Watch out for the dates. My posts got out of order when uploading I'm afraid.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Snowdonia National Park
Thursday, June 28th
Somewhere in Snowdonia National Park
Morning rain, afternoon sun. Getting to be a theme., thank goodness.
"Do you want to take a shower?"
"Are you kidding?"
"No, while the we're down having breakfast, make yourself at home."
"Do I smell that bad?" I joked:)
Thank you Talbot-Halls for the delectable shower and delicious breakfast and enriching company. I sure hope our paths cross again, some time, some place:)
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this young family (ya, that was Emma who came over to my tent this morning with the offer). We had so much to share: similar interests and similar parenting ideas. And the girls...the girls. They came over to my tent this morning and figured out how to turn on my iPhones. I did not teach them any of the games, though!
"Strange place to camp" said a woman walking her dog this morning as I was packing up.
"This is where we bring the dogs for their walks!" Oh!!! That's the smell! They seem to be scooping the poop though as I didn't see any of that.:)
So after a cloud burst in which Lyra danced in the rain, stomping in the puddles, they were finally off to the beach. I wish I could upload the video I took of them leaving with Lyra waving goodbye from the back. Priceless.
Then I returned to the cafe because I finally had WIFI! As I was sitting outside at the cafe, the jeweler who repaired my mother's silver and turquoise bracelet clasp yesterday (even though his sign said "no alterations or repairs") stopped by, recognizing me. I told him I didn't manage to get out town yesterday, but I would today:) Love that small town feeling:)
What an incredible afternoon ride up into the Snowdonia National Park. The slopes on this high hills is vertical. I know my pics won't do it justice, but I took them just the same. Lush, idyllic countryside with steep, steep large hills. No mountains here, by my estimation. And the road (a green road - major) was delightfully graded. I met some young girls touring as I left town this morning and gave them some info about the route since they were heading south...and they said they'd taken a cycle path and found it incredibly steep. Scares me. I'll stick to roads. Can always hitch, if need be:)
Fanciest bathroom I've been in in awhile! Cloth hand towels, oh my!
Here's the inn the bathroom was in:
And, as usual, I didn't take any pictures with my phone of the countryside. Let me see if I can take a pic of a pic for ya'll.
Tonight's campsite is a nook off the main road in the woods where the owner has started to cut some of the wood. I know because he stopped when going by and seeing my tent.
"I hope this is all right that I'm camping here. Yes, just one night. I'll be gone in the morning. Thanks ever so much!"
Too bad it's a busy road and quite noisy, but that will calm down as the evening wears on and pick up early in the morning. Can't have everything. It's sunny out right now even though I'm in the woods. I can see it through the trees and that's good enough for me!
Off to start a new book that won the Book of the Year, British Book Awards. "man and boy" by tony parsons. One review said, "I cried five times and laughed out loud four." Sounds like my kind of book.
And that's all the news from the BagLady encampment.
BagLady
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Somewhere in Snowdonia National Park
Morning rain, afternoon sun. Getting to be a theme., thank goodness.
"Do you want to take a shower?"
"Are you kidding?"
"No, while the we're down having breakfast, make yourself at home."
"Do I smell that bad?" I joked:)
Thank you Talbot-Halls for the delectable shower and delicious breakfast and enriching company. I sure hope our paths cross again, some time, some place:)
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this young family (ya, that was Emma who came over to my tent this morning with the offer). We had so much to share: similar interests and similar parenting ideas. And the girls...the girls. They came over to my tent this morning and figured out how to turn on my iPhones. I did not teach them any of the games, though!
"Strange place to camp" said a woman walking her dog this morning as I was packing up.
"This is where we bring the dogs for their walks!" Oh!!! That's the smell! They seem to be scooping the poop though as I didn't see any of that.:)
So after a cloud burst in which Lyra danced in the rain, stomping in the puddles, they were finally off to the beach. I wish I could upload the video I took of them leaving with Lyra waving goodbye from the back. Priceless.
Then I returned to the cafe because I finally had WIFI! As I was sitting outside at the cafe, the jeweler who repaired my mother's silver and turquoise bracelet clasp yesterday (even though his sign said "no alterations or repairs") stopped by, recognizing me. I told him I didn't manage to get out town yesterday, but I would today:) Love that small town feeling:)
What an incredible afternoon ride up into the Snowdonia National Park. The slopes on this high hills is vertical. I know my pics won't do it justice, but I took them just the same. Lush, idyllic countryside with steep, steep large hills. No mountains here, by my estimation. And the road (a green road - major) was delightfully graded. I met some young girls touring as I left town this morning and gave them some info about the route since they were heading south...and they said they'd taken a cycle path and found it incredibly steep. Scares me. I'll stick to roads. Can always hitch, if need be:)
Fanciest bathroom I've been in in awhile! Cloth hand towels, oh my!
