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thegrazingblacksheep · 2 years

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In the loo of St Davids Centre, Cardiff.

"Your boss is stealing from you! Join a union!"

Not that they won't continue stealing, LOL.

#union #work #job #office #employment #employee #employer #working #toilet #loo #bog #quote #alert #awareness #truth #cymru #cymraeg #welsh #wales #cardiff #stdavidscentre #stdavids #city

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thegrazingblacksheep · 2 years

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Surfing Noob

Chilly morning. Warm blanket, feet sticking out, get back in, it's cosy. Should get up, weather promised to be nice. Mornings are too bright anyway.

Protein pancake, freshly ground coffee, quiet. Should really use this day to try my new board. I mean my first board... Memories of that one lesson when spent most of the time under the water rather ON it. But it was amazing, free, cool, and another dimension.

Does board fit in the car? Juggling, seat adjusting, backseats down, measuring, trying, YES. Warm air, clouds-sun-clouds-sun-clouds-sun. It is time.

Surf cam check, weather check, wind check, wave check. All green, rock and roll.

Funny faces, nerds, not those regular beach goers and body boarders. Most of the guys here seem they were born on some kind of board. Slight anxiety, slight I-don't-fucking-care, everyone started somewhere.

Keys to locker, OMG, board is heavy, or I am weak... Tiny sharp rocks, soft grass, concrete, bumpy concrete, juggle, bloodless right arm, and finally sand.

Low tide was 2 hours ago, so it is definitely happening. Brand new full wetsuit is in action. Still can't believe that the term "cold water" does not exist anymore. Quiet appreciation of any gods of surfers and good waves.

Holy hell, the waves. Poseidon woke up on the wrong side of his bed. Pure silver, foamy, white, loud and rumbling waters - threatening, definitely not leaving prisoners today. Body boarders, beginner surfers, showing-off surfers, coast guard, kids, and more kids.

Maybe now, no, not this one. The other one. Fuck, I messed it up. Okay, go back and see, that one. Yeah, that one. Doesn't seem.. Oh shit, it was stronger than I thought. This one. Oh my good, look at that silver monster, and it is coming for my life. Right, let's get on this huge sesame seed. Right, okay. OH MY DAYS, this was fast. Next time I try to kneel up. Bubbleing, underwater cursing. Repeat for 90 minutes.

Treading the water 80%, kneeling up on the board: 10%, falling, sliding off: 5%, badly beaten by waves and the underwater sand: 5%. Joy: 150%. Success: 0%. Happiness: priceless.

Megaphone, oops, the coast has gone. Okay, this will be the last. No, no, this one! Argh. Okay, this one. Sand, bumpy concrete, concrete, soft grass, sharp rocks, key back.

All mana is out, stamina is in ruins, aching body, heaviness. Clear mind and adrenaline in a body resembles to a potato made of pewter. Ultimate happiness in that particular dimension, missing Other Half, summer is over soon, and poof... Saturday is gone.

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thegrazingblacksheep · 2 years

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When the meeting is so boring that you start drawing dystopian landscapes... And you give it a go in Affinity Photo :⦘

#drawing #art #artwork #sketch #illustrator #illustration #sun #dystopia #landscape #world #inverted #artworld #artists on tumblr #digital artist #affinity #affinity photo

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thegrazingblacksheep · 2 years

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Somewhere in the Vale of Glamorgan, UK

#driving #valleys #uk #united kingdom #road #way #drive #summer #clouds #sunny #relaxingtime #relax #travel blogger #travel #south wales #cymru #wales #welsh #glamorgan

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thegrazingblacksheep · 2 years

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I find this so brilliant...

#dionysus #cat #wine #god #gods #greek #ancient greek #ancient #history #art #legend #tale #legends #tales #kitten #animal #cute #aviators

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thegrazingblacksheep · 2 years

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Memory: The Barbie Skipping Rope

I might have been 4 or 5 when we went to this city maybe somewhere in the east of my other homecountry with my parents. It was summer, there were a lot of cars making traffic on the avenues. The pollution was so strong of the exhausts of those cars made in ex-Socialist countries, I can still smell it.

Above the road, there was a huge building, some kind of bridge which linked the pedestrians on both sides of the busy avenues. But this building was one of those with little boutiques, tobacco shops, and other small businesses next to each other.

I remember it as huge, but probably if I visited that now, it would look much smaller. Sigh, I grew up. We were just walking in the city, and of course we went up there to see the shops. That is where I got this Barbie themed jumping rope, and around 1990 it was really standing out in that country. Was the ultimate beautiful object for a little girl with its blue handles with one pink heart on the top of each, linked with a white rope.

#memories #childhood #barbie #pink #socialist #europe #grown up #grow up

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thegrazingblacksheep · 2 years

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Why is it a pain to sell anything online...

