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Monday, June 18, 2007

Crossing the River Tawe

I took my next pic just a few metres down river from the swans. However hard I tried to get the apartment block across the water lined up straight in my lens, it just wouldn't happen. So I gave up and focused on the daisies instead.

As I approached the lock bridge, I was surprised to see such an attractive view downstream, to where the River Tawe flows into the bay. It was my first time to cross the bridge, and my first encounter with this particular view.







Gulls circled the little white boat in the above shots, occasionally dive bombing its occupants. Sadly, this doesn't really show up in the shots. To my amusement, when the boat roared into life and sped upstream, the gulls pursued, shrieking and circling. I guess it must have been teatime aboard the little vessel. I could hear definite sounds of machinery and repair work coming from this larger, older-looking red and white craft.



As I took my first ever steps on to the lock bridge, I was rather disappointed to see that its sides are clad with high wire. I guess there are reasons for this, but it rather spoils the fine views to be had from this location. Luckily, it's not fine wire so I poked my lens through one of the gaps in the mesh work, to capture this nice view upstream, and towards Mayhill and Waun Wen.

I took similar aim through the mesh work, to photograph the Tawe Barrage, another new site to me. Not sure why I've never quite made it over there before. Maybe it's because the bridges and other recent developments have made the spot more accessible.



Once over the bridge, I made my way around the Marina, stopping to take a couple of shots of the boats en route. I prefer the tattier, working boats I find at this end of the Marina, to the pristine, expensive looking yachts I see further in.





I crossed the first swing bridge, near the Tawe Lock, and sat on a seat in a spot which was more or less surrounded by water on all sides. Just seconds after I'd cleared the bridge, I heard a voice warning people to keep away, and the bridge promptly screeched open.



It shrieked shut shortly after the small white craft I'd earlier seen on the river, sailed through.



I sat in the sun for a few minutes longer, capturing these last two shots, just before I moved off, back over the swing bridge, along the marina and across another swing bridge, near the Pumphouse.





I was exhausted by now, and decided to take a short cut through the National Waterfront Museum, with the intention of walking up to St. Mary's, to catch a bus back home. However, when I exited the museum at the other end, I came across the Earth from the Air exhibition, which I saw advertised a few weeks ago, thought 'ooh, that sounds interesting', and then promptly forgot about. So, I was unable to resist taking a look. I'll tell you more in my next post. I also took some pics of the exhibition, which I'll publish here.

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