Seashore Foraging

Today I went seashore foraging.  It turned out to be about seaweed - apparently you can eat all the seaweeds in Pembrokeshire, and delicious they are too.

There's plenty to choose from.  I'll never go hungry at the beach again.

Afterwards we had a picnic.

The food included plants Rosemary, Julia and I had collected on Thursday when we went Wild Food Foraging.  Julia is an expert forager and has a website .

It's good to be back - and to be be back blogging.

The story so far - for Steve to tell Mum

All has gone to plan.  Taxi came on time to take me to airport.  Two pleasant flights.  Cynthia and John paid me a surprise visit at Heathrow.  Caught coach to Bristol and waited for Rosemary's flight - I was tired after 30 hours travelling.  We got our hire car and drove to Abergavenny and eventually found some accommodation...  Visited Stephen and Elaine on Saturday, Norman and Rhoswen on Sunday.  Travelled to St Davids on Monday and have had a lovely time beetling around.  Rosemary returned to Spain this morning and is now home.
I will return to this first week with photos and more detail when I have a bit of time / it rains very heavily.
Maggie XXXX

Heaven scent

I found this photo at Mum's last weekend.  I did not know we had a photo of our caravan.  I love those sunray windows - I've never forgotten them - though I could only remember the side ones and hadn't remembered the full sunrise at the front.  I wiiiiiiiiiiiish we still had that van .  The photo is taken above Whitesands (Porth Mawr) with Carn Llidi in the background.
Jackie Morris has just posted this and soon I'll be there.
I have also found some jottings I made when cliff walking with Georgia:  I will miss the honeywind, the moist milky air, fur warm, a balm, a salve for my soul and my skin...  This moist green to rebuild cell walls, to make whole, restore, make strong...
And I'll be there soon.

Up she rises

I leave from Heathrow on 31 October at 2.05pm to fly to Singapore.  I am really looking forward to this Halloween flight and have been preparing for it for some years. 

I'll spend time with Georgia and family, though they'll be busy with work and school.  It will be interesting to see Singapore again after 20+ years, and it will be a good warm-up before flying home to Australia on Tuesday 5 November very late at night.

I found this photo while I was looking for the witchy ones.  Remember I debated whether to take the rabbit - Thumper - to Wales with me last time?  This is our garden in Angas Drive, South Ruislip.  I think we could only have just moved in.  Perhaps I'm in training for Helen's imminent arrival. The lean-to building was the woodshed where Helly and I spied upon a family of hedgehogs one year.
ps Rosa Norte, or Momery as she shall be known in UK, has completed her homework.

Blogblodwyn rides again

Less than 3 months to my next Wales trip.  I will leave Adelaide on Thursday 26 September, arriving Friday 27 September 2013 exactly 49 years since the day we originally left to migrate to Australia.  It's gone very quickly!  I will arrive at Heathrow in the early morning.  Rosa Norte is arriving from Spain the same day, but in Bristol.  So I will find my way to Bristol and meet her there. I have always been attracted to Bristol.  Richard Morgan, who later established the first farm on Kangaroo Point / Bellerive, was transported from there.  I have a cousin (from the pool of Cousin Davids) who lives there.  Today I discovered there is a Bristol / Bath cycleway which I'd love to do but suspect it won't be this trip.  Rosa and I will hire a car and wend to St Davids possibly via Abergavenny, the Rhondda, Swansea (we have a school chum there) and Wolf's Castle where we intend to celebrate the occasions of our 60th birthdays.

 Janice Morgan and Momery (now Rosa) in Swansea on the occasion of our 40th birthdays year.

Momery sporting her Paris haircut.

 I need to be in St Davids for Friday 4 October because I've promised to go to the Cathedral Harvest Festival.  Rose will probably want to get there before then because she's booked to fly home to Spain from Bristol the next day!
You may recall that last time I went to Wales (July 2010 with Mum) I was in the thrall of the Martha Morgan books.   This time I'm curious about St David himself and the Celtic trade routes.  I have also discovered that Santiago de Compostela was proclaimed a site of pilgrimage at the same time as was St Davids, so maybe one day Rosa and I will walk from Girona across Spain and then somehow make our way along a Celtic sea-routes to St Davids.  The mind boggles.

 Rose in a Spanish restaurant in Melbourne on her first trip to Australia.

