Martin's Mag.

With boughs of olive…

Why go to all the trouble of transporting a pine tree when we have ample olive branches in our garden. Symbolic of peace and, for those who believe in such things, more appropriate for the Middle East where it all started.

Very good year; here, just a few examples.

Seen on East Quantoxhead beach, West Somerset.

Near Godshill, east of Fordingbridge, on the Hampshire Avon.

Then further downstream to Rockford. Typical New Forest, with roaming, very happy, pigs.

And on, to the mouth of the river at Christchurch Harbour. Pot of tea and a Victoria sponge cake at an out-of-season café reminded me of various holiday jobs in Southend. Over sixty years ago…

A Very Special Day!

… are doing very well this year. This chap was seen sunning himself on the irises in our garden pond. It’s getting colder now so I don’t suppose they’ll be around much longer.

Previously known as The Wild Place, Bristol Zoo has now moved most of its animals from Clifton to a new site North of Bristol. Although not a fan of zoos in general, the animals do have much more room here. The main reason for this entry, though, is to show more photos of “Dora the Explorer”, as she becomes when she puts her backpack on. Many of these pictures (the good ones) taken by Flora and Sally.

In the county of Gwynedd in north-west Wales, below Anglesey. We stayed near Aberdaron, which is a pleasant village, not yet completely taken over by tourists, second-home and holiday cottage ownership, i.e. “the English” (Y Saesneg). We were impressed by a very well-curated National Trust museum of local history.

Our campsite, a short walk from the village, overlooked a very quiet beach, in a small bay, where we swam, making the most of the hot late-Summer weather. The site had a variety of guests, from cyclists and bikers in small tents to motorhomes, with a predominance, it seemed, of Welsh-speaking family groups, which was nice.

On our journey home, we visited Abersoch, on the east of the peninsular, which has become a sort of Welsh version of Salcombe or St Ives with traffic congestion (many English Porsches, Range Rovers, etc.), “hip” leisurewear shops, “foodie” delis, bistros, bars etc. All a little passé, now, in our climate-challenged world. But it obviously was once a pretty village as these pictures, away from the centre, suggest.

A trip down Memory Lane, walking from Starcross, south of Exeter, north to the Turf Lock pub. The path has been improved since we had to lift our bikes over a number of farm gates.