Highways and byways of Laugharne - some more photos added

View across the estuary from Laugharne.

A magnificent Wisteria was growing up this beautiful house.  It was just putting out tentative buds.

What a lovely Georgian cottage . . . in need of some tlc though . . .

Browns Hotel, where Dylan Thomas was wont to drink. . .

Opposite Browns the windows had been blocked out and various paintings replaced them.  Think Dylan Thomas again although I'm not sure about the Chameleon? at the top . . .

I took a little lane which went down towards the park, across a little stream.  This beautiful house was half-hidden in its woodland setting.

A closer view, with the Gunnera putting up their huge umbrella-like leaves.

I saw this huge Magnolia flowering behind someone else's taller garden wall.  This was the best iew I could get of it, with someone else's wall and garage in the way.

A secluded patch at the end of another garden, with Honesty flowering and a sprawling Magnolia thinking about it.

Up the little cobbled street . . .

A view across houses near the little bakery (which did AMAZING sticky buns!)

The castle.  If I wasn't completely shattered, I would give you a little history.  Perhaps a separate post some time . . .

This house was called Green Dragon, and next door to it was Green Dragon Cottage, which abutted to . . .

The rather grand Dragon Park.  I'd love to know where the name came from.

I've always rather liked the look of this house (formerly The Rectory).  It has just been sold and folks were moving stuff in - from the back of their car, so I assume they had lived locally and bought it.  It looked to have lots of character from what I could gather as I nosied through the front door from across the road . . .

Some beautiful words to leave you with.

My birthday day out

Yesterday was my birthday, and I always like to celebrate it with a day out somewhere, a special meal (at home) followed by a bottle of wine (usually red).  Yesterday was no different . . .

Here we are on the road between Cynwyl Elfed and Newcastle Emlyn, close to the turning to Tanglwst.

I would love to support wind turbines and wind farms as an alternative energy supply, BUT quite apart from the fact they are totally inefficient and have to be backed up by conventional power stations at all times, they are a blot on the landscape and wreck areas - many of outstanding natural beauty - in their construction, not to mention their impact on wildlife and anyone living near them.  Wind farms need pylons (cheaper than burying cables) to take the electricity to the national grid.  This has another detrimental effect on the landscape.  For a discrete area and small locale of dwellings, they can work, but NOT to supply vast cities and populations.   Denmark, Germany and Spain have all tried it and have NOT made any real impact on reducing reliance on traditional power sources such as gas, coal or nuclear power, nor reduced carbon emissions . . .  Right, I'll get down of my high horse now.

Above and below, the beautiful Presilis in the distance.  In the bottom picture you can see cairns as well as rocky outcrops, not unlike the tors of my beloved Dartmoor.

Carn Ingli (the Mount of the Angels).  After our Finals at Uni, a group of us "mature students" climbed up and sat amongst the rocks, drinking champagne.  Happy times.

Of course, there was an antique shop involved in the equation.  This is one we have been to regularly over the years, and is run by a knowledgable couple who actually know what they are selling, and its value.  Unlike the multi-trader "emporiums" where everyone is trading in "stuff" (mostly china), frequently don't know what it's worth and put a high price on because they are either worried they may sell it too cheaply or just want to try and fleece a gullible (and equally ignorant) Joe Public.  I . . . may . . . have bought some books here . . .  Well, no may about it - I got a hardback copy of Thomas Hardy's Under The Greenwood Tree (I am trying to replace my old paperbacks with good hardback copies), a Folio copy of Flora Thompson's Lark Rise (lovely old photo illustrations), and a big hardback book of the first 4 Poldark novels.  All for £10 . . .

My OH walking back to the car park with the books past the pretty cottages of Newport.  Apparently it's desirable with Londoners now, so prices have rocketed.

I was trying to get the ancient castle walls to the right of this lovely house, but obviously didn't!

Above and below, Carreg Coetan Arthur.  Now in the middle of a small estate of bungalows . . .  In one of my archaeology books there are some photos of this stone with a strange light anomaly.  It is a Neolithic dolmen or burial chamber and had a cremation and sherds of Beaker and Grooved Ware pottery associated with it.

Then it was time for some proper sea air, and we walked a short stretch of the coast path.

