What a difference a week makes

I've spent the day in the garden, everything had shot up so much in just a week, It was crazy.

I put some grass seed down on the lawn closest to the house the week before I went away, I was starting to think It wasn't going to take, but goodness, It had sprouted so much and Is so green!   

My potatoes, which looked like this when I went away....

Now look like this..

Strawberries and a pot of mixed flowers before..

And a week later

My alliums were just starting to come out when I went away, now they have popped out all over.

 Other things are doing really well too

My Hosta is doing really well this year.  I've had to move it today as we couldn't open the conservatory door, this beast is about 5 feet across, and possibly my favourite thing in the garden.

No roses yet but there are plenty of buds so hopefully soon.

My little wildlife pond has filled out nicely, no frogs yet though, which I'm surprised about because we have always had the odd frog or two hopping around the garden.  I've noticed the birds and the squirrels dipping in for a drink though, so perhaps frogs will find their way soon.

Peas, courgettes, peppers and tomatoes are all growing well, not sure the aubergines will produce anything.  I made a rookie error and planted too many seeds for everything and haven't got room to plant them all so will probably offer some up on our streets WhatsApp group, It would be a shame for them to go to waste.

My laptop has the black screen of death, It worked perfectly fine all last week so not sure whats going on, so I had to dig my old laptop out, nothing the matter with the old one except that It's rather slow, It takes about 20 minutes to fire up, once it's going it's ok, 

(a bit like me really 😃😃)  I'll take it in to be looked at next week and fingers crossed it can be fixed.

Have a lovely weekend

-X-

Last day away

 I didn't set an alarm last night so slept late this morning.  I think all the walking and fresh air finally caught up with me. According to the app on my phone I've walked 87,675 steps since I got here last Friday, way more than I walk in a normal week at home.  

I spent some time this morning packing up things I won't need today and taking them to the car,  I have to be out of the apartment by 10am so It will save me time in the morning, then I headed out for a walk.  I went across the promenade, down onto the pier then up to Happy valley where I stopped for a cuppa and a toasted teacake.  As you can see it was very overcast today and by the time I'd finished my coffee it had started to rain.  I was going to walk a bit further but decided to head back as the rain looked as though it was in for the rest of the day.

Happy Valley, It's much nicer on a sunny day

I've really enjoyed the break away from my normal routine this week, I feel so much better in myself for taking some time out just for me. 

 Thank you for following along with me this week and all your kind comments.  

-X-

Portmeirion

 Portmeirion is described as a folly tourist village and is just a little over an hours drive from Llandudno, in a place called  Gwynedd.  Although I've been in the area a number of times this was my first visit.

Portmeirion was designed and built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975 in the Baroque style, no one actually lives there, the buildings serve as hotels or guest accomodation.  It has been the location for a number of films and TV shows, the most famous being the cult TV show The Prisoner. 

The place it'self isn't all that big, I walked around at least 4 times, you can go down onto the beach, although you do have to pay close attention to the tide times, (which are displayed), as the water does come right up to the walls.  You can also walk along the coastal path which starts down by the lighthouse.  There are plenty of places to stop and grab a cuppa or sit and eat a picnic, there are also a few shops selling the usual and one dedicated to The Prisoner merchandise.  It's a place to take your time, wander round and enjoy the peace and quiet.

I took a lot of photos so be prepared, lol

The Prisoner shop

I had a lovely day and It's another location crossed off my list of places to visit.

My last day tomorrow, not sure what to do with my time yet.

-X-

Great Orme walking

 The day started with rainy weather but it soon cleared and the rest of the day was bright.  

It was a perfect day for my walk around the Great Orme, not too warm and there was a slight breeze.  I did this walk for the first time last year but you can see more photos on my Driving The Great Orme post from 2021 here

The walk is around 5 miles long, there are a couple of sections with gradual climbs but on the whole it is is fairly level.  You can start the walk at either the North Shore, just behind the pier or at the West Beach.  I chose to start at the North Shore and end at the West Shore.  I did note last year that If you start at the West Shore the incline is longer than starting at the Pier end.

Considering that the weather was perfect for walking there were surprisingly few people around.  I did see some climbers and had an up-close sheep encounter, which made me smile.

I don't think I'd ever tire of these views, I hope you enjoy the photos

A little 360 of a section of my walk

I've a day out planned for tomorrow, a little further afield but somewhere I've wanted to go for a while.

-X-