One Hour Outside 2019

rough seas at Porthgain, Pembrokeshire

It's always nice to get out and about in spring and summer, but over at Splodzblogz I spotted an encouragement to embrace the autumnal weather and get out for an hour each day throughout November.

It's not the pleasantest month to try such a challenge, but I'm in!


I recently realised  that over the past few years (nearer to a decade) once I no longer had to do the school run, I've stopped going out if the weather's the least bit dodgy. There's no longer any necessity to go out on a set day, or at a set time. Whether it's walking, visiting somewhere or for practical reasons such as shopping, if there's rain forecast or fog hanging round I'll stay home. A hint of drizzle? Stay in, it'll improve tomorrow or the next day.

I've become 'nesh', too comfortable in the warmth, and unwilling to risk a spot of rain. At the end of September, we went away for a weekend to Pembrokeshire, and most days were wet to some extent. But we survived and even had fun - though the wind tried to blow us over, and the rain came down in torrents at times.

I tried to join in with a previous challenge back in March 2017 - and looking back I see it didn't quite pan out the way I expected. I'd expect this coming month to be different - hopefully with more walking and exercise, though some of that may just be wandering round outdoor markets in the run-up to Christmas.

River Eden at Appleby

The first two days have proved easy - we were away for a couple of days so went walking around Appleby-in-Westmorland one day, and Dunham Massey the other.

Dunham Massey

An hour a day will test my resolution to go outside no matter what the weather, but I'll try at least :)

Get Outside Day

This Sunday, 29th September, was the Ordnance Survey's annual Get Outside Day, aimed to encourage us all to, well, get outside. If you're a regular reader of my blog you'll know that any chance I get I'll be off outside - gardening, walking, visiting gardens; they're all outside things - so I'd probably have been doing something anyway, but as it turned out we were away for the weekend staying near St Davids in Pembrokeshire, so the day turned out to be more interesting that it might have been at home.

It wasn't a brilliant day weather-wise, but considering the days either side Sunday wasn't too bad. Our first stop of the day was the village of Porthgain - once a busy port handling material from nearby quarries, it's now a sleepy sort of place, particularly outside of tourist season, but still has a couple of art galleries and places to eat.





There'd been a lot of wind and rain overnight and early in the morning but by the time we headed out the rain at least had stopped. The wind was still ferocious, whipping up huge waves - in fact out on the quay it was sometimes hard to stand up! I quickly gave up on any plans of walking along the cliffs to Abereiddi

The sun was just starting to break through the clouds, so we went to the Sloop Inn for lunch hoping things would improve while we were inside.

They did, but it was till too rough for walking at the coast, so we headed into St Davids itself for an hour or so. As cities go St Davids is small, but it's my kind of city, where looking down the street you can see the blue line of the sea.

In a valley below the 'business' part of town lies the cathedral and the ruins of the Bishop's Palace, from this angle seeming to sit in the middle of the countryside

The weather was definitely improving by now, so it was time for the beach.

 There are several to choose from close to St Davids, but Whitesands is the biggest. It faces west though and was still being battered by rough seas, so no chance of going for a swim. I didn't even get opportunity for a paddle as we had plans to climb the hill which overlooks the bay, and I didn't want wet, sandy feet.






Carn Llidi isn't high (just under 600 ft) but its position gives wonderful views up and down the coast. The climb, first along the coastal path, then inland and uphill, was steeper than I remembered, and I wished I brought my walking boots.

Stopping to admire the view - over Whitesands bay and Ramsey Island, or inland to St Davids - gave me chance to catch my breath and let my legs recover a little before continuing.
























I didn't make it to the top though but stopped at the old war-time early warning station whose concrete footings still remain

As we headed back downhill the sun began to set, so we waited on the coastal path to watch it sink into the sea. A wonderful end to an outdoorsy day.

Three Days in Pembrokeshire - blue skies, wildflowers and sunsets

 We've recently been back down to the far west of Wales, to the countryside and coast around St Davids. Our holiday home this time was this lovely part-thatched cottage in the tiny village of Tretio, from Under the Thatch.

Abereiddi

Two of the three days were absolutely glorious - blue skies, blue sea, and sand that was almost too hot to walk on! We almost didn't want to leave the beach - but we did, to walk along flower-edged paths on the coastal path, up the small "mountain" overlooking Whitesands Bay, round the ruins of Abereiddi's quarries, and out again in the evenings to catch the sunset.

Abereiddi's Blue Lagoon

Whitesands - beach level

Whitesands - from above

Porthgain