Machynlleth.

Cold again today but not as windy as yesterday. We turn the thermostat down to 16C at night which is apparently more economical than turning it off and then back on for an hour in the morning and I could hear it kicking in every hour (didn't sleep well last night). The insulation traps the heat and we don't need the heating in the day until the evening.

We've had another day out today. This time to Machynlleth [Google pronunciation - muh-kuhnth-leth], to meet up with two of our Welsh language class members for coffee. It was great to have time to get to know each other better and we discovered that we all had similar experiences of selling up and moving to Wales.

We met up in the car park where we paid the princely sum of £1 to park all day in the bowling club car park and had a conversation in Welsh with the lady who took our money. From there we went to a cosy cafe in the Canolfan Owain Glyndwr (the half-timbered building) a late medieval town house built around 1460 on the site where Owain Glyndwr called a parliament in 1404 and was proclaimed Prince of Wales. That didn't end well. The architecture inside is amazing and I'll post the photos tomorrow. 

We found ourselves a couple of sofas by a roaring wood stove, ordered coffee and cake for me and coffee and a bacon sandwich for Peter in our halting Welsh but we did it and then had a very amaible time chatting away.  

Eventually Peter began muttering about things to do back home (he knew I wanted a wander around the town first), so we bade farewell to our companions and ventured out to explore. It was bitterly cold in the shade but quite nice in the sun. Our first diversion was to a decent hardware store, lots of useful stuff and it was the sort of place where you could buy single items, screws, bolts that sort of thing. Even Peter agreed that it was a great place to know about.

We walked down as far as the Victorian clock tower window shopping as we passed a number of quirky shops which I imagine cater for well off alternative/eco/arty people. Shops selling weird antiques, crystals, whole foods and alternative remedies. I'm definitely going to make time for a proper explore of the town, maybe when it isn't quite so cold.

The lady in this shop below makes hand-made shoes and boots. I'd found her on-line and had decided to have a pair of ankle boots made for my large feet which are extra wide at the toes instead of buying a hand-pan as I've found it almost impossible to find shoes that fit. I had to put that plan on hold for the time being as I've developed a ganglion cyst on the side of my toe and I don't know how big it is going to get. 

This shop had a fantastic selection of quality greetings cards and many other 'shiny things' I would be quite happy to be given (as I hinted clearly) and I haven't found its equivalent in Aber.

The stuff in the charity shop we went into was pretty good too and for £1.50 I got seven different silicone mould trays each for fifteen chocolates some of which should be fine for my truffles.

I finally took pity on Peter who was turning into a block of ice, so he said and after a quick spin around the Co-Op for milk and plasters we drove home.

Back home the bright sun tempted me out for a walk along the beach.

It was a extra low, low tide so I walked along under the cliffs peering into the crystal clear but no doubt very cold rock pools. I walked out as far as the War Memorial before retracing my steps along the water's edge back to the reef and then home.