Some sea air

I had to see my asthma nurse this morning, and afterwards we went on to little Llansteffan.  Fortunately the tide was WAY OUT and the views fabulous.  As we often do, the outward walk was along the beach, down towards Scotts Bay, and then back along the cliff top.  Wish I could have stayed all day but Keith has a job to finish here.  Words aren't necessary - just enjoy the scenery.

I would have liked to walk right around into the river mouth overlooking Laugharne, but Keith needed to get back.

Looking across to Pembrey and then Rhossili Downs and Worms Head.

The end of the road - where the Cockle Pickers drive on to the beach, I assume.

A breath of sea air - walk at Llansteffan

Solitary walker rounding castle point.  It looks very dull because I was aiming into the sun.  We needed some fresh air yesterday and headed for our nearest "seaside", which is the beach at Llansteffan.

I tried to take familiar scenery from slightly different angles, but it is difficult to avoid repeating photographs each visit!  At least the shoting into the sun ones offer a different perspective.

Sleepy Ferryside.  I first came here back in 1971 and 1972 to stay with a penpal.  I fell in love with this area then, but never dreamed I would end up living here.

Looking across to the Ferryside side of the River Towy. The ruins of Iscoed mansion amongst the trees.

Looking up the estuary towards the new "dunes".

Beautiful Yarrow, which is normally white but very pinky on this example.

This used to be golden sands, protected at the front by a slight swell of sandbank, now removed totally to form that wall of sand at the back - sand dunes presumably, for some reason or another.  Meanwhile, the once-beautiful beach is now a shallow rocky lagoon at high tide, and covered in estuary mud which can't be washed away.

Looks like I was drunk doesn't it?  Just the angle the rocks were heaved up here in our ancient past.

The Ferryside Express - this would be the London train as it has THREE! carriages.

There were glimpses of sun which lit the horizon with white from an artist's palette.

Around the point, with the castle above us, looking towards Wharley Point and then the Laugharne side of the Taf estuary beyond, with the very VERY end of Laugharne Sands which lead on to Pendine.

One of the rock pools popular with small folk in the summer.

It was actually sunnier and much warmer than this picture suggests.  We didn't need jackets, as the light breeze was from the South with perhaps a touch of West.

The pretty cottage by St Anthony's Well.

An atmospheric view across the Cockle grounds, now shut for the winter.

A breath of sea air

As you will have seen from the change of header photo, we headed for the nearest bit of beach earlier in the week.  Our nearest beach is either at Llansteffan or opposite at Ferryside.  Both have good clean sandy beaches.  One of the first things we saw was this upended jellyfish.  It was interesting to see what it looked like underneath - 6 central bits, and then 12 external divisions and 12 arms . . .  I think it is probably a Moon Jellyfish.

Here on the beach, looking across the estuary mouth of the River Towy, towards Pendine in the foreground, and Rhossili Downs in the distance, which is where I clambered a year ago with daughter Tam and my friend Deb.  I couldn't manage it at the moment as I have scarcely walked all summer (though I did do a walk today and surprised myself by getting up our steep hill with just one stop.)

Rounding the point past the castle, and looking across Scott's Bay towards the last spike of land on the Laugharne side.

Looking up at Llansteffan Castle.  Neither of us could face the prospect of climbing up there, and we settled for a beach stroll rounded off with sitting on a bench with an ice cream.

The trees are bent sideways by the wind, and grow nearly to the beach.

The retreating tide left some pretty patterns in the sand.

The clouds were starting to stack up as we looked back up the Towy estuary.  In 1971 and 1972 I stayed with a penpal who lived in a cottage up on the far hillside.  I thought it was so beautiful in Carmarthenshire and it was the main reason we ended up here!  She had to move, but the odd thing is our eldest daughter's best friend lived next door to my penpal's cottage. . . . a few years on of course.

Iscoed Mansion - or the remains of it - snuggled into the hillside.  General Picton lived there.  Sadly it was destryed by fire and is now just a lofty ruin.

More clouds arriving over the cockle beds.

Looking back towards the cottages which fringe the beach, with a lovely house on the hillside which reminds me of the ones in the Puddle Lane childrens' books my girls used to have, back in the day . . . Gosh - that's just brought back some memories . . .  Old Mr Gotobed, The Gruffle and the Griffle and many more!

One last look up the beach, and grandad is doing well with the kite-flying.