A Wet and Windy Weekend in Wales

Just back from a wet and windy weekend in Wales, I thought I’d quickly share just ten photos from the trip (yes I know I’ve a huge backlog of Canada photos to share… all in good time!).  

I’ve been to south Wales a few times in autumn and winter but it’s the first time the weather has been quite so bad.  Rainstorms and gusty winds overnight meant some missed sleep, but luckily the worst of the daytime weather came when I was under cover.  

Saturday morning was rained out, and Plantasia in Swansea offered a watertight glass dome filled with plants and animals.  As the weather brightened up a lunchtime trip to Verdi’s Cafe in Mumbles gave the opportunity for views across Swansea Bay.  Being close to 5th November there were lots of fireworks to choose from in the area, and seeing a bonfire and fireworks in the shadow of Coity Castle was a treat.  

On Sunday a trip to the Cats Protection Bridgend Adoption Centre left me feeling a little sad that there were so many cats waiting to be adopted.  But I was perked up by a visit to St Fagans, and all the dark clouds didn’t lead to a drenching.  This was my second visit to the museum, which is a huge site with various buildings from all over Wales.  The buildings are dismantled brick-by-brick and rebuilt at St Fagans.  The St Teilo’s Church, for example, took twenty years to dismantle and move.  Autumn is a great time to visit and see all the buildings set amongst the colourful trees.

A visit to The National Memorial Arboretum

2014 marks one hundred years since the start of The Great War (World War One), and so a couple of weeks ago was a good time to visit The National Memorial Arboretum. I’d visited a couple of years previously, and nearly froze in the process, this time it was much warmer in the spring-like weather.

The National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire is the UK’s centre for remembrance. It’s 150 acres of maturing woodland that contains memorials to armed forces and civil services.

Although war and personal sacrifice are such sombre subjects, and the memorials are so thought provoking, the Arboretum manages to offer a unique environment that welcomes everyone of all ages. When I was there I saw a mixture of war veterans, young adults, and families wandering around either paying their respects or learning about the history of what they were seeing.

I’d recommend everyone to visit just once, just to see, just to think.