If you have something you want to get rid of, and thinking about selling online, brace yourself, make sure you have a writing pad and a pen; because you will have lots of entertaining stories soon.

'What is your last price?'

Exactly the same amount you can see in the advert. If you don't come up with some negotiation, I will add 10 quid to the original price.

'My budget is ... this much'

Then why you are messaging about an item which is clearly above your budget 3 times?

'Please confirm that (list-of-every-possible-feature) is working, or if you forgot to mention something in the description.'

Wow. I understand you have trust issues hon, but I am a different human being to those who you had bad experience with. And if anything wouldn't work, I would have let you know in the advert, because no, I don't want to 'ck you over. That is too much hassle for me. And I don't 'ck people over by default.

I want it for my son / daughter / baby; that is why I am asking 40% discount straight away.

I am sorry, but the kid is not mine. I mean... Why the price should be lower automatically because it is for your kid? Or relative? Or your dog? The value of the item is the same.

Can you bring it over? I am with a baby.

So I would give you 20% discount, because we had a little chat. Then you start the "with and without you" type of struggle to ask for more discount because your missus would kill you, etc. I kind of tolerated that, so I give you extra 5% discount. Then you pull out the Baby card, that you can't collect it because you have a baby. Nah nah nah, this stinks. If you need something, then do that tiny minimal effort to collect it, especially that you get it on a discounted price. And you are only 3 miles away. I don't remember mentioning same afternoon delivery.

I thought it comes with...

I am selling a projector, indeed. A projector only. It is old, heavy, truly a good quality brand, it's just over its time a bit. I upload a photo for you, to show the projector working, you can see the laptop screen on the white wall nicely. What exactly you mean if it comes with the screen? You want my wall? Because it is clearly visible on the photo that there is no screen, but the plain white wall of my living room...

My sister / boyfriend / mom / dog etc. likes the item

I'm glad. I'm rather a fan of Italian death metal.

Can you post it?

I clearly stated in the advert that it is collection only. Short answer: no.

40% off the price and collect today.

Hi for you too. I am fine thank you, how are you? What about max. 15% discount if I give that much at all, and it is completely not urgent for me?...

...

We said hello. We had a friendly little chat, I gave you a discount, which you were happy with. Then.. I didn't hear from you anymore. I hope it is not something serious. Maybe it is ghosting a bit?

#sell #online #bargain #advert #ebay #gumtree #selling #sale #sales #humor #humour #idiots #morons #moron #idiot #online selling #pain in the ass #painful #idiots everywhere

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thegrazingblacksheep · 2 years

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Road Trip to Isle of Skye – Day 6 of 6

And sadly this day arrived: we leave Scotland today. It is still a long trip to Cardiff, so our plan was to stop somewhere half way again for a night, and then go home.

Leaving Skye

We mostly packed our stuff last night to be able to sleep a little bit more, but we still had to finish the cleaning. I loved the touch of a really squeaky-whistly hoover, even the Mr. heard it from outside when he popped out. I hate leaving nice accomodations, especially when we are on a holiday like this. But still: home is home, and you know, that little buzzing noise coming from cities... I needed that for normal operation.

At Coop we tried to find a bit of booze for one of our friends, but turned out that there is no chance to buy alcohol in those early hours (around 9:30). Well, we were sure he will be happy with some fudge too.

We went through Glencoe this time. We loved that part on the first trip, as Ben Nevis and Glencoe are absolutely stunning. We also visited the famous James Bond: Skyfall view! If you plan to go there, just google James Bond Skyfall on the Maps, and it will give you the exact spot. Amazing stuff for movie junkies.

Hadrian's Wall

Since I have seen King Arthur (the 2004 version), I always wanted to visit The Wall. I read about it a lot, and was planning to see it before, but this time we both found something interesting around, so chose our accomodation close to it.

There is a little, friendly car park called Steel Rigg, and from there a simple and easy path leads to the Wall. Which is sturdier than I thought actually. Right, I get that an 1200 years' old construction can't be a silly little fence which could be destroyed by a light breeze, but still... Completely see how it could keep barbarians out.

The Tree

We were both hungry and tired, and we didn't have much time to have dinner and come back here to take the walk again. Not in my pace anyway, which is not ridiculously slow, but the Mr. is running almost! Anyway, I asked him to just drop me off at the accomodation, go and do the shot, and we will have some dinner later, I will investigate about our options.

I was in the BnB for 30 minutes when he messaged that he just realised: it's full moon that night, and basically nothing else can be seen on the sky at all... So he returned, and we went out to look for something to eat :)

Or not to eat...

