Cymru (Wales)

Did you know that Paddington Bear has a laptop? Neither did I! But maybe he's just looking after this one... I found him waiting outside Krispy Kreme at Paddington Station, of course.

Denise picked me up from Abergavenny station and we jumped up and down on the platform - we haven't seen each other since last January, lots to catch up on! I didn't know but she is brilliant at growing sweet peas. She lives in a village next to Crickhowell.

Crick is famous for this bridge. On one side, you can see 12 arches and on the other, there are 13.

Welsh sheep. As Den says, they are 'fearless and stupid' and are loose (not fenced in). They wander all over the road and even have a sit or feed in front of cars.

Here's Den under a flower tree in Cardiff! We caught a train down on Saturday to go to Cardiff Castle and the National Museum to make the most of a wet day.

Cardiff Castle is not actually that old - most of it is mock-Gothic built by the Bute family. The keep is the only piece that has been around since Roman times.

The fanciful clocktower. It's actaully a gentlemen's smoking and drinking den which is very richly decorated on the inside. There are different paintings of the days of the week, horoscopes, seasons, times of the day and carvings of love and leisure.

We had to wait for the house tour so we had a piece of bara brith (fruit cake). I wasn't brave enough to commit myself to eating laver bread, which is a kind of seaweed spread. Den found a £5 note sitting in a puddle!

We wandered around in Cardiff's arcades, which are a bit like Melbourne's. Wally's had lots of interesting specialist groceries.

I enjoyed Cardiff Central Market. I found you 3 more buttons, Neese.

On Sunday we met Sarah, Den's best friend for a cuppa in Crickhowell. Spotted a Morrie for you Dad! Double-parked as the owner went to get his paper.

Scenes from Crickhowell.




Table Mountain, and the Castle.
Then we went to Den's dad Denis's home for Sunday lunch. He is a super cook and gardener - we had roast beef and potatotes with home grown carrots, beans and spinach. Apple pie and Bird's custard to follow, and I was given five fresh farm eggs to take home to London. Spoilt.

Instead of going for a cream tea afterwards (too full!) Den took me for a walk around her village. Very pretty and green along the canal and the beech woods. Den pointed out the British flora and fauna so I know about hedgerows, bracken, Llangattock's fairy door and what Crick's shops used to be like. Back at home, we watched Nicola Cooke the cyclist win the first Olympic gold medal for Wales in 36 years.

And here are some new friends...

Thank you Denise, Denis and Sarah for a lovely weekend in Wales. I am a very lucky girlie!