Cousin Dee and Tracey

The day before we were supposed to go to Spain, we went to visit my Mum's cousin Dee.  The last time they had been together was at Dee's wedding.

Here they are last Wednesday.

Dee's daughter Tracey whose own daughter was on holiday in Spain.

I am cursing that I didn't take photos of Dee's garden which is truly amazing.  We had been to Open Gardens in Stephenage the previous weekend but saw nothing as clever, bountiful and beautiful as Dee's.  We had a wonderful lunch with Dee and Tracey that included salad and vegies from her garden.

Our last night in Wales - meet the family

I think I should introduce you to my St David's family.  Here's my cousin David and his son Paul

and Frances, Dave's wife, and my Mum.

Mark, Frances and David's other son, and the fabulous Cairo.

And later, at the pub

Mum, Aunty Eirwen and Aunty Iris.

Aunty Iris' son Richard, his son Morgan and the wonderful Heather, Cousin Richard's partner.

 

Aunty Iris, Richard's daughter April and her boyfriend Adrian.

I do love them!!!

And a bit more

For our last jaunt, David, Frances and Cairo took Mum and and me to Milford Haven.

Like Bellerive, Salamanca Place and Constitution Dock (all in Tasmania) rolled into one.

Which made me think how lucky I am...

A bit more of Wales

Since I have the chance, thought I'd post our last cuppla days in Wales.  Dave took Mum, Cairo and me to Tregwynt Woollen Mill.

From there we went to Abermawr which is my sort of beach.

Dave said that when he was a child, his parents (my Aunty Dorothy and Uncle Bill) went through a stage of going to this beach everyday and even I can admit that for a child it may have been hellish when there are lovely beaches like Whitesand.  Imagine those stones hurling around you in the water.  I thought it was rather noble of him to take us there.

David of the White Rock.

I'm glad we didn't take Georgia there.

We would never have got away...

From there we went to Strumble Head to see the light house

and were lucky enough to see a seal (if you look very carefully).

And here's another photo for Georgia - the colours of her cap from Tregwynt Mill.

Dog Days

We are not in Spain - striking air traffic controllers in France prevented us from going as planned.  Hopefully we will get there next week for a few days.  In the meantime we while away the days walking the Grand Union Canal.  Here's a few pictures from today's walk to Rickmansworth.

A cat for Ella

(how I wish I'd taken the photo portrait-style and caught the cat in the reflection too)

Hazelnuts in the making for a squirrel

Certain girls at Grimshaw's Academy would love this life.

News Flash for George

Rush to Sainsbury at Watford NOW!!!!!

And now that we're in England...

When you're staying in the penthouse / belfry / attic of your cousin's house, you are naturally curious about posters such as this on the wall:

So John and Cynthia invited us to watch them ring the bells for a wedding!!!

Here's the church and the steeple,

look inside

and there's the people.

plus Cynthia and John who you saw in the previous post.

The bride was very late so while the vicar and the bell-ringers seethed, I tried to photograph the wedding party through a very ye olde window.

One actually gave up and went for a stroll around the graveyard with a crying flowergirl.

The bride arrived by horse

so she was worth waiting for...

Special post for Steve

Thought you may like to see this from CK's supermarket notice-board in St David's.

Then, to prove my life hasn't been entirely without culture

While this was going on, this is what we were doing

but I'll tell you about that later...

Bit more for Steve

and George.  This is upstairs in the tower at the Visitor Centre in St David's.  Mum and I only investigated on our last day and this is what we found - a wonderful art learning and exhibition space.  I know Steve and George would love it.  Here's a bit of some of the work, just out of interest

Good bye to Wales

and the magic.

Culture with The Aunties

Last Saturday night Mum and I went to a concert in the cathedral with the aunties - just the right venue for this music.

Then on Sunday Aunty Iris took us to dinner at The Old Cross Hotel.  For some reason (possibly the World Cup final but more likely the bliss of a summer pudding) I didn't take any photos but here's one Mum took in Tenby when The Aunties went there for a daytrip.

Aunt Eirwen (left) is the widow of my Dad's brother, Ron.  Aunt Iris is the widow of his brother, George.

News flash for George

Today we found the Devil's Footprints at the Cathedral - about our 5th attempt.  I think it's a bit of a swizz actually.  I suppose the bishop gets up early in the morning to do it.

The story is that St David and the Devil had a fight on the roof of the cathedral.  The Devil fled leaving these footprints.   St David, presumably, is still up there.

For our fellow-hunters, the footprints are on the middle grave between the second and third windows on the south side.  As Georgia noted, the cathedral has a pleasing lack of repetition and symmetry.