Weekend in Wales

07 April 2003 ~ 19:11

The first place we went to was the castle. We climbed right to the top of the old keep, up some decidedly dodgy narrow stairs, and the view from the top was magnificent. You could see right into the distance and not far away was the new Millenium Stadium, a very space-aged type building.

We treated ourselves to a cream tea in the castle tea-rooms, and then Mum and Bryn went to look around the Welsh Guards Regimental Museum, whilst Mark and I sat on the grass outside. For early April, it was a lovely day. The sun was scorching down. Mark even took his T-shirt off!

After visiting some gift shops and buying assorted souvenirs for ourselves and other people, including a giant red dragon that Mark bought, we walked through the shopping centre and then through the lovely Bute Park, back to the car park. Bryn then treated us to a drive past Castle Coch and Caerphilly Castle, before we headed to a nice pub for dinner.

We headed home, stuffed, and spent the evening relaxing and chatting. Everyone except for me got really drunk�I don�t like alcohol. Bryn and Mark had some good political debates which got heated at times but it was all friendly. Like most men, they are stubborn and love an argument, and I could hear the raised voices of both through the floor to the upstairs. Oh, how I wish they�d just go to bed. Men, booze and politics, honestly, what a damnable combination!

The next day we didn�t get up until lunchtime due to extreme tiredness, and after breakfast, we headed out again in the car for Bryn�s whirlwind tour of the best sights in the area. I think he wanted to show us all the places he and mum go when she comes to stay with him, and he did a good job of it.

First we headed to the beach at Ogmore-by-sea. There were hundreds of sheep with their newborn lambs grazing on the grass, which grows right up to the seashore. Dozens of people were flying kites and there were plenty of walkers considering that the day was nowhere near as nice as Saturday. Mark and I bought ice creams but we felt it was too cold to walk far.

Then Bryn drove us up to the mountains, pointing out all the sights along the way, such as the last remaining working coal mine in South Wales, the Tower Colliery, which was bought by the miners themselves when the coal board decided to close it down. The mountains were beautiful, as is the whole area. It certainly is a lovely place to live, but I think you need a car to get around properly, unlike London.

We caught the 5.30pm train from Bridgend station to London Paddington. The train was so crowded that we decided, after the ticket inspector had been around, that we�d sit in First Class. It was either that or stand for the 3 hour journey. We finally got into London at 8.45pm, and home at 10.15.

For me the most exciting thing about the trip was the fact that I�d at last been to another part of the British Isles besides England. The other thing I loved about Wales was the fact that all the signs were in Welsh as well as English. Even the police cars have �Heddlu� on them, and the ATMs ask if you want to read the instructions in English or Welsh. We also got to watch some of the Welsh language TV channel (not that we understood it!). My father�s mum was Welsh (I think his grandmother might have been a native Welsh speaker) so that was particularly interesting for me).

All in all it was a great weekend and I�ve at last been, as the Welsh say, to the �land of my fathers.'


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