Sun and rain
Apr. 14th, 2026 05:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shewhomustYesterday was sunny and mild; since the Bears were due to arrive on an early afternoon train, we didn't stray far, so here's a picture of the gates to he park in Chirk:
It's about time we had a picture of a red dragon! Also, the "bloodied hand of Chirk". It's worth persevering through the many advertisements on this page for two explanations of this badge, one colourful, the other plausible.
Today we were more ambitious: we would head for the Pontcysllte aqueduct, and see whether we were brave enough for the boat trip across the aqueduct, the 'stream in the sky'. Naturally, it rained. Worse, the boat was out of service for maintenance: but the staff were very reassuring, we strolled along to the start of the aqueduct and decided that although we were not tempted to walk across, we might well return for the boat trip later in the week. Meanwhile,durham_rambler wanted to take the advice of our host and visit the Horseshoe Pass. It was a scenic drive up to the viewpoint, provided that your definition of the scenic encompasses low cloud, muted colours and hazy visibility: "a watercolour view," says GirlBear.
By the time we came back to the Horseshoe Falls, though, it was hardly raining at all. The Falls were not what I had expected.
Not a high cascade, but a weir, a marvel of engineering constructed by Thomas Telford to manage the flow of water to his canal, and part of the associated World Heritage Site (oh, yes, in this respect too we are not so far from home). We admired the view, spotted a couple of violets hiding in a bramble bush, and were entertained by the efforts of a pair of kayakers to manoeuvre their craft through a kissing gate. Then we relocated to the Chain Bridge Hotel (no, not the Union Chain Bridge, a much smaller affair) for lunch. Our table looked out onto the river, where the kayak-related entertainment continued: a group of kayakers were removing a boat that seemed to have been abandoned on a bank in mid-river.
And home via Aldi, to buy provisions, which I should now prepare for an early supper ahead of a visit to a folk club.
It's about time we had a picture of a red dragon! Also, the "bloodied hand of Chirk". It's worth persevering through the many advertisements on this page for two explanations of this badge, one colourful, the other plausible.
Today we were more ambitious: we would head for the Pontcysllte aqueduct, and see whether we were brave enough for the boat trip across the aqueduct, the 'stream in the sky'. Naturally, it rained. Worse, the boat was out of service for maintenance: but the staff were very reassuring, we strolled along to the start of the aqueduct and decided that although we were not tempted to walk across, we might well return for the boat trip later in the week. Meanwhile,
durham_rambler wanted to take the advice of our host and visit the Horseshoe Pass. It was a scenic drive up to the viewpoint, provided that your definition of the scenic encompasses low cloud, muted colours and hazy visibility: "a watercolour view," says GirlBear.By the time we came back to the Horseshoe Falls, though, it was hardly raining at all. The Falls were not what I had expected.
Not a high cascade, but a weir, a marvel of engineering constructed by Thomas Telford to manage the flow of water to his canal, and part of the associated World Heritage Site (oh, yes, in this respect too we are not so far from home). We admired the view, spotted a couple of violets hiding in a bramble bush, and were entertained by the efforts of a pair of kayakers to manoeuvre their craft through a kissing gate. Then we relocated to the Chain Bridge Hotel (no, not the Union Chain Bridge, a much smaller affair) for lunch. Our table looked out onto the river, where the kayak-related entertainment continued: a group of kayakers were removing a boat that seemed to have been abandoned on a bank in mid-river.
And home via Aldi, to buy provisions, which I should now prepare for an early supper ahead of a visit to a folk club.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-15 04:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-04-15 05:35 pm (UTC)Funny how answering one question leads to another, isn't it?
The internet will tell you that it's the badge of the O'Neil family, and give you the same story about the rival heirs, in which case it's red because of the blood. But I suspect that red is just a good strong heraldic colour.