C is for CHURCHILL's CHARTWELL

Last August, I had the privilege of visiting the family home of Sir Winston Churchill that is named Chartwell.  I could go on and describe everything we did, but suffice to say we spent the entire day there.  It was absolutely magnificent!  We were not allowed to take any interior photographs, but I did get lots of the exterior and the grounds.  I found the following online and it says it all, so enjoy reading it and watching my little slideshow that follows. And don't forget to turn up the sound.

Chartwell was the family home of Sir Winston Churchill from 1922 until his death in 1965. The house is situated 2 miles south of Westerham in Kent off the B2026 road.

Churchill loved the house, especially the view over the Weald of Kent. He modernised the originally rather gloomy Victorian mansion by adding a garden wing consisting of three large and attractive rooms. Churchill's wife Clementine made her contribution by choosing the comfortable furniture and floral chintz curtains. The estate, consisting of 80 acres, gave Winston the peace and tranquility that he loved, and he relaxed by painting in the garden or in his studio and by transforming the grounds with new lakes, and robust brick walls built with his own hands.The Chart Well which rises on the western boundary of the site fed the existing lake and gave the estate its name.

During Churchill's first five years at Chartwell he was Chancellor of the Exchequer; this was followed by what has become known as his wilderness years in the 1930's when he was out of office and did much of his writing to keep the family finances afloat.
 
With the rise of Fascism in Europe, Churchill passionately argued the case for rearmament, and his inspired leadership during the war years are a permanent part of our history. Chartwell was closed up during the war years, except for the occasional visit. Despite his election defeat in 1945, when the public craved change and a new beginning, he was still widely acknowledged as the greatest living Englishman, and Chartwell soon became a shrine to to his wartime achievements. In 1947, a group of Churchill's friends purchased the house so that he could continue living there and, in 1966, Chartwell was opened to the public for the first time.

Churchill's beloved view of the weald of Kent from the terrace was spoilt when the great Storm of 16th October 1987 devastated the woodland landscape on the hillside directly opposite. It will be many years yet before it regains its original character.

Churchill was the greatest orator of his day, the greatest leader of the Second World War, the greatest statesman of his age, and the greatest Englishman of the twentieth century, perhaps of all time. The debt owed to Sir Winston Churchill by the free world remains immeasurable. (from here)

Thanks to the charming Mrs. Nesbitt, the creator of ABC Wednesday, and to the charismatic Roger, our current administrator. Together with the team, they cultivate excitement among the contributors and communicate their caring and classy comments.

By the way, I am Canadian!

B is for BOATS

First of all, I'd like to put out a warm welcome to our "newbies."  The first week of Round 12 brought quite a few new contributors, and I hope they enjoy the challenge of ABCW, created by our beautiful Mrs. Nesbitt and administered by our brilliant Roger.

I don't know why I'm intrigued by boats because I've never owned one.  However, I seem to always be taking photos of them.  It doesn't matter if it's a cruise liner (been on 3 cruises), a sailboat, a fishing boat, a motor boat (used to water ski when younger), or a simple little rowboat.  My DL used to have a sailboat and would love to have another, but I'm a bit skeptical since we are "getting on."  But, look at his beaming face!  Doesn't he look brilliant - I know he's feeling blessed and blissful.

Anyway, I've put together a little slideshow of some of my photos of boats that I hope you enjoy.  Some are from when I was away in England and Wales last summer and some are from my own neighbourhood near Vancouver, British Columbia.

A is for ANDOVER

Welcome to Round 12 of ABC Wednesday, created by Denise Nesbitt and currently administered by our able-bodied and adorable Roger and his team of admirable assistants!  If you are new to ABCW, please be sure to read our guidelines (top left of the website) and link back to it so that others may enjoy our adventures!

