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Tatteredleaf

January 2023

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Hey guys...this was written yesterday off and on during 16 hours of travel (a wee bit of a long day) so bear with me re: the opening, okay? LOL.

Here you go!

Believe it or not I am sitting on the airplane (a very full airplane, lots of kids) preparing this post. The Boeing 747's have electrical outlets in each seat row which absolutely is divine. Kinda awkward, typing like this lol but it's a long flight so maybe I can at least knock a few pages out on what we did after we got to Cardiff.

One of the places that Nick wanted to go to was a little village outside of Cardiff called Sully. He had some idea that a certain unnamed individual we all know well might live there. Not that he wanted to stalk that particular person or anything...right?

Nick tends to be rather observant, started to pay attention to clues that JB himself provided. Once in Cardiff, it was therefore pretty darn easy to take what little Nick knew...and investigate. A short drive, a parked car, a little walk...



... a little cricket observation (I still don't understand that game, at all) and we had our answer. Yes, it was that easy to find out where JB lived.

I have to add that unbeknownst to me the name of the village WAS mentioned repeatedly on someone's official yahoogroup the day before we first went as I discovered when catching up on news. So, it really isn't stalking

But we are, if anything, discrete. The house is located on the beach with a public right-of-way right behind it--we walked down to the cricket field, then took the trail that we saw others following and sure enough...we saw, we were pretty sure anyway, the deck that had no rails. (oh squee!)

This is a picture of the trail, with people on it...you can see Sully Island, the little bit of land there in the forefront, and if you squint, lol you can see Flat Holm. We never really got close to it but I'd no wish to visit there anyway...

(and don't forget to click on the panorama one to make it bigger.)





LOL. But we being the nice non-super-fan freaky types, just strolled past, talking, checking out the beach, giving sideways glances to the house as we strolled by. One funny thing we saw, just past the beach house was this:



Lotsa dogs go walking along that shore but we both question whether Barrowman's dogs would actually get their little pawsies wet down there. LOL. I say no....

We clamored down to the beach just past his house because of course we had no intention of just standing there staring...and adding this beach to the list of beaches we planned to visit mean actually going down to it and walking along it.

Barrowman's beach was really strange. It was rock, but with giant pits in it--like one would think the moon would look like:





And, up where the tide had come up and receded again, a very strange, nasty-when-you-step-on-it seaweed was left behind.

This is the stuff dried:





And this is it not dried and pop-able. LOL.



We also discovered interesting little things like a crab claw:



and a sign that [livejournal.com profile] ask_captainjack must sell real estate there (he really DOES do everything!):



And a snail. Nick has always lived near the coast and apparently played with snails. He showed me how after awhile, they will coax out and slime your palm. Eww.



And Nick took one picture of me... (click click it!)



And I took lots of him. Here's my favorite--introspective? Nah--probably thinking about JB (and I think everyone's figured out I am not exactly the jealous type...at least not with THIS obsession...):



Yes that is a FLAKE that he bought in Sully's little store (very little store) so we could eat it on the beach.



And one day....we brought stuff out there to hang out and just relax for a couple of hours...as we were sitting on the beach, we saw lots of people walking their dogs. Heck there were always people walking their dogs. One time, a man with two dogs--a yellow lab and a Shepherd of some kind--was out there walking his two. He quite happily talked to us--the Welsh are so friendly it is ridiculous (and wonderful)--after his lab came over and greeted us. The other did not...the man quickly explained he was a cop, and his dogs were working dogs. The lab was a drug lab...true!...in fact she came over and checked out Nick's man purse and our Starbuck's cups lol...and the other was an in-training regular police dog. I knew from other situations that one should never ever be friendly to a police dog...and in fact the man said so. It is all part of their training...poor pups, life is all business.

Anyway! He was a friendly sort and to our amusement he said, "Say, do you watch this television program, Doctor Who and oh etc .etc. Torchwood? You know that the star lives right up there?" And he points right to John Barrowman's house. LOL. No kidding--a cop! Nick tried to pretend we didn't know a thing about it (whistles) but the guy was a cop you don't lie to cops right and besides, we were behaving! Not bothering a soul.

