A couple of weekends ago (what is happening to the summer?!) Albert, who is now based in Bristol, a friend from Germany and I, took a weekend trip to South Wales. I've been wanting to go for about ten years, since I met a Welsh friend of my parents, who sang us folk songs and lullabies for an evening, and I fell in love with the language. I even made a not-very-successful attempt at learning it from some tapes and a book she sent me, but my linguistic ability basically only extends to ordering a cup of tea with milk and no sugar and saying good afternoon! I gave up in confusion when I realized there was no straightforward way of saying "yes" and "no."
We checked into a hotel in Swansea, and then drove along the Gower Peninsula to see some really fantastic and unexpected beaches. I always forget how beautiful the beaches can be in the UK, probably because it's usually too cold and wet to go anywhere near them. These were all interesting rock formations, endless expanses of sand, and grassy sand-dunes, which reminded me a lot of stills I've seen from that movie The Edge of Love. The first beach in particular was gorgeous; you had to get to it by walking down a narrow path through enormous bushes and brambles, before arriving at the sand dunes. I immediately took off running down them, and was instantly rewarded by tights and shoes full of sand. Worth it. ;)
I'm kind of feeling scruffy chic this summer. Although after an afternoon in the unceasing wind, I think this is more just scruffy...
Can you see the outline of a castle on the hill?
The second beach was at the very tip of the peninsula, and there was a blasting wind, and I wished I was wearing my winter coat, but I'm glad we didn't miss it, if only to see the sun set, and horses grazing on the edge of the cliff.
P.S. Thanks for all the well thought out comments (essays!) on my last post. I'm mulling them all over!
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