clairesadventure

hello my dears,
Been having a chilled out 'come down' time since leaving Scotland, which was much needed! Spent a week and a half back in Nottingham where I did nothing much! Well, I did go to 'Newstead Tree Festival' which was a weekend free music festival (not sure about the tree bit) which was kinda fun, there was some great funk so I was happy. Sophie came to stay and we just blobbed, read books and ate lots of scrummy food (did I mention about the great fruit and vege shop, samosa shop and vegan bakery I was living near too?!). Sad to leave Nottingham to go off travelling again, made some cool friends there and its got lots going on so sure I will be back..
Got a lift down to 'Stepping Stones' housing co-op where there was a Radical Routes (co-op association) gathering last weekend. Its a farm right on the English/Welsh boarder and its just lovely. Set up on a hill overlooking the Wye river and the Welsh hills, and surrounded by Natural Trust woodlands. I went on a big walk on the first day, followed the 'Offas Dyke' path which used to mark the boarder. Its pretty neat when you can walk down the river in England and come back up in Wales! Also been stacking wood piles, making hay while the sun shines (well, it was more like overcast), picking blackcurrants and gooseberry's to make jam and wine with and helping to build new shelves for the kitchen (from wood taken from the wood behind the farm). There are 5 people living here at the moment but there have been 2 other families staying while I have been so we have had great communal meals round the huge dining table! (the house is very old, built in the 1500's I think).
Last night a few of us went into the nearby town of Monmouth to see 'Amampondo' at a very traditional styled pub (older than the house I was told). They are from South Africa and apparantly a favourite of Nelson Mandela! They were exellent, playing drums and other hand made instruments, really energetic and we danced right up the front! It was such a strange thing to be doing when I look back at it, but part of the reason I love travelling!
Went back to Monmouth today - its also in Wales, and its a very cool old town that has a history back to the iron age and has been contested over for centuries. Full of more traditional pubs and tea rooms, and all the public signs are in English and Welsh which is cool.
Anyways, leave tomorrow to go to the Big Green Gathering and be a steward, its near Cheddar which is in Somerset.. ment to be one of the events of the year (well, for greenie types anyways) and anyone who's anyone is going, so should be a blast. Will report back afterwards...
Sending love to you all, from crazy terrorist-instilled-fearful-shot-to-kill England, hope NZ never gets this way!
Claire