Welsh Woodland Wanderings

A long lingering late summer break at Llandovery in the Brecons spent in a  glamping pod, a sort of hobbit abode with full mod cons and a balcony by the river.

Llandovery is a quiet, pretty market town nestling in the Black Mountain area of Wales. The Black Mountain has recently been named as part of the Fforest Fawr Geopark, (literally, large forest) which is itself the only site in Wales to be listed among the most exceptional geological sites in Europe.

A Drovers centre, they were key figures in rural Wales before the railways offered a new method of transporting animals, in Llandovery they are honoured with a splendid sculpture, a guest house aptly named The Drovers/Y Porthmyn and a roadside Drover’s Diner.

Llandovery Castle dominates the town centre and aside, on a partnering hill, is a giant steel statue of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan. Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan was known to support Owain Glyndŵr The people’s choice as Prince of Wales.

Our first outing was to Crychan Forest Trails starting at the Halfway Wood end. The Forest is situated at the gateway of the Cambrian mountains, on the border of the Brecon Beacons National Park. There are miles of waymarked trails that take you through grassy gorges along old drover’s routes and past cascading waterfalls. Some of the views of the surrounding mountains of Mid Wales are breathtaking.

Crychan Forest was originally part of the Glanbran estate, which at one time reached from just outside Carmarthen to Builth Wells and was owned by the wealthy Gwyn family. Trees within the forest include native oak, ash, beech and hazel of the original ancient forest and imported conifers.

Lots of beautiful hidden places to take a rest.

The evenings produced some beautiful sunsets

The following day was someone specials birthday :)

The birthday outing included a trip north of Cilycwm to the cwm Rhaeadr Forest. Approached from a small car park. Cwm Rhaeadr, which means “valley of the waterfall” in Welsh, is a remote woodland area situated in the upper Tywi valley in Carmarthenshire. There are glimpses over the unnamed main waterfall, where the Nant y Rhaeadr flows over the Craig y Rhaeadr crag into the Cwm Rhaeadr valley. The area is also popular with mountain bikers.

The base of the main fall provides an ideal opportunity to cool off the feet and take in these magnificent surroundings.

It was then back to the abode for a well earned rest before the birthday meal at the Kings Head.

Toulouse to Vaux - un road trip estival

The journey began with a flight from Bristol to Toulouse, capital of France’s southern Occitanie region, the fourth largest city in France - after Paris, Marseille and Lyon, with the Garonne River and Canal Midi running through it. Also known as La Ville Rose (‘The Pink City’) due to the terra-cotta bricks used in many of its buildings.

We were met by close friends Dave and Sue, now French citizens, who arranged both the trip and our transport.

Toulouse has a bloody past slaughtering thousands as witches, wiping out tens of thousands of Cathars, inadvertently inviting the plague into the city and establishing a substantial training centre for the Inquisition.

Today it is a bright vibrant city containing many architectural delights, a large student population, many green spaces and a lively night life.

is she real or is she not?

Had an interesting walking tour of the City led by Harry, a Glaswegian of Canadian extraction now residing in Toulouse and a mine of information and historical facts.

The tour included the Cathedral – two substantial churches conjoined 

 and the training ground for the Inquisition.

Followed by a boat trip down the Canal

Heading for Cordes we stopped off for some traditional wine tasting at Domaine Sarrabelle.

Cordes sur Ciel

Cordes-sur-Ciel is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France. A fortified town was built in 1222 by Raimon VII, the Count of Toulouse, who, though not a Cathar, tolerated what other Catholics considered heresy. Since the late 20th century, the village has become a popular tourist destination due to it’s narrow streets and unrivalled views over the surrounding countryside.

High on a hill our luxurious apartment overlooked the valley below. An early morning mist made the scene appear on par with Brigadoon.

Our excellent host provided an equally excellent breakfast feast.

Off on the road again there were brief stops at -

Chateaux Bruniquel 

The Chateaux hang on a cliff top, overlooking a gorge, whose access is quite steep. According to legend, the Merovingian Queen Brunehaut or Brunhilda built the first castle, "the old castle" or "castel Biel" in the 6th century on the site of a Roman castrum. The "new castle" dominates the confluence of the Aveyron and Vere from a height of 80m. It was built between 1485 and 1510 and was remodelled during the baroque period.

St Antonin Noble Val

Founded in the 8th century around a former Benedictine abbey  the mediaeval town of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val nestles at the confluence of the Aveyron and Bonnette rivers. At the heart of the old town, near the covered market, stands the former town hall, or Maison Romane ("Romanesque House"), dates from 1125 and is one of the oldest civil monuments in France.

The end of this days journey was Perigueux, a town in the Dordogne region of south western France. It’s known for the landmark Saint-Front Cathedral, with domes and turrets.

The town has been in existence since neolithic times, and later became an important Roman centre. The town suffered a great deal in the Middle Ages through the Hundred Years War and other conflicts in the region, then had a 'rebirth' - and much construction in the town dates from this time - in the 16th century. From the 18th century onwards, Perigueux continues to be an important centre for the region.

They were clearly expecting us as the streets were festooned with bunting :)

Couldn’t resist a circular tour on the mini land train.

From Roman times, you can see the Vesone Tower and the remains of the amphitheatre.

After a short break in Chateauneuf sur Charente

we began the return journey to Dave and Sue’s at Vaux sur Mer.

Delights this year included

Beach Days

A trip through the forest and along the causeway to the Ile Madame

IIe Madame, near La Rochelle, is and is not an island. It all depends on the tide. Sitting in the centre of the Charente Estuary, low tide exposes a natural causeway which can be crossed by car, foot, bicycle, horse, etc. But at high tide, the causeway disappears and Ile Madame becomes a true island. The island has an area of four square miles and is unpopulated. Hundreds of Catholic priests were held prisoner on the island during anti-clerical persecution in 1794.The islands position was of strategic importance.

The waters around the island are home to a diverse population of fish, shellfish, algae, and other marine life. The salt marshes and higher grounds also provide space for a wide variety of birds and plants. The island’s softer water also turns out to be perfect for raising oysters. All around the island are oyster beds. 

Sunsets over St Palais

Music in the ‘Les Jeudis Musicaux’ season, where the churches of the Agglomération Royan Atlantique take turns to provide regular summer evening concerts. This session string jazz par excellence.

... and so back to the UK via Bordeaux. Au Revoir for another year -

Play us out Dave

Sorry we have to rush but ... we've no time Toulouse (sorry :)