Recycling bins at CATI promise I will post pictures with this eventually. North Wales is incredibly beautiful and I love picture books, so no story is complete without some visual aids.
As Professor Geier put it, all good things must come to an end. The last day of our North Wales adventure was spent primarily riding the bus back to Cardiff with one stop at the Center for Alternative Technology. The drive was beautiful, as usual, and it got me to thinking more and more about our impact on the world. The UK (and Europe) has been overrun with people for thousands of years, and the impact is visible in the landscape. You cannot escape civilization, even in the seemingly rural and rustic Wales. The rocky hills are dotted with sheep, walls, and fences. The whole lanscape partitioned into little squares that awkwardly try to put borders on mountains. The image of the slate mine will never leave me... truly a "stolen mountain," cut out into little steps of black stone.
The center for alternative technology offered a slightly more positive view of the world, and it was a very enjoyable place. When we got there, we had to climb a long flight of stairs to get to the buildings and displays. Half the study group took the stairs at a run because we all desperately needed to pee. We spent 2 hours there happily wandering among interactive displays that explained how green technologies work. It was another beautiful day and the displays were fun. The whole complex was really interesting; they offer classes where you can stay in an eco friendly dorm and learn all about compost, wind energy, solar power, and on and on. The gift shop was also great; I got some really need gifts for the parents, and they had a lot of books on the environment.
After CAT, we had lunch in the nearby town. I got a goat cheese sandwich at the vegetarian cafe hosted by CAT. It was amazing! We then got back on the bus for another two hour bus ride home to Cardiff. Overall, it was an amazing trip. I feel like I am being taught how the world works, which is an overwhelming yet amazing feeling.
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