We didn't really have much options. The pub we targeted was advertised as open, we went there before the serving time ends, so everything clicked. Until we went there, and found a scruffy A4 sheet on the door with some scribble that it is "fully booked". We checked it on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google, its own website - nothing indicated this flip off, really. This is the thing I will never understand.

So we ended up going to a really dodgy and filthy looking Chinese take away, which had shedloads of health and safety issues around. Daisy chained power extender plugs, scruffy and broken fans, and opaque-of-dirt shopfront windows. I didn't want to imagine the kitchen area, but in that time we were so hungry that I didn't mind eating the Demogorgon itself.

We were not surprised when we opened the boxes at the BnB and turned out that it is completely not what we ordered. Maybe it was really the Demogorgon, and if it was, I can state that it is quite an oily boy. Stinks as well. Whoop whoop.

At least we had a good night sleep that night. Next day we started at a petrol station to have some breakfast, and man, I never expected Starbucks' porridge to be that good. The Mr. had some vegan pastry from Greggs, and with these fill-ups, we headed back to Cardiff.

I have some 4K footages of driving past the Prince of Wales bridge, Welcome to England, Welcome to Scotland, and all of these on the way back. Videos about lovely little drives among towns and villages, sheep who never care about cars, majestic mountains and stunning rows of Victorian houses.

Once I have time, I will combine them and share the video here :) Thank you for following this nice little adventure, I can only recommend Scotland to anyone who never been. We will miss it!

#hadrians wall #king arthur #tree #photography #skye #eilean donan #greggs #cardiff #prince of wales #victorian #demogorgon #coop #glencoe #skyfall #james bond

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thegrazingblacksheep · 2 years

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Road Trip to Isle of Skye – Day 5 of 6

And we reached our last full day in the lovely Isle of Skye. I can't believe how time passes so slow until having a week off; and then the holiday week itself is just going so fast... We blink, and poof! Work, duties, boring stuff again. I tell you, it is not fair, what so ever.

First we had a little walk around Portree to get some gifts for colleagues and family. We were after nothing fancy, especially for colleagues who usually act like inksinkerators when it comes to anything edible. They will get fudge. Will be okay. Everyone need carbs, really...

Our weather was okayish in Portree, but later I promised myself that if we plan any trips after this, that will be in a WARM place somewhere a little bit closer to the Equator. Particularly a road trip in Italy I mean. Or Hawaii. Or simply, Hell. Hell must be good anyway, because there are lot of friends, music seems nice, and the climate, yeah...

The Fairy Pools

The parking actually changed since our last visit. There was a nicely surfaced proper little car park built, and guess what! Toilets! I was impressed that in this end of the world finally someone thought about tourists' basic dignity.

The wind was unbearable as we were walking along the waters. It was that kind of annoying wind which gets you from one side only, making you completely deaf to one ear, and also stroking your eyeball on the same side so you will look like a rabbit after 10 minutes. No darlings, no. I was wearing proper wind and waterproof clothing, but even still - I had to breath / see somewhere!?

Walking back to the car park turned out that the toilet was closed for now... No comment.

Sheep are not religious

Moo?

We knew that we will find some lovely highland cattle along the road to Elgol. We were waiting for this moment so much! Last time they were grazing 20-30 meters from the road, and Mr. could take a quite nice portrait of one of them.

This time the group was almost in the same spot, except one big cow was standing on the road, and looked a bit concerned when it saw us stopping with the car. These animals are not smol. I mean they are HUGE. Okay, a regular cow is not small either, but have you seen those horns that the highland coos are wearing?

This big boy was even started mooing, and slowly approaching. We really didn't want any trouble or scare them, or make them feel threatened or something, so we decided to not to park long and rather leave. They are beautiful, beautiful and beautiful. Look!

Elgol

When we first visited Elgol, we took the trip to Skye from Cardiff with a normal Ford Fiesta, which was doing such an excellent job, no complaints. But there were some descents here and there which looked a bit hairy sometimes, and maybe we would have felt better in a 4x4. And the time had come, because now we had one. And this time we were standing like John Travolta in that meme, waiting for any hairy situations, and no! Nothing! Niente! Amazing little things are these.

And I think those sheep we couldn't find at the church, were grazing around here instead.

Traditional Scottish sushi for dinner

After a windy, cold day you want a warm place and hot food. We were both quite hungry when arrived back at Portree, and to continue our food experiments, choosing one from the 5 options; we were going for Tomita Sushi.

I didn't expect such a screaming colourful and eclectic interior. Vibrant colours, patterns, cheerful and strange ornaments everywhere, we found it funny and nice. But it was around 15 degrees inside. Metal chairs everywhere, windows open, I'm pretty sure that the food would have gone cold in 2 minutes if we chose to stay, but we asked the superkind lady if we can go with take away instead.

