York

A few days in York- to see the sights and drink in the atmosphere- the sun was kind to us - so pics were aplenty.We travelled up by train and stayed close to Micklegate - and we walked the city walls.- amazing ! It was cold but that did not seem to matter - ! These steps could tell a colourful tale of days gone by -of that I am sure!!stepping back into the past We walked as much of the walls as time allowed this is the view from the other direction with Micklegate in the background - we did this stretch on our second day - the sun was shining - Looking out over the roof tops and chimney pots of York - York Mister caught in the sunlight - towering over the city playing with my camera so many opportunities of course York is also a shoppers paradise - designer boutiques and chocolate cabins at every turn tucked away behind the medieval shop fronts- market stalls - buskers - York as it alland is alive with many talents. The river is a focal point - bridges linking up with the city wall walk - I was always drawn to this watch tower - believe it or not this tower has been converted to a coffee shop. A visit to the Railway Museum was on the agenda - we spent half a day there - here are some of the highlights for me ... The Mallard every bit as beautiful as they say - the first time I had seen this beautiful blue train - a must to be seen to be believed !!Another gleaming monster the Dwight of Eisenhower - admired by many - young and old and then we gazed on Gladstone - look at these gleaming copper and brass pipes - more than a days work here ! There was a grand parade of Royal Trains through the ages - showing off their splendour I must include this little dazzler - I am not sure which train this was - but I think it deserves a slot for immaculate presentation Of course to see the Flying Scotsman was incredible - although in the workshop for repair work - it still held all that magic for me We found this little bar down on the River Front and spent our evenings listening to the music and becoming one with the city. Linking today to Outdoor Wednesday have a good week fellow bloggers - Jane uk

The Bells of Aberdovey

Os wyt ti'n fy ngharu i Fel rwyf fi'n dy garu di, Mal un, dau,tri,pedwar,pump chwech, Meddai clychau Aberdyfi, (If thou truly dost love me As I truly do love thee, One, two,three,four,five,six, Say the bells of Aberdyfi) Last week we took a break up to the Welsh Coast, it is close for us you see and within 1 and a half hours we can be there. I had booked a cottage called Driftwood with Wales Cottages I emptied the fridge into the cool box - threw a few tins in ,dogs beds and blankets piled up in the back of the car - tea ,coffee any fresh fruit and veg in the larder - plenty of warm clothes and of course the walking boots. Driftwood Cottage was just around the corner from the Penhelig Hotel - and the Penhelig has a dog friendly bar as do the Britannia and the Dovey Arms- nice to chat of an evening to local people and fellow visitors - exchange notes and views and hear about local news - plan walks and places to visit. On a sad note - so many polive vans and special units were parked up - we asked why and were told that they were part of the search for little April Jones who was taken a few months back. On the Sunday we went to St Peters Church - it was a lovely service for Mothers Day later that morning we had booked for Sunday lunch at the Penhelig - mine being a veggie dish and I had my first taste of seaweed - delicious!- afterwards we walked along the sand dunes - so cold and wild but miles of sands - the dogs loved it. Aberdovey is very picturesque so much time during the week was spent pootling around (if there is such a word) We did however do two four mile walks - Dolgoch Falls and the hills above Aberdovey - oh it was so cold - see by the icycles in the pics !! - we intend to return later in the season to get pics of the steam train crossing the viaduct - when the Tallylyn railway opens for the summer session. - well maybe -we shall see. The one evening we popped over to Aberystwyth to see the starling roost - the birds swoop in time and time again and under the pier - I have tried to show the magnitude of the occasion but my camera could not cope ( time for a change perhaps !! I have seen this nice little Canon EOS 600D - well who knows - maybe one day. Apparently as many as 650.000 starlings come into roost at certain times of the year - there were enthusiasts with cameras set up and on automatic while they hid away out of the cold - my fingers were so numb I had difficulty pressing the buttons. Later we went onto the pier and had a Latte coffee to warm up as we walked in we could hear the birds below. So that was my world last week a breath of fresh air. Linking today to Our World Tuesday - Why not join me ? .

Community Course

Last night I had enrolled myself into a Community Course at the local college - the listing had intrigued me - 'Animal Energy' by Christine Cleobury - I am so glad I went because the course opened up a new world of thought and activity for me. - I have attached a link and if you click on Christines' blog from the site you will find so much fascinatinginformation enjoy! Tonight we are off to camera club - the competition subject is squares - OH thinks he is in with a chance with his Rubiks cube pic - I have gone for the subtle touch - the stone walls of the bridge over the moat at Whittington Castle - is my choice - well not all square! I have been quite productive in the greenhouse - but the garden is slow to pick up after the deluge of past weeks , although I did manage to find a clump of delicate crocus pushing their way through on the rockery - see blog picture Have a good day - Jane

Whoops

Just a bit of a one liner really - but just looked at my phone - I have recently tried to set up a email on my phone - granddaughter is off to New York soon for her hols - well it is a pre-wedding hen do thing and she wants to email me how she is getting on - well I don't know what I did but I seem to have set up some sort of blogger help line - and I have received 64547 emails in the space of days -all asking for help - I hope none are yours !!

Abc Wednesday and NGS

This week it is the letter G along at ABC Wednesday and my contribution is a fabulous G for Garden - and in this case the NGS - the National Garden Scheme - where gardens are opened for charity - I have attached a link - last weekend we visited one of these gardens sharing its privacy and precious secrets with the world - Millichope Hall in the depths of rural Shropshire, of course cameras were an essential to record the beauty of the day - if you click on my pics you will be able to see them much better A first glimpse of the hall in the grounds was stunning - we made our way - following the signs for the snowdrop walk Through the ancient woodland - trees reaching for the sky - old knarled tree trunks adding shape and design - snowdrops and aconites mixed together - with a promise of bluebells to follow later in the year - I found Helleborous in a woodland border - see header pic - such a deep purple - loved it - we walked deeper into the woods and there were the dog graves - at peace - It was a beautiful day - biting cold - but clear and the reflections in the lake were stunning So many shades of green Of course as always there was a plant stall!! - what a little beauty - I just could not resist Bye - I shall now pop over to ABC Wednesday to view others contributions - thanks for calling