Rhossili and Worm's Head

Finally made it down to my precious peninsula yesterday. The weather has been horrid for weeks. On the one or two recent sunny days we had prior to yesterday, I was unable to get down there. One of these days was a Saturday, and Gower gets overrun on Saturdays - hate it when it's like that. Then, I had a tummy upset, which seems to be coming back, so that kept me stuck at home as well.

To be honest, it was a pretty uneventful trip, although very pleasant. As much as I love Rhossili, I'm getting a little bored with being restricted to places on the peninsula that are easily accessible by bus. But when I don't have anyone with me, I can't risk visiting the more isolated spots - those trips will have to wait a couple of weeks at least.

Rhossili was a little warmer than I expected. Not warm, but bearable in a fleece and thick-knit sweater. The sun was rather elusive, hiding amongst the clouds a lot of the time. The temperature dropped significantly as a result.

Disappointingly, the sea was really calm. One of the things I love about Rhossili, is standing up on the clifftop, as wind-whipped white horses roar ashore. The other thing I love about it is it always looks different. No matter how many photos I take of the place, I always manage to capture something different, depending on the weather, light, time of day, season, and so forth. It's so nice to finally have a camera with a zoom function. It gave me a closer view of the Old Rectory as it nestled under Rhossili Down, with a herd of cattle meandering close by.



I wish they had a few more of these along the cliffs. I meet at least two people per trip to Rhossili, who I have to warn NOT to head for the beach by clambering down the cliffs.



Why do people think they can just stroll down cliffs this high? It's usually adolescent males I have to dissuade from such silly behaviour.



See what I mean about different angles, light, and so on? These shots were all within a few minutes of each other, with just seconds between a couple of them.







I especially like this one, with the Old Rectory reflected in the wet sand.



I still can't get a decent shot of Burry Holmes, even with the zoom. I'll have to head down to the beach, walk towards Llangennith and try to get a decent shot of it that way.



I spotted this popular sheep scratching spot along the way - it looks quite attractive in a funny, straggly kind of way, with its hanks of yarn fluttering in the breeze.



Still hampered by the elusive sun and the havoc it was causing me from a photographer's perspective, I managed to get a couple of shots of Kitchen Corner, the second one with the zoom.





I became aware of a lot of chattering as I strolled along, and spotted what looked like a school field trip.



When I finally reached headland opposite the Worm, and sank onto my usual perch, I was a little annoyed to find my camera's line of sight utterly ruined by this thing.



However, after a moment's thought, I decided I was being selfish. It's a good thing to have at this location, given the recent tragedy that occurred there. So many people take risks in crossing over, because I don't think newcomers realise it's a causeway. They seem to think it's permanent terra firma, with no notion that the tide can come in at lightning speed and cut them off. Let's just face it, how many people bother to approach this ugly old thing, when they have the attraction of exploring the Worm directly ahead of them?



I sat for a while enjoying a snack, then decided to shoot a video of the scene ahead of me. What a disaster that was. A large family group arrived, and my video was completely ruined by their chattering, including one rather effusive, and quite frankly, batty old biddy who kept wittering on about returning in the summer with a rubber dinghy. Literally all I could hear through the whole video was:

"Ooh Bet, we'll have to bring the rubber dinghy".
"Yes Mattie, the rubber dinghy. What d'you reckon Bill?"
"Aye, the rubber dinghy, mun. And a flask and some sandwiches".
"Ooh yes, love. Don't forget the flask and sandwiches. And a nice bit of cake".
"Aye. Bit of cake, mun".

AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!



Then, after they left, I was briefly alone, and sat still for while, until this mad jackdaw tried to land on my head. I think he had a shock when he realised I was a living, breathing human, and not some new rock that had thrust its way out of the cliff overnight.



I walked on a little further, mindful of the time and the fact that if I missed the next bus, I was stuck there until ten past seven.



After taking the above shot, I spotted this headland, Tear's Point, close to Fall Bay. I really must try to get over there when the weather's better.



After photographing the headland, I headed back to the village, as I wanted to be sure of getting the 17.35 bus. I followed this drystone wall, spotting a rabbit running in the distance. Alas, the rabbit was too fast and too distant for me to get a shot of it, but I think the architecture of the wall looks quite interesting from this angle.



The clouds that kept engulfing the sun finally drifted off as I was making my way back - typical. I met these sheep grazing on the cliffs. Even though I'm no longer vegetarian, I won't eat lamb or mutton. I'd feel as if I was eating an old friend.







I met this adorable little creature near the gate back to the village. It only looked a couple of weeks old.





As I approached the bus stop, I spotted a clump of daffodils and decided to test the close-up function on my camera. Not bad, I suppose, although I've seen much better.



I hope to get out and about again this week, but I'm not sure where yet, possibly Mumbles or Pennard. I wish there was a direct bus to Caswell Bay, as it's been three or four years since I went there. Oh well, that's one for a warmer day.