Sail, sun and serendipity: wind-powered, and not-so-solo Mediterranean adventure
(originally published in Cruise Life magazine, December 2012) “We sail,” Captain Sergey Utitsyn asserts firmly. “This is a sailing ship!” He was responding to my temerity in calling the ten-night Star Clipper Eastern Mediterranean voyage from Venice to Athens, a ‘cruise’. And his choice of words really is the best way to describe the Star [...]
The Joy of (solo) Contact
(Originally published in Solo Traveler Blog, September 2012) The simple approach, like so many others to come, is my first solo lesson of this tall ships voyage: even cruising solo, it’s all about the people you’re with. I am overwhelmed by the sheer ‘coupleness’ around me: the elegant pair already perched on bar stools, enjoying a [...]
The Welsh Charles Dickens…
“Better than ever!” was the verdict on the week-long Daniel Owen Festival, celebrating the life and work of the prominent author – often described as Wales’ answer to Charles Dickens. A highlight in Mold’s festival calendar, the event ended on October 22 after close to a thousand visitors enjoyed a week of activities based on [...]
Most Romantic Welsh Island
Mysterious, romantic - yet accessible – Welsh island The romantic magic of Llanddwyn Island (Ynys Llanddwyn) island floats on the sea winds, touches lightly on the purple heather, and joins with the echoing seal calls on the black, offshore rocks. It affects the humans who visit here – even leading to marriage proposals. The island [...]
Welsh wonders – with your dog
An island sojourn for humans and dogs: sand, sea and bracing (and healthy) iodine-filled breezes. With a twist. It’s all in Welsh. Kiah and I are fortunate to live on Sir Fôn (there’s the Welsh already), ready to sniff out the best places for dogs traveling with owners. Anglesey (the English name) is the largest [...]
Learn a little Welsh – make friends:)
An island sojourn for humans and dogs: sand, sea and bracing (and healthy) iodine-filled breezes. With a twist. It’s all in Welsh. Kiah and I are fortunate to live on Sir Fôn (there’s the Welsh already), ready to sniff out the best places for dogs traveling with owners. Anglesey (the English name) is the largest [...]
Respect…
I’ve always been a bit afraid of cows – no reason, just think they can be a nutty, and their curiosity leads them to be very nosey. (That’s ironic, as I’m a very curious journalist…!) Anyway, back to the cows. Here on Anglesey, our public footpaths often cross farmer’s fields – with animals ranging from [...]
Spitting, choking and gurgling? No, I’m speaking Welsh:)
Spitting, choking and gurgling – qualities you may need to speak the intricate Welsh language. Or at least that’s how it is according to local women in the Welsh village where I live. I lead a weekly Conversational Welsh (CS) class – the idea being to allow Welsh learners to chat about everyday things, and [...]
Notes from a dog
A post from Kiah, my beautiful lab/border collie companion. I was in trouble this time, and all because I love to swim. In Toronto, (Canada) I lived in the Beaches – ravines, trails, quirky homes, baseball parks, good sniffs, dogs – great place. Oh, and did I mention the doggie bakery, with lots of delicious [...]
Tie down or fly free?
Kiah, my canine companion, and me were finishing off a lovely Sunday afternon of walking and dawdling (me), and walking and sniffing (her), with a quick stop at a local beach to watch the tide come in. Oh, and to share a sandwich too, as it was about 4 o’clock in the afternoon. As we [...]
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Ffion Llwyd-Jones