This week, I'd like to introduce you to the town of Andover, which lies in Hampshire, England near well-known locales such as Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral. Every time I've travelled to England, I go there to stay with friends John and Marion.  They kindly allow me to get over any jet lag before we travel around the area taking in the sights.  Last summer, they took us to Chartwell, the home of Winston Churchill - I'll be showing you this awesome place in 2 weeks for the letter C.

Andover is also close to the New Forest, which "is a former royal hunting area in the south of England. It was created in 1079 by William I (known as William the Conqueror) as a hunting area, principally of deer.  It is a unique area of historical, ecological and agricultural significance, and retains many of the rural practices conceded by the Crown in historical times to local people. Principal of these is the pasturing of ponies, cattle, pigs and donkeys in the open Forest by local inhabitants known as commoners. The New Forest has also been an important source of timber for the Crown. It is an outstanding recreational area for walking and riding. It is now designated as a National Park."  

Once, we took a drive through the area and actually saw wild horses roaming the countryside and small villages!  It's a beautiful part of England! We stopped for lunch at a typical village pub that has a thatched roof and was called "The Hatchet."  I remember having a traditional lunch of crusty bread and meat paté with Branston pickle! 

The history of Andover goes back a long way to the mid-900's where King Edgar called a meeting of the Saxon parliament at his hunting lodge in the area.  At the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, Andover had a total population of about 500, making it quite a large settlement by the standards of the time.  By the early 19th century, it was a major stopping point on the stagecoach routes to London.  As a matter of fact, John commutes via automobile to London for his job.  

If I could afford to live in England, I'd be airborne right now!  In the meantime, it's awesome to have good friends who always give me a warm welcome every few years.  Enjoy the slideshow and don't forget to turn up your sound.

Z is for ZOO (London)

So far, I've managed each week to bring you a small part of my last holiday in England and Wales.  I was a bit stymied for the letter "Z" but I decided that even though I didn't have the chance to get to it, I would write about the London ZOO.  I did go past it on a canal boat on Regent Canal, but unfortunately my back acted up while I was in London, so a full day of being on my feet was not possible.  And on the news last week, it was mentioned that the ZOO has begun its annual week-long census of the 17,500 animals who reside there. "The zoological director, David Field, said it was vital the data they had stored on the animals was absolutely correct as the information forms the basis of international breeding programmes for endangered species."  Apparently, some species are harder to count than others.  For example, the endangered partula snails, because of their small size and camouflage techniques underneath leaves, must be counted by hand.  Also, the penguins tend to be uncooperative for photographers vying for position to catch a shot of them but the nine meerkats relish the attention!

"To be fair, the laborious count is not just a bureaucrat's idea of a joke. Precise numbers are needed by the International Species Information System, which oversees zoo breeding programmes to help save endangered species.  One species under threat is the Sumatran tiger, two of which are set to move to London Zoo when the new £3.6 million Tiger Territory enclosure opens this Spring." (from here)

Although I didn't visit the ZOO during my last trip to London, I will definitely go back to see it.  After about a half hour into our trip, as we drifted along Regent Canal in a canal boat, we saw the spot where you can get dropped off and picked up.  The birds were on one side of the canal, while other species were on the other.  It seemed as though the canal was winding its way through a thick jungle forest, even though we knew were in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the world!  I hope you enjoy this short slideshow of our boat ride along Regent Canal on the way to the London Zoo.
Great thanks to our own zealous zookeeper Mrs. Nesbitt (after all, she has 6 hens + a cockeral, 3 dogs, and one cat) for creating ABC Wednesday for all of us to enjoy.  Hmmm....I wonder if she grows zucchini!  Also, thanks to our current Administrator Roger who hopefully won't turn into a zombie from all the responsibility he has each week as he minds the site.  If he does, we can always toss him into the tiger zone as a zesty treat.  (Just kidding, Rog!) Okay, I'll zip my lip for now...go watch the slideshow.

