Tag: villages

A Continuing Adventure

Sometimes things just don’t work out as planned. Such is the case with my English expedition. The plan was to meet my sister in Stanton, the Cotswolds, spend a couple of nights in this cosy B&B, and then continue on to her home in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Well, the entire family came down with COVID (again) so as my Google Maps app says, “re-routing, re-routing”. Missing Mandy, I nevertheless found old ruins to explore, traditional pubs in which to dine, country walks for exercise and also for photo opportunities. Here are a couple more of those Cotswold area photos. Next, instead of going to Wales, I am heading in the opposite direction to the Isle of Wight, where I have found a place to stay that is part of the Home Exchange program that I belong to. Currently I am on a train bound for Portsmouth Harbor, and I will get the hovercraft from there to the IOW Ryde ferry terminal. I don’t yet have the exact address of my destination in Ventnor, IOW. Just praying that info comes in by the time I get there!

Hailes Abbey Ruins
Hailes Church, circa 1135
Hailes Church interior
Village of Nauton
Old Mill, Lower Slaughter

Driving the False Bay Coastline

There is so much to do and see in and around Cape Town that it is hard to narrow your choices. I chose to spend yesterday following the coast of False Bay and stopping off at the various beaches and fishing villages along the way. Long before GPS was invented, the sailors of old returning from long sea voyages to the east confused this picturesque bay with the more famous Table Bay a bit further along the coast, thus giving False Bay its name.

False Bay is an huge C-shaped curve in the coastline to the southeast of Table Mountain. At its widest point it is a staggering 20 miles across the bay! The bay is littered with small villages and numerous long sandy beaches, some of which have managed to escape any form of urban development. One of my favorite spots and a place I have visited numerous times over the years is the fishing village of Kalk Bay. As they have since the early 1900’s, the brightly colored boats ply the clear waters daily, bringing in fresh fish that is sold at the harbor upon their return. Seals await the scraps and compete with the seagulls for the choice portions.

The picturesque railway line that connects all the little towns along the coast is an important commuter link with the city of Cape Town.