Peculiar

Now that WordPress is finally co-operating, I can report on a weird sort of day.
It was an up and downer of a night. I shall be more than happy to say goodbye to this stent in a week’s time.
Having arisen and prepared myself to face the day, I explored where I would spend my stopover night on the way to my short break in Aberdovey. Not driving all the way there on one journey, had been promoted by the family. At best it is a five hour drive, although one Easter, about half a century ago, it took us over seven hours.
I settled upon a hotel in Usk, which I was in the process of booking, direct, when I discovered it was much cheaper to book the room via Booking.com. Thanks to the person who answered the hotel phone and who sent me back to Booking. Trouble is, I need to check that rooms I book are actually dog friendly. Some hotels have only a selection of rooms and which are. And Booking dies not often indicate this.
Conversely, the hotel near Aberdovey was cheaper booked direct, as they had a special offer on for half board.

Aberdovey, its coast and its mountains is a fabulous area – up the road near Dolgellau lies Cader Idris, (893m) only slightly less elevated than Snowdon, (1083m) which all our children were obliged to climb before the age of 4. Their reward? Earning their first rucksacks which were little green brown canvas things with leather straps.

Cader Idris (Pen y Gadair) above

There is also the wonderful Mawdacch Estuary and Penmaenpool which is a glorious place to walk along the old railway line. And you can watch the tide change the whole landscape. Nearby is Fairbourne – a low lying village, which can no longer be saved from the advancing sea. Its destiny is drowning over the next few years. And I believe there is a new bridge over the Dysynni at Ton Fanau, I can’t wait.

Anyway that took a while. Then I fiddled with artwork and eventually set out for a walk with H.
Back at Cholsey, we walked several fields and she kept herself busy at speed until the return leg, when she dragged her heels. Not unusual.
It was a grey day but was quite warm. The ground is soggy and becoming more and more muddy.

I collected F from school, to deliver her home ahead of the school bus, for a driving lesson, which never actually happened, due to an indisposition on the part of the instructor. (She had been warned this might happen.) I enjoyed a cup of coffee chez Illingworth.

There followed some text discussion, long distance with Pen, about how to mark T’s passing in a few week’s time. We settled upon a meal out for the three of us on the 12th. And Pen and I will visit familiar places whilst Alex meets Helen in Bath. The actual day is Friday 13th December, which brings its own hazards. Superstition and all that. Plans were changed a few times but we have now reached plan Z which suits everyone.

I had cod in home-made lemon sauce for supper. Possibly sounds grander than it was – squeezing a fresh lemon and its zest over the fish with a drizzle of cream, and bung it in the microwave! Simples! I even cooked veg too.

I did not make it awake to the end of Bake Off. In fact, I barely got past the introductory credits.

It has been a peculiar day, all in all. I was intending to swim tomorrow morning, but new cleaner, Sharon wants to come then instead of Thursday. So, having a swim, going to opticians, and then with H across the Rec to coffee is all a bit of a bothersome rush.

So I will swim in the afternoon or Thursday, can tidy up before Sharon gets here and do the rest.

Thought for the Day

Can’t wait for my Welsh break – only five weeks away!