On the Ferry

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Hello friends! I'm sorry for my absence but once again, the internet decided not to work up in the hills of Wales. i can't say I blame it, for there is not much there but sheep and welsh ponies. And a few people too.

My host sent me on my way to a town that I can neither spell or pronounce where I met Jen Jones, a wonderful woman who has amassed a huge collection (over 300) antique Welsh quilts. Being a quilter and being from the states, I received a Queen's welcome and she gave me a personal tour of the quilts she had on display at the gallery. Most of these quilts dated from the late 18th to early 19th century. Quilting lost favor after the second world war and is now enjoying a bit of a revival.

The Welsh, of course, had their own style of piecing and hand quilting. To me the piecing is similar but the quilting is quite different and has a bit of a Celtic flare. I took loads of pictures and have chosen one that Jen assures me is a real collector's item of which you can purchase for 750 pounds. I chose the less expensive route and bought a book on Welsh quilting designs that I will bring back to show all my quilting friends. It was a fascinating experience and I learned so much.

I am now on the ferry to Ireland. Turns out my ticket was for 2:45 this morning (I was sound asleep, as you may well imagine). But they were nice to dumb Americans and exchanged my ticket and sent me on my way. So here I am bound to my last destination. True to my nature I can feel every wave and current on this huge vessel, and my tummy is feeling a bit queezy. But, I'll suck in up and hopefully make it without visiting the toilet head first. I have four nights in Ireland before I reach Dublin, two nights there and I'm home.

All the talk is about Scotland here and the vote is today. Everyone I have spoken to has said the Scottish would be really dumb to leave the United Kingdom, but we shall see.

I really enjoyed my time in Enland and Wales and am looking forward to Ireland. I have to admit though....I'm just a wee bit homesick. I miss my friends and family and the familiar haunts of Fort Collins. I have yet to see a town/city as vibrant and varied as Fort Collins along with it's surrounding areas. So today, I reach to thoughts of home and bless it from on the other side of the ocean. Indeed, there is no place like home.

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