We learned later from JB's neighbors lol that the beach house properties actually extend down to the water line at high tide so we WERE trespassing by being there, but apparently that is okay. (Long as it isn't crazy fan behavior I suppose lol).

I am now squished. The woman in front of me put her seat back. Argh.

Anyway! We chatted with him awhile longer, really laughing after he left that he was so outright sharing about Sully's most famous resident. He seemed downright proud! The funniest thing was he pronounced his name Barryman.

"Oy, yes that John Barryman!" LOL.

We met another man, older gentleman this time who lives over on the near side of Barry (which we could see, and did visit later). He was out with his old black dog that looked as if it had border collie in it. LOTS of the dogs we saw were obvious mixes of border collie--I suspect some pup has a good time regularly around there. LOL. Lots of black dogs with spotty paws. Grin.

Anyway....he too stopped and visited with us, asked us where we were from. Nick's accent is very hard to place...his English is not so much German as....influenced by all the British television he watches, by talking to me, by other shows and movies. He is unique really....and hard to place.

Me on the other hand? I am, sigh, obviously American though once I was asked if I was Australian! (See, where Nick is influenced by the above, I seem to be also, but also influenced by talking to Nick who I admit freely is the person I talk to the most, LOL. No surprise there huh).

I really got a kick though out of being the one people asked about re: accent. I guess where we went not many Americans trundle about... who knows? In any case, I got asked a lot. I loved being the one who turned heads. LOL.

Anyway--this gentleman? He did the same as the copper, chatted us up about JB.

I swear--I am near the front part of the regular class section and there are SO MANY PEOPLE in line to go to the loo. LOL. I also have a baby next to me--not yet two and so far? He is being an absolute DOLL. A rare kid who just is all sweet and cuddly. Only five hours to go--hope he stays as sweet. LOL.

Back to the gentleman. He asked us if we knew who the pride of Sully was, living up there? Did we know who lived up there...and of course I said, "Sure!" and Nick pretended all innocence. Grin. He was a very nice gentleman to talk to, will have Nick check this and add in thoughts as I don't remember what all the man talked about. I do know he mentioned how he likes to talk to people, that it is good to do so and learn about others... he was just very nice. And proud of Sully's #1 guy. LOL.

Onward!

The last day (the real last day--more on that later) came and we had a morning to kill--a few hours--so Nick of course wanted to go back to Sully. And I of course, said sure.

So, we were pretty tired by then, and had bought a short story book....so we took that, got some Starbucks in Cardiff (the first drive-through in Europe, right there in Cardiff--why, who knows? But it is a very nice one) and headed back to the beach.

I took more pictures of Nick of course:





And more of the beach:



It was a cool day and cloudy but between clouds the sun shone bright--I even got sunburned a little, lol--and we were kinda tired, so I lay down on the rocks while Nick read to me. I think I dozed a little...oops.

After awhile, we heard voices. A woman's voice, rather bossy and a man's voice, amused and lol obedient. It was JB's neighbors a couple of houses down from him. We were apparently on their beach...that is when we learned about the properties being owned by the beach house owners and we were trespassing. They didn't mind either, and were really very funny--she was directing her husband to weed a pesky grass out so it wouldn't overgrow everything. She was fussing, he was muttering, but this was all done cheerfully.

They chatted us up too! Asked where we were from...when Nick said Germany, the man said "sorry about that, not your fault" (Nick, fix this?) but he zeroed in on me first. Turns out they'd just come from a visit to South Africa, and they have a daughter who lives in California with her husband so they visit there too.

And, of course, they told us all about John Barrowman, their neighbor! LOL. It was really great. Like the others we met they were both very proud of their neighbor--I got the impression that he was well-liked by all there but they sure aren't very protective of him! Heck I think Nick and I are more than they were (which is why this post is the only one locked--can't be being the reason crazy super-fans go hunt him down in Cardiff, you know!).

