Had an absolute wonderful time at Anne and Steve's, in Pontypool. The mudgather was very enjoyable, filled with warm and bright folks, great food and great conversation. We gabbed so much, we didn't get to any music. It was a welcomed change, to just chat with folks. I enjoyed it very much.
Off to Gower.
I headed home with Andrew and Carol to Gower. They explained the beauty during the drive and Carol lamented the darkness preventing me from seeing it. They warned me that I would merely have to lift my head from my pillow in the morning and look out the window for the proper introduction. They weren't exaggerating.
Such a lovely community, Llangennith, stunning landscapes, the sea, the hills... Amazingness (yes, I'm making that a word).
Carol took me on what turned out to be just about the best hike I have ever been on in my 38 years. Top 2 if not #1. Up, across, down, over and upon the Rhossili Downs, Beach, and Cliffs. Every step, the view just kept getting better. We huffed and puffed our way to the top and back down the other side where the cliffs were. No guard rails, no safety nets, hundreds of feet down and gusting winds. Exhilarating beyond belief. We stopped to have a pint at a pub with a deck right on the edge of the cliffs. Best view of any restaurant that I've ever been to, hands down.
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| Max2uk10 - Gower |
With the day's sightseeing behind us, still dizzy from what I just saw, we were off to Dame Patti's for tea (which means dinner here), then to Llantrisant Folk Club for a floorspot, more mudcatters and more good times. Dinner was lovely, and they had a fiddle player friend, Ross, down from Scotland who's company I also enjoyed very much.
Off to Llantirisant (pronounced: ...I have no idea, the Welsh language eludes my comprehension).
Great folk club, great room, great people. More mudcatters, more great songs and stories I've never heard before and more love. Dame Patti is a hoot and her and Ned really run a great club, very entertaining, loving and warm, a real solid community, which is what it's all about after all.
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| Llantrisant Folk Club |
The next morning, we got all packed up, with Carol and Andrew dropping me off in Oxford to catch a double decker bus into Victoria, London, they continued on to The Wail which I'll be off to after a day in London. Saying a ceremonious goodbye to Wales we re-entered England on the way.
The bus ride was fun, great view, Wifi giving me a chance to catch up on some emails, and just quiet and calm before the big city. I met Micca, after a few laps around the station. It was London rush hour by the time I got there, so it was bustling, and I'm lugging my luggage and looking for a wee man among thousands. Took a little while, but we found each other and were off to Liz the Squeek's house and a session at the Black Lion Plaistow, on the east side of London. Liz was kind enough to feed and lodge me for the night and I am grateful. More of the same goodness I've come to find on my rambles.
The Black Lion was a really cool joint. An old carriage pub with several rooms and a couple of different buildings. Seemingly like a Victorian age truck stop. Pull the horses round back to the stables and pop in for a pint. Very quaint and nicely appointed, very cozy room. Not a lot of folks, but it was a fascinating mix. We had a bunch of Irish session players (top notch who did most of their talking with their exceptional musicianship), mudcatters and blues players. Irish tunes and American Blues, seamlessly interchanging. It was kind of funny, and a whole lot of fun. It was comforting and a pleasure to see Richard and Hils again after my Wales jaunt too. They relieved me of one of my two suitcases, lightening my load for my impending adventure into London the next day.
London ho!
I got up at the crack of dawn and ventured into the city with the commuter crowd. I was on my own, though well instructed by Liz who was kind enough to spend a considerable amount of time with me the night prior explaining to me the transit system and city layout. Her plan was perfect, by the way.
I got off the Tube at the Westminster stop and spent the morning walking up the Thames, crisscrossing over the various bridges seeing as much as I could in the 4 hours I had before meeting a friend for lunch at The George Inn. I did all the tourist things, snapped hundreds of pictures, went up in the Eye, Big Ben, The Globe, The Tower Bridge, just a lovely walk on a perfect day. Had the time of my life, just awesome.
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| Max2uk10 - London |
Had a great lunch with my friend Judd, who I think I may have turned into a mudcatter with stories of my adventure and the characters and kindness surrounding it. Tried London fish and chips, which as warned were not as good as the Whitby Cod, but better than most in America.
Micca met me at the George and got me to Waterloo station so I could catch the train back to Leatherhead in time for tea (dinner). Liver and bacon with carrots, mashed potatoes, asparagus and a chocolate tart for desert. After dinner, Terry and I worked out some numbers together for the spot tomorrow night. Blues guitar with whistle and mandolin accompaniment, this should be interesting.
Off to the Wail in the morning, then a spot at Lewes Folk Club, supporting one of HIls' gigs, so I am very excited to see her perform and to jam with Terry Leadfooted Leadfingers Silver. Then back late and up early again to catch my plane back to the states.
Wow.
So, not much happening here, just the usual...