Their menu is a bit pricey, but man... The quality is simply amazing. I really recommend it to everyone to try, because both the chicken bento and tofu teriyaki were really tasty, and they give quite a nice amount.

After dinner, unfortunately it was time to pack and do some tidying in the bnb. Next day we need to set off early if we want to see Hadrian's Wall before sunset, because that is the plan.

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thegrazingblacksheep · 2 years

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Road Trip to Isle of Skye – Day 4 of 6

Fourth day already. It's not fair!

Today the weather was not to kind to us. The wind was quite strong, and rain was coming and going all day. We didn't rush this day, as we started to run out of places to see, but still it was both adventurous and relaxing.

Waters going somewhere

We drove up towards the Old Man of Storr, and stopped at some spots around. The first one was this little waterfall, which I'm sure is easy to approach if the weather is dry. But if it's not, think about bringing wellies, even if you just visit for a single photo.

Talisker Beach

Macleod's Maidens

I was so excited about this, because finally a formation of big rocks what I found for my Mr., and the site could have been a lovely spot for his photography plans. The only problem was that when we arrived at the location where we could park, it turned out that a long and quite rough walk is needed to be able to see the Maidens. Our weather was not the best, and with my pace we wouldn't have been able to make it back before dark, so decided to leave it for now. But it is on the list for "Road Trip to Isle of Skye Vol 4.", I'm sure.

Just a wee thing

You know, it is hard to find a public toilet on Skye. Maybe I just got used to living in a big city where you can pop in a mall any time; but I would imagine in a place like Skye, which is visited by a lot of people, there is some kind of loo availability around. I know that the whole world is a toilet, but still... Ladies, we are a tiny bit screwed here.

I made some disposable shewees of cardboard, but to be entirely honest, I only made them for emergency purposes. Wearing shedloads of layers, and finding a place which is a bit hidden wouldn't have been that easy, and come on!? It is the future, and no toilets around?...

I was quite happy when we found one around Talisker Bay. It is a kind of extension of Caora Dhubh Coffee Company, and guess what. Works with contactless! I loved it! Beep, paid, and finally, fayans! Thank you guys, that was a life saver.

Dinner in Portree

After we got back to the bnb to put down our stuff and change from muddy to acceptable, we went out for dinner. We had to take a little walk, as more and more places were already closed, but fortunately Tongadale Hotel was still accepting guests in their restaurant.

We were happy with two average pub burgers with chips, I think any additional fanciness would have destroy the feeling of having-holiday-in-off-season. I was surprised that we could have sweet potato fries, I wouldn' have thought it will be among the options, but was a nice positive surprise.

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thegrazingblacksheep · 2 years

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Road Trip to Isle of Skye - Day 3 of 6

As I mentioned before, going on holiday with a landscape photographer can mean that probably you won't have 6-8 hours good night sleep in whole.

Mr. decided to wake up really early to visit the Needle. I was not involved in that, because after a freezing night in the Lake District, I rather enjoyed having a rest under a very heavy and warm blanket. He always says I don't need to get up if he does. But he doesn't count with the fact of waking up. Definitely, by default, there is no chance that I will get up at 4:30 to climb up to a hill to take a photo of anything. But he still wakes me up with he getting up, preparing, packing, loading, firing up the coffee machine, etc. Not easy, nah.

Mealt Falls

After he came back, we head to Mealt Falls. We have been here once, and that time the number of dropped lens caps at the edge of the cliffs were quite interesting, but this time we didn't see any. Pandemic / storms I guess? Or hard working locals who pick them up with special tools maybe? I'm not sure. But the waterfall is bold and majestic, and nothing compares to its sound.

People usually don't spend that much here, even if it is a bus full of people. But definitely worth a visit, because the scenery is stunning.

Portree

Imagine Portree as a micro Tenby but much more peaceful. A little gem with colourful row of houses, sea food, boats, suspicious seagulls, seasoned with history. I love any little revelation which relates to languages, in this case the fact that Portree is actually Port-an-Righ in Gaelic, which means King's Port.

We had a little walk here to explore the town a bit, hunt for a fridge magnet and a postcard for the beloved. I know these are looking old fashioned habits, but they have their own beauty.

The shops are full of wonderful handcrafted gifts by locals. I really love what Scottish people can do with wool, and making sheep, highland coos and tartan so cool. The works of local painters are simply stunning, to be honest I could buy all of them, really. They can truly capture the mood of Scotland, that mysterious, foggy, history-fragranced peace.

Sligachan

I'm still not entirely sure how to pronounce Sligachan, but we went with slee-ga-hhan or slee-guk-an. This is also a place we were before, and again, we visited this in rain. For taking photos, rain and clouds were working so nicely though. Seeing the Black Cuillin hills surrounded by moving clouds is something everyone should see at least once in their lives. Also we experienced that golden hours are working really crazy here.

