Chappies Tour of UK Aug-Sep2022

    As mentioned in the last blog – there is a lot to see and do in Wales! It may be a small country but it packs a big punch and tells a great story. We really enjoyed the 10 days we spent there. On our last day in Brecon, the weather cleared enough for us to walk Allt y Esgair, an 8 km walk very close to our B&B. This walk follows a ridge above the River Usk (seen meandering through the middle of the photo below) where there are clear signs of an Iron Age fort, albeit over-grown and now the subject of a plan to clear the hill of bracken, blackberry and other nasties to make it more accessible. Magnificent views of the green valleys in all directions.   After Brecon, we drove westwards, via Llandovery to Black Mountain high in the western Brecon Beacons, along incredibly narrow windy roads where the average speed is about 25 km/hr because you have to expect a car or, worse, tractor/truck, coming the other way around every blind corner! The road dropped us dow...

    Worthing-Marlow-Cotswolds-Brecon  It’s now just over 2 weeks since we arrived in the UK so an update is overdue. Here’s a snapshot of where we’ve been and what we’ve been up to. 1. Worthing , on the south coast of England, where we spent our first 10 days with Hugh and Anna, and their gorgeous Ellie (3 months old when we arrived). Our first chance to cuddle our beautiful little granddaughter #2!!   We did some walks together on the South Downs, just inland from Worthing/Brighton: at Highdown house and gardens, and in the village of Steyning, see below. Lovely to see where H,A&E are living, their surrounds, and the things they like to do. It has been at least 7 years since we have had substantial time together – and, of course, never with Ellie in tow. Highdown Steyning Note how not ‘green and pleasant’ the land is: rainfall across the south and east of the UK for the year-to-date has been < 40% of average and temperatures way higher than average esp...