Y is for YORKSHIRE

Okay, I promised my posts to the end would be short, but I just did up a slideshow for you all about one of the most beautiful places in the world - YORKSHIRE - where our friend Denise Nesbitt lives, and I'm sorry that it's long, but it's worth it. You will not regret watching it as it just might spur you to consider visiting some day.  I know that I for one WILL be back!

Our visit began with Jill (see her blog here) meeting us at the Grosmont (silent s) train station.  We trudged up the hill with our cases, turned into "Institute Row" and arrived at our cottage.  It was amazing inside - fully fitted kitchen, laundry room, lovely sitting/dining room with TV and fireplace and upstairs the huge bathroom and two bedrooms with queen-sized beds in each!  Denise turned up with fresh eggs, which we cooked up for dinner...yummy!

The next day was cloudy and threatened rain, although it was warm.  We had been pleasantly surprised by the village with all it had to offer people, so we decided to poke around.  We passed the old schoolhouse that had recently been renovated as a cafe, the village church, the tunnel through which the steam trains chugged past a gorgeous garden, and ended up at the train museum.  Coming back, we stopped at the schoolhouse for lunch and then poked our heads inside many of the intriguing shops down the road.

The following morning, Jill phoned and offered to take us for a drive so we accepted.  What a wonderful and gracious hostess she was!  She took us all over the moors and to several neighbouring villages to show us the views, where her grandchildren go to school and church, and the famous village of Goathland where the British TV show "Heartbeat" was filmed.  That was especially exciting for me as I'm a fan of the show.  After that, we went to the North Yorkshire Visitors' Center and had lunch in the "Wooly Sheep Cafe."

We went out to visit Denise one day, too, and had a wonderful visit.  We strolled along the lanes near her home and saw lots of horses, geese and other water fowl, her church and had cuddles with Frieda, one of her German Shepherds and watched her chickens scarf down spaghetti noodles.  She served us tea and scones in her lovely and cosy kitchen and we got to see up close her new Aga!

I could tell you so much more, but I'll just let you watch the slideshow (and turn up the sound) to see for yourself that Yorkshire is a beautiful area of the world!  I'll leave you with one more thing:

!HAPPY NEW YEAR!

X is for XMAS

We who post at ABC Wednesday are lovers of the alphabet, and we are sometimes fascinated by the flexibility of the letter X.  It can be used to represent the sacred, the profane (X-rated), and the unknown (X-ray).

How many of you have ever wondered why "XMAS" is used as a short form for the word ''CHRISTMAS"?  How many of you really know the reason.  Have you ever heard the saying "Jesus is the reason for the season"?

The history of the word "Xmas" is actually quite respectable and predates by centuries its use in gaudy advertisements.   X is the Greek letter "chi", the first letter in the word Χριστός.  And here's the kicker - Χριστός means "Christ."  Using the letter X to represent Christ, known as a "christogram," has been an accepted representation of Christ for hundreds of years. 

Therefore, in order to fulfill my promise of a short post this week, may I wish you all MERRY XMAS! 

W is for Woodstock Terrace

I started planning my trip to England and Wales about a year ago.  My friend Cathy and I worked on our itinerary, making plans to visit old and new friends in both countries and on the Isle of Man.   In the meantime, my dear Lorne had been applying to work for the London Olympics and we were hoping that if he got the job, I'd stay on longer to be with him for a while before returning home to start the school year with my tutoring.  Well, it was all a whirlwind when everything started happening!  Within two weeks, he had everything arranged after one video interview and two long distance telephone interviews.  On May 16th, I drove him to Vancouver International Airport, kissed him good-bye and off he went!

I never said anything about it (except to personal friends) because of security clearances...everything he did in his job was on a "need-to-know" basis as he was dealing with extremely high level security for  VIPs, Heads of State, international Royalty, headline acts for the ceremonies, and more.  Read into this as you may but yes, he probably either met them or at least saw them go through his area.  Working under him were over 2000 British Army troops, 20 Met Police, 8 dog handlers, 3 Venue Managers, etc.  I was so proud of him but missed him terribly!

