Nearby discoveries Sunday, December 17, 2006

High pressure is finally here and this bright and clear weekend we did familiar things is slightly unfamiliar places.

On Saturday we paddled on the east coast of Anglesey from Moelfre to Point Lynas and back, amazed at the calm seas and warmth in the December air. I've paddled in that area before but don't really know it very well. It's not as dramatic as the 'Stacks' and a bit lower lying but quite a lot of wading birds, a few isolated pebbly beaches and not many houses. A late-ish start meant we arrived back just as the sky was turning black. On Sunday, we walked up Cwm Llan and over to Cwm Merch near Nant Gwynant - places I drive past quite often but have never explored. It's a really pretty area and it was great to get to know some of the nooks and crannies of my homeground a bit better. Again, we got back to the car as darkness fell - not too hard to achieve near to the shortest day of the year!