This is a wonderfully prophetic photo.  Rosemary then lived in England and loved cats.

She now lives in Spain and loves 3 dogs.

The wonderful thing about Rose is that she likes to eat, particularly seafood, so it is my plan that we spend our time together exploring the villages around the so-called Landsker Line, debating traditional Welsh and Norman chapel architectural style.  She's an artist (there's no escaping them) so she may like to draw as we eat...  Hopefully there'll be some time to do what she wants as well.  Perhaps take in a Woollen Mill or two too...  The castle at Haverfordwest...  The source of the River Alun...  Dowrog Common...
I'm also keen to learn more about the building of St Davids Cathedral, inspired by Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth.  Where did the builders come from?  William the Conqueror visited in 1081 and I'd love to know how much / what parts of the current cathedral were there then.  I've set Rosa the task of reading The Pillars as prep.  I bet she can't wait.

Journal for Georgia (2)

Sunday 4/7

Rainy / misty day.  George and I went to Bishop's Palace.  Met Mum at the Refectory for lunch.

Fell asleep in Secret Garden... - showed Mum the tapestry.

Walked to Richards to discuss cottage with him.  Late dinner @ The Farmers - half pint prawns and nachos.

Monday 5/7

Georgia came to house earlier than arranged - had read timetable and we needed to catch an early bus to Porthgain, which we did.  Had coffee and croissant at The Sloop.  Easy walk to Abereiddy - lost coast path - came out at Porth Carreg - limping guy showed us where to pick up path.  Big but beautiful walk.  Saw seals near St David's Head.  My feet feeling very squishy!  Lost path again & had to hunt for Cromlech - saw it from the steps.  Trudged into Whitesands - powercut - no lunch!  no coffee!  Milk, cake & fruit - bus to St Davids.  Glorious last supper at the Bench:  dolce latte salad, basic pizza & fungi ravioli.

Tuesday 6/7

George and I catch bus to Haverfordwest.  Saw Bethany - Richard hailed bus to get her to school - kissed Georgia goodbye.

I had omelette at station.  Waved goodbye to George.  Wandered around Haverfordwest but heart not in it - still tired from day before.  Went to Lidls to look for chocolates.  Caught bus home.  (Had coffee & chocolate twist in Haverfordwest - very hungry!)

Journal for Georgia

Wednesday 30/6

Dave, Frances, Mum and I to Tenby - Prince Charles and Camilla there for Fish Week.  Mum & I to Caldey Island - disgusting tea room.

Georgia arrived approx 9.15 pm - Dave and I picked her up from Haverfordwest - 'death on the line' at Reading.

Took Georgia to Uncle Dai's, then went for a double-dragon at The Farmers.  Went for a walk around the cathedral and up Quickwell steps.  Smell of garlic... Saffron, Indian restaurant just closing, allowed us to have a glass of wine and garlic naan.

Thursday 1/7

Georgia and I went to fish print-making workshop at Info Centre - Debbie Withey - Cheese and Pickles.  12 - 2.30pm.

Went to Grove for dinner but fully booked - went to Farmers instead - fish pie & ham, leek & chicken pie.  Left George to photograph cathedral, etc.  Breakfast @ Bench?

Met lady from workshop at Refectory for afternoon tea - she showed us the Pembrokeshire Tapestry.

Friday 2/7

Climbed Carn Llidi.

Mum, George and I caught bus to White Sands [see Georgia's blog].  After climb, had lunch at cafe - pannini.  Caught bus the long way  home.

Booked table at Grove - but a quiet night.  Shared 'blanchebait' with George, then she had Welsh lamburger (like a sausage), I had more seafood bits.  Terrible chips.

Breakfast @ Bench?

Georgia stayed at the Coach House.

Saturday 3/7

St Davids to Porth Clais to Solva

George and I set out to Porth Clais but kept walking to Solva.  Blue grass on outcrop after Carbydi - soft tussocks as I remember them.  Went to Royal George for lunch but not doing food, to Harbour Inn - another Brain's pub - blue vein cheese sanger and shredded cheddar cheese sanger!

Tapas @ Bench?

George at Coach House - rebooked for Uncle Dai's.

George - I've lost all of your St Davids photos since the laptop was stolen.  If you email some, I'll add them in the blog.