A Trip to Wales

03.04.04

0900

We collected the hire car from Battersea. Big notice on car, telling us to return it clean to avoid cleaning charges. This is amusing, as the car is covered in bird shit and mud, with a stained interior. We drove home, loaded up, and were off by

1015

The journey to Old Radnor (about 170 miles) was much quicker than we expected. It was the first day of the Easter holidays, and we thought the roads would be heaving. But, unbeknownst to us, most of Britain was watching either the Grand National or the FA Cup semi-final (at which Manchester United beat Arsenal), so the roads were clear.

We made stops at Tesco's Supermarket in Evesham to buy supplies for the week, and at a pub between Wyre Piddle and Worcester for lunch. When Zan gets hungry, which happens frequently in pregnancy, procuring food immediately is imperative. The nausea occurs when her stomach is empty (which it frequently is, as all nutrients seem to be going straight to Binky the Bump). It is a joy to watch the mysterious process unfold. Zan is still very much Zan, but, at the same time, she is transformed into a sort of Binky factory.

1715

We arrived at Stockwell, our cottage just below the village of Old Radnor.

The place is perfect for our need (which is chiefly to have a quiet week together with lots of fresh air and exercise before Binky is born). It's not a chintzy picture-postcard place, but simply a warm, cosy, and slightly imperfect cottage surrounded by magnificent Welsh rural landscape and conveniently near a rare, old-fashioned tradional pub called The Harp. Having unpacked our bags, we walked through the rain to The Harp for beer (or, in Z and B's case, ginger beer) and nibbles.

2300

We slept like babies. Ah, the country air! until

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04.04.04

0900,

when we woke up much refreshed, and opened the bedroom curtains to reveal the sunny, dramatic, fecund, sheep-covered hills, with cloud shadows racing across them.

As a big-city dweller, I definitely find that being surrounded by open country, rather than endless crowded dwellings as far as the eye can see, enables me to expand and breathe into the abundantly available space. From the Alexander point of view, it's easier to lengthen and widen in an open space than in an enclosed one.

The first task of the day was to make a pot of tea and get Zan three oatcakes to stave off the nausea. After luxuriating in bed for another hour, I made pancakes and we had a leisurely brunch, before heading out at

1200,

for the four-mile walk to Hergest Croft Gardens,

where we viewed the splendid array of magnolias, azaleas (not yet out), fruit trees, daffodils, tulips, and trees and shrubs of all descriptions. But first we waited out a series of April showers in the Tea Room, where Zan had home-made coffee cake and I had leftover lemon-polenta birthday cake (allergic as I am to wheat), and we shared a pot of tea, refreshing after a four-mile windy walk along Offa's Dyke. By

1530,

we were walking back to Stockwell, and getting drenched and sharply wind-blown in the process. At

1715,

we were back at the cottage. My first priority was to get out of cold wet clothes, and and into a delightful hot bath scented with lavender oil. My second was a glass of red wine. Zan's (and Binky's) first priority was a bowl of cereal. Now, at

1945,

she is cooking our supper and I'm writing this diary and feeling indescribably sleepy. Fresh air and vigourous exercise must be the best cure on earth for insomnia.

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05.04.04

1043

Just finished breakfast, after a long but somewhat restless night (howling winds and an unsettled mind), and we're debating whether to go to Hay-on-Wye or Presteigne and Knighton.

It was Hay, in the end, where we spent much of the day dodging showers and darting in and out of the many bookshops. I looked particularly at used and antiquarian sections, and, in the end, found what I was looking for, much to my excitement: a first edition of Constructive Conscious Control of the Individual, the one Alexander book we don't have on our shelves, as it's out of print. But I didn't feel I could afford the asking price of �65.00, alas!

Then a short walk along Offa's Dyke, but long enough to get caught in a shower that got us pretty wet. The weather is consistently inconsistent -- sunshine, showers, wind, hail, rainbows.

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06.04.04

1014

We're observing a nuthatch at the bird feeder, exciting because we rarely see them. Also a pair of dunnocks, a sparrow, a pair of robins, a pair of chaffinches, a great tit and a blue tit. (For American readers, tits are chickadees, and by robin I don't mean the American robin.)

