Thursday 5 September 2013

Back Home Again


Blimey it's been hard getting back into 'normal life' after our trip to Wales! I think we chilled out so much, everything relating to 'home' firmly on the back burner, that it has taken a few days to re-orientate ourselves.

It was great, and we had brilliant weather. We feel we have more or less got to grips with caravan living - thanks in no small way to the kindness and advice from our close neighbours who shared their experience generously with us.

Above is the Bear Hotel in nearby Crickhowell - our caravan is on a farm in the village of Llangattock. We had a few lunches here!


          Our day out in Abergavenny included a visit to the Market Hall which was fascinating.


     At the back of the Market Hall we watched a sheep auction taking place at the Cattle Market.


Then as we sat drinking coffee in the sunshine I noticed this plaque on the opposite wall - photograph taken with full permission of the folically challenged gentleman seated below it!


Jim's fishing chum, Mark, drove us round several fishing beats in the area. This was one of them .


This lovely looking flower is the Himalayan Balsam, which, though attractive, is a real pest, as it grows prodigiously and chokes everything else.

                                                                     "I see no ships!"


                   It was all very lovely, even though I am not remotely interested in fishing.



We had a trip to Usk, a very pretty little town - more of a medium sized village actually! We made a pilgrimage to this tackle shop which is apparently a shrine for fly fishermen; still run by the daughter of the guy who started it many many decades ago.


June insisted Jim have a photo taken behind the counter. This lady is extremely knowledgable about all things fly-fishing. We were invited to tea but had just had coffee in a cafe in town.


                    And one of me, reluctantly posing on a river-side bench. It was a delightful spot.


Here are a few shots of the camp-site. It really is beautiful scenery.


                Some of the permanent plots have been made to look like Home from Home.


                                  Garden, complete with statuary and patio chairs!



              This little stream separates the main field from a smaller one with no hook-ups.


So now we know what we are doing, I expect we'll be popping across again but when it starts getting chilly I think I will leave it to Jim for his fishing trips! I did do some sewing, and reading, and journalling, but much less than I had expected, but I'll blog about that in my next post. Now I shall spend some time catching up with MY favourite blogs - I didn't exactly miss not having wi-fi but I do have some catching -up to do!

18 comments:

  1. Looks like a great place to visit. Glad you had a good time.

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    1. T'was lovely, Jane, and I'm looking forward to going back soon. Lx

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  2. So glad you enjoyed caravanning Lynne - there's nothing quite like it. We've found too that there are always kind and friendly folk who'll give us a hand if we need it. It does look lovely there and the scenery is beautiful. Welcome home and back to normality.
    Patricia x

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    1. Thanks Patricia - it was a steep learning curve, because we hadn't had the 'dry run' that we had intended to do, which would have been very helpful. However, we think we have it more or less sussed now. Going back in a few weeks - though it will be a tad chillier then! Lx

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  3. Oooh ... I hadn't realised exactly where it was before, but we were on holiday in that area a few years ago - went to Crickhowell (lovely little town!) and loved the whole area - You lucky lucky lady! Am now gonna look at my photos from that holiday to remind me of it all. xCathy

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    1. Isn't it a beautiful spot, Cathy? We are so lucky to have been pointed in this direction when looking for a permanent site. Lx

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  4. welcome home - loved seeing your photos - what beautiful hanging baskets at the pub - i know what you mean about not getting as much crafty stuff done as you wanted to - that's similar to our holidays - the days aren't long enough!!! how did you get on with your bacon casseroles? i bought some roasting bags this week BUT still haven't made it to sainsbury's yet for the bacon joint!!! slow but sure - that's me!! so glad you had good weather ..... haven't we had a great summer? looking forward to seeing your works in progress xx

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    1. Casserole worked just fine, can certainly recommend it. Oh and it was a pack of cooking bacon pieces, not a joint, you can find them in Tesco and Morrison as well.

      I took so much to keep myself occupied but really didn't have the time! We did quite a bit in a laid-back, chilled kinda fashion! Lx

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  5. Oh, Lynne, what a lovely spot to get away for a while and relax, and that campsite is gorgeous. The more I visit your blog, the more my heart longs to visit your amazing country. I sometimes wonder what I would be doing if my ancestors had never cross the pond :)

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    1. We have some beautiful places in the UK, Connie, we just don't appreciate them enough. And perhaps our weather doesn't help at times! But this week it was wonderful. You will have to make that trip! Come and see us! Lx

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  6. Hello Lynne
    Oh I loved this post, Wales is just gorgeous. I really must try and make a point of us going again. The last time we went to Snowdonia it poured so hard, we practically had a moat around our tent :o) Not for the faint hearted! A caravan sounds like much better idea.
    My dad is really into fresh water fishing and I am sure would love to discover all those beautiful spots, but alas he is still in SA with their beautiful fishing spots.
    So pleased you had a super chilled out time away, reality back home comes with a bump doesn't it ! xox Penny

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    1. Hi Penny, it really is the most luscious country, I love it! No, my last tent camping was very very damp, when I last took some Girl Guides camping, never again! At least at sheringham with the Mollies it was good weather, but all told I prefer the caravan!

      The rivers are brilliant, and I don't even fish! Lxx

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  7. Oh how I love my adopted country! (Although I am a lot further north)

    Those permanent spots look amazing ... but when you say permanent ... are people living in their caravans all summer, or all year?!

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    1. Hi Annie, certainly people VISIT their van all year round, and some of the more permanently 'dug-in' types seem to virtually live in theirs - probably have a month somewhere else to comply with the rules. Not sure `i will be there in the snow! Lx

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  8. Looks beautiful, I'm no fisher woman either but I do love to be beside a pond! Think I'd be too noisy for fishing anyway, can't keep quiet for more than a few minutes! :) x

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    1. My sentiments exactly, Ada, I love even more to be beside a running river - which we don't have a lot of here in Norfolk. I'd be ok if I had a good book with me, but I suspect the midges would get me down! Lx

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  9. Wonderful photo's. I'ms so glad you enjoyed your first trip out in your lovely caravan. We went to Usk a few years ago, it was a temporary Camping Club site at Chainbridge? I remember the countryside being very pretty. We also went to the market at Abergavenny, we bought some 1940's knives, great for spreading butter,some Welsh butter, welsh cakes and eggs!!

    I love the little gardens around the permanant caravans, I have never seen that before, I think the statue is maybe over the top lol

    You look very relaxed sitting on the bench xx

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    1. Hi Karen, thanks for your comment! It is such beautiful scenery round this area, everywhere you turn is a view!
      Yes, I feel the statue is a bit OTT!

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