :-).

We drove to Borth and bought dinner, scrumpy fish and chips. You must have fish and chips when you’re by the beach. We parked at Ynyslas with its wide expanse of sand dunes. These sand dunes form part of the Dyfi National Nature Reserve which was one of the 234 national nature reserves in Great Britain.

We ate our dinner beside the visitor centre. Babe was busy photographing the sparrows who were busy settling for the night. As we walked back to the car, the sun was beginning to set. What a spectacular setting it was.

At CEK’s haus, we spent the evening lingering outside. We could hear the sheep baaing good night. We were hoping to see the Milky Way but it was too cloudy. From our bed, we could see this stunning valley!! Did we manage to sleep?? Yes we did cos we were sooo tired. We heard tawny owls calling from a distance.

I woke up bright and early and had my coffee  outside, again. A cuckoo song echoed from the nearby woods. After breakfast, CEK and I went for a brisk uphill walk around the village which she called home. We left Babe still fast asleep.

Steeped in history, this beautiful hill and narrow valley was once a classic mining district of lead and silver, where in the 17th century, Sir Hugh Myddleton derived enormous wealth.  Today all that remained to be seen was waste tips  and mining relics such as this drainage adit. An adit is a horizontal bore into a mine, as opposed to a vertical shaft. Adits were often used for access, but they were also used to drain surplus water.

We trekked through farms dotted with sheep sheltering from the sun. We saw windfarms in the distance. The majestic red kites and buzzards were whizzing overhead and butterflies busy feeding among the heather.

We walked past a stone age hill fort but  were too tired to climb. Black Welsh mountain sheep was busy feeding on the slope. Welsh mountain ponies and foals were frolicking in a nearby field. I couldn’t resist giving this handsome fella a rub. Isn’t he gorgeous?

We quickly made our way towards the haus cos it was getting very hot. Babe was already up and after a long cold drink and a snack we drove back to Aberystwyth. Here, we drove  through the bustling seafront with its colourful Victorian / Edwardian buildings.

We parked near the harbour and I just couldn’t wait to go for a dip. Guess what? It was frrreezzing…no wonder there wasn’t anyone in the sea. But it was still fun chasing the waves. CEK totally refused to put her feet in the water. Coward!!! I got my fix finally :-).

Then it was time to see the Red Kites again.  We don’t want to miss their feeding time. CEK treat us to fantastic Welsh ice-cream. Danke!! We ate our ice-cream while watching the bird-feeder. It was still a full-house.

We then walked towards the feeding station. People were already choosing the best seat in the house. We parked ourselves by the stunning lakeside with hundred of red kites already hovering and soaring above us.  As the hour got closer, the number of kites were steadily building with their cries filling the air.

At exactly 3 pm, lunch was served. The ranger threw pieces of meat on the ground and everything really took off. With breathtaking feats of aerial piracy, the kites swooped and dived, competing for choice pickings. As the meat supply dwindled, the competition grew fiercer as they fought each other in aerial combat over the remaining scraps.

We must have snapped hundreds. It was lovely to be able to spend quality time watching and photographing so many of them at close quarters in their natural environment. The only setback was picking which one to watch!

The Red Kite was mentioned by Chaucer in the Knight's Tale (c 1390) and London was described by Shakespeare as a 'city of Kites and Crows'. William Turner (1508-1568) wrote about the Red Kite in Avium praecipuarum historia, 1544. He noted that they would dare to 'snatch bread from children, fish from women and handkerchiefs from hedges'.

After a wonderful day out in the glorious weather, it’s time to head home. Babe and I had a short siesta while CEK made risotto for lunch. Yummy. We later watched  a documentary film called 'Sleep Furiously' made by Gideon Koppel who lived locally. In fact we met his mother when we went for our walk.

Koppel described Cwmerfyn as "the end of the line" and the place where his German refugee parents found a sense of belonging. It was quite surreal when the scene about the director's mother going for a walk with her dog cos we did meet her when we went for our walk.  She had 2 dogs with her, Daisy and Jack. I also found the scene where the mobile librarian, John Jones, handing out Dodie Smith and 100 Great Curries hilarious.

The film featured  wonderful humorous reminiscences alongside the melancholy stories of a Welsh rural community in decline. Koppel's movie ends with a powerful epigraph: "It is only when I sense the end of things,/ that I find the courage to speak/ the courage, but not the words". I can relate to that too.

Anyway, this film was named the “Best British Film” in Time Out’s 2009 Critics’ Choices and won the 2010 Guardian First Film Award in early February 2010. Who needs Hollywood eh?

Babe decided to drive home that night. He didn’t want to endure the weekend traffic and also the predicted hot weather. We said our goodbyes and left at about midnight. Not much traffic at all and reached our casa at 3 am all in one piece.

Danke CEK for everything. We enjoyed our wonderful weekend in Aberystwyth very much. Looking forward to seeing you again here in Coventry in Autumn.