Weaving in the wilds of Wales.........

Greetings again dear Reader, I'm back in London after a delightful week weaving deep in rural Pembrokeshire in Wales! Along with two other weavers we enjoyed the exceptional hospitality & care of Martin and his lovely wife Nina who runs the B&B. Martin, a master weaver, has a wealth of knowledge gained over 40 years of weaving and a has a creative and enthusiastic approach to both technique & use of colour!

My initial dreaming & concept plan........ The dream started as a rug & ended up a wall hanging!

Threading the warp threads onto my loom........a slow & tedious process!

The creation progressing.........

After 5 days of weaving in lovely company & gorgeous surroundings...........the finished wall hanging!

Moirin, Sandra & myself showing off our finished pieces........for relatively inexperienced weavers we are proud of our weaving creations achieve under Martin's patient & expert guidance!

The cosy studio........

The adjacent B & B where our very comfortable accommodation was located......

The farm's grounds and surrounding countryside.........

After a delightful week of weaving in good company we said our goodbyes and headed off with our heads full of ideas for further projects......... Following a 5 hour train journey from Clunderwen I arrived back on London for 3 weeks of exploring this wonderful city! 

Stay posted for the next instalment, K.......

Wandering through France..............

Greetings dear Reader, the Gap Year Wanderings continue..........since my last post I've spent time enjoying the company of good friends in Spijkenisse, the Netherlands. Then we set off on a road trip to the Dordogne region of France for a visit with other friends.

On our trip through France we visited the historical sights of the WWI Battle of the Somme. First stop was the Historical Museum of the Great War located in Perrone which provides an excellent introduction to the WWI battlefields of the Somme. It allows the visitor to see how the soldiers lived on & behind the front lines. In addition it provides insight into how the civilian population lived in Peronne which was heavily bombarded and almost destroyed between1914 & 1918.

French, Turkish & Australian army uniforms......

Hanging in a local cafe, this is typical of many acknowledgments of Australia's significant contribution to liberating Perrone in 1918..........

Next stop was the National Australian Memorial located at Villers-Bretonneux. This imposing memorial was built in 1938, it's walls bear the names of the 11,000 missing Australian soldiers who died in France. In front of the memorial is a Commonwealth War Cemetery. From the top of the memorial's tower, panoramic views of the Somme countryside that the Australian troops helped to defend can be seen. This memorial is the site of an annual Anzac Day Dawn service organised jointly by the village of Villers-Bretonneux & the Australian Embassy.

From the Somme we continued on to the rural village of Villamblard in the Dordogne region where we are enjoying the hospitality of Sheila & Bryan who retired to this gorgeous part of the world 15 years ago.

The weather's been perfect - sunny & dry, just right for roaming about the village and relaxing by the pool with the occasional dip to cool off!

Out and about in Villamblard.........

The village is busy preparing for the arrival of the Tour de France scheduled to pass through the village on 26 July. Shop windows are being decorated and the town square has been adorned with brightly painted bikes.........

The hairdresser's cheerfully decorated window.......

My time in France is fast coming to an end. I'm at Bergerec airport waiting for a flight to London. Tomorrow I'm off to Wales for a week of glorious weaving..........  Until the next post  ............ Au Revoir, K

More tales of London & the South East............

Greetings dear Readers, Since my last post I've enjoyed a very relaxing visit with my friends Jill & Alan who live near Hastings on the south east coast of England. Of course, Hastings is famous as the site of the 1066 Battle of Hastings, fought between the Norman French army & an English army under Harold II. This battle is famously depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry these days housed in the town of Bayeux in France. These days Hastings is a relaxing sea side town which attracts many visitors and is still home to a working fishing fleet. Hastings Old town is home to the Hastings net huts. Dating from the mid 1800's these tall wooden sheds were built to store fishing gear, however they are not used these days as modern fishing gear is made from artificial material & can be left in the open.

During my visit I also enjoyed a country walk through the lovely Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve and visited other local picturesque historic villages. I enjoyed a very relaxing few days, nice to get away from London's hustle & bustle! Thanks Jill & Alan for your company & hospitality.

Back in London, I've enjoyed a week exploring the many treasures London has to offer. The high light of the week was a visit to the Tate Britain Museum to see their British Folk Art Exhibition. The exhibition includes an array of folk art genres from the 17th to mid 20th century. It showcases the mysterious, the imaginative & the wacky including ships' figureheads, giant trade signs, elaborate embroideries & quilts, paintings and collages. As well as for their aesthetic qualities these pieces are treasured as an important record of the social history of their time.

A ships' figurehead from the early 1800's, made for the HMS Calcutta.........

A heavily embellished pin cushion made in 1896...........

A bone cockerel from the 1800's made mostly from cast off bone pieces.......

During the week I also found time to sit & enjoy the quiet of Tavistock Square gardens located just across the road from my apartment. Dedicated to world peace the gardens are lush & green and have as their centre piece a memorial to Gandhi.

Must away as I'm off to Brussels early tomorrow on the Eurostar train & having packing to do! From Brussels I'm off to visit friends in Holland & the south of France.

