08:19:02
The view from one of the bedrooms at the cottage this morning - a frosty start to the day!10:06:10
Miniature ponies on the way into Puzzlewood.10:06:49
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A tree at the entrance to Puzzlewood.
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Heading into the woods...10:12:30
From here on I became rather snap happy and I won't attempt to caption them all...10:12:59
10:13:34
Chie and Erika in Puzzlewood.
10:13:46
I believe these moss covered stones are locally called Scowles, and this site was formerly used for mining iron ore, thus the unusual landscape.10:14:55
The trees since regrew after the mining ceased, create this otherworldly place.
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Erika was also taking lots of photos as we went around.
10:17:10
Not entirely sure the sense of the place comes across in the photos but it was pretty magical.10:18:29
You take the low bridge, and I'll take the high bridge?10:18:40
Wild garlic!10:19:40
I think the walkways through the wood are nicely made - all using higgledy piggledy branches.
10:19:54
Chie and Erika on a bridge.10:19:57
I think this was the aforementioned high bridge.10:20:59
Looks quite jungley here.10:21:54
Nice bit of sunlight shining through the trees now, helping the jungle theme.
10:23:42
Erika wandering through the enchanting landscape.10:24:31
Some steps and some moss covered rocks - or should I say Scowles?10:29:11
10:29:36
There was loads of wild garlic around the wood, but somehow it seemed inappropriate to pick it here.
10:32:51
Erika having a bit of a sit down.10:38:00
I think this is at the furthest extreme of the wood now, before we turned round and followed a different path back to the entrance.10:42:35
10:46:25
The return route took us through more "valleys" and chasms between the Scowles.
10:48:23
I brought my little tripod along and used it to take this self timer shot of the three of us.10:49:33
Erika also used it to take a picture with her ipod.10:50:03
10:50:41
I like the effect of the sunlight here, even though it's a bit washed out.
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10:53:31
I thought these reddish taints in the rock might be iron ore deposits?
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More valleys and chasms here.10:55:27
Some more wild garlic, and an interesting white flower.
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More flowers.10:57:28
Now this sign fits the song a bit better.
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A last parting shot of a huge covering of wild garlic as we were leaving Puzzlewood.12:15:18
For lunch we headed to Symond's Yat, and significantly our first pub visit of 2021. This is at the Saracens Head.12:15:50
Erika reviewing some of her photos from Puzzlewood while we waited for our food to arrive.
12:19:06
The three of us at the pub. Didn't take a picture of our food as I wanted to just get on with it and eat it!12:55:10
Views of the river Wye from Symonds Yat.12:55:33
Weather looks a bit nicer facing this direction.13:03:30
We decided to walk up to Yat Rock after lunch.
13:09:20
Another sign pointing to Yat Rock.13:10:38
Chie and Erika pausing to swap shoes.13:13:46
Some violet coloured flowers (are these in fact violets?) growing next to a mossy rock.13:14:33
The path up to Yat Rock, and the girls seem to be messing about with footwear once again.
13:15:35
Oddly a log with lots of coins stuck into the cracks. Why?13:19:49
I found a patch of wild garlic and paused to pick a few leaves.13:24:29
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More flowers.
13:33:18
At the top we stopped for an ice cream. I'm not sure why we're all sitting so far apart here!13:33:23
Another attempt with me actually in shot now.13:43:00
Erika and her ice cream.13:45:28
The view from near the cafe.
13:47:52
More views from Symond's Yat Rock.13:50:31
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I particularly liked this view. I think that's Coppett Hill and Ross on Wye in the distance.
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The bend in the Wye where a scene in one of the Harry Potter films was filmed.15:18:23
Later on we stopped off in Usk to visit Vera's grave. I thought this blossom by the entrance to the church yard looked nice.15:21:03
Erika made a daisy chain and left it for Vera.
15:21:05
...and this tiny little posy.15:21:48
The church.15:26:52
We had a little walk around Usk, this is one of the houses Vera used to live in there.17:16:02
Erika and Jessica in the garden of her new home in Undy.
17:38:06
Cherry blossom in their garden.19:51:38
A bit of a sunset later on.21:58:43
When we got back to the cottage in Clearwell I had a go at night photography. The trees are obviously in the way a bit here, and there's some patchy cloud, but those things aside there's a decent number of stars here.