We didn't go to the usual little bridge this time, just a little bit of walk from the road to have a fair spot looking at the hills, and actually that is enough. The hills are majestic, and the water of the brooks around are crystal clear.

As it was both raining and sunny, we have spotted a really fancy rainbow. I don't know if we should have made a wish or something like that, but I'm quite sure that after seeing such a beautiful phenomenon, we couldn't have wished anything more beautiful.

Dunvegan Castle

Should I come up with something about my Mr. being vegan and our trip to Dunvegan Castle?... Okay, I won't.

We have seen beautiful postcards and photos of this site a lot, and were quite disappointed that we couldn't visit it, but this is what you get when you travel off season. We went a bit further along the shore of Loch Dunvegan, and we could spot the castle that way, but maybe it is something we need to visit again. What a shame! There is Dunvegan Castle on this picture, I promise :)

Neist Point Lighthouse

So we headed to find a lighthouse. We like lighthouses, we even have one in the town we live. This time our target was the Neist Point Lighthouse. The road to Neist Point is really beautiful, and I particularly loved the sheep grazing freely along the road, sometimes causing a little bit of traffic.

Man, that was a windy day. Had to be careful, because the ground was quite boggy, and to go over to the rocks on the top to see the lighthouse from above, we had to find a way where we don't sink basically.

Standing on the edge of the cliffs in strong wind was a bit scary, and it is that kind of wind which can easily disturb the balance of a tripod with camera on, but the view is absolutely stunning, and worth it.

It started raining, and after I took some photos, I left the Mr. to take his pro ones, and got back to the car. And while I was walking back, another beautiful rainbow appeared :) I just spotted that people don't really watch the lighthouse anymore, they all look to the opposite direction, and poof! Another rainbow! We must find a pot of gold now...

Way back

We got home a bit late, but not too late for a good Chinese Takeaway. We have been in Fat Panda before, and it is still there, still operating, still very nice, you can't wish for more, really. The lady who took the order is smiley and so kind; I wonder if she was there in 2017 when we visited.

We finished the day with catching up with two episodes of Apprentice UK.

#rainbow #scotland #scottish #isle of skye #fat panda #portree #chinese #takeaway #the apprentice #neist point lighthouse #photography #photos #travel #sligachan

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thegrazingblacksheep · 2 years

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Road Trip to Isle of Skye - Day 2 of 6

After waking up in our lovely accomodation, and put on the brave pants to come out from under the warm blanket to the freezing cold - inside the room -, we quicky set off to have a breakfast. We went to Kendal, as it was promising some vegan options, and was quite close to our accomodation.

I never felt such a happiness after checking out and leaving the place like this time...

Breakfast in Kendal

The name of the place was Brew Brothers, and basically its theme is all about sheep. Had Shaun the sheep on a bike as a wall art, and a huge printed wallpaper of sweet herdwick sheep. I loved it! Not even mentioning the real size plastic sheep at the entrance, which we considered as a maaybe funny object in our living room. Just imagine, how people would think about our mental wellbeing when they saw that... Anyway, we won't have one, unfortunately.

Besides the funny theme, Brew Brothers is a lovely and clean café. Huge, shiny windows and shop front, friendly atmosphere and unique, hipster furniture all around from lots of wood which made it very cosy as well.

We had a fancy vegan full English, and a classic porridge with fruits - exactly what we needed. These courses were both nice treats after sleeping in a freezer. Oh! And finally I have photos :)

Driving to Skye

And from Kendal, after having some petrol, we drove up to Skye. One of our favourite moment of these journeys to Scotland is to see the "Welcome to Scotland" sign on the motorway, because that means: soon the surroundings will change to something interesting.

Still a lot of sheep on the way, but houses are also changing from English to Scottish style, you know what I mean. Maybe I make it romantic, but I love this transition. Driving on the motorway can be quite boring, but we both loved that moment when two fighter jets were chasing each other between the mountains. Jeez, they are not quiet...! At first it sounded like a lorry is having a difficult time with a tyre or something, but then two dark shadows flewn away above.

Unfortunately we didn't have much time to stop here and there, as we wanted to reach Eilean Donan before sunset to take nice photos of it.

Eilean Donan

So every time we went up to Skye and seen the majestic Eilean Donan castle, it was raining. And it was raining this time too... Unbelieveable. We wanted to take pro photos of it so badly; and here we go again, no luck.

But she is there. Standing quietly in its noble spot, surrounded by a loch.

We have been in once, and it is really worth a visit to see its lovely interior and whole history with early early documents, paintings, drawings, and the most recent family photos of the owners. Imagine a family tree like that, what you can track back to the middle ages... I find it stunning to see living history.