We drove to Presteigne, and went on a three-and-a-half-hour circular walk from there. The first half of the walk took us along sunlit country lanes, through stunning valleys, past countless fields of lambs and ewes. The rich green rolling hills under April showers and bright rainbows are so beautiful that I can't imagine Paradise being better!

We turned off onto Offa's Dyke Path, and the weather changed suddenly -- we were pelted with icy winds and stinging rain from the northwest. But we survived it, and conditions soon became more benign, as we came down from the heights back into Presteigne. We saw some interesting wildlife, including a red kite, a pair of yellowhammers, and a strange black fluffy rodent which must have been a pine marten or something like that.

Back in Presteigne, we wandered the streets, admiring this splendid little town. I played there in the autumn of 1989 (I think it was), and hadn't been back since. We both decided we'd like to live there. The place is full of amazing old houses, and the atmosphere is friendly. As for the surrounding landscape, it is, as I said, like Paradise.

We then drove up to Knighton, where we admired the hilly setting and surroundings and had a refreshing cup of tea.

Then, home to our cottage for a nap, an hour and a half of lute playing,and a short walk to the Harp in Old Radnor (a rare old-style pub) for a delicious supper.

Now, Zan is writing postcards and I'm writing this diary.

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07.04.04

1341

We're sitting in a pub (The Unicorn) in Ludlow, where we've decided to spend the day. The town is stunning architecturally, and full of interesting shops.

11th-century castle, medieval cloth-making centre, royal connections, important centre in Welsh-English border politics, later a major glove-making centre.

Late afternoon, glorious sunshine, and lute practice (as every afternoon this week). The winds have died down, and things have stablized with the higher pressure that's moved in.

Evening, I cooked a risotto.

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08.04.04

1544

We're in the Post Office in the gorgeous and beautifully situated village of Clun -- the PO here is also a tea room, and we're drinking a nice pot of Assam (Zan and Binky are having chocolate cake as well), after a lovely walk -- we headed east to Clunton, walking through the woods south of the river, and circled back through the hills north of the river. The walk was stunning from start to finish. We were even charged by some baby black lambs! They came running at us like mad dogs, while their mothers tried to call them off. They must not have learned to be afraid of people yet!

Before Clun, we took the back roads to Llanfair Waterdine in search of a place to leave the car. We didn't find a spot, but had a sensational drive up the Jack Mytton way towards Offa's Dyke Path instead, by which time we decided to check out Clun instead.

1741

Just back, after a very pleasant stop at the Whimple Nursery outside Kinnerton, where Zan bought some things for the garden: a perennial sweet pea "White Pearl", hardy geranium "Bob's Blunder", and an artemisia "Susanna Mitchell".

Now for a little bit of luting and then one last drink at the Harp.

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09.04.04

1325

We're in the garden of the lovely pub at Gladestry, where we've just had an outrageously good lunch, after a breathtaking walk through the hills from Old Radnor. The weather has changed. After a clear and frosty night, it's a bright sunny windless spring day, easily warm enough to eat outside. It makes a change from the April showers and high winds earlier in our stay.

Before today's walk, we had a look at the ancient church at Old Radnor.

It's well worth the visit, for the medieval floor tiles,

the Tudor organ case,

and the beautiful carved ceiling -- 15th century? Not sure.....

Oh, and the amazing and very ancient pre-Norman (!) font.

We took the "low road" back from Gladestry (seeing,on the way, a stunning display of wildflowers -- primroses, white violets, wood anemones),

tidied up the cottage, and drove back to London. We made it in four hours, arriving home to find the house very cold, and more 40th birthday cards and presents for me (that's nice!), and some beautiful (expected baby) congratulations cards with lovely paintings from two sets of neighbours' kids. We're very moved by all of the good feeling.

2345

I deleted 568 spams and downloaded sixty-odd legitimate emails. And now we're huddled together in a very cold bed listening to an enchanting birthday present: a CD of bird song (part of the Collins Field Guide: Bird Songs and Calls of Britain and Northern Europe -- two CD's and a book).