Last June I embarked on an adventure with a dear friend that took us around the stunning Llyn Peninsula. This wasn't just any walk, it was an exploration driven by the desire to immerse ourselves fully in the wild, to camp under the stars and be at one with the landscape. We walked all day, only stopping to take in the view, collect water from streams or refuel and each night, as the sun dipped below the horizon ,we set up camp. The journey was a reminder of how simple life can be and the luxury of disconnecting. We were lucky to have amazing weather with blue skies and a blue sea to our right stretching out to the horizon. With it's rugged coastline and pristine waters, swimming was an absolute joy and not only a way to cool off from the heat that accompanied us most days but giving us moments of oneness with nature in some wonderfully secluded coves.

Being a wildlife lover, one of the most memorable aspects of the journey was the wildlife. We saw choughs almost daily, their distinctive red bills and legs a joy to behold! But it was the eerie sound of Manx Shearwaters at night that truly captivated me. Their calls, a ghostly serenade, added an ethereal layer to my nights as I lay listening to them. I've been lucky enough to see them on Skomer Island and so was familiar with the sound they made and it was unexpected delight to hear them during the walk. There is a large colony of them on Bardsey Island off the southern point of the Llyn Peninsula.

The painting shown here is a reminder of the journey, depicting some of the wildlife that we came across during our journey around the coastline. It holds special memories of another week in the wild that has left a mark on my heart.

I live very close to the Wales Coast Path and eventually would like to walk the entire perimeter of Wales. So far I've done most of the North coast of Wales, the whole of Anglesey and now the Llyn Peninsula. This year I hope to continue further down the Welsh coast.

Anyone who knows me knows how I love to just pack up my rucksack and disappear for a few days in the wild alone but it was really special to share the experience with a good friend who gets as much out of the experience as I do! She is also much more organised than me!

As I sit here writing this I long for the next wild adventure living out of my rucksack, drinking from streams, sleeping under the stars and freshening up with a swim in a lake or waterfall, stripping everything back to basics and just putting one foot in front of another, far away from the noise of the world I've left behind just for a while!

As I write this blog the painting is available to purchase - it tells a story, it's painted from the heart and is a tribute to the wild side of Pen Llyn!

click here for more info