We had to find him a place to stay at the last minute so went online in search.  Luckily, we found a room that was located about halfway between the Canary Wharf LOCOG office and the Olympic Site in Stratford.  It was on Woodstock Terrace in a row of homes bordering on a park.  It was okay, but even though the weather from May to July was horrendously rainy and cold, the landlady wouldn't allow him to turn on the heat.  He used to huddle under his comforter fully clothed trying to stay warm during his "off" hours while he read and read and read.  There was no TV or radio and no internet access, either.  He'd go over to the library around 7pm every night and contact me at home (11am my time) and we'd "chat" online for an hour - the allotted time.  If he couldn't make it, he'd email me wonderful letters full of all the news he could give me - his emails were monitored for security!  I saved everything - printed out all the emails and the "chats" we had and now have a large binder full of our correspondence.  It'll be fun to read through it again one day.

Finally, the day came when Cathy and I were to leave on our holiday.  I could hardly wait because it was now down to counting the weeks and days instead of the months before Lorne and I saw each other again.  As you probably have been reading, we had a great holiday for 2 1/2 weeks until we got to Yorkshire.  He phoned to tell me he was in the hospital with osteomyelitis!  Several weeks prior, he'd tripped over some cables on site and banged his big toe on a stairwell.  Long story short, he had unknowingly broken it and a few weeks later, he started to feel really sick.  He was transported by ambulance to Homerton Hospital where he was admitted, put immediately on IV antibiotics to get the infection under control before undergoing a partial amputation.  The surgery was to be on the Friday so Cathy and I headed to London on Thursday and went right away to the hospital after checking in at our hotel downtown.

Two trains and a 15-minute walk later, the poor guy was quite the sorry sight all hooked up to tubes, unshaven and hair all tousled.  Once I was there though, he relaxed a bit and was ready to do whatever it took to get him better.  He insisted that Cathy and I do some fun things in London while he was in the hospital because he didn't want to ruin our holiday.  So we did.  Visiting hours were strange (from 11am to noon and then from 4pm to 8pm) so I usually ended up going around 4pm and staying until around 8 until it started getting dark earlier and earlier.

Once Cathy left to return home, I moved over to the house on Woodstock Terrace.  Although the location was great for Lorne regarding work, it was in East London - not the best place for a WASP woman to be staying alone.  Drug deals went on in the middle of the night below the window and I looked very out of place walking amongst the women wearing hijabs peeking through the slits in their masks and amongst the blackest of black Somalis.  Lorne worried a lot about me being alone there, but I reassured him that I always had my keys out sticking through my fingers as a weapon and I always walked as though I knew exactly where I was going.  I really didn't think the area was that bad because I always saw lots of families around.  It just wasn't what one usually imagines when one thinks about the city of London.

Here's a funny story about something that happened after Lorne got out of the hospital but before he was well enough to fly home.  In the slide show to follow, you'll see some security guards outside the library about a block away from where we lived.  They also roamed around inside watching for theft and any disruptions.  Anyway, as there was no internet access at the house, we had to go to the library in order to check out flights home, contact our travel agent and family, and print out boarding passes.  We're there one day trying to work when suddenly there was an eruption between two young men, both big and black!  I was rightly p***ed at all the noise they were making and their cursing, so started grumbling at Lorne to do something.  He just told me to mind my own business because these guys could be dangerous.  But I was so stressed out about everything that I suddenly erupted at them and said, "Will you guys PLEASE figure out who beats up whom somewhere else!  People are trying to work here!"  Well....dead silence....and then one of them said, "Oh, sorry Ma'am!" and they left!  No one could believe this old white lady standing up to these punks!  I started to laugh while everyone else just stared at me open-mouthed, including Lorne.

