Easing back in gently

We have been away for a glorious week's holiday in Caernarfon, Wales, wow what a lovely place!
Needless really to say that it's hard work being back to Monday morning and it's a struggle fitting back in to the usual routine when I enjoyed so much just walking, taking photos and enjoying free time, i suppose ideally every day should be like that, reality doesn't always make that possible though eh?! I have found myself completely shying away from the internet, even blogging (i hear you gasp!), it's just so easy once you have been away from it all for a week to dread getting sucked back in to the virtual vortex of emails, facebook updates, gossip and, worst of all, bills! I'm easing myself back in gently though, having caught up on some beautiful and gorgeous blog updates this morning it's reassured me that the internet isn't all evil, but maybe it's taught me i need to cut back on the social network sites and the hustle and bustle, and just concentrate on the places that bring me joy, like my blogs.

I seem to have gone in to overdrive since returning, wanting to get all the house cleaned, washing done, bills paid, schedule arranged, odd ends tied up... which is a bit silly really because then i'll need another break by the end of the week! So i've written a list of all the things popping in to my head so I don't forget anything (i love lists!) but will tackle it at a steady and more manageable pace I think moving forward.

Back to the holiday then. We stayed in a beautiful cottage that used to be the bathkeeper's home by the shore of the Menai Strait, looking over to Anglesey and with views of Caernarfon castle, Snowdonia, fields of little calves and of course the picturesque waters, it was a relaxing place, quiet and serene but close enough so we could walk to the attractions in Caernarfon itself. I found inspiration for so many photos, i think I took nearly 950 so I am going to have to be very strict on which ones I can post up, so many beautiful things there though, I am hoping to create some sort of photo scrap book from them, and some prints for the walls/for friends eventually. Some of the activities we did apart from enjoying the scenery were; visiting Caernarfon castle and the regimental museum there, going on a boat trip around the Menai Strait, Anglesey Sea Zoo (really very good with lots of attractions for all ages, but also greatly educational on the eco issues of both local and global seas, and your tickets last for 7 days so you can visit as many times as you want in the week!), Pilli Palace butterfly and nature park (GS was not so sure about the butterflies landing on him, of all the things to be frightened of he chooses Mummy's favourite creatures!), Dinas Dinlle beach (my Welsh is poor so if anyone knows how to pronounce that please help me!) and the Iron Age fort which GS climbed up with us and made me very proud (GS was born with clubfoot so every step he takes fills me with joy). I would have loved to have visited Snowdonia, and some of the Welsh railways, but we couldn't do everything and shall definitely be returning so it keeps some gems for our return.

It was also quite strange while I was away how many things irked me about the environment, I have always been passionate about nature and ecology but the annoyance i felt at seeing such a beautiful beach with litter on it surprised me. McDonalds stuff just thrown out of cars on the side of the beach, horrible tales of animals being killed/mamed by plastic bags dumped out at sea/on beaches etc. Obviously I am not saying Wales is anyway worse than anywhere else, but the stark contrast between such beauty and then seeing these things really highlighted it to me that humans have a long way to go to clean things up and we all have a duty. Thankfully the local people, shops and councils are taking great initiative in trying to stop such things, for instance they have stopped using plastic bags in most of the local stores and gift shops (although the supermarkets haven't yet). I was also peeved when most of the tomatoes on sale in the supermarket were from Poland...what???! it's tomato season in the UK there must be millions to buy why on earth would i want Polish tomatoes that have probably been in shipping for a week or more and have no taste, ludicrous!

The problem about being relaxed is that you can slow down enough to listen to your little inner voice and what's really going on, and so I had some down moments, despite really enjoying the holiday and being with my loved ones, it brought home also that I am still grieving over my miscarriage, i think despite not really saying anything to each other both Mr G.T and I felt it, your mind automatically drifts to what might have been, and that space that's been left in your heart aches, it's only natural I know, it's still very much fresh and tender and I know I need to just let it be and accept that recovery can be a long and individual journey, I don't have to be strong all of the time.