Ffin y Parc

We’ve promised ourselves a trip up the Conwy valley today - hopefully into Eryri. The weather’s promising as we set out, blue skies providing winter sunshine, but the further up the valley we go, the darker the clouds become. 

Still, the gathering clouds allow patches of sunlight to filter through, ‘God’s fingers’ shining down, spotlighting winter trees against the darkness gathering over the mountains. 

We abandon all ideas of venturing further, calling instead at a favourite destination - ‘Ffin y Parc’ art gallery and cafe. The name means ‘edge of the park’ the area marking the beginning of Eryri National Park. We indulge in sour dough toast with honey, and buttered bara brith (fruit loaf) relaxing by a log fire in the beautiful surroundings. 

The Winter Show is exhibiting in the gallery - I far prefer this as a variety of Welsh artists are on display. We tend to look, admire, but have never purchased - until today that is. I fall in love with a mixed media work depicting herdwicks in a winter borderland landscape and we buy it as a belated 45th anniversary gift to ourselves. We’d promised ourselves a painting or a print, but at the time I felt too ill to even look. I think it’s likely to feature in a future blip - but I’m saving it for a day when outdoor photography is impossible. There will be plenty of these I suspect!