Here's the inn the bathroom was in:
And, as usual, I didn't take any pictures with my phone of the countryside. Let me see if I can take a pic of a pic for ya'll.
Tonight's campsite is a nook off the main road in the woods where the owner has started to cut some of the wood. I know because he stopped when going by and seeing my tent.
"I hope this is all right that I'm camping here. Yes, just one night. I'll be gone in the morning. Thanks ever so much!"
Too bad it's a busy road and quite noisy, but that will calm down as the evening wears on and pick up early in the morning. Can't have everything. It's sunny out right now even though I'm in the woods. I can see it through the trees and that's good enough for me!
Off to start a new book that won the Book of the Year, British Book Awards. "man and boy" by tony parsons. One review said, "I cried five times and laughed out loud four." Sounds like my kind of book.
And that's all the news from the BagLady encampment.
BagLady
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Loitering, Lingering, and Lolly-gagging
Tuesday June 26th
Machynlleth, Wales (and don't ask me to pronounce it!)
Rain...what else? Yesterday was an anomoly - however that's spelled...
Worse campsite yet. It was getting late and I was getting desperate and it was raining and a big town was coming up. I'm right by a major road but back off yet in plain view and near all the road noise. Shut up in my tent with new lines strung above to dry things overnight and gear out each door...this place looks trashed. Amazing how all this gets packed up and fits on Blaze in a fairly orderly and consistent way.
New lost item: headlamp. Haven't needed here because I'm asleep before the sun sets, but the last time I remember using it was at the hostel in Bantry. Haven't seen it since and couldn't find it this morning. Backup is the headlight on Blaze since it's not getting any use on her.
Late, late start this morning. I do not even begin to pack up if it's raining. Nope. It's my rule. So this morning I didn't start until 11 am! I slept late, made coffee, read, slept some more...and awoke to silence. Ah, I love this pace. How slow can I go?
(There's a song playing on my iPod that is bringing tears to my eyes. I have a memory of Dana dancing with me in the kitchen to it and I cried then...too... Top of the World - Dixiie Chicks... I loved being their mom more than anything I've done in my life and so miss having them around all the time. But alas, they have lives of their own and I'm free to wander the world...)
ok, I digress...back to Wales and rain and ...
I was biking along the coast with the most spectacular scenery: green rolling pastures dotted with little white sheep, old stone houses with rosebushes winding up the sides, ancient cemeteries and churches, and off in the distance was the Irish Sea.
Also saw a sign for the steepest grade yet.
I'm sure glad I was going downhill. I do not even think I could have pedaled up that hill. I would have had to hitch a ride for the both of us.
Borth where I got lunch a wifi (not free) is a beach town, but today was not a beach day. Grey, overcast, and drizzling. But it had it's own essence to it and I enjoyed it just the same.
Then I pulled onto a "green" road. They're the largest roads on my Wales map. Lots of cars. No choice. Got to use them to get across the mountains. That's what the next couple of days brings. Today I had to cycle through road construction while it was raining. Oh, the cheers I got from the construction crew pedaling along with my silver umbrella up was priceless! Even some drivers gave me cheery beeps. LIfts my spirits immensely. So the next time you see a loaded cyclist, signal to her: thumbs up, a wave, or a cheery beep. It will make her day! Some days it's the energy of others that pushes us through.
I managed to have a successful day of loitering, lingering, and lolly-gagging around. Dropped the guilt and traveled to my inner voice. Great day even with the rain and the lousy camping spot and the car traffic (which is dimming as rush hour has passed).
My thumbs seem to be holding up as long as I don't do any writing. Tonight I did some postcards and holding a pen really irritates them...well, the right one. Not taking anything for them because I don't know what causes that skin reaction and I don't want anymore of it.
Enought babbling. I figured out I write at night for the company, so thanks for spending the evening with me.
BagLady
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Machynlleth, Wales (and don't ask me to pronounce it!)
Rain...what else? Yesterday was an anomoly - however that's spelled...
Worse campsite yet. It was getting late and I was getting desperate and it was raining and a big town was coming up. I'm right by a major road but back off yet in plain view and near all the road noise. Shut up in my tent with new lines strung above to dry things overnight and gear out each door...this place looks trashed. Amazing how all this gets packed up and fits on Blaze in a fairly orderly and consistent way.
