Tenby

My weekend Retreat on Caldey Island finishes today; back to the mainland - boats permitting.

Packed in a lot for one day too. Began with joining the monks in the chapel for service, Vigils, at 3.30am. The walk from the Retreat to the chapel was enchanting, a clear sky and the stars had put on their Sunday best for me. The milky way was clear as were the Plough [Ursa Major], Taurus and Cassiopeia. Even so, I needed a torch to light my way through the avenue of trees. M arrived shortly after as the bell tolled for the call to prayer, one of the rare occasions I was actually early for anything this weekend.

Uncertainty over the return boats resulted in 6.30 breakfast as we had to strip the beds and prepare fresh for the newcomers before the 7.15 cargo boat to Tenby, the only certain one for the day. I'd decided to stay on in any event and make the most of my time on my "island of adventure", but even so I was joining the group for breakfast, so grabbed a couple of hours sleep on my return from the chapel just after 4.30am.

Surprisingly lively lot at breakfast, and all prepared and ready to go by 7am. I scrounge a lift with A to the jetty to get some final photos of the group departing.

The island becomes even quieter with the group departure, and I head off in search of more photos in the sunshine. On my walk to the Lighthouse I meet B, another keen photographer who stops to chat, eager to swap stories and compare notes.

A short detour to the Old Abbey and I'm struck by the smell of linseed oil as I enter St Illtyds Church. It seems that a couple od days here, one in silence, has sharpened my sense of smell. The door has been propped open, with a notice asking visitors to leave it open as the swallows are building a nest here. I had noticed a couple on my walks, without realising they were already nesting.

On returning to the village I meet a young woman soaking up the sun outside the perfume shop. Without the need for exchanging names we pass the time in conversation, then it's time to buy some chocolate before returning to collect my case. Obsessive as ever, I can't resist a last visit up to Calvary for more photos [you'll have to look on Facebook for those], and am rewarded with a striking shot of the crucifixion with Tenby in the background and a lovely cloudscape. At the jetty I meet B and M, we're the last of the group on the island.

The tide is well out and we have transport from the jetty to the boat on an amphibious landing craft . Very WWII. The return crossing is fabulous, with clouds building inland creating this striking backdrop to the vista of Tenby on the clifftop. Needless to say both M and me are snapping away continually.

Tenby is glorious in the sunshine, trundling my suitcase over the cobbled streets we head for Sainsburys to get a bus to Manorbier to collect the car. The temptation is too much and we head down to the beach for an ice-cream and a stroll for, yes, more photos.

It's been a wonderfully leisurely return trip, but time to head home. I'd commented on the ominous look to the clouds earlier, before we reach St Clears it's raining, heavily...

Gone 7pm by the time I reach home, and quite strange to be back. Quite miss the silence and solitude of the island. Still, lots of photos to work with now...