The hills that surround the Nant y Moch Reservoir are some of the wildest and most remote in all of Wales. While they appear hostile to walkers at first glance, they are actually criss-crossed with a network of paths and tracks that provide surprisingly easy access.

This walk combines a number of these to link together some real hidden gems, in particular two stunning lakes and an imposing crag that towers above an impressive waterfall. The walk starts alongside the Nant y Moch Reservoir, itself beautiful in an austere fashion, and then heads into the heart of the hills to the south and west, eventually tracing the shores of the lovely Llyn Syfydrin to the edge of the Bwlch Nant yr Arian plantation. The return leg drops to mine ruins at Llawr-y-cwm-bach and then climbs alongside the impressive waterfall beneath the towering Craig y Pistyll. A wild moorland section wraps it all up. 
Note: The remote beauty of this area will be lost forever if the planned Nant y Moch Wind Farm gets planning permission. To find out more see www.cambrian-mountain.co.uk

Plan your route from page 20 of our magazine.

I fell in love with river fishing at the tender age of nine. When I sat my Matriculation Exams at sixteen I realised I could have passed all fly-fishing tests with ease, while academia proved far more problematic for me. 

Then came college days and I was on a fast new learning curve - which thankfully ran parallel with a few new and exciting fishing experiences! I suddenly discovered the joys of fishing from a boat.
Quite unexpectedly I was invited to go and fish Loch Leven in Scotland. In those days it was the finest lake fishery in the world. Arriving on the banks of the lake was a proper eye-opener, as it had everything - old clinker boats, gillies and fish galore. A piscatorial heaven on earth! And, yes, this was the beginning of another love-affair. Since then I have boat fished on several lakes in several countries and count my blessings for having had such joyful experiences.
From the beginning of the last century, boat fishing was far more popular in Scotland and Ireland than it was here in Wales and both countries used this asset well, as it was a superb boost to the rural economy.

The full story appears on page 14 of our magazine.

Poppit Sands is a large expanse of beach near Cardigan. It is part of the Pembrokeshire National Park and has been photographed at sunset by Michael Jackson for the past five years. “I just keep on coming back for more. There is so much to record at Poppit Sands - the light is perfect for a few minutes at sunset and to be there on this massive beach alone is wonderful. You would think that you could photograph all that there is in maybe a few trips, but that definately is not the case. The more I come to Poppit the more I realise that this is going to be a life-long project.”

A selection of Michael’s Poppit work has already been published in Welsh Country magazine, as well as being exhibited in New York, Hong Kong, Cardiff, London, Los Angeles and Berlin, earning him three consecutive finalist places in the Hasselblad Masters Award - the most prestigious award in the photography business. But he still admits to being in awe of the light at Poppit. “I moved to Wales to find somewhere like Poppit to get my teeth into - something to study over a long period of time. It is a dream come true.”
So, how can he keep on photographing just a single beach for the years to come? “Oh, I’ve just scratched the surface! I have hardly explored one tenth of the beach, and then there are the different tides to try out and maybe different film types and maybe colour one day - my mind is buzzing with ideas!”
 See more of Michael’s work at Poppit on www.mgjackson.co.uk

Michael's images start on page 43 of our magazine.
 

Grumpy Old Geezer Wonders How Jobs Can Be Created In Wales

I have heard much in the news and on the radio, plus I’ve read on the web and I’ve been wondering just exactly what are SMEs. But after some searching I’ve found that SME’s stands for Small and Medium sized Enterprises and relates to number of people employed and the turnover of the company. A medium-sized company has a maximum head count of 250 people with a maximum turnover of €50 million (approx. £45m); small is a head count of under 50 and turnover of less than €10 million (approx. £9m) with micro at up to 10 people and a turnover of less than €2 million (approx. £1.8m).
But my worry is that everything I have read, just states SMEs, not making me appreciate the huge difference between them. So when these businesses are all blithely lumped together, what a difference it must make to the teeny micro businesses. Which could just be a husband and wife partnership as against a medium-sized business that employs up to 250 people. One size never did fit all and here in Wales it is perhaps more noticeable than in many areas, especially in the UK. Apart from the government being huge employers and of course the supermarkets, Wales does not have an abundance of companies with the ability to employ up to 250 people.

Grumpy continues on page 36 of our magazine.
 

 In the second part of this article on Plant Hunters we shall be looking at the contribution of European explorers, missionaries and travellers, to the wealth of plant material now found in our gardens and parks. Britain was not alone in having an overseas Empire and many European nations had influence in newly discovered parts of the world, particularly the Americas and the Far East, or Orient as it was then known.

The first documented plant hunter we know of was Albertus Magnus, Bishop of Regensburg (Bavaria) in the twelfth century, who was formally trained in botany in Padua, Italy. Padua later became the home of Europe’s first botanic garden in the sixteenth century and Magnus was probably the first systematic plant hunter. Some four hundred years later, Conrad Gesner, from Switzerland, produced the first list of known alpine plants, but died of plague well before his work was published. The sixteenth century also saw the botanical exploration of New Spain (Mexico), undertaken by King Philip II’s personal physician, Francisco Hernández. In 1570 Hernández was ordered to embark on the first scientific mission in the New World, to study the region’s medicinal plants. Accompanied by his son Juan, he travelled for seven years collecting and classifying specimens. He was assisted by three indigenous painters (baptised, Antón, Baltazar Elías and Pedro Vázquez respectively!) who prepared illustrations for his books, written, of course, in Latin.

Read on from page 61 of our magazine.

Three miles north of Beaumaris and part of the community of Llangoed is the tiny village of Penmon. Clinging to the south-east tip of Anglesey, it boasts an unspoilt beach where the Anglesey Coastal Path follows its shores.
   
Well into the early 20th century, Penmon’s quarries provided work for the locals. The limestone was of such good quality it became known as Anglesey Marble and was used by both Thomas Telford and Robert Stephenson to build the Menai and Britannia Bridges; which join the island to mainland. It was also used for constructions further afield, like Caernarfon Castle, Birmingham Town Hall and the quaysides along the River Liffy in Dublin.   
Although Penmon enjoys magnificent views over the Straits to the Snowdonia mountain range beyond, it is not necessarily for the outlook that people visit this area... many are intrigued by its site of historical importance – Penmon Priory.

Karen continues her exploration of Penmon on page 9 of our magazine. 

You’ll need:

4 skinless chicken breast fillets
12 shallots, peeled
4 garlic cloves
16 good quality pitted green olives
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the full recipe, more recipes and other foodie news, see pages 26-29 of our magazine.