Returning towards the starting point of my walk this week along Aberavon seafront in south Wales I followed the railings along the promenade and at the point where they turned a right angle ahead of me, I found an amazing mosaic of patterns created by them.
Having climbed up from the beach via the sand buried steps (see below) on my walk this week at Aberavon, south Wales, I continued east along the promenade path and found a different landscape to that which I had been enjoying down on the sand. The sea fret had lifted slightly as evidenced by a clearer view of the cranes but turning round and looking inland, the mist was still hanging low over the hills and the light, or lack of it, was still apparent and somehow fitting for the old ruined wooden harbour wall and jetties.
The sound clip I have included with the images below may be said to sound like wind in trees, but apart from the fact that it is not and the images would also suggest otherwise, I think there is a difference. I don’t deny that the sounds can be very similar but I like at least to imagine that there are subtle elements of each that would allow me to differentiate between the two. However, I’m not sure I would bet on it – every sound in any environment will always be different according to the circumstances at the time of listening or recording but attuning your ear to those individual elements can be a challenge.
Whatever, I love the sound of the sea, the sea in the clip below and feel confident that the waves breaking amidst the general water and wind ambience can be distinguished as such. See what you think!
Clearly a Sea Fret
I like to think that I would spot different details or snippets of my surroundings regardless of the photographic blinker provided by a camera. But I also think that using a camera over the years has helped me to put a mental frame around aspects of my local environment that has allowed me more easily to focus on certain details.
On my walk this week along Aberavon seafront I took many photos, both detail shots and wide angle. Thinking of using them and my field recordings for a StillWalks video of this time and place, it was important for me to view the bigger picture as well as the details. The “bigger picture” shots below reveal that the sea fret that had lifted a little for a while, had descended again to mask the details in the distance.
The sea fret or mist stuck around for a while on my walk this week on Aberavon seafront in south Wales and contributed to this first image which I think is my favourite in this selection for today. I was there to visit the Health and Wellbeing fair in the Aberavon Beach Hotel and in the interest of that subject matter thought that I would go early and take a walk. The weather may have been dark and damp in the early morning but this is a fantastic place and lost nothing for all that.
How early is early? For my walk this week along Aberavon seafront in south Wales, it seemed more like nigh time when I started out – it was certainly dark when I left the house but it wasn’t very early, about 7.45. That is perhaps to be expected at this time of year and I guess the murky weather I met with on arrival at the seafront could also be considered normal in this part of the world.
I wasn’t the only one about though, despite the dark sea fret covering the beach.
Seafret and Bird
My walk this week was not quite circular but the end point at then of this Cwm Dulais track is only a few hundred metres from my starting point for the walk.
Cwm Dulais track
The title of this post is literal rather than metaphorical. The sixth and final gate on my walk was accompanied by a cattle grid and so the way, at least for animals, was indeed barred. I started the posts for my walk this week with some images of walls and so as I approach the end of the walk it seemed appropriate to include the walls I found at this last stage.
The sound of this gate is also included below.
Barred Way