The day Lorne finally got out of the hospital he insisted on taking me out to dinner in the neighbourhood.  We went to his favourite Chinese food restaurant and I was very impressed.  After dinner, he said we had to keep going further down the street because he had a surprise for me.  We ended up at an old 50s-style diner where we ordered ice-cream sundaes!  I even had the waiter take our photo!  We were both so happy that day to be able to finally be together again, knowing he would be coming home early with me instead of staying on until the end of October. But before coming home, we went to Wales to visit my friend Jane. You might recall my post R is for Rhossili here.

Warm thanks to Mrs. Nesbitt, the wonderful creator of ABC Wednesday and to Roger, our current administrator of the site.  Without them, we would not be here sharing all our witty and whimsical posts. We welcome all newcomers and would love our "oldies" to continue in the upcoming Round 12.  As well, we welcome anyone who is interested in participating on the team by visiting about 10 posts other than the ones you already visit.  Please contact Roger at ABC Wednesday here.

Enjoy the slideshow about my experiences living on Woodstock Terrace in London - I know it's long, but the next last 3 posts of the year will be short - I promise! 

Also, since next Tuesday is Christmas Day and in Canada Wednesday is Boxing Day,

I'd like to take this moment to wish everyone, wherever you are in the world, a very

Merry Christmas!

V is for VAULTS GARDEN CAFE

My friend Anne and I were valiant vagabonds as we strolled towards Radcliffe Square in Oxford. Suddenly, we came upon a couple of bicycles leaning against the stone wall.  Each had a basket full of colourful vegetation and a sign indicating a cafe that welcomed one and all - the Vaults Garden Cafe.  It is named the Vaults because of its proximity to the Radcliffe and Bodleian Libraries - an apt name, I thought. Although we didn't go in (no time), I did stop and take a few shots of the bikes as they were indicative of the area, the contemporary yet historic heart of Oxford.  The cafe opened in 2003 and offers unpretentious hospitality, local organic food, a vibrant environment, and affordability.  The cafe will provide picnic blankets so you can dine on the lawns or you can sit inside the "Old Congregation House" with its vaulted ceilings, which dates from 1320. Next time I'm in Oxford on vacation, I'll definitely pop in for a bite to eat, preferably on the lawns.

I played around with my two photos of the bikes and I hope you like them.  Sometimes it's fun just to see what you can do with colour and saturation even though the photo may not look "real."  They are vibrant, though, and I feel victorious about being able to do this! First, one original -

and then my vicarious thrill of changing colours.

Then the other original -


 and my other attempt at variety.
Venerable thanks to Mrs. Nesbitt, founder and creator of ABC Wednesday and her valiant sidekick, Roger, who has taken over the administrative reins of the site.   We have been very fortunate in having voluminous posts on ABCW but without our volunteers to assist with the visitations, poor Roger and Mrs. Nesbitt would be vulnerable to virtual exhaustion.  So if you'd like to participate in visiting about 10 posts per week, please contact Roger here at ABC Wednesday.

U is for the UNDERGROUND

I had lots of practise during this past holiday in England using their Underground system of transportation.  Along with the Underground, I rode the Overground, the Docklands Light Rail System (the DLR), a canal boat and the trains.  Because I stayed in East London for 3 weeks, I always carried a convenient map that showed the routes so that I could plan my mini-trips.  I went to places like downtown London, Canary Wharf, out to Essex, up to Oxford, to Camden and Little Venice on the Regent Canal, and to Stratford where the new uber mall is located.  It wasn't long until I was boarding and unboarding like a native.  And I also learned why everyone ran to get the next underground, overground, or train.  Most people, and I got one too, have Oyster cards that are prepaid, so the longer your trip lasts, the more it costs.  Therefore, the sooner you catch your connection the sooner you get to your destination...thus, cheaper!