New lost item: headlamp. Haven't needed here because I'm asleep before the sun sets, but the last time I remember using it was at the hostel in Bantry. Haven't seen it since and couldn't find it this morning. Backup is the headlight on Blaze since it's not getting any use on her.
Late, late start this morning. I do not even begin to pack up if it's raining. Nope. It's my rule. So this morning I didn't start until 11 am! I slept late, made coffee, read, slept some more...and awoke to silence. Ah, I love this pace. How slow can I go?
(There's a song playing on my iPod that is bringing tears to my eyes. I have a memory of Dana dancing with me in the kitchen to it and I cried then...too... Top of the World - Dixiie Chicks... I loved being their mom more than anything I've done in my life and so miss having them around all the time. But alas, they have lives of their own and I'm free to wander the world...)
ok, I digress...back to Wales and rain and ...
I was biking along the coast with the most spectacular scenery: green rolling pastures dotted with little white sheep, old stone houses with rosebushes winding up the sides, ancient cemeteries and churches, and off in the distance was the Irish Sea.
Also saw a sign for the steepest grade yet.
I'm sure glad I was going downhill. I do not even think I could have pedaled up that hill. I would have had to hitch a ride for the both of us.
Borth where I got lunch a wifi (not free) is a beach town, but today was not a beach day. Grey, overcast, and drizzling. But it had it's own essence to it and I enjoyed it just the same.
Then I pulled onto a "green" road. They're the largest roads on my Wales map. Lots of cars. No choice. Got to use them to get across the mountains. That's what the next couple of days brings. Today I had to cycle through road construction while it was raining. Oh, the cheers I got from the construction crew pedaling along with my silver umbrella up was priceless! Even some drivers gave me cheery beeps. LIfts my spirits immensely. So the next time you see a loaded cyclist, signal to her: thumbs up, a wave, or a cheery beep. It will make her day! Some days it's the energy of others that pushes us through.
I managed to have a successful day of loitering, lingering, and lolly-gagging around. Dropped the guilt and traveled to my inner voice. Great day even with the rain and the lousy camping spot and the car traffic (which is dimming as rush hour has passed).
My thumbs seem to be holding up as long as I don't do any writing. Tonight I did some postcards and holding a pen really irritates them...well, the right one. Not taking anything for them because I don't know what causes that skin reaction and I don't want anymore of it.
Enought babbling. I figured out I write at night for the company, so thanks for spending the evening with me.
BagLady
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Teenage Hooligans!
Friday, June 29th (2012...for when I'm reading this years from now and wonder...)
Shrewsbury, England
Rain in am...sun in pm...
9 pm. Late night for me to be starting my journal. Got lost in Shrewsbury and was going in circles, I found out. Thanks, Sam...for trying to orientate me:) I did finally - after another asking down the road and cycling down a one way with folks yelling at me, like I didn't know it...did finally find the road I wanted.
A kid, Ben, also tried to help me but I didn't believe he knew enough and my problem is explaining where I want to go: the yellow roadl, not the green or the red.
I'm camped in a clearing behind a sports complex...kinda in the bushes because I didn't want to be on the beautiful grass. It's sort of trail back through here that has been recently weed-whacked. Again, I'm in the dog walking area! Me and the dogs fighting for turf! This woman tried to walk down the path and was weaving around my tent. I apologized for being in her way and said I didn't want to camp on the sports fields. She said they'd probably arrest me! Well, maybe I'd get another shower! I know it's going to be much harder finding places as it gets more congested. I'll just have to play it by ear. (Another dog just waddled by:))
Did a lot of cycling today and got to another country: England. Feels different than Wales and different than Ireland. It's a bit more worn around the edges, but the people have been as terrific as ever.
Just when I crossed over the border...and you don't know when that happens without consulting a map...I came across "Hill Climb". What's this? I was needing a distraction anyways, so I pulled into this incredible park. Turns out it used to be part of some Lord's estate and now the 300+ walled acres just contains mostly deer and woodlands...and this 1 mile, twisty, turny, paved, one-lane race course for cars.
They are timed as to how fast they can navigate the climb and there are different classes for the different types of cars all the way up to Formula 1 cars. The record was something like 43 seconds. The guy let me walk part of the course. Pretty cool. Obviously it takes some definite good driving skills! Has anyone ever seen something like this in the States? Not I.
Not all chews are good. I'm suffering with today's purchase which is sticky too much to my teeth...annoying! Got to have at least one torment!
It's about 100 miles to Sheffield. I planned out a route today on my map app. It's so hard to get it to give me the backroads. I have to keep putting in way points of little towns on the roads that I want to take. There's more than one way to skin a cat.
