Wales and family time

Time to leave Switzerland for nearly two months. What wonderful evenings we had by the pool after such very hot days. Late evening was my favourite time and perfect for a moonlit dip!

Despite many travel issues in Europe over summer, I could not have had an easier time at airports. 

So, here I am now with Ceri, her family, and Peaches and Molly, the lovely four-legged girls!

Of course, family pops in regularly, and with temperatures over 30 degrees, it is exhausting for all, but especially for the youngest member of the family, Betsy.

Ceri and I had a wonderful day in Bath. The train journey proved to be tricky at times due to drivers suffering from the heat, cancellations and delays, but Bath was a fantastically calm and colourful city. I had no memories at all  of my visit there fifty years ago.

The city is beautifully decorated throughout, with all the old telephone boxes now a mass of flowers. The pedestrian precinct's stripes created fabulous shadows on both the pavement and passers-by.

Other streets were brought to life by dozens of brightly- coloured butterflies. They were gorgeous.

The ancient Roman Baths were very interesting indeed. Tourists have returned to Bath, but fortunately the Baths were not overly busy, thus giving us the opportunity to wonder at how these massive buildings had been constructed thousands of years back. What clever people they must have been, and what an increible place it was to come nd bathe, exercise and socialise.

Despite the heat, we headed up to the Royal Crescent to admire the magnificent homes there. We came across two vintage Roll Royces, both with parking tickets! Hilarious. I wonder if they ever get towed away!

By late afternoon, a drink under the trees  by the Weir was a must. Time to sit in the cool and watch the world go by.

One of my most vivid recollections in my retirement year, 2016,  was a night camping at Rhossili with Ceri. It was a freezing night but such fun, and the beach was so massive and so unvelievably beautiful. Three years ago was an equally memorable visit to Rhossili, that time to the sunflower fields. It certainly was one of the loveliest experiences I can recall. 

So, today we went back to Rhossili, once again visiting this spectacular area where hills, meadows, beaches, cliffs and sea all combine to create 'heaven on earth'! 

Then add to this already breathtaking landscape acres of sunflowers, plus my wonderful friend and neice Ceri, and you have an absolutely unforgettable afternoon in paradise.

We meandered through the rows of sunflowers, marvelling at the sensational colours and incredible variety of flower heads. The yellows are so amazingly vivid and such a contrast with the blue skies above. We were both loathe to leave this gorgeous place.

However, leaving was made less painful thanks to the continuation of the stunning scenery. We sat on a grassy slope, which was golden brown after the weeks of drought and high temperatures, and gazed down at lovely bays, cliffs and clear waters. Fabulous.

Next time we need more time to explore those fascinating beaches more closely.

The sun was starting to set over Worms Head, the rocky outcrop linked to the mainland at low tide, but cut off at high tide. Anyone on the Head had to be back on the mainland by 18.06! We could see some people at the far end who would have to make a hasty retreat to avoid having to soend 12 hours there. 

What a brilliant afternoon in all respects, but the most unforgettable part was, without a doubt, walking amongst those breathtakingly beautiful sunflowers. What a happy place!