Across The Pond - More Crickhowell

July 4, 2012

Here are some more photos from in and around Crickhowell.

Topiary (fancy hedge cutting) is a big thing here in the UK. This one is pretty cool. The wall is as tall as a person, so these hedges are really big. You go under them when walking through the front gate. Pretty creative.

We came across this really cool tool guy. He takes in donated old hand tools, fixes them up and then ships them to Third World Countries for others to use to help improve their lives. Another really cool thing. Here is the sign outside his shop. Cymru is the Welsh word for Wales.

The local candy shop where Rowan has been going since she was a child. It has been run by the same family for three generations.

They sell all sorts of candies out of jars. Here, Rowan is getting a sack full of Jelly Babies, one of her favorites since she was a little one.

Our first meal at our cottage in Llangattock. Roast chicken (and this one came from a farmer's field around the corner. Tastes completely different from those production farm birds), boiled new potatoes, fresh peas from the pod, field carrots and gravy. YUM!!!

The next day, Rowan's good friend Maggie (one of her friends from Cardiff University) came up to spend the day with us in Crickhowell. She is a hoot with a capital H!

Gooseberries from Uncle Bob's backyard

I have to share with you a bit about Wales and the language here. All of the signs for everything are printed in Welsh and English. The Welsh people are trying to keep their ancient language alive, so for quite some time, they have been teaching it as a first language again here in the schools. The language is just CRAZY. First off, vowels are very scarce. You have to wonder how the heck to say most words in this language. I will be offering tidbits on how the language works throughout my posts while we are here. As you will see, Rowan's dad and uncle are helping me with this.

The main street down to the River Usk. 

I can't believe we even found an Occupy poster here in this tiny town up in the middle of the Black Mountains in Wales. The movement is taking the world by storm!

A grave yard that is again older than my own country.

The River Usk

Table Mountain, just above Crickhowell. We have hiked up there on previous trips to Wales.

Uncle Bob's house looking up from down on the Usk.

I just love the artistry that is applied to everything here. The gate latch is a beautiful example of Celtic design in iron work.

Here is Dad climbing over a fence stile on our walk across the fields (these are found going over fences and stone walls everywhere). Here in the UK, most fields in the countryside are open as public foot paths. It has been this way for centuries as this is how folks would get from village to village in the countryside. It's really cool because you can meet all sorts of sheep, horses, pigs, people, etc. out on your walk.

The Brecon Beacons. Photos taken during our walk.

This is what remains of Crickhowell Castle. It stands in the little park in the middle of Crickhowell. The castle was built in 1272 by Sir Grimbald Paunce-fote. Soon after 1402 Owain Glyndwr (the last native Welsh man to hold the title Prince of Wales) attacked the castle and left it in ruins.

The round bit is called the Keep. This is where the fortified residences were in a castle. These spaces were used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the castle fall to an adversary. Obviously, this castle did :o)

This is what the whole thing looked like when it was still in one piece.

Another beautiful shot of Table Mountain over the rooftops of Crickhowell

Happy 4th of July to us Americans, even here in Crick!

Dinner at The Bear Pub. LAMB SHANKS!!!!! When coming to Wales, one must eat lamb. Wales and New Zealand hold the crown when it comes to lamb. This is by far one of my favorite cuts of the beast. Here with mash and gravy, carrots and peas. YUM!!!!!

Rowan had lambs liver, bacon, onions and gravy on mash. YUM AGAIN!!!

Dessert was vanilla ice cream, biscuits and mint.

We passed out from our meat coma under a spectacular full moon .........

More coming............

Across The Pond - South Wales - Crickhowell

July 2, 2012

Today we parted. Rowan and I took Pat & Jake north to Harpenden so they could meet up with some of their old friends who are here in England and attend a wedding. We had them in Harpenden before noon and then turned right around to go back to Chelmsford to pick up Rowan's parents for our road trip to Wales.

I got one last 'big head' photo of Jake as we left them. I am holding up what is left of a gingerbread man's big head (Pat and I tore his limbs from his body in a cookie frenzy). We will miss Jake's big head.  

I think I will have to photoshop it in to the Brecon Beacon mountain range at some point, so stay tuned. :o)

We piled the folks in the car and headed west to Wales. We will stop to have lunch with Auntie Ann in Cirencester, about 2 hours down the road. We dined at a pub called The Fleece in this very charming village. Here are Rowan and Auntie Ann.

 My lunch was locally made pork bangers and mash with super delicious gravy and onion rings. YUM!!!!!

 Dad had a HUGE gammon (ham) steak (almost as big as Jake's head :o) with a fried egg on top. Very common way to serve it here.

After lunch (which was really almost dinner since we had it at 4:30pm) we headed on our way to South Wales and Uncle Bob's place in Crickhowell. It was well after 9pm when we dropped mom and dad off  at Uncle Bob's and went on to our cottage just across the River Usk in Llangattock. The only business' in the village are two pubs. Here is the map of where we are: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?client=safari&oe=UTF-8&q=map+of+crickhowell+wales&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x486e282776e502a3:0x19179821f1b08db8,Crickhowell,+Powys&gl=uk&ei=9fj5T86gCYOd0AW_ocCdBw&ved=0CAgQ8gEwAA

Our cottage is in what used to be horse stables built in the 17th century, now called Neuadd Cottages.

Here is their website: http://www.weacceptpets.co.uk/Powys/1838

We will spend the next week here in the BEAUTIFUL Brecon Beacons and Black Mountain Range. Look forward to some fabulous photos of some of the most beautiful country on the planet.

The view from our cottage in Llangattock...

Our front door.....

Fully stocked kitchen and sitting room.....

Very comfortable bed with view of the hills and loo/shower/tub all included

We are totally surrounded by sheep pastureland so it is extremely peaceful here. 

With all of the driving today, we had no problem at all falling off into some much needed deep ZZZZ's. 

We were greeted the following morning by this smiling face just outside our door......(mmmm...lamb shanks  :o)

.....and this dramatic view of Crickhowell and Table Mountain....

....and around our cottage

After we had our morning tea, we went on our 1 mile journey to Crickhowell and Uncle Bob's.
Here is Uncle Bob's place, built in 1903. Uncle Bob has lived here since the 1950's.  Note his fabulous vegetable garden in the foreground.

the view from the house out to the Usk Valley

Rowan and Uncle Bob looking out into the valley

Rowan and Millie the donkey, who lives in the pasture just on the other side of uncle Bob's fence. They enjoyed having a sniff at each other.

Mum & Dad taking in the view

Here are a few photos from around Crickhowell. This is a typical Welsh village. Small, quaint, always at least a hand full of excellent pubs, a butcher, green grocer and a baker. Oh, and I can't forget the OUTSTANDING cheese. The main attraction around these parts is the hiking in the Black Mountain Range (more pictures of that will be coming).
The Bear Pub at the end of the road. This is where we will get our internet & beer & lamb shanks.

The main street (High Street) all dressed up for when The Queen came through here on her tour of the UK during her Diamond Jubilee Celebration. The Royal Family has a huge presence here in Wales since their family roots are here.

The meat market fruit and vegetable display out in front of the shop.

THE MEAT. All local.  (check out the bowl of liver) :o)

The cheese :o)

We are really looking forward to creating some delicious local meals at the cottage from these delicious ingredients. Stay tuned for that and lots more about Wales, it's beautiful people, language, culture and country side..........we will find out just how many colors of green there are......