Thursday, July 09, 2020

Memories of a Holiday

Until we retired July would always be the month we took a holiday sometimes for one week sometimes a little longer.  I was watching a television programme recently about a year on the coast in Pembrokeshire and it brought back lots of happy memories.  I decided to look through the photograph archives to see how long ago it was.  I was sure it was over ten years ago and so it was, July 2006 infact.  We stayed in a self catering cottage which was basic but comfortable.

 
Below are some photos of our visit.

 
 Above and below St Davids
 
Red Valerian growing in the walls

 Solva

Solva - I still have the hat.

 Pentre Ifan - A Neolithic or New Stone Age burial site.  The giant capstone is about five metres in length and has probably been in the same position for over five thousand years. The stones are Pembrokeshire bluestones from the nearby Preseli hills, the stone which was also used to build Stonehendge

 Newport beach where we saw a small pod of Dolphins far out in the water.  There was a general excitement across the beach as people rushed to the water's edge to watch them.

Dunlin on Newport Beach

 Castel Henllys a replica Iron Age Village not far from the coast.
 
Inside one of the iron age huts, it was hot outside and there was a roaring fire with smoke swirling into the rafters on the inside.
 

 Tenby

The boat to Skomer Island

Dinas Head

Carreg Coetan - a Neolithic Chamber tomb with links to Arthurian legend.  It is a burial chamber of the New Stone Age. Excavations at the site have produced finds of Stone Age pottery, stone tools and cremated remains.


Colby Woodland Gardens

 Haverford West Town Museum and Archives Office

We visited the Musems in both Haverfordwest and Tenby because of their connection to one of my favourite artists Gwen John who was born in Haverfordwest and lived for sometime at Tenby before moving to France.
 
Narberth I don't know what the town is like now but when we visited is was a lively main street with lots of little individual shops, cafes and delicatessens.

I enjoyed looking back at the photos of our visit. 

The second in the series of programmes this week is about a year on the Fens.  As we lived for about twelve years in South Lincolnshire and just over twenty miles from the Wash I'm looking forward to watching this programme too.

21 comments:

  1. That look like the most wonderful holiday Rosie! Such beautiful weather and scenery and the whole works! Solva looks particularly lovely. :)

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    1. Solva was really ineresting and I'd always hoped to return one day. It was a lovely holiday with great things to see and mostly good weather:)

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  2. What a wonderful post Rosie and the photos are lovely. It looks a super area with so much of interest to see. I love the look of Solva and St David's Cathedral and the prehistoric places! :) I've been for a long weekend just once many many years ago. We were thinking of going to Pembrokeshire or Cornwall this year but I put off booking a cottage as the current events were just "kicking off". I do hope one day everything will return to normal so we can go on holiday without worrying!

    The tv programme sounds good. Have a great weekend.

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    1. It is a lovely area, one I'd like to go back to but then I'd love to go back to Cornwall and the Isle of Wight too as you say it won't be this year or probably next by then I'll be 'getting on a bit':) Oh well. St Davids Cathedral was wonderful, the City of St Davids very small compared to the other smaller cities like Ely and Lichfield. I loved the beaches, the old burial sites and the iron age village . Loved the TV programme, have a good weekend:)

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  3. I haven't been down there since I walked the Coastal Path about 40 years ago, but remarkably I recognised the location of almost every photo. I remember well the evening I spent in Tenby: the first pub I looked into was full of men, and every one was dressed in a bow tie and dinner jacket. I decided that I couldn't possibly go in wearing my backpacking clothes so I went just down the road to another pub. Same story: everyone dressed in evening wear. It turned out that there was a gathering of male voice choirs in town!

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    1. How wonderful to have walked the coastal path. So funny about the male voice choirs in every pub in Tenby, sounds like they had taken over the town. I hope you eventually found some refreshment after your day of walking:)

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  4. My daughter and I had a holiday in that area many years ago staying in Youth Hostels. We went to St. David's and walked along the coastal path to Solva for afternoon tea. Such a beautiful place. Thank you for bringing back my memories.

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    1. It is a beautiful area isn't it? Glad to have brought back some memories for you too:)

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  5. Traveling via memory is a pleasant way to savour different places these days. Your visit to this particular area of your beautiful country sounds lovely. Great photos. Lots of interesting things to see there.

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    1. I think it is the only way I can travel at the moment although I have happy memories I also wonder if I will ever see these places again, I hope so:)

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  6. Those are wonderful pictures. Looks like places I would love to visit. I wanted to write and tell you that I used your lists of books that you had read to place some online orders for library books from my local library. You and I seem to have similar tastes in books, and this was very helpful, so thank you! -Jenn

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    1. Hello, thank you for calling by. I'm glad the book lists are useful for finding books you might like. I hope you enjoy reading those you have ordered from your library:)

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  7. What a wonderful area for a holiday, great to see your photos. I have fond memories of Tenby too which we visited a few months after our eldest was born. It's a pity it's such a trek to get there. 😊

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    1. Glad to brought back some memories of your visit to Tenby, the beach there is lovely for little ones. It must have been a long journey for you. It is further for us than North Wales but no too far. It is a lovely coastline:)

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  8. Nice to come on the tour with you. I do wonder if we will ever get back to holidays as we know them anytime soon.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the tour, I don't think holidays will feel the same for ages. I still don't feel entirely safe to go anywhere very far at the moment, even though I long to see the sea:)

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  9. Lovely photos, I loved visiting Pembrokeshire last year :)

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    1. It's a wonderful part of the country, I'd like to go back one day:)

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  10. I really enjoyed reading this post :) Lovely collection of photos and it brought back great memories of our stay in Pembrokeshire in August 2012 (I think it was 2012!) as we visited many of the same places!

    We had hoped to have a holiday in May or June - a pre-baby, last child free holiday - but sadly it didn't happen and it's highly unlikely we'll go later this year now, but I'm hoping we can get away next spring perhaps, with the new addition!

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    1. I seem to remember your posts about your holiday in Pembrokeshire, time just drifts by doesn't it especially at the moment. I loved the beaches and the ancient history around, the wildlife too. A shame you couldn't have had a last holiday just the two of you, holidays in future will be different but just as lovely with a little one to introduce to all the places you love. We too had hoped for a different year, a special holiday for my 70th birthday and selling the house and moving back nearer to family and friends but it wasn't to be:)

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