In our passings back and forth we saw a real mess, like they had had a pool party (which Nick confirmed later lol when he read that they had actually had a good ol' American Fourth of July Independence Day party at the beach house) and once I saw Scott and JB's dad (Nick wasn't looking lol--that was the return on the first time to the beach--in fact Scott I *think* looked concerned as he saw us walking past on the public ROW but I quite happily launched into husky talk, how my dogs would bound right out of that backyard--so I think we managed to appear non-fanlike ha ha). I saw Carol once up there cleaning the pool, some guy (not Scott, didn't look like) working on the storm gutters, and we saw the dogs...the little Jack Russell and the blonde cocker came close to investigate so I said hello lol.

All casual like, see? We are good.

We really loved that beach, especially Nick. Of all the beaches we saw, it was definitely the most interesting, friendliest, and amusing. Grin.

Oh Nick just reminded me that for those who asked for postcards, we mailed them from the little tiny Sully post office. *beams* Too cool, huh! (Now don't you all wish you'd asked for postcards? LOL. Maybe next time...)
Oh oh! I just remembered, the 2nd to last time we went there, Nick decided we should go straight down to the beach. So of course we looked up toward the beach house and saw someone on the lounge chair, and then someone else standing by that person. It might've been JB and Scott! We screwed up! Oh well.

Still on plane. 5:07 to go to Newark. I hate this flight, the one that takes me away from Nick, away from where I want to be. Sigh. Since I went on the bus this time from Kiel, Nick just had to walk 10 minutes to get back home. I hate watching him walk away, but I always watch, until I can't see him anymore. Am super tired and punchy to say the least, so better close this post off now before I start being mopey on the plane. Not good to do that.

Next up....Cardiff Bay, I think! Lots of fun there too. :)

PS: Okay now I am in Newark/NY airport. OMG. Long layover! And, there is bad weather in the States so some planes are delayed which means now the gate I am waiting at, 103, may or may not be my gate, because the plane before mine is late. Sigh.

But at least I am talking to Nick again...dammit, the first days apart after being together are so damn hard.

Now to see if I can't get this post up in the 2 hours I have before my flight leaves at last. (OBVIOUSLY I FAILED!!! It is now Friday! Forgive me!)

C (and N too)
Tags:

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 05:27 pm (UTC)
ext_289215: (PATD Boys Cartwheels)
From: [identity profile] momebie.livejournal.com
That beach is really interesting. Growing up on the east coast as I have, I'm always fascinated by beaches that are more than sand and dunes and water. The California beaches send me into sense overload sometimes, and that one looks like it would be good to explore for a good long while.

And lol at JB's town-mates. But that's the way of small towns I suppose. There are people in Fernandina who will tell you all about the celebs that live there or have worked there on films. It's mostly sweet.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 05:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paragraphs.livejournal.com
The variety between the beaches was phenomenal, given the small area. We saw sandy, we saw rocky, Sully was moon-cratery...we saw cliff-like (Gwbert, which blew me away)...Wales is such an amazingly diverse country, and so ACCESSIBLE!! (well...okay C roads are a real trip--that's later).

Sully was Nick's favorite beach to visit and...it was mine, too. I miss it, miss being there w/him. Dammit. *sighs*

We will be back.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 05:54 pm (UTC)
ext_289215: (MCR Gerard YOUR FACE)
From: [identity profile] momebie.livejournal.com
Whenever you say C roads it makes me think that they belong to you. :p

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paragraphs.livejournal.com
I OWNED those fuckers...


(apologies for cussing--I usually leave the curse words to Nick lol)

Maybe I should do a RoADS post next... :)

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:06 pm (UTC)
ext_289215: (MCR Frank LOL)
From: [identity profile] momebie.livejournal.com
*sporfle* I'm sure you did dear.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 05:35 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amand-r.livejournal.com
I love that beach. I wanna live on that beach. Like in a house.

