The light, the clouds, the sun do extraordinary things over the Menai Straits, the narrow sea channel between the island of Anglesey, Ynys Môn, and mainland Wales. This photograph was taken at midday in late December. I was standing on Beaumaris seafront and looking towards the mainland. To the southwest the mountains of Snowdonia were frosted with a light cover of snow. It was all very dreamlike. And it made me think that it was no accident that the Druid priests of the ancient Celtic tribes made the island their sacred stronghold, or that after the Romans withdrew from Britain, the early Celtic Christian missionaries established their sanctuaries and churches on the island. Whatever your faith, or even if you have none, such glorious vistas surely speak straight to heart, spirit and soul.
For more images of Ynys Môn see my earlier post Island of Old Ghosts.
© 2014 Tish Farrell
Tish Farrell 
That’s quite an impressive shot!
We often used to drive up to Moel Famau and go tramping about the hills.
Our dog, Penny, legged it one time and ended up in a stand-off with a sheep across a small pond. Panic ensued as we chased after her!
We got there before the farmer, thank goodness.
I used that incident for inspiration for a short story. That was one scary Sunday!
I remember the winter just before I left England’s shores I loaded up my little Hillman imp with friends and we went tobogganing!
Mixed thoughts of Wales, then, Ark. Tobogganing good, dog chasing ahead of farmer definitely hair-raising.
Those are amazing views.
Aren’t the just!
Very dramatic Tish – those sorts of skies could make you believe in almost anything.
Yes, that was my thought exactly, Robin.
That there is breathtaking, especially the first shot.
Thank you, Noel. The view across the straits was also quite a strange experience in the middle of the day.
I can imagine. I think one can just sit and watch such beauty. It is like watching the sun setting. It is always spectacular regardless of the number of times you have seen it
These are lovely shots; the first particularly looks like the opening shot for a movie. 🙂
Thanks, Sue. Watching the changing light over the straits is also rather like watching a movie. Quite mesmerizing. Spent most of Christmas doing it.
I can imagine that. I feel the same way about watching the sun set from my office window. Never tire of it.
Fantastic Tish – your photos take me straight to Celtic energies. What a wonderful place. This definitely has to be a Celtic ‘thin place’ – a portal between the worlds.
This is a phenomenal work, Tish. It is potent.
Asante sana, Peter. Nice to hear from you. How are things? Going well, I hope.
Bad politics plagues us as usual. Raila wants dialogue with Uhuru. Uhuru has refused. And so there will be a protest rally “Saba Saba” on Monday. The country is charged. Kikuyus are migrating from Nyanza and Luos are leaving Kikuyu-dominated regions. It is a such an absurd mess here, Tish. Always the same story. Too bad for us.
So very sorry to hear this, Peter. The same old Luo-Kikuyu rivalry. Dialogue is the ONLY way, isn’t it. I see very well why you write the way you do.