Yesterday was unremarkably routine, except that I walked into town in the afternoon to buy a new summer jacket. It's nearly time to switch to a warmer one and my existing jacket is worn out. Sure enough, as it's the end of the season, I found just was I was looking for at a forty percent discount. It'll keep now until next spring, unless there's extra warm weather and a special occasion. There was nothing of interest on telly so I spent evening working on the script I'm writing for the play abut St German. I'm quite pleased at the way it's working out so far.
This morning began with out late Saturday pancake breakfast, and by midday we set out to drive up the A470 to visit Parc Penallta on the mountain above the village where I was born. A large area of the former spoil heap (or coal tip as the locals call it) of Penallta Colliery was stabilized, given a forest makeover and landscaped with two big outdoor installations to mark the arrival of the Millennium. I've never been there before, and thought it was about time we did.
After twenty years the woodland has developed nicely not only with vegetation but birds and insects. We saw buzzards circulating, a greenfinch (I think) a big flock of sparrows, and a red bodied dragonfly - there are several ponds and a wetland area. In one open area there's a huge earth sculpture, best viewed from the air commemorating Sultan one of the Penallta pit ponies. There were dozens of dog walkers up there, and the majority of them seemed to be dachshund owners. I wondered if this was their club rally. There's also a large metal sculpture, a dome shaped frame with cast iron sheet panels at ground level, each one with a set of symbolic images representing valleys life, landscape and history cut out of them. Very effective.
The views from the top up and down the Rhymney Valley, east and west, from Maesycwmer to Treharris are lovely, even on an overcast day like today. I was struck by the black outline on the mountain ridge to the south west of the Llanbradach Colliery tip which grew like a scar on the landscape as I grew up. It was a sight I hated because it made a beautiful mountain look so ugly. Nothing has been done to remove it or clothe it with vegetation. I wonder if it ever will?
After walking up to the pit pony site, had lunch in the Rowan Tree pub on the road between Nelson and Ystrad Mynach close to the site entrance. It has a lovely view across farmland in the valley below and we were able to sit at a table in a conservatory on the terrace. Next to the pub is a butchers shop. Much of the pub grub makes use of fresh meat from the shop, supplied by local farms I imagine. I had faggots, mushy peas and pork chippolates with mashed potatoes, generous helpings of delicious traditional fare washed down with a pint of Stella Artois. The we drove to Penallta hill at the other end of the site, and climbed up to the highest point where the Observatory sculpture is located. On the way down we picked a kilo of blackberries and another kilo of crab apples, to turn into a delicious jelly in the next few days.
After supper, I completed next week's Thursday prayer video, and started watching a 'Walter Presents' crimmie called 'Floodlands' set on the section of Dutch Belgian border along the river Meuse. It's about people trafficking and features a black female detective, so it observes issues of institutional racism and sexism in the police and border forces. I find it interesting to watch partly because it is set on a border, since we lived altogether nine years in border territories in Geneva and Monaco.
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