Tales from a down-shifted family
- Making the most of modest means
We live where we do because it’s one of the windiest places we know of – perfect for windsurfing.
West Wales isn’t a bad place to spend a long weekend at home. Both Anna and I were off on Friday, so after an early-ish run around the dunes for me, we headed into town for brunch. We decided to try somewhere new and ended up at Kwizinn, which serves Caribbean-inspired food. It was excellent...
You’ve got to love Ynyslas, and its pre-work windsurf opportunities, thanks to its crazy katabatic wind that we call Ivor! This time of year it can really do its thing, funnelling cold air from the mountains down through the valley and blasting the estuary with storm-force winds. This morning was a case in point. The...
Windsurf sessions have been few and far between lately, but with Alastair visiting on holiday with his family, a weekend sail had been on the cards for a while. Fortunately, the wind gods were on our side, delivering a solid north-westerly forecast for Saturday. I rallied the troops and we gathered on the beach —...
It’s been a while, but with time in the bank, the sun shining, and a decent breeze, it was time to get the toys out! I was a little rusty, and as always in winter the waves were quite a bit bigger than they looked from the beach. There wasn’t quite enough for the 5.0...
With a decent forecast for wind, Steve and I planned a windsurf session on Sunday once again. I therefore didn’t go for my usual Sunday morning run — I didn’t think my joints were quite up to that before a windsurf session. I had at least managed a nice mountain bike ride on Saturday afternoon,...
Afternoon on the beach
You’d think that buying a new windsurf sail would be simple. Decide what size you need, find it online, buy now, done! Not so simple though, when you consider all the idiosyncrasies and requirements. Many tabs later, lots of emails and calculations, and still there’s no parcel on my doorstep. A Sad Farewell to the...
I think the most notable thing about the weekend was the rain on Saturday. When I got up early, the little raindrop on our home info panel that I built was already full to the brim. The Borth & Ynyslas weather station in our garden had already recorded more than 25 mm of rain. At...
Autumn has definitely arrived in West Wales. It’s been blowing a hoolie for days now, which has meant plenty of windsurfing opportunities. Just for a change, I’ve been out in a few different places. Usually, I simply walk across the road and launch opposite our house, and I’ve done that of course, but earlier in the...
Despite having recently upgraded from my wheelbarrow to a new trolley as my windsurf transport of choice, I did something a little different on Sunday — time for a road trip. The winds were SSW and the seas were large and angry. Too large and angry to sail on my own off the seafront at...
Fitness / Technology / Triathlon
Fixing the Altimeter on my Garmin Forerunner 910XT
Monday, March 17th, 2014
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