I greatly enjoy that in every picture of N, we never get to see his face.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 05:46 pm (UTC)
ext_47419: (Default)
From: [identity profile] cruentum.livejournal.com
Me and you both, buddy.

And it's all part of the mystery.

Off to make pancakes with maple syrup acquired in the village shop.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 05:47 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amand-r.livejournal.com
I'm moving to a giant beachhouse. In Wales. Everyone can come with me.

When the fenship post-its come out, you are not allowed to bitch that it doesn't look anything like you.

Pancakes heal many many wounds. And fill many bellies.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 05:51 pm (UTC)
ext_47419: (Default)
From: [identity profile] cruentum.livejournal.com
I don't bitch. I express my objections in determined fashion. I'm good at that. Also C lied, that pick of me cross-legged was when I was writing postcards which wasn't on the last day but a few days earlier. Just saying.

Mmmmm pancakes *drags self from computer to actually make them*

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 05:52 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amand-r.livejournal.com
You are very civil, I'll give you that. :)

GO MAKE PANCAKES. I WILL MAKE COFFEE.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paragraphs.livejournal.com
Huh. I think coffee sounds awesome...

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amand-r.livejournal.com
I'm still drinking last night's. I made a whole pot, forgot about it, and drank beer instead. Now I'm drinking it and it tastes like fug.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paragraphs.livejournal.com
ewww start over!! start over!!!!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amand-r.livejournal.com
IT WAS MAJOR DICKINSON. I HAD TO DRINK IT.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paragraphs.livejournal.com
LOL!!! :)

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 05:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paragraphs.livejournal.com
That's why you were supposed to fix it before I posted it--growl. LOL!!!!

And you are right that was postcards. Oops. :) I can't remember everything... /kiss/

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 05:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paragraphs.livejournal.com
we might just be neighbors, kiddo... LOL. Wales is in our blood now. :)

Nick doesn't bitch...he MOANS! (wait, that is an entirely different subject...)

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 05:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amand-r.livejournal.com
TOO MUCH INFORMATION.

NO WAIT. TELL US MORE.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paragraphs.livejournal.com
well, I am not right next to him so he can't pop me...but nah, there ARE things we do not share.

Lots of things.

Smile.

(here's another puppy!)

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amand-r.livejournal.com
Haaahahha. Your dogs are made of cute.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paragraphs.livejournal.com
And don't they know it.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paragraphs.livejournal.com
Don't even need a giant beachhouse--really, just something small, with a couple of bedrooms, a sweet kitchen, a little place to eat by the window looking out...smile.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 05:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paragraphs.livejournal.com
LOL I said that to Nick too--"How come I always seem to take pics BEHIND you?" LOL. :)

A beach house has slowly but surely become my dream. I am a land-locked girl, living in the heart of Texas all my life...but Nick's love for the sea has now sunk hard and deep into me. The ocean is just--WOW. Or in this case, for Sully, the Channel. :)
Edited Date: 2009-07-17 05:54 pm (UTC)

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 05:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amand-r.livejournal.com
LOL Nick is crafty.

I don't know why I love beaches, since I am terrified of the water.

My kid thinks your icon is pretty. I tried explaining that it was a dog, but I don't think she got it.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paragraphs.livejournal.com
I have LOTS of pictures of the dogs...it was such a funny position I couldn't' resist. :)

Show her this one--I took this last year when Nick was here--we took the pups to the dog park, then to eat ice cream. So yeah, that is Nick in the picture... LOL!!!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amand-r.livejournal.com
Me: See the puppies?
Her: WOOF! WOOF WOOF!
Me: Uh, yes.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paragraphs.livejournal.com
AWWW!!!!! I love her cuteness! She needs a puppy!!!!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amand-r.livejournal.com
OH DEAR GOD. FIRST LIFTY. NOW YOU.

I can barely remember to feed her.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paragraphs.livejournal.com
LOL. Okay maybe not a puppy cuz you have to feed them lots and I had a HELL of a time getting Maddox house broken. Typical husky male... (I learned that after I had him--I learned ALOT about huskies after I had him--omg! hard dogs, honestly).

