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I Don't Do Beaches

Tuesday 10 April 2012

I like my holidays a bit more full of interest than lying on the sand looking at the sea.  Here's what I got up in Wales last week:

Saturday

Arrived at the cottage and flopped in a tired heap.  Isn't the view a cracker?



Sunday


Went for a walk to find a waterfall.  Got lost due to the footpath magically disappearing, bothered some sheep, couldn't find the bloody waterfall.


Came home.  It was a jolly nice walk though.


Monday

We went to Hay on Wye, aka the land of second-hand bookshop.  I only bought 5 books.  Are you all impressed? 

 

 I may have bought this tweed hat though.  Weird I know, but I likes it!


Tuesday

Stayed in the cottage in front of the fire and read lots, partly because we were lazy but mostly because it was snowing.  Look - that's snow on them there hills!





Wednesday

Something you should probably know about the women of my family when on holiday - we don't do A roads and motorways.  We are fans of boldly going.  Also, we are easily led off route in search of an interesting place name.  It produces good results though!  We saw Bethlehem, so naturally had to go there.



Then discovered an ancient monument sign and ended up climbing up the largest Iron Age hill fort in Wales. As you do. I forgot to take a bobble with me and spent most of the walk like this.



We stopped at an amazing old coaching inn for a well deserved lunch - highly recommended.



And then went to Dinefwr in the afternoon and had a wonderful time there.  Shall do a separate post about this I think so as not to bombard you entirely with photos.



Thursday


We went to Abergavenny. I hereby gift their Tourist Board with the following slogan:  Abergavenny - Surprisingly Nice.  It has a castle and a lovely tapestry and lots of charity shops.  Frankly, what more do you need?




Friday


Did some fairly epic gallivanting.  We went through some rather wild parts and then up the Devil's Staircase (single lane, 1:4 very winding ascent.  Not recommended in a 1.2 Renault Clio.  Thank god I wasn't driving) on our way to Strata Florida Abbey which was a little cold and wet but rather enchanting nonetheless.  Lots of Welsh princes buried there, as well as this poet fella.  Isn't that last line lovely?





So that was the week that was.  I like Wales very much, but my ability to pronounce Welsh place names has not advanced at all.  I hereby give a shiny shilling to anyone who can tell me how to say this one.

22 comments:

  1. Looks like a lovely time you had there! I don't do sunbathing either (although I do like the sun)- lovely pics :) xx

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  2. Ooooh I love your pics. Hay on Wye rocks and I think your coat may rock a little bit more. I bloody LOVES it, I do. You look fab in it, tiny waist and all.
    I am a bit different in that I LOVE sunbathing but we recently relocated to the south coast and the sea is on my doorstep so I hope not to be a lazy bint this summer. Mind you, don't you love lying on a beach and reading an awesome book???!!

    xx

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  3. It looks great! I love having a wander around and exploring.
    Thanks for the link on the cottage, me and Andy have been looking for somewhere like this.
    xx

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  4. Looks and sounds like you had fun. I like Wales and often go to Abergavenny for work, mind you I don;t think I have ever been in any of the charity shops. (Shame on me!) May be next time.

    X x

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  5. I'm guessing pon-tri-fen-tee-gade! I love that last line of the poem! Yay you went to Hay! I went for 4 days last summer and I STILL haven't posted my pictures or done anything with them! I'm thinking it's too late now!
    The place in the last pictures look amazing!!!! Must go!
    Ooooh, I'm loving that hat too! Looks very nice on you, especially with green topped hat! Is that almost a smile?! ;-)

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  6. Alex - what a wonderful holiday. Now feel as if I have had a vicarious break. Adore Wales. Some of the happiest days of my twenties were spent in Hay on Wye. :)

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  7. The place is ponounced 'Pontvreedhendegide, Alex. All letters are pronounced individually in welsh (ie. no digraphs), 'w' is a vowel (oo sound) and 'ch' (more like a German ch) is treated as a single letter. I won't bother you with feminine and masculine nouns, mutations and how southern welsh often differs from north Wales welsh. ;)

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  8. Murder and Mayhem! I've loved Wales ever since I read A String in the Harp, though its glossary didn't help me figure out Welsh pronunciation, and that love was further strengthened by the discovery of Hay-on-Wye and Dylan Thomas. So glad you had a lovely holiday, Alex!

    A from A + B in the Sea

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  9. SO gorgeous! Those photos have made me so jealous :-(

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  10. Abergavenny does look nice from your photos. Some people always say places are full of charity shops as though that's a bad thing!

    Amy

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  11. Sounds like my kind of holiday - I don't do beach holidays either and tootling off down obscure little B roads just because we like a place name or even just because we can! is also a recurring theme in our holidays. Sounds like you had a brilliant time. Linda xxx

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  12. Oh this sounds right up my street. I too am not a fan of the beach and get so much joy from a week in Wales. We holiday near the Bala area and travel out to some of the places you mention. Who needs beaches when you have cottages, countryside, poetry and charity shops. Unfortunately I have a little girl who loves the beach so I have to compromise :)

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  13. A lovely post. Looks and sounds like you had a lovely time.

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  14. Sounds like my kind of holiday. I went to uni in Lampeter and sometimes I think about moving to Wales. Ever since they got 24 hour Tescos. x

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  15. Great pics! Especially Bethlehem =)
    Love the line 'Where you were buried, a poem was hidden".
    xx
    emsipop.blogspot.co.uk

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  16. It looks like you did some lovely walking and ate some delish looking stuff.Rx

    http://sandersonsmithstory.blogspot.co.uk/

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  17. I don't really do beaches either though if I'm near on I do like to spend a couple of hours chilling by the sea reading a book. Certainly couldn't spend a whole week doing it!
    Looks like you had an excellent time adventuring and exploring- and the pub lunch looks amazing!

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  18. Something like Pont-reed-ven-dig-yade, only run together and with a Welsh accent!

    Looks like you had an great time - I miss Wales. You did well with just the 5 books and I love the tweed hat, it really suits you!

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  19. Love the hat! Glad to see you had a great week, but snow?? good grief.

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  20. How beautiful, and I am very impressed with you sticking to only 5 books from Hay. Looks like my perfect holiday xx

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  21. Such fun photos! I am envious. What else is new? I'm always coveting your life--clothes, hair, travels, books, and all around amazingness!

    Tibby

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