A Week in Wales: Abermule, Swansea and Gower Peninsula.

July 7, 2018 to July 16, 2018

Spinning swimming, surfing sweeping, painting, camping cycling,

July 7 Saturday to July 16 Monday 22kms

Spinning swimming, surfing sweeping, painting, camping cycling, chilling hiking, harvesting, rambling reading,

Sleeping.

Spinning swimming, surfing sweeping, painting, camping cycling, chilling hiking, harvesting, rambling reading, sleeping.

The first weekend is a lazy one. Rufus and Cherry return from Swansea on Saturday afternoon and they are away in Chester on Sunday. The Hutchings have a sleep-in on Saturday and spend some time reading books under the trees. I find a Rose Tremain, "The Colour", set around the gold rush in the South Island.

A cycle to Abermule for supplies, watering the greenhouse, picking raspberries and courgettes, and a cool dip in the stream are as strenuous as it gets. Thus refreshed, we are ready for any of the Fairweather activities we know to expect.

This Pukeko is rather a long way from home.

A tributary of the Severn, when dammed, the stream makes for a coolish dip on a hot day.

On Monday we are pleased to have Dominic visit and glad he could make the journey to Wales for a few days. We collect him from the station en route to a lake swim, picnic and hilltop ramble with extensive views.

A remote Welsh lake - water, slightly brackish, but clean and warm. Wonderful swimming.

Our swim took us across the lake and back.

Tuesday's outing sees us in the Rhayader Valley. We enjoy our picnic at Bwlch Nant Yr Aran before watching the Red Kites being fed. These birds had reduced in number until a feeding programme was initiated some 10 years ago. Now we see hundreds gather above the hills awaiting the dinner time signal. They swoop and swerve to snatch the food the keeper distributes beyond the viewing platform. Rooks take advantage of the dropped scraps. We walk off our lunch on a 5 mile ridge trail, and admired the view to the sea at Aberystwyth which is our next destination. Strolling along the parade in front of the pastel hued houses, we imagine the glory days of genteel hotels and seaside holidays. A few swimmers catch our attention, and the sea looks tempting, but the hour, and suggestion of a fish and chip supper win the vote.

And so the sunny days continue. The black currants and broad beans are picked, gooseberries harvested and topped and tailed.

Rufus cut lawns and finishes the wood chopping. The bee man comes and inspects the hives, then Rufus replaces frames and extracts an abundant supply of honey. We all take turns on the centrifugal churn. When all the honey I s drained, the bees will get to lick the extractor drum clean.

Cherry makes delicious meals with vegetables from the garden. We feast on homemade muesli with fresh berries, Rock Mill bread, courgette soup, mousaka of aubergines and quorm, roast veg couscous, gooseberry crumble and flapjacks. We taste samphire from the salt marsh where R n C had stay near Swansea.

The plan for the weekend is to return to Swansea to continue the assistance R and C had been giving their son. Adam and partner Ros are setting up a factory to use recycled plastic containers. Using compression, they make solid sheets of a dense plastic product that have a variety of applications. There are various finished appearances including a marbled effect.

The disused factory building is exceedingly dusty and in early stages of being an organised unit. Our cleaning, sweeping and painting efforts are rewarded with a swim in the Gower. This peninsula has wonderful beaches, with long tidal reaches, clifftop walks, narrow leafy lanes, and pubs aplenty. From our base at Crofty, we swim in balmy early evenings at Three Cliffs, Rossilli and Horton. We watch the sun set on the high tide which surrounds the little causeway on which we are camped.

A free camping experience. Llanrhidian Higher-Pen-clawdd.

One walk includes a clamber to the Paviland cave where the Red Lady ( a prehistoric skeleton) was discovered in early 19th century. Purple harebells grow along the way; and We spot a colourful red and green creature on the ragwort, along with a yellow and black pupae, identified as the Cinabar moth.