Looking forward to this glorious sunny weather continuing. Hope life is sunny wherever you are!

Until the next post, K ............

Out & About in London..........

Greetings dear Readers, Yesterday I was out & about walking around London. The day started with a visit to St Pancras International Rail station to book a ticket for Brussels on the Eurostar!

Late afternoon I walked along Regent's Canal part of London's iconic canals & locks......I walked from Kings Cross to the famous Camden Markets! For decades the canals provided a vital transport system with canal boats transporting all manner of goods around the London area & beyond. 

These days the locks & canals are largely devoted to leisure with people still living on boats on the canals! In fact I saw a house boat passing through the St Pancras lock system. As I meandered along I encountered walkers, runners, bike riders, fishermen, sunbathers, revellers, lovers, the prim, the proper & the very inebriated.....all enjoying the remains of a glorious summers day in London!

The famous Camden Markets still operating........still attracting tourists & shoppers like bees to a honey pot, just as they have been doing for decades!!

Later today I'm off to Hastings to spend a few days visiting friends. Back in London for a few days next week before heading off to Europe for a couple of weeks in Belguim, Holland & France, again enjoying the company of friends.

Until the next post, may the wind remain always at your back......... K

Farewell Morocco............

Well dear Readers the Travelling Wanderers have said their farewells & are homeward bound. Fiona to India via Paris for a few days well deserved R&R! Sue, Michelle & Bev to Australia via Madrid. I, on the other hand, have arrived in London to embark on the next stage of my Gap Year adventure!

Spain & Morocco provided us an extraordinary adventure! Thanks to our able tour leader, Fiona Wright & Creative Arts Safaris. Check out their website: http://www.creative-arts-safaris.com

In the final days of the tour of Moroccco we visited the UNESCO listed Ait Benhaddou, ruins of a fortified city or ksar along the former caravan route between the Sahara & present day Marrakesh. This site has also been the set for many a movie including Lawrence of Arabia & Raiders of the Lost Ark! 

As we travelled the winding roads of the High Atlas Mountains to Marrakesh we encountered local women using traditional methods to extract argan oil from the kernels of the argan tree which is endemic to Morocco. The oil is prized for it's nutritious & cosmetic properties. We all purchased the oil on promise of looking years younger............

Along the way we also encountered ruins of outposts of the mysterious French Foreign Legion......

From the slower pace of village & rural life we arrived in hot, bustleing Marrakesh home to markets packed with refreshing fresh orange juice vendors, spices, leather goods, carpets, embroidery, beautiful tea glasses & all things bling!!!!

We celebrated the completion of our 2,900 km journey around Morocco with dinner at the iconic Rick's Bar in Casablanca. This gorgeous bar & restaurant is based on the Bar made famous in the cult movie Casablanca! 

The next morning we bid farewell to what has been an extraordinary adventure through Southern Spain and, the deserts, mountains & cities of the very exotic Morocco....... All that remains is to thank my fellow travellers for their company & wish them a safe homeward journey. Finally a very special thanks to Fiona Wright, our tour organiser & leader and, Hischam our very reliable & caring driver. 

I'm enjoying a few days rest in sunny London before embarking on further Gap Year Wanderings. Stay posted for future updates!  K.........

Camel trekking in the Sahara Desert on the border with Algeria............

Greetings dear Readers! What delights Morocco has provided the Travellers since our last post. Leaving Fez we headed into the dramatic landscape of the snowed capped Middle Atlas Mountains stopping at the delightful Swiss style village of Ifrane for morning tea. Continuing up through the mountains & the Ziz River Valley we arrived at Erfoud our staging post for the Sahara Desert, the largest hot desert in the world!

Departing Erfoud the following morning, we headed into Rissani where it was market day. We checked out the donkey parking lot and markets selling a vast range of produce including date, dates & more dates....... The local sheep sale was about to get underway!

Even encountered a thread & yarn shop..........a weaver's delight!

After a refreshing tea in the market we transferred to a 4 wheel drive vehicle for a "bone jarring" journey into the Sahara Desert. Driving through flat arid desert surrounded by sand dunes we crossed dry river beds & lunar landscapes to reach Merzouga, a village located on the edge of the Sahara. 

Our home for the night was the charming Hotel Nomad Palace nestled at the foot of the sand dunes. The mud brick hotel offered delightful rooms - the light shade in my room was a tin bucket!!

In days gone by Merzouga was a staging post for a 52 day trip by camel to the intriguing Tombouctou in neighbouring Mali, a place I have long dreamed of visiting! Maybe in the future when the political situation is less volatile and my camel riding skills have strengthened............

At sunset we had a memorable camel trek in the Sahara Desert close to the border with Algeria! We were lead by Youssef, our trusty guide........

The sun slowly setting on the Sahara with the Algerian border in the background......

This was a truely unforgettable experience, easy to imagine yourself taking a step back in time & go adventuring with Lawrence of Arabia........

Leaving the desert behind we shook off the sand & headed south through the "Valley of 1000 Kasbahs" into the High Altlas Mountains and the dramatic landscape of the Todra & Dades Gorge for a much appreciated rest day! But more of that to come........... Until the next post, the Travelling Wanderers