My Walk this Week – Welsh Valley Alpacas

Posted on 11/06/201810/06/2018 by Alastair

My walk this week includes alpacas! My friends Steve and Sue Heatherington run Welsh Valley Alpacas and, as the name suggests, they are situated in a Welsh valley. The alpacas are wonderful creatures and the valley is beautiful.

I cannot tell you the names of those featured here but Sue and Steve know every one of the 39 (approx) alpacas individually by name and character. They are fascinating animals but not the only ones in the valley. The family of geese have been watched closely from when they started looking for a suitable nesting site toContinue reading→

My Walk this Week – Cwmdu Walk Part 3

Posted on 21/08/201718/08/2017 by Alastair

My walk this week shows the third and final section of my walk near Cwmdu which lies between the Brecon Beacons and The Black Mountains in Wales. The route, shortened due to lack of time as a result of StillWalks production work along the way, provided me with a steep descent back to the valley floor.

Although the footpath was dry, it was still slippery with stones as will be evident in the soundscape to be posted later in the week. The hillside being steep meant that I had some great views Continue reading→

Seafront Architecture

Posted on 05/04/201731/03/2017 by Alastair

The seafront architecture of Victorian times in Welsh or British towns is very different to that enjoyed(?) by visitors to seaside resorts on the mediterranean coast and many other places these days. The repeating patterns of what once were hotels and B & Bs, many of which are now student accommodation, is still attractive to visitors and to my mind somewhat less vulgar than the repeated tower blocks lining a modern seafront. But the point of this accommodation in both current and bygone eras was to be affordable for the masses and the relative price of package holidays to beaches around the world reflects this.Continue reading→

Caption Required

Posted on 01/12/201401/12/2014 by Alastair

What might these inquisitive alpacas be saying / thinking? Suggestions in the comments please or email me at ad@stillwalks.com

Going Slow on a Misty Mountain Road

Posted on 11/11/201411/11/2014 by Alastair

This should not be described as a mountain road as the Mawr uplands are not a mountain. Given the conditions at the time, however, there is no way to tell where this road is or where it is going. The only clue is the language on the road – SLOW, or in Welsh ARAF.

Creu Gwir Fel Gwydr O Ffwrnais Awen / In These Stones Horizons Sing

Posted on 22/10/201422/10/2014 by Alastair

This post title is the “inscription” which is a part of the architecture of the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay. The English is not a direct translation of the Welsh and were written by Gwyneth Lewis.

Yesterday’s monochrome images can also bee seen on Leanne Cole’s Photography blog along with lots more “Monochrome Madness”.

Phone Photography From Fforest

Posted on 09/09/201309/09/2013 by Alastair

Fforest – for those of you unfamiliar with the Welsh language, the name of the place, Fforest, is only pronounced with an “F” sound rather than a “V” because there are two “F”s in the spelling. There seems more logic to this than spelling phone or photography with a “ph” but then that’s the English language for you!

I have picked out these two scenic views from the area I live because I intend them to take their places at the beginning and end of the StillWalks video I am working on using only my phone. The field recording that will be used was done on my phone as well.

I know that I cannot expect to achieve the same quality as with my DSLR cameras and lenses or the sound kit I normally use, but considering so much web content is viewed on mobile devices these days, I thought it would be worth testing this mobile kit in the context of StillWalks production and make a comparison. So I will be reporting back on this project with my conclusions.

The photos below are the HDR versions from my iPhone 4S. They have also had some adjustments made in Adobe Lightroom.

Reflections on the Walk

Posted on 07/02/201307/02/2013 by Alastair

Still reflecting on the Winter Lakeside Walk, here are two more images from Llyn Llech Owain. You can watch this StillWalk on the website.

How to pronounce Llyn Llech Owain . . . the double “Ll” at the start of Llyn and Llech is pronounced something like the Scottish “ch” in the word “loch”, but in Welsh it comes a bit more from the cheeks and with a lot more spit (saliva)! The “ch” at the end of Llech is pronounced like the Scottish “ch” in loch. In the word “Llyn”, the “yn” is pronounced “een” and in the word “Llech”, the “e” is pronounced “ay”. The name Owain is pronounced “Oh-wine” – Lleen Llaych Oh-wine.

Got all that? Have fun 🙂 If any Welsh out there feel I have got this wrong or can describe the pronunciation more clearly, I would be very happy to hear from you.

Reflections