Bog-snorkelling, books and baby seals...more Wales weekenders

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Bank Holiday Weekend - 24th-27th August

For the long weekend we had quite a lot on. On the Friday we moved into our new house which is out in the burbs of Rumney. It’s nicer than our old place and we’re sharing with just one other girl. On the Saturday we met up with Jason and Kirstyn in town for the Cardiff Calling Festival. Luckily it was a beautiful sunny day and we enjoyed cruising around listening to some live music. We enjoyed Kate Nash and Welsh band the Automatic and ended the night with Mike Skinner and the Streets. We had a lazy day Sunday but headed out in the afternoon to watch a mass hot air balloon launch.

Monday we got going early and made our way up to Llanwrtyd Wells (do not ask how to pronounce it). Kirstyn was psyching up for her International sporting debut in the “World Bog Snorkelling Championships”. This is a crazy event where they did some big trenches in the bog/marsh and people put on snorkels and doggy paddle in the muddy water. There were a few serious contenders but mostly just people in an array of over the top costumes which were hilarious. Kirstyn did pretty well for an amateur with no training and no wetsuit in the freezing water!

Rugby weekend in Cardiff - 15-16th September

It was Rugby World Cup all round this weekend with the big Australia vs Wales game in Cardiff on Saturday night. Heaps of Aussies were in town for the game including a whole pile of people from Mount Isa. We didn't go to the game but had a big day in the local Walkabout with those who were in town for the game as well as some Welsh mates. It was a long day, starting very early in the line for the pub when it opened and continuing until late. On the Sunday we went to the Millenium Stadium to see Fiji play Canada which was good fun.

Pembrokeshire Coast & St David's - 12-14th October

Friday after work we headed for St David's which is situated in West Wales on the Pembrokeshire Coast. St David's is a nice little town which is a very popular spot for weekend breaks. On Friday night we went to a local Italian restaurant which was actually having a Mexican night but the food was still good anyway. On Saturday morning we drove up to Porthgain to start a 16km walk on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. The coast was very picturesque and even though the weather was a little bleak, we still enjoyed the views. We saw many seals along the way and we were lucky enough to get up close to a seal pup. The walk finished up at St David's Head and from there we walked back into town with a stop off at St David's Cathedral and Bishops Palace which were nice. That night we went back to the Italian Restaurant and finally got that Italian meal we were after the night before. They had pavlova on the menu but we should have known better as it was nothing like the real thing. On Sunday we headed back to Cardiff with a stop in Tenby for lunch. Tenby is another popular spot with a nice beach and interesting walled city with lots of winding cobblestone streets.

Hay-On-Wye 20-21st October

On this weekend we thought we'd do some book shopping................. So we headed for Hay-On-Wye in Mid Wales which has about 40 book stores for some reason. This is a lot considering that the town's population is just under 2000! We checked in to our B & B and headed into town to look for something to do, but what else is there to do in Hay-On-Wye but visit some book shops. So we went to for a browse and bought some cheap books then headed to one of the local pubs to watch the Rugby World Cup final. We were all very happy that South Africa won as there is nothing worse than the English media when they've fluked a few games. The cool misty weather was perfect for roaming along the river and the nice little streets of the town.

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Photos

Champion Bog-Snorkeller
We were all very impressed by Kirstyn's commitment.

Serious Bog-Snorkelling Competitors
Just some of the great costumes people turned up in. Not so easy to snorkel in the bog though.

Hay Castle
even the castle was a bookshop

St David's Head
We were exhausted by the time we made it here.

Seal pup
Ohhh, isn't he cute.

Richard Booth Bookshop
the oldest bookshop in Hay-On-Wye

Wye River
It was a misty morning and very eerie along the river.