I feel slightly exhausted from painting so much these last 3 weeks. It has been like a marathon and I feel like I need a break from my paintbrush for a little bit which feels really weird coming from my mouth! I feel like 3 weeks was the perfect amount of time to be on a residency. I could have pushed myself to do more art if I was staying longer, but I feel like I am ready to go home and see my family. Yesterday I took a break from painting and did a little sight seeing. First stop was Machynlleth again to go to the shoe shop where they design and hand craft their shoes. They actually custom make the shoes for you to fit your feet! The shoes were so amazing and I wanted many of them, but the ones I wanted the most were, of course, the most expensive ones in the store. They were made with rabbit fur and cost a whopping $600, so obviously I didn't order any. The designer and owner said that these shoes are meant to last a lifetime which I love. Maybe some day!
I stopped at the train station to buy my ticket for my journey to Birmingham and after I bought my ticket I walked back into the center of town. On my way down the hill I realized that the last time I did this walk was the first day I got here and stepped off the train. I remembered how I felt while I was walking. Exhausted, sore, excited, in awe that I was actually in Wales! I remember taking in everything for the first time and now it seemed almost normal! I walked past this pub which was my first stop after I arrived when I had the fish and chips. Then my eyes started welling up. I got a lump in my throat as I realized that my time was drawing to an end here and thinking about my adventure that I have had here. A tear trickled down my face and I had to take the moment to reflect and say goodbye. I am so grateful that God gave me this amazing experience and I am so sad that I have to leave this part of the world that I love so much!
I pulled myself together and Yuki and I drove to a nearby local mountain that is smaller than Snowdon but still pretty big called Cadair Idris. This palatial tree was at the entrance to greet me.
The journey to the base of the mountain was a beautiful experience in itself! There was beautiful streams and loads of mossy everything.
The views on the way up were incredible and we walked up hundreds of rock steps and pathways weaving all the way up.
I loved this awesome slate bridge over the stream. We sat and took a break and caught our breath here and watched the water flow down in front of us.
As we got closer to our destination there were more expanses of land in sight. Every direction I looked in was absolutely breathtaking.
Then we finally arrived and it was so calm and quiet. The mountain was so beautiful from all angles and the lake in the center of it was so placid.
And we found more red mushrooms! There is no short supply of fungus here.
And of course there were more sheep...
It was an amazing three hour hike and I am so glad I got to experience more of God's creation and the Welsh landscape. I have really gained a new appreciation for nature since I've been here and I can't wait to do more exploring when I get home!