Well, this may have been a bad place to camp. Some guys just came by and slapped my tent. I stuck my head out to let him know that a woma
}"@:>@
>>>>*@#
10 pm. I had to pack up and move. Even though it was after 9 and I was all comfy in my tent, those boys were gonna be trouble. They pulled the cover off of Blaze and ran with it laughing. I don't feel safe. They were too brazen and they were drinking and it's Friday night. That was the fastest packing job I've ever done. It was dark due to heavy clouds and threatening rain again! Half hour later I'm camped a mile down the road in the side field of a Rugby Club. Hope they aren't earlier risers. Maybe I'll get to see them play. I'm in the country now and although I can hear the city noise, it's further away. Well, that was a first! As I left, I noticed it was across from an apartment complex. Not good. Teenagers are the worst. I hope my British experience improves. It's not off to a good start:(
Oh, before I forget. In Wales (and maybe here) you have to pay about 8 cents for a plastic bag at the grocery store. It's the law. And they say it has reduced bag requests about 80%. Didn't they do that in LA? My problem is I use those bags for garbage. I'll have to remember to get bags in produce for garbage.
Goodnight. Sweet dreams!
BagLady
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Shrewsbury, England
Rain in am...sun in pm...
9 pm. Late night for me to be starting my journal. Got lost in Shrewsbury and was going in circles, I found out. Thanks, Sam...for trying to orientate me:) I did finally - after another asking down the road and cycling down a one way with folks yelling at me, like I didn't know it...did finally find the road I wanted.
A kid, Ben, also tried to help me but I didn't believe he knew enough and my problem is explaining where I want to go: the yellow roadl, not the green or the red.
I'm camped in a clearing behind a sports complex...kinda in the bushes because I didn't want to be on the beautiful grass. It's sort of trail back through here that has been recently weed-whacked. Again, I'm in the dog walking area! Me and the dogs fighting for turf! This woman tried to walk down the path and was weaving around my tent. I apologized for being in her way and said I didn't want to camp on the sports fields. She said they'd probably arrest me! Well, maybe I'd get another shower! I know it's going to be much harder finding places as it gets more congested. I'll just have to play it by ear. (Another dog just waddled by:))
Did a lot of cycling today and got to another country: England. Feels different than Wales and different than Ireland. It's a bit more worn around the edges, but the people have been as terrific as ever.
Just when I crossed over the border...and you don't know when that happens without consulting a map...I came across "Hill Climb". What's this? I was needing a distraction anyways, so I pulled into this incredible park. Turns out it used to be part of some Lord's estate and now the 300+ walled acres just contains mostly deer and woodlands...and this 1 mile, twisty, turny, paved, one-lane race course for cars.
They are timed as to how fast they can navigate the climb and there are different classes for the different types of cars all the way up to Formula 1 cars. The record was something like 43 seconds. The guy let me walk part of the course. Pretty cool. Obviously it takes some definite good driving skills! Has anyone ever seen something like this in the States? Not I.
Not all chews are good. I'm suffering with today's purchase which is sticky too much to my teeth...annoying! Got to have at least one torment!
It's about 100 miles to Sheffield. I planned out a route today on my map app. It's so hard to get it to give me the backroads. I have to keep putting in way points of little towns on the roads that I want to take. There's more than one way to skin a cat.
Well, this may have been a bad place to camp. Some guys just came by and slapped my tent. I stuck my head out to let him know that a woma
}"@:>@
>>>>*@#
10 pm. I had to pack up and move. Even though it was after 9 and I was all comfy in my tent, those boys were gonna be trouble. They pulled the cover off of Blaze and ran with it laughing. I don't feel safe. They were too brazen and they were drinking and it's Friday night. That was the fastest packing job I've ever done. It was dark due to heavy clouds and threatening rain again! Half hour later I'm camped a mile down the road in the side field of a Rugby Club. Hope they aren't earlier risers. Maybe I'll get to see them play. I'm in the country now and although I can hear the city noise, it's further away. Well, that was a first! As I left, I noticed it was across from an apartment complex. Not good. Teenagers are the worst. I hope my British experience improves. It's not off to a good start:(
Oh, before I forget. In Wales (and maybe here) you have to pay about 8 cents for a plastic bag at the grocery store. It's the law. And they say it has reduced bag requests about 80%. Didn't they do that in LA? My problem is I use those bags for garbage. I'll have to remember to get bags in produce for garbage.
Goodnight. Sweet dreams!
BagLady
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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