We heard today that the colony of bees we had found last week near Hay Tor on Dartmoor had been rescued by a local beekeeper – Dr Magee the Bee. I put this little gem in for Beryl and John (famous bee-keepers of Stanthorpe, Queensland). Also because finding wild colonies of bees is pretty rare. We’ve found just one every 70 years now!
Apparently, being located in such an exposed position under an overhanging rock the bees would have had real trouble maintaining warmth in a couple of months time. So now they are housed in a multi-story block of flats, otherwise known as a bee hive, in Trusham. And their picture will be in the next Dartmoor Rangers’ newsletter. So they must think it’s unusual too! Thought you’d be interested!
Tuesday dawned beautiful – blue sky, no wind. Time to give the bikes a test-drive. We headed to Beg-Meil where we checked out the camp site we were (apparently) heading for on Sunday (If I hadn’t booked Concarneau!). Actually there were two. One was in town with far too many mobile homes and too crowded anyway. Camping La Piscine would have been OK although the spreading mobile home problem had affected this site too – and there was no outlook.
We decided to head for La Pointe de Mousterlin and grab some lunch before the cycle ride along the coast back towards Beg-Meil. A couple of restaurants were sign-posted an route – but when we found them, they were closed for the winter. Bear in mind I’m writing this in August – admittedly, near the end of the month, but nonetheless still in school holidays!
Having declined a rather expensive “lunch with access to the swimming pool” (very useful!) at the local Logis, and a crèpe in a crèperie we ended up with a couple of pastries from the patisserie and a half litre of beer in a deserted bar-tabac. Very unsatisfying all round really, but enough calories to mount a two wheeled expedition. Actually four wheels I suppose.
Don’t you just hate crowded beaches?
Maybe ths “fence was designed to keep people off the sands!”
Anyway, the gravel path degenerated into a bark-covered-sand trail after a mile or so. And we discovered that cycling on this was hard work. So we ducked inland and picked up some of the cycle paths that criss cross the wetland area behind the beach hereabouts.
Jan and Rob and Hetty will be super-unimpressed by the fact we covered a little over seven miles on this, our first outing!
Just after midnight we were woken by someone firing a gun in the field next to the site. Normally I’m not too bothered about shotgun shots – although, obviously, I prefer them not in the middle of the night! Rifle fire, however, is another matter. In this case the direction the shooter is facing becomes rather more critical. Not to mention elevation of weaponry, thickness of caravan walls etc. etc.. By pure chance, and possibly because it might have been fireworks being set off, we survived to tell the tale.
So that was Tuesday (and extraordinarily early Wednesday)…
We heard there were thunder storms spreading up through France but they seem to have missed you. We are back from a perfect few days in Malvern area. Weather dry and sunny. We killed a wasp, will that upset you?
OK with the wasp thing. We had to deal with a whole nest in our back wall before we left!
From a “famous bee-keeper” in Qld ……. “Dr Magee the bee” must be very brave as there is nothing worse than feral bees.