Welcome to Wales!

Had a good night’s rest but still felt like sleeping in! Would have if it were not for the fact we were heading off to Wales today! Paula came over around 8:45am and we set out on the motorway! We cruised along the M25, then M4 with little traffic, stopping in Reading for a break. Managed to find a travel adaptor at the WH Smith there so all up we’ve spent 18.98 pounds on stupid adaptors!

We passed the city of Bristol and were soon crossing the mouth of the Severn river into Wales! After being welcomed by the Welsh with a toll, we continued west along the M4, checking the map for nice seaside towns to visit. We headed into the town of Peterstone and grabbed a drink at the local pub there where the barmaid suggested we visit Cardiff bay and the nice little towns of Sully and Llantwit Major. A guy sitting at the bar told us we could spend hours, even a whole day at Cardiff Bay!

With high expectations, we drove into the Welsh capital and tried to find Cardiff Bay. We got lost along the way however and ended up in an industrial area with lovely views of rubbish tips, factories, and warehouses! We eventually found it and parked near the visitor centre which looked like a tubular UFO or something! We went inside, got some info, and then walked around the bay. It was quite picturesque to some degree but small and the water in the bay was rather filthy! We passed many piers where cruises were leaving presumably to show people around the bay.

There weren’t many people around for the long weekend. We passed the Millenium Stadium and started looking for somewhere for a bite. After walking around the restaurants for a while, we settled on an express lunch special at an Italian restaurant overlooking the bay. The penne and linguini were rather good!

With our stomachs filled up again, we left Cardiff Bay after spending just over an hour there, and following that barmaid’s suggestion, headed along the coast to the village of Sully. Sully was so impressive that we drove right through it without knowing and ended up in yet another industrial area! Turning back, we decided to just keep heading on to the bigger nearby town of Barry.

We followed tourist signs to Barry Island and a pebble beach called The Knap but neither warranted more than a brief stop. The seaside was disappointing as the water was muddy and brown coloured. We went around in circles a few times trying to get out of Barry but eventually found a sign to Llantwit Major. We passed Cardiff International Airport and drove along small Welsh country roads, passing fields dotted with heaps of sheep and their lambs.

When we arrived at Llantwit Major, we found yet another small dead village! We couldn’t really work out why on earth that barmaid had suggested we visit it! We saw a sign pointing to the beach so we followed that down a narrow road full of speedhumps and found another small pebble beach with again, filthy water! Having had enough of the Welsh seaside, we decided to head straight to our Travelodge, check in and then go out later.

We drove past the larger cities of Bridgend, Port Talbot and Swansea and realised we probably should’ve stopped at the later as we had originally intended. Again the barmaid was at fault cos they had told us that Swansea wasn’t worth stopping at but as drove by we caught a glimpse of its scenic coastline. Anyhow, with some difficulty we found our Travelodge at Cross Hands near the Aldi. We checked in and had a cuppa tea before going out again around 7pm to look for dinner.

The Travelodge receptionist had recommended we visit Carmarthen or try the nearby Cross Hands pub called the Phoenix. We headed north west the 12miles or so to Carmarthen. This town was quite large but again, dead quiet! We parked and walked around looking for a nice pub that might serve up good Welsh food but as we walked all around town, none of them looked appealing! Most were dingy, had few patrons, or had unruly locals hanging outside it. With stomachs rumbling, we decided to head back to Cross Hands and dine at the Phoenix! We were glad we did! We feasted on roast lamb, chicken, and for the second night in a row, Uncle Alex had the ultimate mixed grill! The food and portions were just right and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal except for Aunty Clem who was disappointed with her steak and ale pie.

After dinner we retired to our Travelodge and enjoyed Paula’s Spanish wine!