Also, when we see Eilean Donan, it is so cool to know that once Christopher Lambert was on set here, being The Highlander on the back of a slowly walking horse with a medieval crowd around. Childhood favourite.

We were glad to see the Ukrainian flag up as well.

Arriving to Portree

We were so lucky with the weather until we reached Eilean Donan. After that we had quite heavy rain and strong winds to drive to Portree where our main accomodation was. I was kind of worrying after yesterday's experience that we will find a room where we can see our own breaths, but after entering the cottage I immediately revoked that.

We had an end of terrace cottage with niche interior and decor, happy and vibrant doorframes and a stunning clean kitchen. And, guess what! It was warm, finally. I had to ask the host about the heating situation anyway, because previously we had an Airbnb in the north of Skye with a log burner and a coin gobbling machine which could only heat up one room, leaving the living room and bathroom ice cold. We could have used the log burner, but I doubt it would have heat up the bathroom for example, but never mind. But this cottage was the pure perfection, couldn't wish for more, really.

As we were quite tired of the whole day journey, we didn't really make fuss about the dinner, so we chose a pizza and some fish cakes from the local Co-op that night.

After checking the weather for the week, it seemed that we have 1 or 2 sunny days, all the rest will be rainy and windy, so had to plan precisely what we will visit. Finally, we were lucky.

#portree #scotland #brew brothers #kendal #porridge #oatmeal #breakfast #vegan #vegetarian #eilean donan #castle #scottish #ukraine #ukranian

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thegrazingblacksheep · 2 years

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So for Christmas of 2021, my Other Half surprised me with two tickets for the Hans Zimmer live show in Manchester, in the AO Arena. He hates driving in / around and even near to cities, but still did a heroic drive here from Cardiff.

After dropping off the car at our hotel called The niu Loom, we took an Uber to the Northern Quarter to grab a bite before the show, and we were heading to the What The Pitta. I was not that hungry, because we did a bold and sinful lunch in a Burger King somewhere on a motorway; so just went with some waffle fries. Other Half chose chicken nuggets, and he was quite satisfied with it.

I'm from a big city, and I miss them so much. Every time we visit anything bigger than Cardiff, I am flying in happiness, because I feel the sizzling city life, the sound of traffic, the view of lots of people are heading somewhere, which is always inspiring me to do stuff.

So I loved Manchester. All of those red bricked buildings, the Peaky Blinders vibe around, heavy traffic, and a Friday night looking Thursday night - happy days. I love when there are options: cafés, food, shops, trade - life, nah.

Getting in the AO Arena was actually quite well organised, apart from a guy from crowd management who said that the venue won't let me in with my 40cm x 20cm rucksack, and caused a smaller worry. But loads of people had their bags let through, and our security guy liked Other Half's beard, so we were fine.

Those who know Hans Zimmer's work, know. From Pirates of the Caribbean through Interstellar to Sherlock Holmes via the Lion King and Dune, he called many movies into life with amazing scores and themes. Impossible to express what this guy can do with instruments, singers and music patterns, honestly.

For those who don't know his works, I recommend a good quality - nothing less than at least a Sennheiser - headphones, a quiet corner, solitude, and decent volume to listen basically anything he wrote the score of. Okay, maybe start with the Dark Knight, or Inception...

It was lovely to see his crowd cheering for him, shouting in "We love you, Hans" many times. He was good, easy going, brilliant, and appreciated his musicians a lot.

So far, I kept Muse at Wembley (16th June, 2007) on the first place of all time live favourite, but sorry guys, Hans took over tonight. I know they are not even comparable, but what can you expect from someone who shuffles a playlist which has Fleshgod Apocalypse, Muse, Lana del Rey, random-heroic-obscure-metal-band, classical music and the Tron (Daft Punk version)... Nevermind.

I found it quite a big moment when he expressed his appreciation for Ukraine, highlighting that some from his orchestra are from Ukraine. Two seconds later the whole Manchester Arena stood up without asking, clapping and giving a moment for them. I don't think I will ever forget this. Thank you, Maestro.

Also, he effortlessly opened different dimensions with his music as well. Especially during Paul's Dream from Dune and then Leah Zeger with the Interstellar.

I find it pointless to write about it, because this experience is something that you have to go through at least once in your life. It is impossible to describe and explain it, because it is music, and that is above everything, really. Just grab the previously mentioned headset and a random Hans Zimmer playlist, and you will know what I mean.

I wish the show never ended... But it did, and after a super kind Uber driver dropped us off at the hotel, we were still somewhere in one of those HansZimmerian dimensions, not realising that we submitted a Uber Eats order 5 minutes before the restaurant's closing time. We were not sure we will get it, but it turned up eventually, big thank you for that! Was a tiny bit different than to what we ordered, but we didn't really mind.

