Bank Holiday outing

I drove through a quiet city centre to St German's on this Bank Holiday morning to celebrate Mass in honour of the martyrdom of St John the Baptist for five worshippers. Then I picked up Owain for an excursion to the Gower, for a walk and a picnic. Though cloudy, the weather was just perfect for a good stroll. 

Traffic was reasonable for most of the journey, but on the outskirts of Parkmill on the last stretch, we ground to a halt in a queue of cars which only progressed when drivers decided to turn around and take another route. After ten minutes, we did likewise, and took the road across Clyne Common, up and over Cefn Bryn to avoid Parkmill and reach Oxwich Bay. Traffic everywhere else was reasonable, and the diversion gave us a chance to stop at the top of the ridge to enjoy the view and take a brisk walk down to Arthur's stone, the megalithic tomb overlooking the Loughour estuary.

The beach front car park at Oxwich was full and hundreds of people were out enjoying clement weather. The vast beach hardly seemed full however, especially as the tide was out as far as it could go. It meant we were able to walk straight across the sands to Three Cliffs Bay and eat lunch there at the foot of the cliffs. We climbed up the long sandy footpath on to the cliff top for the first stretch of the walk back Oxwich, as the turning tide had by that time cut off our return all the way across the sand. The abundant cliff top heather was a remarkable bright purple colour. 

At the northerly end of Oxwich beach, someone had drawn a giant turtle on the sand, over fifty feet long, and best visible from the cliff top immediately above. I wonder if the artist had a companion up on high to advise on proportion and dimensions? Within two hours of our passing by it would be effaced by the incoming tide. An interesting work of art indeed, more ephemeral than street graffiti.

We had tea in the garden of our beloved Oxwich Bay Hotel before driving back to Cardiff. I was certainly ready for it after our brisk five mile afternoon walk.