Saturday, March 31, 2012

Outside Aberystwyth


London - David Hockney’s exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum
This was fantastic with all his works from Yorkshire, Yosemite, Grand Canyon and other UK landscapes.  He had large paintings, water colours, charcoals and even ipad drawings that were beautifully displayed and sketchbooks.  An enormous exhibition worth the 5 hours each way on the train.

Images from Victoria & Albert Museum website

Machynlleth (not easy to say even for some Welsh nicknamed Mac), CAT - Centre for Alternative Technologies just outside Mac.  Natasha, her friend Michael and I went for a train ride to Mac, then walked about 5 miles to CAT.  It was a perfect day for walking in the Welsh countryside.



Machynlleth 


 Moss on hedge row
A hedge row fence that has not been trimmed on the top.  






South toward Cardiff day trip.


St Fagan's Cardiff or Museum of Welsh Life


The ruins of Talley Abbey in Carmarthenshire built in 1120.

Snow and Shrewsbury trip

Shrewsbury


The day it snowed I took a train to Shrewsbury in England to see the landscape covered in snow in the comfort of the train. They all laughed at me, but it was wonderful.




Even managed a power pole for those strange people who look at them
Borth just north of Aberystwyth


Borth Beach like many come from the slate

Borth petrified forest remains

Borth petrified forest remains



Borth Beach at low tide over Easter
John, Carol and Janus (Labradoodle) at Borth Beach 


Newcastle Emlyn (south east of Aber)


View from grounds around Newcastle Emlyn Castle
Zoe at Newcastle Emlyn Castle ruins

Wonderwool giant wool & craft fair at Builth Wells (border area)
A freezing day out with Ruth Packam demonstrating dry felting
 
A tradition Welsh weave replicated in my blue earrings.  Doing my bit for the Welsh economy
 North Wales trip May

Morning tea at Betws-y-coed with left Tash, Tim, Carol and myself


Llangollen Aqueduct
London trip II

I went a couple of days early to pick up Geoff and Vicki from London.  I wanted to have a bit of a break and a look around London, as I have been working 12 hours a day in my studio and was exhausted.
Fluorescent rape fields from the train on route to pick up Geoff and Vicki from London.





The view from my room in London I can see the back corner of the British Museum



The lions guarding in and outside of the British Museum
Blue blooms in Fleet Street adding colour to the grey
Thomas Heatherwick's Bleigiessen at the WellcomeTrust building

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Me in front of Bleigiessen
Bleigiessen is made of thousands of glass beads

Interesting light reflections in Fleet Street


Interesting building bridge in London
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I wandered along the shores of the Thames at low tide and it was full of old treasures like old Victorian china and a very old stone fishing weight.

While they clean the Thames a bird swims perilously close by..
Home away from home that I wasn't allowed in to.

Finally Geoff and Vicki arrive... the same day, very exciting!!
Geoff arrives at 5.40 am, having lunch in Bloomsbury
Vicki arrived into Heathrow at 4.15pm, then the 3 of us bolted through London-Euston-Birmingham and finally Aberystwyth at midnight, exhausted!


Pwllelli train trip along the north Wales coast

L-r, Vicki, me, Geoff and Carol on the Arriva train north

First stop and train change over at Machynlleth to visit their MoMA

Welsh coast at low tide

It was an unusual stunning day for Wales

Barmouth train bridge

Barmouth fish and chips where we stopped for lunch for a couple of hours

A brief stop at Harlech Castle

Barmouth, Wales

A Criccieth street as we got more and more lost
Afternoon tea in a Cricceith tea room court yard with Geoff Carol and Vicki

An hour stopover well utilised at a Machynlleth pub (Vicki's photo)

Vicki after the Machynlleth pub