Final Day at the Cottage

Tomorrow I leave the cottage and return to my home base in Hook, Hampshire. Just as I finally figured out how to keep this place warm: keep the central heating on 24-hours and don't think about the cost. And it only took me three weeks and a direct invitation from the homeowner to make me willing to stop thinking about the cost! In spite of the cold inside the cottage, I've really been spoiled with amazing weather during the three-and-a-half weeks I've spent here. Lots of sunshine and more clear days than rainy ones!

It has been a wonderful vacation here - I feel truly spoiled to have had this chance to live in Wales. Part of my process in deciding to move to the UK involved a scene in "Miss Potter" where Beatrix is living on her own in the country. I wanted that moment but I never thought I'd really get it. But I did. I love it when God surprises me.

Some people out here thought I'd be nervous about staying out in the country - the intense darkness at night, the silence and the strange sounds, and being so completely alone, but none of those things ever bothered me. Although I've been getting tired of being alone all the time, it hasn't really bothered me in the ways people thought it would. Instead of feeling dark and lonely, the cottage has just felt cozy.

The little creek running through the cottage yard.

My next little adventure is that I get to hang out with my big sister in London on Sunday and Monday, November 9 and 10! I'm so excited! Lisa has a stop-over for a few days on her way to India (she's going there for five weeks). Then the following weekend I'm heading to Cambridge for a few days to stay with a couple who are relatives of friends back in Canada (I've never met them). I'm thinking of adding a few days to the trip to travel in the surrounding area but I haven't figured out where to go; if anybody has recommendations, pass them along!

I guess after Cambridge I'll have to settle down and start working.
Back to the real world!

Irish Sea, Floor, Graveyard, and Gregynog

Marijka and I had both been craving a walk on the beach so we decided that on Saturday, the last day of her visit, we would drive the 45 minutes to reach the beach in Borth. It was too cold to go wading, but we splashed around in our wellies, dipped our hands in the Irish Sea, and enjoyed the sand and salty air.

See those hills behind me? My first view of Ireland!

After our trip to the beach we returned to the cottage for lunch, loaded Marijka's luggage into the car, and popped by the neighbour's house so Marijka could see her floor. I know, sounds weird, but the floor was laid in the 1500's and is one of two indoor samples of this style floor in the UK and I think it's pretty amazing. There are outdoor samples of this style but only two protected by being indoors. The stones are stuck together with mud so cleaning is done by gentle vacuuming. The total area is about 10 feet by 12 feet and there's a massive fireplace at one end.

Stone floor created in the 1500's.

A nice little welcome sign at the graveyard in Carno.

"The place whereon thou standest is Holy Ground. Do no injury to tree or flower for they are dedicated to God and to the memory of the departed. Around thee sleep the dead - thou too must die. Consider the end and thou shalt never do amiss."

On the way to the train station in Caersws we stopped by the old church graveyard in Carno (less than 10 minutes from the cottage) to find Laura Ashley's headstone. The company started in 1953 and in 1961 she moved production to a factory in Carno as she was born and raised in Wales.

I had a wonderful visit with Marijka. We did lots of running around, made fun memories, and had many great conversations about life.


After church today I went for lunch at the home of the couple I sat next to last week. We had a delicious meal and afterwards I went for a walk with Halla while Mark watched Rugby. Our walk was at Gregynog, a property and home that were donated to the nearby university. Beautiful fall colours!


This is the home that came with the donation - it's now used as a conference centre. The builder apparently made his fortune by inventing a way to immitate the Tudor style of building, as evidenced above.

Cambrian Coast Line and Harlech Castle

Marijka and I decided to take the Cambrian Coast Line for a train ride around part of the coast of Wales on Friday. The mountains of Snowdonia could occasionally be seen through one side of the train and the ocean was on the other side. We received a fresh dusting of snow that morning - supposedly not normal for this time of year - and the hills were beautiful and white.

Marijka capturing a photo of some of the beautiful scenery.

We boarded the train at Machynlleth (called "Mach"), about a 30 minute drive from the cottage, and rode to the end of the line at Pwllheli, which takes about two hours. We figured out the time frame for the day and decided to ride to the end of the line, use the 15 minute break to quickly wander around town, then on the return trip stop first at our highest priority, Harlech Castle. We also hoped to stop at Barmouth for a walk around the beautiful town, through the marina and along the beach, but we ended up running out of daylight and only did the one stop at Harlech.

Our favourite train station name along the route: Penrhyndeudraeth
No clue how to say it.

Harlech Castle as viewed from the train station.

When they say the castle is built into the rock, they mean it!

A model of the castle.

The castle was originally three stories high - the fireplace openings can be seen above.

Almost all of the rooms and turrets are set up for exploration - wonderful to be able to just wander around and be able to touch things, walk anywhere, and not feel like somebody is watching your every move.

We climbed 142 spiral steps to reach the top of a turret and obtain a stunning view of the ocean, mountains, and fields stretching far below.

Staircase in the inner courtyard.

Inside the courtyard.

View from the walkway around the top of the outer walls.

This one's for you, Paul.

Marijka and I agreed that we enjoyed exploring the ruin more than wandering through the richly decorated castle at Powis. I think it's because there's so much more scope for the imagination, as Anne would say.

Although I've posted lots of photos, if you want more, click here.

Marijka reacting to some rather interesting tunes.

There was a guy sitting across from us on the train and he either didn't care that people could hear him as he sang along with whatever was playing through his MP3 player or he forgot that he was in a public place. Both irritating and amusing.

When we returned to the cottage we cooked up our Welsh lamb and a whole bunch of vegetables, bundled up against the cold, lit a few candles, and enjoyed our delicious meal!

Powis Castle

Right now I'm in the sitting room drinking tea and trying to keep warm by the wood stove. I've been lighting a fire every evening but it still barely touches the cold. I think my toque is helping more than the fire. Marijka is off to have a bath to warm up. Space heaters are blasting in our bedrooms so they'll be warm when we're ready to go to bed. We've had a wonderful few days but she returns to London tomorrow. I'll miss her!

Yesterday we visited Powis Castle (or Powys) near Welshpool, about 40 minutes away from the cottage. It was the first time either of us have visited a non-ruinous castle. We were quite impressed and I think a bit dumbstruck by the sights. Murals on the ceilings, portraits on the walls, intricate carvings, soaring ceilings, sculptures, canopy beds, heavy tapestries, a rosary that Mary Queen of Scots gave to somebody, a chunk of a hitching post that some army guy tied his horse to, and original furnishings that I'd be afraid to touch even if they weren't plastered with little signs reading, "Touching Causes Damage".

We arrived relatively late in the day so we made a rather hurried visit through the interior, then tried to get around the garden to snap decent shots of the exterior in the quickly-fading light. On our way back to the castle we detoured through the old orchard and snagged an apple or two for a snack on the ride home (probably a hanging offence but we weren't concerned).

The first view of Powis Castle through the gateway.

I love the knocker on the front door!

The hedge that made me think of Len.
The Latin name tags on all the plants made me think of Glenda.
You two would have been in heaven here.

Powis Castle as viewed from the gardens.

Marijka and me.
Freezing, windblown, hungry, and loving the beauty and history of God's world!