Check out dust on the nettles

There is a fresh post in memory of Edward Thomas, over on my other blog, Dust on the Nettles.

Sante Croce, Florence

This is Sante Croce church in Florence:

"Santa Croce, rebuilt for the Franciscan order in 1294 by Arnolfo di Cambio, is the burial place for the great and good in Florence. Michelangelo is buried in Santa Croce, as are Rossini,Machiavelli, and the Pisan-born Galileo Galilei, who was tried by the Inquisition and was not allowed a Christian burial until 1737, 95 years after his death. There is also a memorial to Dante, but his sarcophagus is empty." 

The great and the good were indeed buried here . . .

Here is the beautiful tomb of Galileo.

Tomb of A Gino Caponi.  That surname rings a bit of a bell . . .

View down the church.

Dante's tomb (although the sarcophagus is empty).  I believe he is buried in Ravenna.

Above, and the next few photos - everything was designed and exactingly made to the Glory of God.

These stained glass roundels reminded me of the kaleidoscopes of my childhood.

A marble effigy has been worn down by hundreds of years of passing feet.

Above and below: we had seen artwork of this calibre and age in the Accademia (where the magnificent statue of David is housed), but one can better appreciate it when it is in its proper setting.  I think it is safe to say that the wealth of the Catholic church supported the artists and artisans throughout the century and has given them immortality . . .

My beautiful daughter, who treated me to this holiday.  My family is good to me.

Even busier now!

I have finally got my computer back from being fixed (AGAIN!) and will be able to access my Florence photos and do the last couple of posts to wrap that all up.

In the meanwhile I have been gardening almost every waking hour and if you don't think you can garden for 8 hours a day and still not get on top of a garden, you are welcome to take the challenge up and visit mine!

Back later.

A busy time of things

Nothing exciting to report, as we have had a very busy few days taking the car from garage to garage to have repairs done, new tyres fitted and tracked etc - long story, and a blardy expensive one, I can tell you!  We were haemorhaging money yesterday.  It didn't help that we had a couple of hours to kill whilst the car was in the tyre place (new track rod end needed), so we walked around town, something we don't normally do.  Tea for two (they only do single pots of tea . . .) at M&S was £3.90 which seemed excessive, especially since it wasn't even Twinings Earl Grey (which is what we have at home).  We shan't be going THERE for a cuppa again.  Anyway, we went back later and got a few groceries, and my OH bought me a lovely t-shirt for my birthday (normally I would NEVER spend that much on a t-shirt, so I will have to make it last and last!!)

We wandered down to Poundland and got what we needed there, then TK Maxx, which was fatal, as I couldn't resist a little jade green crackle-glaze ceramic bunny and a bright stripey towel to brighten up the downstairs shower room.  Then we strolled  round the Market, where the display of fruit and veg on one stall was DIRE - with floppy-leaved cabbages and tired past-its-best produce.  After Italy it was a REAL eye-opener I can tell you.  What you want in produce is FRESH.  Anyway, we stocked up later at Abergwili and spent £7.80 on good fresh produce at very good prices.  Ten oranges for £1 and 10 sweet and juicy Clementines were also £1.  A bag of onions 50p, 4 peppers £1.  Cucumbers 50p each or 80p for 2 (I got 4, as I eat a lot of Cucumber).  Lovely vine tomatoes cost me a shade under £1.  Two crisp lettuces were 75p.

I looked at the plants and shrubs on offer from the market stall of Farmyard Nurseries, good prices and lovely plants, but difficult to carry back to the car, so we bought reduced Primulas later on elsewhere, as we had to get compost for sowing seeds, topping up planters and titivating the tired areas of soil in parts of the garden.  I bought half a dozen of the deepest claret red Dianthus too, and in the dimpsey last night, planted them all up in tubs which had been emptied of their winter pansies.  A bit of instant colour to tide me over.

The agent hasn't got back to us yet (but we have been out a lot, in fairness) so we will have to try her again today and see if she actually WANTS to handle our house sale.

Currently planning my birthday bash for next week.  Which shall it be - Snowshill Manor or Kelmscot Manor (this latter house beloved of William Morris)?  Both are in Gloucestershire.  I shall let you know what we decide upon and will try and get back with some photos later.  The main computer has to go back to the repair place as it is threatening to start dumping all the physical memory.   That's not good . . .