Saturday 13 July 2013

Summer in the Park

Thursday, Mioara, a colleague of Clare's came to stay for a couple of nights, interviewing for a job at the school. Our conversations over meals were fascinating as she came from Romania where she'd studied languages and then come to the UK to do a Steiner teacher training and eurythmy formation course after the fall of the Ceaușescu regime in 1989. As with other totalitarian states Rudolf Steiner's thinking was banned in Romania, yet the ideas persisted clandestinely for a new generation to discover, and were there until freedom arrived to practice educational alternatives.

Yesterday afternoon, our old friends Marion and Oswald came and joined us for afternoon tea, and a catch up session of news. How good it is to have time to relax and enjoy company. Between us, we seem to have a lot to do, so it's not as easy as it should be. 

This afternoon we walked our circuit of Llandaff Fields and Bute Park. There were lots of people out paddling or bathing in the river. How wonderful that it's clean enough to do so these days. I took photos of young boys and girls jumping off Blackweir bridge into the pool of water below deep enough to be safe. It's bound not to be permitted by the Council, but it's impossible to stop. There aren't enough park rangers let alone police officers to spoil the fun on a hot day. Pictures can be found here

We had a drink in Bute Park's 'Secret Garden' cafe, part of the horticultural nursery, which is used also as an education center. Then we tried out all latest recreational additions in among the trees - a mix of 'trim track' and adventure trail furniture - constructed from natural materials, offering a few balancing act challenges along suspended logs and ropes close to the ground. Great for little 'uns, but not so easy for someone my size, as I discovered when I tried, wearing sandals and carrying my camera rucksack. Must have a try barefoot next time.
     

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