Showing posts with label Llansteffan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Llansteffan. Show all posts

Friday, June 12, 2015

DC - Something from the Ocean



I am bringing to the table of our Drawing Challenge from Veronica this week of Something from the Ocean...  please visit her page for links to all challenged!

It is a wonderful view from a small peninsula just down from Cardiff a small seaside resort of Barry Island... slices of natures own rock formation...

As usual I feel I must do better next time!  Grimaces of school reports rattle through my mind and memories, no excuses except work and lots around the house, I will slap my own wrists, and see what else I can come up with, I did take my camera with me this week to Barry for the exact purpose of the DC....

Okay amigos, just had a play with a photo I took a few weeks ago down at Llansteffan, one of the jelly fish...


Now he really does look like an alien!

TTFN
Marian

Friday, May 29, 2015

Llansteffan

What haven't I been doing?? Let me think now!  Went up to see my son and his family up in Nottingham two weekends ago... followed by the trip to North Devon, as seen below... then Franco and I went to Llansteffan for the day...

I seem preoccupied with stone walls recently going by the this and the last Blog post!  But well, they are rather nice!  Llansteffan is a very pretty little village, there is a school and probably a shop or two even, there is a small cafĂ© and a very very nice fish 'n chip van by the beach, where we par took of the meal of our choice, we had to fight off the birds!  Surrounded by crows mostly!  It was like something from a scary movie the way they had us covered from all angles!!

We walked along the coastal path and came to coves we had never seen before, we went from beach to slip road, up stairs and around the path...  At the top of a flight of steps Franco saw an Adder!!!


And this was later confirmed by another walker, I must admit, I had had my doubts... but when a mere bird flew out of the hedgerow and Franco jumped I had to believe him!!


There was a random metal bench out in the woods below the castle, and also a very random dog!! He was wet, and looked at us, looked down the steps and then turned back around the path and ran off, this just being after Franco had seen the Adder!


                      

It really is a very beautiful coastline just there, here...

I think we should have been more wary of were these amazingly huge jelly fish!  There were dozens of them, the poor things were marooned on the beach, and I guess dying, but I was under strict instructions not to tamper with them, back into the water would have been all I wanted to do.... up close they are like aliens... well, my idea of an alien should I say!  Not actually having any further knowledge than this of course!  Our feet on these shots on purpose, to give size reference!




TTFN
Marian

Friday, May 16, 2014

Llansteffan


Day off today once I got got finished at nine this morning, and after getting changed and suntan lotion applied!! Well it was a warning on the TV earlier!!

So some new photos of new things I had not seen before! Some wild garlic above of course I have.... but not these actual plants!!  Should have picked some maybe?


This is Llansteffan Castle, very beautiful spot... we did a bit of a tour, heading away from here and down the M4, coming off at the Gorseinon turn, we took the road to Llanelli and onto Burry Port... stopped just before at the north dock area and had coffee up on the first floor out on the terrace decking, sitting in the sun... there were people is swimming costumes.... looked a bit chilly down on the beach... but they must have been hardy people!!!

Llansteffan Castle

Then off to Burry Port, did a drive through of both the car parks, but couldn't really see anywhere we wanted to stop at, we went into the town, still by car, and I ended up driving around the back alleys!! Such fun!!  Probably more there than we found and will return...

Llansteffan Castle

Still heading along the Carmarthen coast next stop Pembrey forest, a huge area, after paying drove through, parked and walked to and onto the beach, 7 miles of wide fine sand, beautiful... there was a beach clear up in progress and when having a coffee later we got chatting to a couple who were participating in this event, it was their second beach clean of the week, sponsored by McDonalds by the way!

After coffee we went walkabout doing a circumnavigation of the camping area and taking in the horse riding and picnic areas before going back to the car! Huge area, even has a doggie beach area which is good, here the beaches are a no go area for dogs from May through to September, which is good, although of course, that is only the rules for those who honor them!

Back in the car and off to Ferryside... which was a small town, which did, as the name suggests have a ferry that crossed the river to Llansteffan on the other side of the river, we had lunch in a bar/cafe next to the railway station, the track runs along by the side of the river Towy... the car park was free! Yes free!! Seeing as we had already paid 6 pounds for parking already it was a bonus!

Crab... past.

Jelly fish.... past.

Was very impressed with Llansteffan... took a while to get there, not possible these days to catch any boat across the river, so although as you can see from the picture below taken at Ferryside, there is the castle! But was 17 miles, over half an hour, a journey that meant going almost into Carmarthen and back out again! But well worth the trip and will do again, so anyone visiting will be going here now forsure!!!


The beautiful castle, the ice cream, the free.... yes again, car park!  The amazing beaches and countryside... walking along the beach we could see the castle and took a few steps up and walked along a wall to go towards the road and the route to the castle, stopping by to buy ice cream on the journey up!!  We also walked up the steepest incline like marauders of the past coming to conquer the ramparts and those within! Armed only with ice creams!! Lots of the place still standing and as you can see from above, even able to climb within up the steep steps...


Felt like being back in the Gibralfaro in Malaga....


The railway line at Ferryside, disappearing around the curve by the coastline...

Returning we missed a turn! As one often does and came back into Carmarthen a way we wouldn't have expected to! Passing a huge epitaph for a General Sir Thomas Picton.... oddly, or not, my great grandfathers middle name was Picton!!

TTFN
Marian