My travel partner, Cathy, was with me for 4 days in London at the Carlton Hotel right across the street from King's Cross and St. Pancras stations.  When we rode the trains together, we always got a seat even if there were none available - very nice gentlemen would stand up for us.  However, after she left I hardly ever got a seat.  She says it's because of her white hair!  Maybe so.  *Sigh*  We got there just as the Paralympics started and I must say the Stratford Station was a horror to get through!  But I was still in London when it was all over and travelling to and fro was much easier.  I have to admit, though, that I got turned around a couple of times and caught the underground tube going the wrong direction!  It's weird to descend so far underground, twisting and turning directions to find your track that you lose your sense of where North, South, East and West are.

After Cathy left, I moved over to Lorne's place and every day for 3 weeks, I travelled on the DLR and then transferred at Stratford Station to the Overground to Homerton to visit my dear one in the hospital, who ended up there after an accident while working in London.  He unknowingly broke his big toe, which ended up becoming infected and then it developed into osteomyelitis (infection of the bones) which went through his entire system.  The end result was a partial amputation which left him in the hospital for 3 weeks on IV antibiotics!  Good thing I was in the country so I could stay on with him until he was well enough to come home.  But before we did, we travelled to Wales so he could meet my unbelieveably wonderful friend Jane and her beau Neil.  We took the train from Paddington Station after getting there from the DLR to the underground Bow Church station and out to Paddington on the Hammersmith & City Line underground train.

I managed to get some photos of some of the Underground stations, the DLR, and other methods of transportation so I hope you like the short slideshow today. I have to tell you though that #5, 6, and 14 are from Google but all the rest are my shots.  Enjoy the ultimate in London travel.
Finally, thanks to the upstanding Roger for his unwillingness to desert the post as our current administrator of ABC Wednesday.  He and his useful staff of probably unqualified but undeniably eager helpers urgently encourage you to consider joining the team.  All that is necessary is to utilize a few minutes of time to visit a few blogs (usually 10) along with your usual favourites.  Since Round 12's new heading with soon be unveiled and will begin at the New Year, why not make it a resolution to just try it out for this Round?  You just might find it utterly uplifting!  Contact Roger through ABCW site here.

T is for the THAMES

The Thames River is the longest river in England.  It flows right through the city of London, one of the biggest cities in the world and with its total length of 346 kilometres (or 215 miles), it has both its beginning and end within the country.

I'm sure those who have visited London remember seeing Big Ben, the Parliament Buildings, the London Eye, London Bridge and other locations that line the banks of the city.  Also, most of the world tuned in last June to watch Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee celebration with myriads of boats parading down the Thames for hours!  Even though it was pouring rain, it did not dampen the spirits of over a million people lining the shores - or the billions watching from home! (photo courtesy Google)

Having visited England a few times, I have had the pleasure of being on the Thames when I travelled to Hampton Court Palace (by coach) and returned to the city by boat.  As soon as you're outside the boundaries of the city of London, the sights are wonderful.  Lush green lawns slope down to the shores as you pass the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew and historical Richmond.  The river winds and twists its way into the bustle of crowded London.

While staying in London on my latest trip, I visited Canary Wharf, formerly known as the Isle of Dogs, that juts out into the Thames.  It is now well known as the second major financial district in London.  It also contains most of the tallest buildings in the United Kingdom, including the second-tallest - One Canada Square. (my photo)

One day, I took the train out to Essex, north-east of London.  I got off at Billercay and Chris, a blogging buddy, met me there.  We drove to her home nearby where I met the husband Mike and the darling dog Nell.  It was so nice to be out of the hustle and bustle of London and in a beautiful suburb only 20 minutes away.  After coffee and getting to know each other a bit, we all left for a divine drive out to Southend-by-Sea where the Thames River flows into the North Sea.  What a different view of the river!  Here it widens out so much that it's hard to see the other side.  It was a very windy day but we managed a lovely stroll along the waterfront where I managed to get some photos of the palm trees swaying in the wind, sea birds, and whitecaps on the water.  Across the street, I got some shots of the gorgeous gardens and some of the hotels and buildings that loomed over the cliff above.