What a day! Seeing, hearing Hans Zimmer's live show. Honestly, I will never forget this.

Update: sorry, when I started writing this post, it seemed a good idea. But I realised how impossible is to write a review about a live music event - simply pointless :) You have to be there, that's it!

#hans zimmer #manchester #pauls dream #dune #pirates of the caribbean #live music #music #lion king #uber eats #dimensions #arena #classical #northern quarter

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thegrazingblacksheep · 2 years

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Road Trip to Isle of Skye - Day 1 of 6

Finally on holiday! This time we decided to return to Scotland, to Isle of Skye mainly. We have been in Scotland before 1.5 times - first we had a 10 days trip, a proper nice holiday in and around Edinburgh and Skye. Second: when the first ever lockdown started, we heard the news about the start of lockdown in Skye, so basically we had to drive back as soon as possible, so that counts as 0.5... But here comes a nice week's journey, all photographed with a DJI Osmo Pocket, my newest addition to the family, as my old beloved and appreciated Nikon is broken.

I went with my other half, who is a landscape photographer, and that makes journeys a bit more interesting, because going on holiday with him always involves at least two of the following:

Hurry - because we have to reach the golden hours for sunset or sunrise, moonrise, etc.

Waking up early. Or late. Or in the middle of the night. - because we have to reach moonrise, sunrise, golden hours, low tide, high tide, etc.

Walking a lot - to find a particular view, rock formation, building, trees, reflection, etc.

Waiting - meanwhile your photographer does the shot. Can vary from 30 minutes to eternity. In cold, mostly.

Darkness - because even the lit up bum of a firefly can ruin the photo with its light pollution. So no phones, no tablets, nothing. Just sit / stand, don't move, preferably don't even breath if possible.

But! In the end, seeing our most beautiful times documented by those stunning pictures, it is very rewarding :) In this blog I will rather use my photos though, to not to interfere with his scheduled posts on social media. So let's see.

From Cardiff to Kendal

We stopped half way to Skye again, this time in Kendal. We didn't know much about the place, and we didn't really plan spending time here; but could fit 1-2 sights into the schedule to do a bit of outing around Windermere and Buttermere.

Sheep enthusiast?

If you love sheep, definitely visit the Lake District in March, because there are shedloads of herdwicks around, which I find particularly a very sweet and funny looking breed. They were even roaming free around some lanes, and didn't really care about much other than their tasty grass.

Moss Force Waterfall

Our weather was not the best, but actually perfect for visiting Moss Force Waterfall. The clouds made the background mysterious, and the rain fed the waterfall very nicely. This waterfall is very close to a free car park, and easily accessible with a few minutes walk. And if you are lucky enough, some herdwicks might roam and photobomb your pictures.

Buttermere Lake - and the stick...

So this time we were looking for a particular tree what lots of photographers like to visit in the Lake District. Parking behind a lovely looking B&B, we had a short walk between fields of herdwicks to Lake Buttermere. The view is really brilliant, the lake is surrounded by colourful hills, and of course: the tree is there, waiting. We were not sure where this particular one is, or if it is still there, because the current storms might broke it into half as it did with many other trees, but we found it.

It was a bit disappointing, because I have expected the usual view of a tree, and what we actually got was rather a good looking stick. Unfortunately it lost a few branches, but at least still standing, making a nice subject for a photo. But it is a stick, lol.

Food

I always forget how finding something to eat can be so tricky sometimes in the UK. Coming from Europe, it is a complete mystery for me why there are only a few places which:

Are open in winter - But why?...

Have vegan options - ...really? Still?

State their opening times or availability online. Facebook says they are open. Their website says different opening times. Their Instagram says they are closed. And Google says something different... Or! You go there, and an A4 sheet is waiting on the door that "bookings only", and they are fully booked for the night.

Anyway, after checking some vegan apps and investigating with empty stomach, we fortunately found a gem in Ableside called Zeffirellis. Ah man, they are really, ultimately smashing. Not just open, not just vegan options, but a place which is completely "vegeterranean". Apparently has its own cinema and jazz club as well.

Lovely interior, cosy and atmospheric surrounding, clean, and the staff is really friendly. There are lots of options to choose from, and the food is delicious and good quality. Their prices are completely reasonable, actually I can't bring up anything against the place. I know I promised photos when I am in a restaurant next time, but apologies - I was too hungry.

Accomodation

When we were looking for an accomodation, we didn't really have many places available other than a barn which was converted to a little annex. First time I thought it was fine as it had everything we need, and we were only going to spend a single night there; but having 12 degrees inside in wintertime, with using a heating panel - was way out of my comfort zone. I usually don't want much from a place, like e.g. DVDs, high speed internet, carefully selected free toiletries, etc. however proper heating and cleanliness would be enough for me to give a 5 star review. Because our hosts were lovely people, I wouldn't mention the name of the place, but apologies, never again ever.