Get a rescue dog that has already been socialized and fits your family. Dogs are good for the soul! :)

Lifty is a wise man...

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amand-r.livejournal.com
Yeah, I fear for any dog I get. Can I get a dog that doesn't need walks and likes to lay on the floor? Or in my bed?

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:36 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paragraphs.livejournal.com
Sure! Just choose a purebred with those characteristics. I apparently wanted dogs that require extreme amounts of exercise, are curious as hell and able to escape any sort of barrier, who are demanding and pesky and love to lick you to death. LOL.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amand-r.livejournal.com
Someday I'll get a dog. I like talking walks.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 06:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paragraphs.livejournal.com
Get a husky then...the biggest problem I have with them though is the fur. Maddox sheds like crazy--red and whites aren't near as bad as the black and whites. They weren't brushed for over two weeks so I will be attacking the fur tonight. The birds love when I drag out the furminator! (maddox ate it--see pic re: his opinion of the thing)

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 07:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amand-r.livejournal.com
I have a maine coon. I love the furminator.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 07:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paragraphs.livejournal.com
OMG the coolest cats ever! I had a half Maine Coon, Toby, and he was the last cat I had--I miss having a cat! He was so cool--how much does yours weigh?

LOL.

I hope your cat didn't do the same thing to yours that Maddox did to ours...

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 07:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amand-r.livejournal.com
Hah, yeah, he's only 1/2 main coon, but it's the physical 1/2, so he's...16-18 lbs? Somethign liek that? IT'S ALL FUR.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 05:48 pm (UTC)
ext_47419: (Default)
From: [identity profile] cruentum.livejournal.com
What we were actually talking about with the guy from Barry were beaches, and I asked him how that beach had gained its stones/rocks and structure and he told us that something about prehistoric footsteps kind of around were Bman's property was that some people were messing with, same on Sully Island, so yeah, something from way back then. And we talked about Welsh villages, I believe, and yknow, Welsh people, and him enjoying to travel and him knowing someone German from where he meets his buddies in a pub who moved to Wales 15 years ago or something.

Oh and he told us that Sully had the 2nd fastest rising tide of all the Welsh coastline apparently.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 05:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] paragraphs.livejournal.com
It was a blast to watch it go out wasn't it!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 07:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] green-knight.livejournal.com
Those weren't border collies. They were *Welsh* collies. The black-and-white collie (you can usually tell the mixes by the white tip to their tail) are _the_ most common kind of farm dog in Wales. You get plenty of them in England, too - one lives opposite me - although I've only ever seen the brown-and-white ones in England.

They're busy dogs. They do great on a farm with lots to do and plenty of room to run around, and lousy in suburbia with three brief walks a day.

And the beach pictures are great. I'm missing Wales all over again.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-17 08:16 pm (UTC)
ext_12726: (SF Dalek)
From: [identity profile] heleninwales.livejournal.com
I'm loving your accout of the trip to Wales. I look forward to more instalments. :)

I'm nowhere near as big a John Barrowman fan as you two are, but I did see him live in panto in Cardiff a couple of years ago. I think my daughter thought I was bonkers when I said I wanted to see Jack and Beanstalk (she isn't a Dr Who or Torchwood fan), but she did enjoy the show. JB is great live and as it was the last night, the cast seemed to be having a whale of a time.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-18 04:40 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] blue-fjords.livejournal.com
Beaches and snails and wind, oh my! Lovely, C, thanks for posting!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-18 07:27 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amproof.livejournal.com
If you'd had one of your dogs along, you could have arranged for it to 'accidentally' break off the leash and charge into JB's pool. Then you would have had to knock on the door, brandish the leash, and ask to be allowed to get your dog back. I'm sure you could have taken it from there...

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-19 02:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] catsintheattic.livejournal.com
Lovely pics and lovely trip, too! Thank you for sharing all the joy. :-)