Apparently, this little area is famous for its summer atmosphere and the longest pier in the world!  It is also the home of the original Rossi Ice Cream on the Western Esplanade.  This year is its 80th anniversary of making premium artisan ice-cream with fresh milk, butter, and double cream.  Since the day was a bit cool, we chose to sit outside on the patio with coffee but I absolutely must return on a hot summer's day to taste the ice-cream! (photo courtesy Google)

As you can see, the Thames River has lots to offer along its 364 kilometres.  From the regions of Oxford, Reading, Henley-on-Thames, through Windsor, Richmond, London and all the way to the tidal section on the North Sea, you'll encounter rolling hills, palaces and castles, a thriving capital city, and even sandy beaches!  I hope you enjoy the short slideshow of some of my photos of the river in both London and at Southend-by-Sea.  Only #1 and #16 are courtesy of Google...the rest are my shots!

Tremendous thanks go to Mrs. Nesbitt, the creator of ABC Wednesday and to our current administrator of the site, Roger!  Without the two of them, we might be in a tight spot trying to tie our posts together.  Please encourage your friends to join us, but do remember to ask them to read the rules and guidelines so that we can continue to share our tasty tidbits with each other.  And now on with the show! Tada!

S is for SWANSEA

 

Continuing with the saga of my summer holiday, I bring you the spectacular and sprawling seaside city of SWANSEA!  The city is situated in the shadow of seven hills along the inspirational coastline of the Gower Peninsula.  The scenery is breathtaking and there's lots to do in the area - water skiing, golf, hang gliding, and pony trekking.  I didn't get enough time there but do plan on returning some day!

In the 10th century, Scandinavians built a fort here and named the place after their leader, Swein.  By the fourteenth century, the Welsh had established ship building and sea fishing traditions which would span succeeding centuries up until now.  

Two of the most famous people who have come from Swansea are the poet Dylan Thomas and the actress Catherine Zeta Jones, who named her son Dylan after the poet.  A bronze statue of Thomas faces the long, splendid and curving shore, which was the inspiration for his early work.

If you're a regular reader here, you will recall that last week I wrote about Rhossili, which is part of Swansea's charm.   All along the coast are more spectacular views of the Gower Peninsula, including the area called Mumbles. 

From the pier in Mumbles, opposite the city of Swansea, I was able to capture a few photos.  

Right above is a photo of the Swansea Yacht Club building and below is the famous Mumbles Lifeboat Station, which officially opened in 1904.  For over 170 years, the station and its crews have received 33 awards for gallantry although it has also witnessed tragedy when 18 lifeboat crew lost their lives saving others at sea.   

Finally, speaking of saving lives, I'd like to tell you about Swansea Jack, a famous black retriever that rescued 27 people from the docks and riverbanks of Swansea. His first rescue, in June 1931, when he saved a 12-year-old boy went unreported.  A few weeks later, this time in front of a crowd, Jack rescued a swimmer from the docks.  His photograh appeared in the local paper and the local council awarded him a silver collar.  In 1936, he had the prestigious "Bravest Dog of the Year" award bestowed upon him by the London Star newspaper.  He received a silver cup from the Lord Mayor of London and he is still the only dog to have been awarded two bronze medals (the canine V.C by the National Canine Defence League...The legend has it that in his lifetime he saved 27 people from the Docks/River Tawe.  swansea Jack died in October 1937 after eating rat poison.  His burial monument, paid for by public subscription, is located on the Promenade in Swansea near St. Helen's Rugy Ground.  In 2000, Swansea Jack was named "Dog of the Century" by NewFound Friends of Bristol who train domestic dogs in aquatic rescue techniques. (from Wikipedia)    

Supreme thanks to Mrs. Nesbitt, the founder and creator of ABC Wednesday and to her superb and stalwart second Roger, who is doing a slick job as he currently administers the site.  Also, thanks to my friend Liz from "Finding Life Hard" who so generously played tour guide in Swansea by showing us its staggeringly striking stretches of sublime scenery!