We couldn't wait to set off in the following morning for another long drive, from Kendal to Portree, Isle of Skye.

#lake district #uk #united kingdom #scotland #herdwick #sheep #herdies #airbnb #isle of skye #buttermere #dji #kendal #scottish #ableside #vegan #vegetarian #moss force #waterfall

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thegrazingblacksheep · 2 years

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Outing: Dunraven Park, Wales, UK

Does anyone else love that crispy, nice fresh air which whispers 'spring'? Dunraven was really amazing today afternoon.

#hiking #beach #wales #welsh #cymru #sheep #sunset #coast #sea #water #animals #cute #romantic #Dunraven

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thegrazingblacksheep · 2 years

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There is nothing better than:

Having a Friday.

Getting out of the house after 8 hours of working on the laptop.

A sunny day after gloomy days, Storm Eunice and its brothers.

Being grateful for peace.

#bristol channel #cymraeg #cymru #hiking #landscape #llantwit #llantwit major #llantwit beach #nature #sea #peace #travel #uk #united kingdom #vlog #walking

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thegrazingblacksheep · 2 years

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Forage - Cowbridge, Wales

As the idea of this little blog came after we visited some places, I cannot provide photos. I will take one for the next post, I promise.

First impressions. Spacious, very natural looking, modern but still cosy building with lots and lots of wood, sustainability and from top-top-bottom windows. Lies outside Cowbridge, on a large field which has plenty of recently planted little treelets - if this word exists at all. The car park is enough, it is easy to find a space among the Teslas and Range Rovers. Visited Forage once or twice with bikes for a coffee, but to be honest that was forgettable. Inside, there are two main parts: the restaurant / bar area and the farm shop area.

Hygenie. All the interior has a lovely design, the space in general is sparkling clean and the shop is very tidy and appealing. From the cutleries to the wooden fan on the ceiling via the shelves - everything looks and feels new and taken care of. Felt a bit awkward, because after a walk in the rain in a muddy forest we didn't really have much time to go further than the Forage, and we basically sat down for an easy lunch in this sparkling clean place in muddy wellies and waterproof trousers, wearing hiking clothes. No make up, no hair, no pretty. Sorry about that, dear Forage!

Service. Before we asked for a table, because of experience, we asked for the vegan menu to check first, just in case. The waitress was extremely helpful, answered all of our questions and helped us with a vegan selection; which were mostly items from the main menu, veganised.

We had to wait 20-25 minutes for a table, but we didn't mind, because we wanted to see the farm shop anyway. Just O. M. G. Their selection is what I call Selection with a capital, because they have basically everything a fancy pantry needs. Artisan cheese, craft beers, exciting pickled goodies, handmade soaps and lovely looking desserts and confectionary just to mention some. It is really worth a check, because I have no space to list everything what I have seen; but briefly: if you go there to look for something authentic, or "classy farming" gift, guaranteed you will find one. No problem if you are looking for gluten free, vegan, or ethical either; we really struggled to not to do a big shopping there.

After we got our table, we had to submit our orders at the bar counter. As we didn't have time for a proper lunch, we chose some sandwiches, an oat based flat white and a Diet Coke.

Then we were waiting for 40 minutes to get those sandwiches. I'm not sure if someone had to harvest (?) the beet for other half's sandwich, or had to run and capture a chicken for mine; but we were a bit hangry now. Waiting patiently, finally we got our sandwiches accompanied with a decent amount of rocket salad. The amounts are big, the artisan bread were fresh, tasty and soft.

Quality. My meal was absolutely good. Maybe the salad could have bore with some sauce, but I was impressed the nicely toasted bread with the melted brie inside. Other half was a bit disappointed, because the beets took over the flavour of everything else in his vegan sandwich. Basically it was a layer of spinach, a cold blob of tasteless butternut squash cream and several slices of pickled beetroot - again - with no sauce. He had the same side salad like me. The beverages were fine, you can always trust a good can of Coke - I know, I am trash, but even the Diet one. And his coffee was made from a fancier coffee than we had at our last visit, he said it is much better.

Summary. We know that the prices of this area are not the friendliest, but two sandwiches and two basic drinks for ~20 quid was a bit of "come on...". There are some areas to improve, like for example the vegan sandwich recipe, or the waiting time for these sandwiches; but otherwise we liked this above mentioned classy farming look and feel. Maybe we will check back in summertime if they have any good looking desserts or artisan ice creams even.

#forage #cowbridge #wales #welsh #uk #restaurant #bistro #critique #serving #food #dish #diet

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