Trifter

I’m in Aberystwyth, on the West coast of Wales, and I’m ssitting in my living room.   I’ve just moved here, from Aberdeen; which is a much bigger city. Aberdeen has 24 hour shops, a tesco, and various other handy things that cities have.

Aberystwyth is not a city.  Far from it really, I’d guess you might describe it as a small seaside town.   In many ways that might imply some serious problems with living here.  Perhaps you might expect to feel isolated from the world, or surrounded by mirror minded people.  Who no matter how well intentioned you’d never really understand.  But I think that Aberystwyth is save from that fate.  In a big part this must be due to the university, which throws in students from across the world to this little town, who so often stay.  In some ways it must also be due to the open friendly welcome of the Welsh people. 

Everywhere in Aberystwyth seems to command an impressive view and my living room is no acceptation.  I can see across the town from here.  Which right now is shadowed by a menacing but beautiful dark sky.  I can see to the mountains and cliffs in the north.  I can see the crashing sea to the west, and constitution hill, with its electric railway at the edge of the town.    The sun is cutting through the clouds, just a little bit, shooting a bean of light onto the castle ruins.  It makes the crumbling pillars of the old castle look like ancient standing stones, perhaps announcing the end of summer the town.

Every journey here is an experience of breath taking beauty.  I keep getting caught you by it.  Every so often I open a look up to open a window, or get my bearings and find myself breathless with the shock of how amazing the place is. Every time I walk there is a new treasure, new cliffs to climb, and new towns to explore.  The weather here isn’t good, in the classic sense.  But it’s powerful, and moody.   Who wants clear blue skies and clear blue seas, when the skies here seem to change colour moment by moment and express every possible combination. Look now, there is a patch of blue, framed with bright white clouds  with perhaps a touch of red.  Under it is lurking an amazing muti-green sea. 

 Yes, I can see why people stay here.  I best keep watching the sky, it won’t be like this for long.