R is for RHOSSILI

Since this week is brought to you by the letter R, I'd like to send out three rousing cheers (RAH! RAH! RAH!) to our regal ABCW administrator for this round - that resplendent rascal ROGER! Isn't he doing a radical job?  He is remarkably reliable and respectful to everyone who participates.  Just remember, though, he's razor-sharp in noticing posts that don't follow the rules.  So please review them carefully and be sure that your contribution relates to the weekly letter by using some words with it and refer your post to ABC Wednesday site.  We all would like to remain with the original representation created by our one and only Mrs. Nesbitt. That's only reasonable, don't you think?

Rhossili is located at the most Western part of the Gower Peninsula in south Wales. The most photographed part of Gower, The Worms Head, stretches out to sea and becomes an island when the tide comes in. The breathtaking view is completed by the long sandy beach and the towering cliffs and this makes it a popular destination throughout the year with surfers, paragliders and ramblers. However, Rhossili still manages to maintain its tranquility and unspoilt beauty. 

The village and surrounding area are steeped in history. The prominent wreck of the Helvetia, which ran aground on Rhossili Bay in November 1887 bears witness to the challenging weather conditions and the tales of our ancestors, who lured boats ashore to plunder their hold. The arch over the doorway of the church dates from the twelfth century and is believed to have been moved from the lost village (built in around 1100 and buried possibly by sand storms some time in the early part of the fourteenth century). 

Remains of stone age man were found in Paviland Cave and fourteen Bronze Age burial chambers and two Neolithic burial chambers (Sweynes Howes) have been identified on Rhossili Down.

Add to that a handful of Iron Age promontory forts and nobody can dispute that Rhossili is not only beautiful but full of history too! (Oh... and it can be very windy, so come prepared!) 

The parish of Rhossili stretches from the village itself towards Scurlage and encompasses the hamlets of Middleton, Pitton and Pitton Cross. There are plenty of establishments that offer various types of accommodation and many coves and beaches to visit and spend an afternoon. Walkers are most definitely in their element with some of the most fantastic views on offer and try not to miss one of our sunsets!   The above comes to you courtesy of http://www.the-gower.com/villages/Rhossili/rhossili.htm and if you click the link, you can see lots of great photos of the area. 

I had the wonderful privilege of seeing Rhossili courtesy of my friend Liz at "Finding Life Hard" here.  We "met" online blogging and on Facebook and then when she came to Vancouver a few years ago, we met for lunch at Granville Island's "Beaches" restaurant dining al fresco by the water.  We continued to correspond and this summer was my turn to see her on her home grounds.  She drove Cathy (my travel partner), Jane (my good friend who lives in Newport, Wales), and me to Rhossili for a distinctly pleasureable day.  My first reaction to the view was utter shock and awe!  Now, I must say I have seen some spectacular scenery during my travels, but Rhossili absolutely took my breath (and words) away! This time, we dined at Bar Helvetica on the patio overlooking resounding views! (photo below courtesy of Mr. Google)

I didn't get to see the churches or the Iron Age forts or even the hamlets that surround the area.  Because of that, I simply must return one day to spend even longer in the area.  I might even try out one of the many bed & breakfast inns or even a self-catering cottage.  Rhossili is a photographer's paradise and as such, I just have to get up on the top of the downs and try to get some sunset shots!  Finally, I want to be able to walk along the body of the "worm" and get out to the worm's head before high tide comes in.  To do that, one has to be prepared and know the right time to give it a go.  And if I can do that, I'll get to see some of the remains of the famous "Helvetia," the ship that ran aground here in 1887.  You can read more about the Gower Peninsula here.

I put together a nice little slideshow showing my photos of Rhossili and put it to the music of "Epic Journey" and "Panorama".  I hope you enjoy the scenery!  But remember, you just have to go there and see it for yourself.  In the meantime, sit back, turn up the sound and be prepared to be taken away on a cloud to the most romantic place!