ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a West Highland Terrier for company.
My passion is creating images but it is a work in progress.
I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN
ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Friday 25 November 2011

CROESO I CYMRU (25/11/11)

Today we have moved to Wales. We have gone foreign for the first time in a year or more. The title means Welcome to Wales…………Should the ‘C’ in Cymru be a ‘G’? I just took it from the road sign a couple of minutes down the road, I am only just dipping my toe into a foreign land. I exclude the dogs because they are happy wherever they are. A bark or a yip is much the same in any country.

We were out at dawn at yesterdays stop. Andrew treated me proud to a grand meal last evening. I’m still full of cold so wasn’t the best of company but it is good to meet bloggers. Blogging is a sociable occupation for unsociable and gentle folk. I’ve met a quartet and have never been disappointed. Thank you Andrew……….If you want to know who he is, he’s the magic artist at video editing……….The link is on yesterdays post.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Blakemere Moss at dawn.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA The dawn was rubbish but I spent thirty minutes watching these Whatdo youcall it’s. Three separate lots of them flapping about, splitting and combining again, wonderful they are, they are Peewits……….I’m not totally ignorant. I’m also not a very good snapper because this is the only image in focus of a dozen I took.

We are now just outside Chirk. I’ll do a map tomorrow when I’ve seen the castle and the viaduct. The town looked fine as I passed through so will give the immediate few square miles a good doing in the next few days.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA This is an MDF plant it produces medium density fibreboard. (Dwysedd canolig ffibrfwrdd) For Welsh speakers I’ve translated it. (Mae yn y cromfachau). How is Google translator doing? It’s your fault if it gets it wrong! A great language loads of double consonants but if you speak a bit falsetto it is not too hard to imitate. I’m not speaking to you Welsh I’m helping the other nine hundred and ninety nine percent out. I lived with a Welsh speaker donkeys years ago. It is a reasonable and poetic language, the wrdd is wood and said pretty much the same as normal……….sorry, as in English, my English not the queens.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA These are the gates to Chirk castle. Wonderful wrought iron gates. They look a bit mediocre but that’s because the National Trust have painted them white. Also this is the longest edit I’ve had in a long while …..A nightmare to stitch the four images together. The caps on which the Griffons stand aren’t wrought but cast I didn’t go to look but suspect like the griffons or wee dogs, whatever they are, are cast using the cire purdue process which goes back to Roman times they called it Cire Pudta  Romans were fond of consonants ….lost wax, in English.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA A wonderful gate that made me forget I’m poorly. I just took these on a lie of the land walk.

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Proper wrought iron gates have to be constructed like this. A mirror image of one face reconstructed on the other. The French look after theirs, Go here DEEBEE is for ever wandering Paris and taking pictures of gates. I’m yet to be convinced that some of the Froggy gates aren’t cast iron but they are still wonderful……… I’m refering to Paris France………for you Texans. The French paint theirs black and guild them with gold leaf. Makes a world of difference. I love this stuff. So much work by artisans and they could reproduce a mirror image of it. The definition of a craftsman.

Now  I am going back to fungi. These are big ones………….I am going to catalogue this autumns fungi and bang them up to I Spot…….It’s a British Open University web site that has lots of folk that know, not only what I’ve found but what it is.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA    I have a problem, the problem is I’m a bit thick. I would go for a funnel cap or to use the Latin Clitocybe. Sounds posh but what sort?

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA I think this one is a club footed Algerac. It looks a bit on the funnel cap stamp but there again it looks different. I wish I were a misogamist.  There is so much variation I doubt I’ll ever become a naturalist.

Have a great weekend.

16 comments:

  1. Great seeing the gates of Chirk Castle on your blog...reminded me of my walk along Offa's Dyke about six years ago....happy times remembered....Thanks a lot..!

    You take care whilst in foreign parts.

    -Trevor

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  2. Wonderful to see the gates Adrian... now you just have to blag your way inside..
    Is it Telfords viaduct at Pontcysyllte you are visiting it's a fantasic piece of engineering to see.. I just cann't pluck up the courage to cross in on foot... and I have attempted it on a few occasions.

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  3. Beautiful gates and is it still a fence if it's as fancy as that? Really like the last fungi shot.

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  4. Ohhh Adrian such a faboulous fotos you have done. Such a magic place is for me this one... You know is for me like the place of the farrytails (favole) of my childhood, with princess and so on.. Are you mooving there for forever?

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  5. The Welsh should be honoured that you are there, and to take some pictures on route. And, they are mighty fine pictures.

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  6. love the artistic form of gates! haven't been visiting anyone much this week because of feeling poorly. do like the cheerful brightness of your header. :)

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  7. Awesome photos, and the gates are like, wow. Great place to visit and look around, you are so fortunate to be able to see such wonderful places.

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  8. Those gates are wonderful--definitely worth some stitching! I've never been to Wales but have seen many beautiful blog posts from there... It's been moving up my list.

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  9. What a beautiful area Adrian. I've not been to Wales yet, it's on my list for sometime in the future! I want to see their signs, i am fascinated with their loads of w,y,f etc...Why do simple when you can do complicated!?? :) Love their accent as well!
    Chirck Castle's gates are a marvel! In fact I quite like it white. It's unusual and very chic! I love your close-up as it really shows the skill of the man who made it.
    This is a superb set of shots Adrian!
    Have a good week-end.

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  10. We shall be in north Wales in just over a weeks time picking up a piece of slate from a quarry in a place that is unpronounceable! Lots of 'c's 'w's and the odd 'y' thrown in for good measure! I hope the weather will be as good as you've shown in these photos - it looks beautiful

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  11. Trevor, I'll watch out.

    Andrew, it is on the list for when the wind drops. I don't want to get blown off.

    Pauline, no. When the fence is this posh it's called a frieze. I cheated on the last one I lit it with my head torch.

    Laura, I suspect I'll be here for a day or so. There is much magic to be seen.

    Bob, I'm sure they are honoured.

    Norma, thanks, hope you recover soon.

    Horst, we are spoilt in this country. I'm lucky indeed.

    JoLynne, Wales is well worth a visit. For a small country the UK has plenty of variety.

    DeeBee, I personally cannot understand a word of what they say. The signs must cost a fortune with everything written twice and the Welsh words being several time longer than anybody elses.
    I would prefer the gates black and gold. This looks a bit like the undercoat. They should send for a Parisian gate painter.

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  12. Annie, the Welsh are famous for slate. If you get lost then call in the Lakes on your way home. Their slate is green not grey so you may have to re decorate.

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  13. A lovely pair of gates. There used to be a blacksmith a couple of villages away from me who made such things, not quite as fancy as that. Fascinating to watch such craftsmen at work.

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  14. John, It is wonderful to watch. Wrought iron is very malleable. I remember seeing it manufactured forty odd years ago. I presume it is still made in small quantities somewhere.

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  15. If they weren't white Adrian then the Red Hand of Chirk at their apex wouldn't be so obvious. Just a thought. I was there in the summer with CJ and Jo. It's a place of memories from my youth.

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  16. Graham, I know the Red Hand is important. A Hand of legend......several legends.
    I realised when I rolled up that you had been earlier. The castle is closed but the park is accessible. It's a smashing area.

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